Evangelical Anglicanism

[Tomoz]

Hi there everyone :wave:
As most of you probably know, the Anglican church in Sydney is evangelical and, I think, tends to be fairly Calvinist in its theology (Sydney Anglicans please correct me if I'm wrong!)
Anyway, what I was wondering is, does evangelical Anglicanism tend to be calvinist as a rule? I know that there is always going to be exceptions to every rule...but does anyone know if that is the dominant trend?

[erin74]

Well I have heard Moore College (the college in Sydney) calvinism described as 4.5 pointers. And certainly not every person at college, and hence every minister, holds to calvanism.

However, I think it's pretty fair to say there are a lot of calvinist clergy in the Sydney diocese. As they also provide much of the clergy for the diocese I am in, I would suspect that the evangelicalism here is the same, calvinist.

That didn't help much did it....

[ContraMundum]

There's an old saying that the majority of the clerics in the more recent history of Anglicanism have been Arminians with Calvinist Articles.

I think there is plenty of room within the formal and historical articles of Anglicanism to be both or neither.

[Naomi4Christ]

We believe that God chose us...

[AngCath]

Anyway, what I was wondering is, does evangelical Anglicanism tend to be calvinist as a rule? I know that there is always going to be exceptions to every rule...but does anyone know if that is the dominant trend?

I can't speak broadly, but I know of an entire parish that is an Evangelical (ECUSA) parish but neither their rector nor the people could pass as Calvinists.
I think it is probably safe to say that of Anglicans who are of the Evangelical flavor, there are differing degrees of Calvinism/Arminianism.

[Tomoz]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. The church I've always attended is quite liberal and high, but soon I'm going to start attending a smaller, more evangelical parish and I was just wondering what to expect theologically...I'm not in Sydney though so I'll just have to be surprised!

[erin74]

I wonder if I know the church.... where was the minister trained - that won't tell you everything, but it could give you a hint...

[SirTimothy]

I personally believe Calvinism to be incompatible with evangelical christianity. Hyper-calvinism is the only version of calvinism which makes the remotest logical sense and it is not Biblical in the slightest.

Timothy

[erin74]

I personally believe Calvinism to be incompatible with evangelical christianity. Hyper-calvinism is the only version of calvinism which makes the remotest logical sense and it is not Biblical in the slightest.

Timothy
That's kinda strange to hear, given calvinism and evangelicalism is what I have been taught, and believe. I have never seen it to be incompatible...

[SirTimothy]

Predestination of the elect taken to it's logical conclusion teaches that we should not evangelise, rather if God wishes to save then he can do it. Predestination of the elect is logically incompatible with the Great Commission as near as I can tell. Certainly that's the impression I have got from reading Calvin's works and from talking to the seminary students of a local calvinist church.

Timothy

[erin74]

Except that the bible tells us to evangelise - he chooses to use us in his plan to reach people. It's a matter of obedience if nothing else.

I am not a scholar of calvinism - but that is the way I read the bible

[karen freeinchristman]

What is hyper-calvinism? :confused:

[SirTimothy]

Surely then what you are suggesting is that the entire universe is a set of puppets with God pulling the strings? I mean if he has predestined someone to be saved and we have to be obedient to evangelise then surely we had no choice about whether we went out to evangelise and thus in fact God is deliberately being cruel to those who he hasn't chosen, right? Calvinism taken to it's logical conclusions must rewrite John 3:16 to read "God so loved the elect that he sent his only begotten son" rather than "God so loved the world."

If evangelism makes no changes rather we're purely doing it out of obedience to the master puppet master doesn't that mean effective evangelism is worthless? Surely all we need to do is yell hell-fire and brimstone and if God choses it, they will be saved? None of that makes an iota of sense to me, I'm afraid.

I believe God chooses to love the World, but the world rejects him. According to Calvinism, God loves a few people and doesn't give the world a chance to reject him, he rejects them out of hand.

Timothy

[SirTimothy]

What is hyper-calvinism?

Churches which don't evangelise. They say if God wants to save someone, he will save them. They also believe that we shouldn't take medicines... if it's our time to die, then so be it.

Timothy

[erin74]

Hey Timothy - like I said I'm not a scholar on this... you're probably better talking to some of the semper folk about it.

besides - it sounds to me like you have your mind made up, so I'm not keen on starting up a debate on it....

[SirTimothy]

I unfortunately was forced to become a scholar on this after having calvinists ramming John Calvin down my throat for two weeks last summer. I'm now well equipped for dealing with them again. :)

Timothy