Limited Atonement Research Articles

A Legacy Lost to the Reformed Imagination: Luther and Confessional Lutheranism on the Extent of the Atonement

The “Young, Restless, Reformed” movement has sought to establish itself upon reformational foundations rooted within the sixteenth century. The new movement’s undertaking, however, has virtually ignored the differences between its own adherence to “limited atonement” and the developed theology of Martin Luther. Even on an academic level, the legacy of gratia universalis ensconced within confessional Lutheranism has been largely lost to the Reformed imagination. This article focuses upon relevant materials in Luther’s Lectures on Galatians (1531/1535) and his Sermon on John 1:29 (1537), as well as the pertinent statements found within early Lutheran confessions. What emerges is a Lutheran tradition that espoused both “unconditional election” and a robust form of “unlimited atonement,” a divine provision of redemption and satisfaction for all. In Lutheran theology, this provision in Christ extra nos serves as an objective foundation for confident faith. As contemporary Reformed scholars increasingly delve into the diversity of the Reformed tradition within early modernity, the distinctive Lutheran voice is another legacy worth remembering.

A Tulip in the Roman Curia: Proposing Novel Acronyms for Arminian and Lutheran Theology

The paradoxical relationships between free will, salvific grace, and human depravity have a perplexed man for thousands of years. In the early days of the Christian Church, Catholics affirmed the free will of man while emphasizing that God was not bound by time. This meant that, although the man was a free moral agent, God’s foreknowledge of past, present, and future allowed Him to know the “elect” before the foundation of the world. During the Protestant Reformation, new systems of theology were posited to explain the relationship between these concepts. The three most important of these theological systems are Calvinism, Lutheranism, and Arminianism. In the English-speaking world, Calvinism has become the best-known and most easily-grasped Protestant theological system due to the ingenious mnemonic TULIP, i.e., total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints, to describe the five points of Calvinism. The purpose of this paper is to propose two new mnemonics to describe the theological systems of Lutheranism and Arminianism. These mnemonics are couched in the language of Calvinism for simplicity. For Lutheran theology, the acronym TAURUS is proposed. For Arminian theology, the acronym CURIA is proposed.

The Civil War in Southern Appalachian MethodismDurwoodDunn. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2013.

The Civil in Southern Appalachian Methodism Durwood Dunn. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2013.As highlighted by key words in title, Durwood Dunn, professor and chair of Department of history at Wesleyan College in Athens, interprets divisions within Methodist Church in America during Civil War. Primary sources in bibliography include manuscripts, books, Methodist minutes, journals, periodicals, sermons, tracts, and other publications, Methodist newspapers, and secular newspapers and periodicals. A list of secondary sources is also equally indicative of deep research in church history and Civil itself. Dunn supplements main text with appendices outlining number of traveling and local preachers; Holston Conference, 1839- 1860; and a listing of local preachers elected to Deacons or Elders Orders in Holston Conference, 1824-1860. He also provides an extensive set of informative notes. The text and notes alike delight readers interested in Appalachian region, Methodism, Civil War, and Union and antislavery issues. As a former Tennessean, having grown up in Van Buren County, this reviewer was hooked with opening illustration of Holston Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 1860, by counties, including Van Buren, Grundy, Cumberland, and Bledsoe. She graduated from Bledsoe County High School in 1965.Dunn states in his Preface the actual Civil began in 1861 unveiled an internal civil war within Holston Methodism had been waged surreptitiously for previous five (xi). Dunn's research demonstrates his understanding of Methodism's structure, polity, and its broader role in early republic and takes a long view helps readers understand the critical role later of early anti-slavery within denomination (xi, xii). He offers East Tennessee's exceptionalism as cause and effect of its alienation and discrimination by state of Tennessee as well as by larger South after 1830s. Dunn says this exceptionalism functions as a remarkable index into internal civil war within section... and lingering bitterness and distrust long after Civil War (xii).East Tennessee, for most part, rejected Confederate nationalism and continued its loyalty to Union; Dunn explains indigenous antislavery during first three decades of nineteenth century and an antislavery stance assumed by early in America account for an active participation by African Americans in polity and economics of Methodism up to Civil (xiii). His research further provides evidence another group, local preachers, influenced East Tennessee's opinions against slavery, its favor of Union, and its rejection of Confederate nationalism (xiii). Dunn leaves for someone else any needed further research on what happened to local preachers after Civil but does conclude that rise of lay representation at annual and general conferences of both Methodist Episcopal Church, South and Methodist Episcopal Church occurred at expense of local brethren (xiv).Founded by John Wesley in England in 1730s, Methodism came to East Tennessee and Holston country as a relatively new religious in 1770s and 1780s, coming first to American colonies in 1760s. Methodism emphasized religious feeling or experience, primacy of Scripture, reason, tradition, and rejected predestination and limited atonement. Methodism practiced a belief in individual agency or the power of humans to determine their own spiritual fate (3). Methodism's stress on religious self-determination, individual responsibility, and opportunity may explain its appeal in America and its growth from 1,000 members in 1770 to more than 250, 000 by 1820 (4). Methodism ideally suited the democratic and leveling tastes of new democracy (4), and Methodists were ubiquitous in any frontier movement (6). …

Reformed Theology and the Question of Protestant Individualism

Though Protestantism is all too commonly accused of providing a theology that is too individualistic, there are in fact numerous historical resources from which a decidedly Reformed theology can be developed which is attentive to the social nature of theology. This essay will develop precisely such a theology in dialogue with Henri de Lubac, the Catholic theologian perhaps most aware of the social dimension of Catholic thought. Combined, Heinrich Bullinger’s doctrine of election, John Owen’s understanding of limited atonement, and Abraham Kuyper’s pneumatology provide an adequately social reformed theology that can overcome numerous objections.

Thomas F. Torrance and the problem of universalism

AbstractWhile Karl Barth and Thomas F. Torrance both believed in the possibility of universal salvation, they also rejected the idea that we could make a final determination about this possibility prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Hence, both theologians rejected what may be called a doctrine of universal salvation in the interest of respecting God's freedom to determine the outcome of salvation history in accordance with the love which was revealed in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus himself. This article explores Torrance's reasons for holding that ‘the voice of the Catholic Church . . . throughout all ages has consistently judged universalism a heresy for faith and a menace to the Gospel’. Torrance expressly believed in the ‘universality of Christ's saving work’ but rejected ‘universalism’ and any idea of ‘limited atonement’. He considered both of these views to be rationalistic approaches which ignore the need for eschatological reserve when thinking about what happens at the end when Christ comes again and consequently tend to read back logical necessities into the gospel of free grace. Whenever this happens, Torrance held that the true meaning of election as the basis for Christian hope is lost and some version of limited atonement or determinism invariably follows. The ultimate problem with universalism then, from Torrance's perspective, can be traced to a form of Nestorian thinking with respect to christology and to a theoretical and practical separation of the person of Christ from his atoning work for us. What I hope to show in this article is that those who advance a ‘doctrine of universalism’ as opposed to its possibility also have an inadequate understanding of the Trinity. Interestingly, Torrance objected to the thinking of John A. T. Robinson and Rudolf Bultmann because both theologians, in their own way, separated knowledge of God for us from knowledge of who God is ‘in himself’. Any such thinking transfers our knowledge of God and of salvation from the objective knowledge of God given in revelation to a type of symbolic, mythological or existential knowledge projected from one's experience of faith and this once again opens the door to both limited atonement and to universalism. Against this Torrance insisted that we cannot speak objectively about what God is doing for us unless we can speak analogically about who God is in himself.

Calvin and the Reformed Tradition: On the Work of Christ and the Order of Salvation. By Richard A. Muller. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2012. 288 pp. $39.99 paper.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Calvin and the Tradition: On the Work of Christ and the Order of Salvation . By Richard A. Muller. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Academic , 2012. 288 pp. $39.99 paper.Book Reviews and NotesIn and the Tradition , Richard builds on and reinforces his argument in previous publications that the tradition was complex, diverse, and variegated movement which did not develop solely in relationship to the thought of John Calvin. The specific contribution of this volume is its focus on the development of four doctrines particularly associated with soteriology: the extent of the the order of salvation, union with Christ, and assurance of salvation. While he more frequently and substantially refutes the Calvin against the Calvinists master narrative, also establishes that the notion of uniform tradition in continuity with is equally flawed. In clarifying what has been dubbed the Muller thesis, he emphasizes that the ongoing reappraisal of the tradition argues that any continuity between the reformers and the was accompanied by change and development which resulted in breadth and diversity. Therefore, there cannot be a single all-embracing thesis (34).The first two chapters of this work establish the current state of the conversations and the methodological approach throughout each essay. Here contends for the use of the term Reformed rather than in order to avoid the incorrect view that thought should be compared to alone. He also points out inevitable problems in the use of the term that result either in being the only Calvinist or in specific anachronistic reduction of thought (such TULIP or predestination). These chapters reiterate that the tradition was diverse from its beginning, that it drew from numerous prior voices, and that it developed in different ways based on different contexts, debates, and dialogues.The meat of the book is found in the six chapters where utilizes his comparative methodology to make detailed analysis and argumentation on doctrines related to the extent of the atonement (chapters 3, 4, and 5) and the application of the atonement (chapters 6, 7, and 8). In each chapter he identifies the continuity, change, and development on these topics they were articulated by Calvin, some of Calvin's predecessors and contemporaries, and some later theologians. To bring clarity to each topic, sets each discussion in its historical context; provides framework to consider the actual issues relevant to the specific doctrine; and specifies the language that used in comparison to the language which developed later (for example, limited atonement, hypothetical universalism, practical syllogism, and TULIP). He utilizes variety of primary sources, including various editions of the Institutes , other theological works, sermons (including an as yet unrecovered sermon on Ezekiel 18:23), and commentaries by Calvin, well these types of works, catechisms, confessions, and correspondence by numerous other theologians, such Vermigli, Laski, Viret, Bullinger, Beza, Hyperius, Ursinus, Zanchi, Du Moulin, Davenant, Olevianus, Perkins, and many others. He pays special attention to the type of literature in which views were expressed to highlight that the choice of topics, level of detail, kinds of arguments, and order of topics differed in works intended for popular or academic audiences. At the end of each chapter, offers conclusion that summarizes his investigation and analysis. …

Donne, Calvin, and Massa Damnata

During the early 1620`s, the Church of England was the site of escalating religious conflict between the Calvinists and the Arminians. The Arminians and William Laud, the Bishop of Bath and Welles, were gaining power during this period while the Calvinists were growing out of favor with Charles I. The Arminians and Laudians articulated a position on free will and grace that was opposed to the Calvinist doctrines of election and limited atonement that was reflected in the English Church`s Thirty-nine Articles of Religion. As an ordained priest and later the Dean of St. Paul`s, Donne was often divided between theological straits in regard to such religious doctrines but did not waver in regard to the doctrine of original sin. Borrowing from Augustine, Donne labeled humanity as massa damnata (the mass of the damned) in reference to the sinful nature of mankind. But more radical than the Augustinian view of the nature of man, Donne reflected a more Calvinistic view of mankind in the form of total depravity. Though Donne held doctrinal positions that were associated with Arminian as well as Calvinist doctrines, he firmly upheld in his Sermons, the Calvinist doctrine of total depravity and humanity`s inability to contribute to the process of salvation.

Hermeneutical discontinuity between Calvin and later Calvinism

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to demonstrate that Calvin's interpretation of biblical passages related to the question of the extent of the atonement differed significantly from the later tradition. This difference in interpretation is explained by the fact that Calvin did not share certain hermeneutical presuppositions which were to become almost universal among theologians of the later Reformed tradition. This article will examine two hermeneutical ‘rules’ which Calvin frequently employed in his interpretation of scripture and will contrast his handling of scripture with the interpretative practices employed by the later Reformed tradition. The first hermeneutical ‘rule’ involves those passages in scripture which state that Christ came to give his life as a ransom for ‘many’, or that he shed his blood for ‘many’. Contrary to the later Reformed interpreters of scripture, Calvin understands these passages to mean that Christ died for all people rather than just some. The second hermeneutical ‘rule’ concerns Calvin's frequent appeal to the fact that the word ‘all’ does not always mean ‘all’ when it is used in scripture. Certain present-day Reformed theologians argue that since Calvin shares this second hermeneutical rule with the later Reformed tradition, then his reading of scripture must not have differed significantly from that of the later tradition. Therefore, Calvin must have held to a limited atonement. However, this article will show that this conclusion only holds true if we read Calvin's own writings by means of this hermeneutic.

The Universal Principle of Grace: Feminism and Anti-Calvinism in Two Seventeenth-Century Women Writers

This article presents one of the theological contexts for early feminist thought in England in the late seventeenth century. It argues that an emerging universalist soteriology in Platonist and radical thought had a positive impact on discourses about sexual equality, and shows how two female writers (the Quaker Elizabeth Bathurst and the visionary M. Marsin) combined their critique of the doctrine of limited atonement – in other words, the idea of an exclusive elect – with a confident assertion of women's calling to preach and teach in the Church.

Calvin Versus the Calvinists? The Case of John Preston (1587-1628)

It has long been popular when considering the relationship between Reformation and Post-Reformation theology, to emphasize doctrinal discontinuities to the extent that even John Calvin is pitted against the Calvinists. R.T. Kendall's influential thesis in this regard is still seen as authoritative by some, despite numerous critiques. This article presents a new critique of Kendall's thesis by focusing on John Preston, one of Kendall's case studies for the alleged defection of English Calvinism from Calvin. Kendall uses Preston as an example of how Calvinism's doctrine of limited atonement, in contrast to Calvin's doctrine of universal redemption, allegedly resulted in a compromising of Reformed teaching on faith and assurance. It is here demonstrated that, ironically, Preston actually held to a form of universal redemptionism, and hence Kendall's argument backfires. In an attempt to understand how such a misreading of history could have arisen, this article cautions against a ‘zoom lens’ approach that all too often trades in short quotations taken out of context. It goes on to explore, through the ‘wide angle lens,’ aspects of the broader historical context of Reformation and Post-Reformation theologians, taking Martin Bucer as a further example. It is argued that ecclesiology and sacramentology—factors that Kendall intentionally avoided—are crucial in fostering a more historically and theologically sensitive appraisal of the appropriation of Reformation theology in a post-Reformation world.

Dr T. F. Torrance and Scottish Theology: a Review Article

A modern Scottish Calvinist assesses T. F. Torranceʼs recent review of Scottish theology. While appreciative of Torranceʼs personal contribution to theology, this article takes issue with the thesis that Westminster Calvinism represented a betrayal of both Calvin and the earlier Scottish theologians. It focuses particularly on such issues as predestination, limited atonement, assurance and the free offer of the gospel. It also evaluates the claim that such ideas as incarnational redemption and Christʼs assumption of a fallen nature are supported by the older Scottish Reformed tradition. Finally, it examines Torranceʼs strictures on Scottish Calvinismʼs doctrine of God.

The Cross and Atonement from Luke to Hebrews

This article, as a follow up to ‘Theophilus: A Proposal’, explains the significance of Luke's having no theology of the cross (or why he has de-emphasised it) and the meaning of the cross for Luke. In addition the article traces the development of a limited atonement doctrine in Judaism to an unlimited doctrine in the Epistle to the Hebrews and explains why it was necessary to make Jesus the High Priest. Finally, this article explains how Luke cautiously drafted his masterpiece with the beliefs and sensitivities of the High Priest in mind. Each of the issues addressed covers matters not previously discussed in the literature.

:The Catholic Roots of the Protestant Gospel: Encounter between the Middle Ages and the Reformation

The Catholic Roots of the Protestant Gospel is concerned with anti-Catholic bias in Protestantism. It wishes to show that the special concepts of salvation in Protestantism actually arose from Catholic ideas and that these same concepts became distorted or one-sided as Protestantism sought to negate their orthodox Catholic opponents. Among the doctrines discussed are included the following: justification by faith, assurance of salvation, imputation of righteousness, covenant theology, penal substitution, limited atonement, and supralapsarianism. The work is filled with historical analysis, theological insights, and ecumenical exhortations. The historian will find a thorough analysis of primary and secondary sources of the Reformation. The theologian will be challenged with fresh approaches to traditional doctrines. The ecumenist will be heartened by its spirit and analysis of subjects that suffer too often from anti-Catholic bias.

John Hales and the Synod of Dort

On 24 April 1619 the Synod of Dort sat for the 154th, and last, time. Ostensibly summoned to resolve differences between Dutch Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants within a context of Calvinist theology, in reality it pronounced predetermined decrees on unconditional election, a limited atonement, man’s total depravity, the irresistibility of grace, and the perseverance of the elect.The Synod was national (sometimes, decidedly ‘local’) in nature; yet, because other states—Great Britain, France, Hesse, and the Palatinate among them—sent delegates, it assumed in the eyes of such men as James I and Du Plessis-Mornay an importance equal to that of Trent.