Escape from Augustinianism (Calvinism) - an Exhortation - 2.0
I wrote this blog post originally back in 2012. I've decided to update it and repost it for 2 primary reasons:
1. I subsequently became familiar with Ken Wilson's landmark work on the pagan/non-Christian influences on Augustine's theology (see his book, Foundations of Augustinian-Calvinism) and know about what those influences were and how they perverted his theology and moved him away from the Apostolic faith.
2. The influence of Augustinianism/Calvinism on Christians continues to be widespread (and in some places growing). Even this week, spending time with 2 different Christian brothers whose theology is sadly influenced by Reformed ideas that cause them to misinterpret/misunderstand God's will in their lives and the lives of their families.
St. Augustine's influence on Western Christianity is second to none. However, his theology, primarily due to the Neoplatonic philosophy which influenced it (I would now add Stoicism and Gnostic Manichaeism), moved Christianity away from the primitive Church, and thus the Apostolic faith, in a number of ways.
The Eastern Church wasn't as "infected" by Augustine's theology and never adopted some of his 'novel' theological ideas (double predestination, extreme notions of total depravity, unBiblical notions of God's love, a warped view of human sexuality, and an overall concept of God that is shaped more by Neoplatonism (and Stoic and Manichaean ideas) than the Bible).
Thankfully there are a growing number of theologians and philosophers who are unraveling (and abandoning) these pagan influences upon Western Christianity and I believe we are seeing a resurrection of the most primitive, Apostolic understanding of God's nature, man's condition, and the very core of God's essence - His love. Largely due to Augustine's inordinate influence upon Western theologians (both Catholic and Protestant), God's love has rarely, if ever, been given primacy.
As philosopher/theologian Thomas Jay Oord states, "Love has not been the orienting concern, organizing principle, or primary lens through which theologians have written theology" (The Nature of Love: a Theology). Note: By quoting Oord on this particular point, I am NOT endorsing the rest of his theology. He has seemingly moved more into the Process theology camp. One can affirm the primacy of God's love without embracing the errors found in the Open Theism and/or Process Theology camps.
Only when love is primary will His other attributes, such as His sovereignty, holiness, glory, justice, power, knowledge, etc. be brought into Biblical balance and set Christianity apart from every other religion on the planet.
Contrary to what many think, God's love and in particular the expression "steadfast love" is in fact used to describe God's Nature more than any other concept - and that was before the revelation of God in Christ. The New Testament only serves to strengthen this Old Testament truth.
To whatever extent Augustine's and Calvin's theologies reflect the faith and practice of the New Testament Church, we do well to embrace it, but when he doesn't (and he OFTEN didn't), may we endeavor to escape from Augustinianism and recover "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints". (Jude 1:3)
St. Augustine's influence on Western Christianity is second to none. However, his theology, primarily due to the Neoplatonic philosophy which influenced it (I would now add Stoicism and Gnostic Manichaeism), moved Christianity away from the primitive Church, and thus the Apostolic faith, in a number of ways.
The Eastern Church wasn't as "infected" by Augustine's theology and never adopted some of his 'novel' theological ideas (double predestination, extreme notions of total depravity, unBiblical notions of God's love, a warped view of human sexuality, and an overall concept of God that is shaped more by Neoplatonism (and Stoic and Manichaean ideas) than the Bible).
Thankfully there are a growing number of theologians and philosophers who are unraveling (and abandoning) these pagan influences upon Western Christianity and I believe we are seeing a resurrection of the most primitive, Apostolic understanding of God's nature, man's condition, and the very core of God's essence - His love. Largely due to Augustine's inordinate influence upon Western theologians (both Catholic and Protestant), God's love has rarely, if ever, been given primacy.
As philosopher/theologian Thomas Jay Oord states, "Love has not been the orienting concern, organizing principle, or primary lens through which theologians have written theology" (The Nature of Love: a Theology). Note: By quoting Oord on this particular point, I am NOT endorsing the rest of his theology. He has seemingly moved more into the Process theology camp. One can affirm the primacy of God's love without embracing the errors found in the Open Theism and/or Process Theology camps.
Only when love is primary will His other attributes, such as His sovereignty, holiness, glory, justice, power, knowledge, etc. be brought into Biblical balance and set Christianity apart from every other religion on the planet.
Contrary to what many think, God's love and in particular the expression "steadfast love" is in fact used to describe God's Nature more than any other concept - and that was before the revelation of God in Christ. The New Testament only serves to strengthen this Old Testament truth.
To whatever extent Augustine's and Calvin's theologies reflect the faith and practice of the New Testament Church, we do well to embrace it, but when he doesn't (and he OFTEN didn't), may we endeavor to escape from Augustinianism and recover "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints". (Jude 1:3)
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