Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists by Collin Hansen

Apr 14, 2012 David Shane rated it 3 of 5 stars

A quick-to-read collection of interviews discussing the unexpected resurgence of Calvinism / Reformed theology among young Christians in America. A few thoughts,

1. I think I agree with the suggestion here that one of the reasons Calvinism is so attractive today is because it offers a very big view of a glorious, sovereign, transcendent God. We have a transcendence starved culture - and I mean even inside many Protestant churches, which emphasize the friendship of God (good), but speak far too li...more

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Dec 12, 2009 Brett Mclaughlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology

This was, for me, the equivalent of pop literature for the busy seminary student :-) That's not a knock. In fact, I picked this book up because none of the books I was reading were within arm's reach. I devoured this book in a few days, largely because it was interesting, easy to read, and didn't make me want to take notes or highlight things. (Sitting up to highlight and notate isn't always ideal if you're tired and just want to read a bit while lying down.)

Collin does a nice job of surveying t...more This was, for me, the equivalent of pop literature for the busy seminary student :-) That's not a knock. In fact, I picked this book up because none of the books I was reading were within arm's reach. I devoured this book in a few days, largely because it was interesting, easy to read, and didn't make me want to take notes or highlight things. (Sitting up to highlight and notate isn't always ideal if you're tired and just want to read a bit while lying down.)

Collin does a nice job of surveying the so-called New Calvinist landscape, although it's a bit comical to see Al Mohler and John Piper labeled new anything; these are men whose theology has been well-known for two decades, and even at the time of the book's writing, 15 years. Still, for many who have heard a bit about Piper or have run across Mark Driscoll or perhaps CJ Mahaney, this is a nice introduction to what else is going on.

(Being in Dallas, it was noticeable that Matt Chandler and the Village are absent, but with the meteoric growth of that community, Collin couldn't have known that in the time it took him to read and publish his book, the Village would have soared from two or three thousand to six!)

The book is largely a pointer to other resources. While there's not an extensive bibliography, you'll find yourself deciding which men you might want to read more on; which resources -- DVDs, podcasts, books -- you might want to invest in. That's a good thing. And for the many who've long been fans of Piper and Mohler, and supporters of Driscoll even when his contextualism runs a bit thick, this is a fun and light read.

The surprise for most readers will be that chapters on Piper or Driscoll have very little in them from those men; these are not the interview-heavy chapters I expected, but rather surveys of what these men are doing and what their critics and supporters say about them. This was the only disappointment for me; I would have happily read another 50 or 100 pages of Collin if he'd included more of his conversations with his subjects.(less)

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Oct 19, 2009 Joanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Book group book about Hansen's travels across the country to report on what he sees as a resurgence of reformed theology in places where you wouldn't expect it - the Southern Baptist Convention, for example. The key there is where you wouldn't expect it -- we noted that reformed theology is hardly new to, say, the Presbyterians or the Reformed Church of America. He doesn't pay much attention to them, but perhaps they are just not hip enough, since most of the people he talks to are thirty-someth...more Book group book about Hansen's travels across the country to report on what he sees as a resurgence of reformed theology in places where you wouldn't expect it - the Southern Baptist Convention, for example. The key there is where you wouldn't expect it -- we noted that reformed theology is hardly new to, say, the Presbyterians or the Reformed Church of America. He doesn't pay much attention to them, but perhaps they are just not hip enough, since most of the people he talks to are thirty-something White guys described by their goatees or olive cargo pants so that we agree with him that they are hip. Oh yes, he also talks with four women (because he says Calvinists are traditional complementarians when it comes to gender roles) and two Black men.

The book provoked good discussion among us about how much we agree with TULIP or Calvinism in general, though we do not think Hansen ever fully defines either Calvinism or Arminianism. His purpose instead seemed to be to interview dozens of White guys about how they became Calvinists (inevitably they studied the Bible and suddenly they just were) and where they are taking their churches. He attends conferences and talks with people and there are lots and lots of people and churches to keep straight, should that be an interest.

Hansen's overall tone is breathless respect for the people with whom he's talking. I wish he had a little more critique and a lot more synthesis. This is not much about reformed theology and a lot more of People-magazine like sightings of Reformed theologians. My overall impression is that Hansen needs to step back and figure out what this all means -- for him, for U.S. Protestant Christianity, for the Church.

Two remaining questions: 1) Many of the Calvinists he talked with seemed to be jerks -- perhaps brilliant theologians. but with lousy interpersonal and pastoral skills. Does Calvinism tend to jerkiness? And 2) we wondered if the appeal of some of the growing Reformed churches is simply good exegetical preaching and if, like Wolfe writes (The Transformation of American Religion), many of the people in those churches could explain Calvinism.

Could have been better.

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May 22, 2012 logdog rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would read this book only if you 1) are not already in the "young Reformed" [at least when it comes to salvation] camp and 2) want to know what all the fuss is about.

If you're already in this camp, there's really nothing earth-shattering here: it's basically the author going around interviewing people who became Calvinists either 1) by studying the Bible and/or 2) through exposure to John Piper, and who thereafter, more often than not, end up in seminary. If you want to hear stories like these...more I would read this book only if you 1) are not already in the "young Reformed" [at least when it comes to salvation] camp and 2) want to know what all the fuss is about.

If you're already in this camp, there's really nothing earth-shattering here: it's basically the author going around interviewing people who became Calvinists either 1) by studying the Bible and/or 2) through exposure to John Piper, and who thereafter, more often than not, end up in seminary. If you want to hear stories like these, you don't need to buy this book; just look for the guy at church who feverishly takes notes on his iPad while running Logos 4 on his Mac (not bashing this at all--praise God for people like this--you know who you are) and ask him his testimony!

I love race, and I gotta throw it in: it is good to know that there are, in fact, other young white Calvinists out there. In the Midwest. And in Maryland. Because there sure aren't any in my neck of the woods (see Criticism # 2. below).

Criticisms:

1. I wish that the author would have provided at least some constructive criticism of the young, restless, and Reformed. I guess this might be kinda hard when he is more or less described by the title himself.

2. I think the author would've benefited by flying down to good ol' Cali and interviewing at least one Asian (to be fair, he did interview an Asian girl in Illinois, but she is definitely not your typical Socal Asian Calvinist--she's going to seminary, etc.). Because I'm not kidding--at least in Orange County, the majority of the young Calvinists you'll meet are Asian-American. My college ministry was pretty Asian, and I just assumed this was due to the massive Asian student population, but when I relocated to Orange County (where there are a lot of whities), I thought there would be at least a couple young white Calvinistic churches. Not so! White Christianity in Orange County (and indeed, all of Southern California) is largely your garden variety Calvary Chapel stuff. Anyway, I think talking to some of the Asians at churches I've been at would shift Hansen's paradigm a bit with why so many young people are embracing Reformed soteriology. Hansen maintains that the movement is largely a result of church kids of happy-go-lucky-anything-goes Jesus Movement parents looking for creed and tradition. I think for Asians I've met, though--who have grown up all their lives with structure and tradition--it is often more due to academic inclination. I'm sure this is the case for many non-Asians as well, but the author did not delve into this aspect of the young Calvinistic movement. I'd love to see an Asian do a study of the New Asian Calvinists and their motivations for the break away from the traditional ethnic churches of their parents. Man, I've been around Asians too long. ^-^

Bonus: there are a few historical tidbits that, although unelaborated (but then again, this is not a history book), may be of further interest to the uninformed (like me), e.g.:

--That the Southern Baptist Convention was largely Calvinistic from its founding in 1845 until the 1899-1928 Southern Seminary presidency of E.Y. Mullins (1860-1928), a man who "distrusted theological confessions," and ever since the Convention has been essentially creedless (Loc 984).
--That John Piper, in 2002, suggested that Bethlehem Baptist Church "should allow certain believers who had been baptized as infants to become members without being immersed as adults," a plan that failed in the face of intense opposition from other Baptists, including Al Mohler (Loc 1520).(less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Daniel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: do-not-own

In the realms of non-fiction some books are prescriptive in nature, offering solutions and ideas to assist the reader, while other books are descriptive, describing things like events to the reader. “Young, Restless, Reformed” fits into the second category. The author, Collin Hansen (editor-at-large for Christianity Today Magazine) seeks to give the reader a glimpse into the resurgence of Calvinism in American Christianity, especially among the young adult demographic. Hansen describes his exper...more In the realms of non-fiction some books are prescriptive in nature, offering solutions and ideas to assist the reader, while other books are descriptive, describing things like events to the reader. “Young, Restless, Reformed” fits into the second category. The author, Collin Hansen (editor-at-large for Christianity Today Magazine) seeks to give the reader a glimpse into the resurgence of Calvinism in American Christianity, especially among the young adult demographic. Hansen describes his experiences at the Passion Conference in 1997, Bethlehem Baptist Church (Pastored by John Piper), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Mars Hill Church in Seattle. He gives us a glimpse into the lives of some key figures within the movement through interviews with John Piper, Mark Driscoll and many young people that are on fire for God as a result of coming to grips with the doctrines of grace (Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace and Perseverance of the saints). Though the book may be descriptive in nature, there are still lessons to be learned. It becomes clear from his observations that weak theology and “attractional” ministries like the seeker-sensitive movement have failed to capture the passion of the next generation. The strength of Biblically focused and doctrinally passionate churches is seen, and the myth that a focus on doctrine must result in lack of passion is put to rest. But further lessons are learned as Hansen also shares interviews of those who are critical of these “new” Calvinists, both from the conservative and liberal side. From these interviews some of the potential pitfalls can be seen (i.e. perceived arrogance, difficulty getting along with others).

Another feature is that this book provides historical context. “Young, Restless, Reformed” was written in 2008. As I read this book in 2012 the “New Calvinist” movement has only gotten larger. For example, the Together for the Gospel conference that Hansen attended as he researched for his book has grown by the thousands. Yet some of the opposition to the movement is also clearly seen, as recently as the Southern Baptist Convention as opponents of the movement continue to be vocal.

Finally, while the book is descriptive and historical in nature, as Hansen describes his interactions with the New Calvinists, he also details what they believe which results in a clear presentation of the Gospel. But when an author writing a descriptive work of such a God centered, gospel oriented movement it would be quite hard to omit that gospel.
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Jul 19, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it! After being exposed to the doctrines of grace about five years ago, I began to read John Piper's books and listen to Mark Driscoll's sermons and read Tim Challies's blog, and began to learn about Jonathan Edwards, and went to an R.C. Sproul conference, so when I finally got to Young, Restless, Reformed it was like seeing all of my "friends" again! This book is really a nice encapsulation of the past five years of my life - all the people, the theology, the trends. Collin Hansen does a...more

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May 15, 2011 Rachael rated it 3 of 5 stars

I used this book as both a primary and secondary source about the reformed movement. Hansen was fairly transparent about his biases for the movement which made it difficult to use straightforwardly either way, but I appreciated the survey of different sorts of successful Reformed churches across the country. He did get rather repetitive about how the theology allowed young people to relish in the sovereignty of God and delve into theology, and he didn't offer much new insight into why this movem...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Brett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: church, non-fiction, theology

Calvinism is finding a foothold in places that one might not expect: Minneapolis, home of the Lutherans; Louisville, home of the Baptists; and even Seattle, home of New Age spirituality. Through the influential teaching and writing of John Piper, Al Mohler, and Mark Driscoll (just to name a few) a New Calvinism is finding expression and influence across America. What's more, this New Calvinism is often mixing with unlikely theological bedfellows: Baptists and Charismatics, for example. Hansen sp...more

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Feb 21, 2012 David Varney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-life

Simple overview of one man's journey across America looking at the reformed resurgence. This is not a theology text book, so don't read it like one (as lots of reviewers seem to be doing). Hansen is simply showing the type of characters involved in this movement and some of their background. That's it. Some challenging little nuggets throughout the book. It's an easy read and doesn't require too much brain power. Agreed, his subject matter seems to be from a small sliver of the vast cultural pal...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Missjgray rated it 3 of 5 stars

Maybe I'm too restless or not reformed enough. or sumpin'. But this book was a bit of a let down.

I was very interested in the different "categories" of "reformed" represented here, and I have a whole long list of other books I want to read and authors I want to follow now.

Hansen's journalist roots showed through very strongly (but I don't know that he was trying to hide them). This book feels like a collection of biographies, almost vignettes, of different church movements across the country....more

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Jan 29, 2010 Jerry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: church-and-culture

Interesting forays into the New Calvinists. Aside from the Tim Kellerites, this is mostly about reformed baptists. These people are zealous for the gospel and innovative (new organizations, denominations, cooperative coalitions, technology) which is encouraging, in fact, Calvinistic despite Horton's response in the book that these people aren't Reformed (hence the reason why we have "new" Calvinists instead of just Calvinists). The question left unaddressed by Hansen, unintentionally or not, is...more

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Jul 02, 2010 Dave McNeely rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While this books is informative and provides a good series of snapshots for those interested in the emergence of young Calvinists in the US, there is a serious lack of depth that would have been greatly enhanced by a sociologist's eye. Hansen's tome, despite his journalist credentials, reads more like an infatuated apologia for a movement than a journalistic report on a curious trend. Again, I would love to see this same book in the hands of someone willing to explore the sociological reasons fo...more

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May 13, 2011 Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

Collin Hansen does a nice job of traipsing around the country on the trail of the "new Calvinists." They're young, they're passionate, they're fresh, they're studious, they're thinking critically, and they're in love with the God who is mighty to save and sovereign over all creation and creatures. The book is encouraging, as it unveils a resurgance in Calvinist Christianity among the next generation of Christian leaders. It is a momentum I pray will continue and gain even more steam. On the othe...more

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Nov 25, 2009 Thomas Freeman rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wish there were more books like this one. Collin has done a great job of expressing the current Calvinistic climate in America today. I was amazed at some of the diverse avenues and passion that Calvinism is found in. This book has really helped me to understand some of the reasons that Calvinism is resonating strongly with many of the younger generation.

Collin is definitely passionate himself and provides his on biased arguments in the discussion. But he also does a fair job of presenting the...more I wish there were more books like this one. Collin has done a great job of expressing the current Calvinistic climate in America today. I was amazed at some of the diverse avenues and passion that Calvinism is found in. This book has really helped me to understand some of the reasons that Calvinism is resonating strongly with many of the younger generation.

Collin is definitely passionate himself and provides his on biased arguments in the discussion. But he also does a fair job of presenting the views of those he talked with; even when they were self-defeating views. In discussing some of the conflicts Calvinism has faced today he presented the following quotes from Steve Lawson of Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Al:

I asked Lawson if he would have acted differently in retrospect. Without hesitation he said no. “I don’t mean to say I’m perfect,” Lawson said. “By that I mean that I believe in the sovereign providence of God. God ordered my steps to come to Dauphin Way. God brought me to that church to preach his Word as an expression of his mercy and grace.” But he definitely doesn’t recommend that other Reformed pastors should accept calls to lead Southern Baptist churches that do not share their Calvinist convictions…”You only have one life to live”’ Lawson says to young pastors. “Do you want to drive a car that when you push on the Gas pedal, someone else steps on the brake?”

One thing is certain. The young Calvinist today has a tremendous passion for our transcendent God. For example, Collins quoted Joshua Harris as saying, “I do wonder if some of the appeal and the trend isn’t a reaction to the watered-down vision of God that’s been portrayed in the evangelical seeker-oriented churches…I’m not trying to knock them, but I just think that there’s such a hunger for the transcendent and for a God who is not just sitting around waiting for us to show up so that the party can get started.”

This book is an easy read and yet comprehensive. I enjoyed the book and believe it would be helpful to anyone wanting to better understand the broad spectrum of Calvinism today.
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Apr 28, 2009 Sean Higgins rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this brief book, probably most of all because, for the most part, these are "my people." That said, as excited as I am about the current, reported popularity of Reformed belief, I did have the following thought:

Hansen, I suppose as a typical journalist, seems to enjoy editing and ordering details for shock effect or to illustrate his own cleverness. It doesn't always feel like the whole story is being told, and that makes me wary, though I tend to like the ripples even if I don't like...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Cbarrett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting book highlighting the leading individuals of the so-called Calvinistic resurgence. A quick glance at the table of contents will show that this movement is by no means monolithic. The use of the word "Reformed" in the title is used in a more broad manner than the word typically has enjoyed throughout the centuries; but the subtitle kind of illustrates how the term is used throughout the book.
Good book, quick read, Hansen is an engaging writer.

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Jul 24, 2008 Nat rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: pastors,Calvinists,Baptists

Recommended to Nat by: My wife, one of the proofreaders on the book. :D

Shelves: religious

This book does an excellent job of showing all the various perspectives and ministries of the resurgence of Reformed theology. Each chapter is broken down to the various ministries and how they approach the topic.

This book is a quick and easy read. However, the author does have a bias toward Calvinism. There is nothing wrong with that because his enthusiasm does translate into the writing. His surprises are our surprises.

My only perspective has been from discussions with "Piperites" (those who p...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Kurt rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a thorough and insightful tour of contemporary Calvinism. Hansen interviews a variety of people from different backgrounds, and along the way he really fleshes out what Calvinism and Reformed theology are. The book suffers a bit when Hansen interjects his own explanations of Calvinism, as if he doesn't trust his subjects to adequately convince readers, but overall, this is an enjoyable and informative read. I highly recommend it.

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Feb 03, 2009 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: culture, theology

A survey of some of the larger, faster growing churches, mostly in the east, who are attracting Reformed young people. John Piper figures prominently in all of it. Reformed, Charismatic, young, with all the strengths and weaknesses that young people have.

I'm afraid it is a fad, but pray that it isn't. Right now the "movement" is a lot of hype and fun, the test will be if it changes culture.

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Mar 25, 2009 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book to very informational concerning the growing acceptance of Reformed Theology among young evangelicals. I was encouraged by the various answers to questions that Collin asked throughout this book. One quote that has stuck with me is "If I believe that God is sovereign in all things, then I must believe that He is sovereign in roles of men and women."

This is a good book to give people an overview of what Calvanism is today. I would suggest reading the last chapter with an open he...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great read for anyone inquisitive or skeptical of the Sovereign Grace movement and other evangelical trends such as Together 4 the Gospel, Acts 29, etc.

Collin Hansen is an editor for Christianity Today. This is a well-researched, well-written book. A compelling and informative read. Helped to clarify the distinctions between the groups and their backgrounds.

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Apr 20, 2009 Ms.Cogan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Encouraging and inspiring about the growing Christian Reformed movement and how God is growing a passion in young men and women to know scripture and who scriptures teach God is.

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Jan 18, 2012 Ryan Rindels rated it 5 of 5 stars

Young, Restless, Reformed gives great insight into the Reformed movement in our generation. I highly recommend this book. It covers a lot of the basics of Calvinism and gives many names and places in the U.S. associated with it from Seminaries like Southern and personalities like Mark Driscol. I appreciate how Colin Hansen explains how so many baby boomers (such as my dad) are suspicious the doctrines of grace --or more importantly, the implications. But as Hansen demonstrated, the movement is m...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Virginia Knowles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology

Hansen traces Reformed theology in modern culture, profiling various Christian leaders and organizations.

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Nov 18, 2008 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really good, survey of the movement going on across America. I travel a lot myself and I to see this movement as he describes along with others like Paul Washer. Every Southern Baptist should read chapter 4. It will give you a really good idea what is going on in SBC Churches in the south and how hard some people will fight to keep the truth out of the Church. I know many of my friends and myself included that have been kicked out for teaching the doctrines of grace. But by God's grace He will a...more

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Jun 30, 2010 Aaron Carlberg added it

This is a great book and a surprisingly good primer for some basic reformed theology.

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Oct 08, 2010 Bob Steen rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. A great overview of what is happening with the Reformed movement outside of the "old" Reformed (RCA, CRC, Presbyterian) churches. I grew up in one of those old denominations, and I do feel the book gives short shrift to everything that happened between Jonathan Edwards and John Piper. But the book was fun - it got me excited again about TULIP and covenant theology.

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Dec 09, 2008 Karl is currently reading it

Young calvinists these days take God's sovereignty really seriously.

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Apr 12, 2012 Brandon Barnes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology-christian

Pretty even-handed look at the young Reformed 'movement'.

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Jan 29, 2009 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone wanting to learn about trends among young, theology-hungry evangelicals like me!

Recommended to Sarah by: CT

Shelves: books-i-own, evangelicalism, theology-reformed

Collin Hansen has written some of my favorite feature articles in Christianity Today, and his thoughtfulness and gentle wit met my expectations in this book. It supplies a good corrective, I think, to some of the dubious journalism I've read recently on so-called neo-Calvinism. I certainly understand far more about the movement and its role within wider evangelicalism/Protestantism than I did before.

I found his keen analysis a bit blunted toward the end of the book, but I still thoroughly enjoye...more

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