The History and Theology of Calvinism

by Curt Daniel

With forewords by both Joel Beeke and John MacArthur, you would be right to expect something special from this book. It is the result of decades of study and teaching. It provides a comprehensive overview of Calvinism in two sections: the "History" surveys the Reformed theologians and preachers, the development of the theology and the major controversies. The "Theology" section discusses doctrines related to the sovereignty of God, the five points of Calvinism and the distinctive contributions of Calvinism in other areas.

Genres: Theology, History

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel that every Christian should read this book. Perhaps, if in doing so, more people truly understood the depths and nuances of the reformed belief system and theology, they would be less inclined to call it vile and unchristian. Curt Daniel does a wonderful job of laying out the five doctrines of grace in such a way as to, I feel, sufficiently prove that they are, in fact, Biblical.

[David Top · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive work. It might not be the deepest in all matters and being so accessible and readable as it is, it forms a good introduction to Calvinism as such. First a brief history is presented and then a thematic systematic presentation of calvinistic theology is given.

I did get quite a lot of knowledge of calvinism through this book, but the radical assumptions remain difficult to accept. If asked the question: "are you a calvinist now?" I would answer "maybe". It remains a journey both theologically, philosophically and personally. But one thing is certain, I am leaving this book much more sympathetic to calvinism and its radical implications.

With that being said, I do think there is room for improvement. If the author is not certain that calvinism is the only right and true biblical interpretation, then he is sure that arminianism and pelagianism is wrong. I do think a more nuanced and deeper critique than; they are not calvinistic, therefore not rightly biblical, therefore heretics (with only minor exaggeration). Although, in the second to last chapter of the book (73), the author did express sympathies and potential errors from calvinist these lines. This drags my score down.

I am not a theologian, I am not a calvinist (so far), and I have not read extensively on the topic, but i would recommend this book for those who are perhaps unfamiliar with calvinism but would like to understand it, at least a little.

[Caleb Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to his audio lectures-75 of them, which work out to be this book. This was an excellent course, not so much for any particular lecture as for the whole: how well-researched, thoughtful, and biblical he was in his teaching. I have been blessed with a father who taught and explained many of these theological concepts in a down-to-earth manner before I heard Daniels. Nevertheless, the history and theology help sure up my foundation in these doctrines. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the doctrines of grace or just curious to read a thorough history of Calvinism. I love how he taught in a normal, balanced, and thoughtful, and how he made deep concepts available to layman.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books that read because you have to, you read to appease someone else, or you don’t want to read, but you want to have read. This is not one of those books. As a scholar, pastor, or even lay person with a mind towards the things of God, I cannot recommend this book enough. There are highlights and notes on every page. Most of it will be review for the mature Christian, but it will dig deeper. It builds upon the fundamentals of the faith. Again, cannot recommend enough.

[Will O'kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. An extremely helpful book for understanding the title material. Worth the time investment.

[Joonas Laajanen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the History section (Ch. 1-19). Very good as a reference.

[Marcus Muresan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good — 7.5/10