From time to time I hear rumblings about the problem of all of those Hyper-Calvinists running rampant in the Southern Baptist Convention. I always get a bit miffed when I hear this. I would be the first person to concede that there are some folks who manifest an unhealthy obsession with the doctrines of grace. They are typically either new adherents to Calvinism or they are folks who have been burned by churches because of their beliefs. I have had friends who read nothing but the Puritans and John Piper, argue on blogs or message boards all day, complain about how the professors they don’t like are “Arminians” and wouldn’t share their faith with their mother if she fell at their feet and asked, “what must I do to be saved?” But an unhealthy fascination with Reformed theology does not a Hyper-Calvinist make. A Calvinazi perhaps, but not a Hyper-Calvinist.
You see, words mean something, including Hyper-Calvinism. Though the epithet is hurled all over the SBC by those who dislike Mark Dever and the Founders, the phrase actually means something besides “you are more Calvinist than me and I think you are a bad person.” Hyper-Calvinism is a real-life, historical-theological movement that at one time caused major problems in Baptist life. But that was a long time ago.
I am not going to give a lengthy, multi-post explanation about the difference between a Hyper-Calvinist and a Calvinist. Others have done that, and if you Google search the words “Hyper-Calvinist” and “Southern Baptist” you can find enough reading material to waste four days of productivity at work. What I am going to do is reproduce what I believe to be the best brief definition of the actual theological movement known as Hyper-Calvinism (or sometimes High Calvinism). The following material is reproduced from Timothy George’s book Amazing Grace: God’s Initiative–Our Response. According to Dr. George, a Hyper-Calvinist departs from orthodoxy on five key doctrines:
1. Hypers teach the doctrine of eternal justification, which effectively removes human responsibility to respond to the gospel.
2. Hypers deny the free moral agency and responsibility of sinners to repent and believe the gospel.
3. Hypers deny the free offer of the gospel to all people, regardless of whether a person is presumed to be elect or not.
4. Hypers teach that sinners have no warrant to believe in Christ until they feel the evidence of the Spirit’s moving in their hearts–in other words, a sinner needs to be convinced he is elect before he has a right to believe.
5. Hypers deny the universal love of God. Hypers claims that God hates sinners and has no meaningful love for the non-elect.
It should be apparent that none of these five characteristics represent evangelical Calvinists like those found in the SBC. To claim that SBC Calvinists are Hyper-Calvinists is ridiculous and irresponsible. It is also a lie.
The fact is there are virtually no Hyper-Calvinists in the SBC, period. When a Calvinist goes overboard into Hyper-Calvinism he tends to break ties with his evangelical denomination. While I have no doubt that there are a handful of Hypers in the SBC (what don’t we have a handful of in the convention?) the claim that five point, 9 Marks, Founders, capital “R” Reformed, MacArthur-like, Southern Seminary, Piper-esque or any other type of SBC Calvinist is a Hyper-Calvinist is spurious at best and insidious at worst. There are more pro-life, stay-at-home moms involved in Planned Parenthood than Hyper-Calvinists in the SBC.
All that to say, those who bandy about the label “Hyper-Calvinist” should play nicely. And the same goes for Calvinists who throw around the term “Arminian” like megachurch pastors were all Wesleyans. As Southern Baptists continue to debate theology in the very public arena of the world wide web, it is critically important that we act like Christians as we do so.
