Only the Links from "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"
We just left our church of almost 20 years because of the dogmatic Calvinist pastor who recently came on board. (Read my "Letter to Our Elders Regarding Calvinism Growing in Our Church" here.) And I wrote a post on what "red flags" I would look for in new churches to determine if they are Calvinist or not, and what steps I might take to help me determine it. (Click on these links for the extended version or the simplified version. New: For the super-short version, click here. And FYI: I found a couple times when the Calvinist author of an article I linked to changed the article after I linked to it. So if an article doesn't seem to match what I said about it, it may be because they altered it.)
But since those posts have so many good links to posts about Calvinism, I decided to provide all the links in their own post, so that you don't have to sift through all the writing in the other ones. So here they are, with a bit of a description for each, if needed:
Confronting Calvinism's Deceptive Nonsense - my post about some of the ways they deceptively word their beliefs to hide what they really mean (Also see "When Calvinism's 'Bad Logic' Traps Good Christians" and "Why Is Calvinism So Dangerous.")
"Pastor J.D., Are You A Calvinist?" - read how J.D. Greear attempts to downplay the Calvinism of his highly Calvinist theology
An example of a church's clearly Calvinistic Statement of Faith
Christian Theology: 5 Christian Denominations That Follow Calvinism.
"Are We Only Here For God's Glory? What About God's Love?" - a look at how Calvinist pastors tend to focus more on God's glory than His love, doing damage to our relationship with Him, I think.
"Do Calvinists Really Believe God Causes Sin? Let Them Speak For Themselves!"
“Predestination Manipulation” - a look at how Calvinist pastors manipulate the congregation into agreeing with them (or at least into being too afraid to disagree)
Check out this post for some examples of Calvinist theologians and authors and groups and websites: Is J.D. Greear a Calvinist?.
American Calvinist and Reformed Theologians
My List of Reformed Theologians
And here is another Wikipedia list of well-known Calvinists.
Famous Calvinists (from a Calvinist website that basically calls Billy Graham a heretic!)
Best Resources For Reformed Theology - an example of some of the resources Calvinist churches use, so you can be discerning about resources in your church
Is the ESV A Trustworthy Translation? (J.I. Packer and Wayne Grudem were editors of the ESV, and both are huge Calvinists.)
NOBTS professor detects Calvinistic tilt in study notes of LifeWay's new Bible, CSB
Lifeway Christian Resources is the publisher of the CSB, and Lifeway is a Calvinist group. See their Beliefs here, note the one on election.
"Is Lifeway Pushing Calvinism Through The Gospel Project?"
"Calvinism at Lifeway - New Curriculum Alert"
And while most of us grew up with the NIV, there is some concern about this translation being more Calvinist than others. See Calvinism and the NIV. D.A. Carson is the general editor of the NIV Zondervan Study Bible.
List of Calvinist Educational Institutes in North America
"Elder Rule increasing in Baptist life, and so is controversy over the role"
How Calvinism is Dividing the Southern Baptist Convention
SBC Insurrection: Calvinists Go for the Crown, JD Greear, David Platt, et all
"The Subtle Secrets of The Gospel Project"
Is there a Calvinist-Complementarian Connection?
Calvinism and Complementarianism: A Response to Kevin DeYoung
The Actual 4 Dangers of Complementarianism: A Response to the Gospel Coalition
"Why I Don't Trust Women-led Churches" - my reaction against the feminist movement's efforts to take the head pastor positions in churches.
Calvinism, gender politics, and the ESV
A book review I did for a woman who saw the effects firsthand of a Calvinism/complementarian takeover of her church: "A Review of 'Once an Insider, Now Without a Home Church' - A Look At How Churches Go Wrong."
Check out this story from a Calvinist pastor who out-right lied, by omission and deflection, about if he was a Calvinist ... after he was asked directly if he was a Calvinist and was told that he wouldn’t be hired if he was. He ought to be ashamed of himself! So dishonest! And he knew that he was doing it! [UPDATE: I am quite sure that he altered his article sometime after I linked to it. But I found the original article that I knew was there. See this post for my review of it and for the link to his original article.]
And here is an article from a Calvinist website, basically teaching Calvinist pastors how to hide their Calvinism: Saying What You Believe Is Clearer Than Saying "Calvinist"
Churches Beware: Calvinism on the Sly (Notice the pastor's deceptive use of "Jesus died for the sins of His people," which most people would hear as "Jesus died for all people" ... when what the pastor is really saying is that Jesus died ONLY for the sins of His PRE-CHOSEN people.)
A Guide for Determining a Pastoral Candidate's Level of Commitment to Calvinism
Calvinist churches may be listed with one of these groups. Type the name of the church in their church-finders to see:
Calvinist Church Finder
9Marks Church Finder
The Gospel Coalition Church Finder
Acts 29 Church Finder
Find A Reformed Churches Near Me
Additional links about the controlling nature of 9Marks and Acts 29 churches:
Known Calvinist Sites (but no links):
Christ is Deeper Still (Ray Ortlund)
DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed (Kevin DeYoung)
Pure Church (Thabiti Anyabwile)
Wit's End (Melissa Kruger)
Kingdom People (Trevin Wax)
Heavenward (Scotty Smith)
The Gospel-Driven Church (Jared C. Wilson)
Ordinary Pastor (Erik Raymond)
For the Love of God (D.A. Carson)
Other Calvinist (or potentially Calvinist) Ministries, Groups, or Conferences:
Anything by The Gospel Coalition, 9Marks, Acts 29, Ligonier Ministries
Kuyper conferences
G3 Conferences for pastors and leaders (some big name Calvinist speakers there like Tim Challies, James White, Paul Washer. And some Calvinist ministry partners like The Gospel Project, Founders, Grace to You, 9Marks.)
Sovereign Grace Churches (formerly Sovereign Grace Ministries. I'm not sure if these guys provide programs or resources for churches, but I'll include them anyway because they are a big name. )
Shepherd's Conference (a ministry of Grace Community Church, pastored by John MacArthur)
Weekender Conference (hosted by 9Marks)
Founders Conferences
Cross Conferences
Q conferences
t4g.org (Together for the Gospel conferences, sponsored by Lifeway and Crossway. A celebration of all things Calvinist, with dogmatic Calvinist speakers like John Piper, John MacArthur, Ligon Duncan, Albert Mohler, Kevin DeYoung, Matt Chandler, Mark Dever, Thabiti Anyabwile, and more. Oh my goodness! It doesn't get more Calvinist than this! It should be called "Together for Calvinism"!)
The Gospel Project (see this link for more on this, or google "The Gospel Project and Calvinism")
Known Calvinist Preachers or Authors or those who are "most likely Calvinist" in my estimation:
[With a list of Calvinists this big, who's left? you might be wondering. Well, here is a link to a list of people who don't support/preach Calvinism (names are at the bottom of the post). From this list, I really like Greg Laurie and Billy Graham. {While I don't think Greg Laurie is a Calvinist, his Harvest church says, under the "salvation" heading, "Before Creation, God chose those who would be saved." It sounds Calvinist but I wonder if it's meant in a "God chooses anyone who chooses Him" way, that salvation is open to all but only those who willingly choose Jesus are chosen to be saved, which is something I heard Greg preach once. But it's worth being discerning about, since Calvinism is creeping in everywhere.} I also like Charles Stanley (not his son, Andy Stanley, who I think challenges the integrity/authority of the Bible). And I would add to the list Ralph "Yankee" Arnold, a pastor I haven't watched but my husband recommends his videos against Calvinism. And Dr. Tony Evans, the pastor we watch every Sunday as a family. He doesn't preach directly against Calvinism per se; he just preaches Scriptural truth as it was meant to be understood and in a practical way. And Scriptural truth understood correctly will always contradict Calvinism. Also, a friend of mine who left her EFCA church because Calvinism took it over prefers Dr. Andy Woods, who also preaches against Calvinism.]
And A Bunch More Links That Are Worth Reading:
But since those posts have so many good links to posts about Calvinism, I decided to provide all the links in their own post, so that you don't have to sift through all the writing in the other ones. So here they are, with a bit of a description for each, if needed:
[I highly recommend these anti-Calvinist websites: Soteriology 101 (here's the Facebook page and YouTube channel), Beyond the Fundamentals (but I do have some concerns about him, so be discerning), Hoppers Crossing Christian Church, and Idol Killer (I haven't yet watched him, but my husband has and really enjoys him. Here is his YouTube channel. FYI: In his Statement of Faith, it sounds like The Idol Killer believes we can lose our salvation. I do not agree that true Christians can lose their salvation.) Also see these newer (to me) ones: Alana L.... Living Christian... Great Light Studios... Faith on Fire. And this article: The Bible vs. Calvinism: An Overview by Patrick Myers, one of the best overviews to read about Calvinism and its errors.]
Calvinism in their own words - a Calvinist's description of their beliefs
Confronting Calvinism's Deceptive Nonsense - my post about some of the ways they deceptively word their beliefs to hide what they really mean (Also see "When Calvinism's 'Bad Logic' Traps Good Christians" and "Why Is Calvinism So Dangerous.")
"Pastor J.D., Are You A Calvinist?" - read how J.D. Greear attempts to downplay the Calvinism of his highly Calvinist theology
An example of a church's clearly Calvinistic Statement of Faith
For lists of "historic confessions" that Calvinist churches tend to hold to, such as the London Baptist Confessions, Westminster Confession, New Hampshire Confession, Abstract Principles, Canons of Dort, Heidelberg Catechism ... click here and here. Also see "Baptist Faith and Message" 2000
"What the Best Way to Make People Agree with Your Calvinist Views?" - a "hypothetical" story of how one church was taken over by Calvinism
Christian Theology: 5 Christian Denominations That Follow Calvinism.
"Are We Only Here For God's Glory? What About God's Love?" - a look at how Calvinist pastors tend to focus more on God's glory than His love, doing damage to our relationship with Him, I think.
"Do Calvinists Really Believe God Causes Sin? Let Them Speak For Themselves!"
“Predestination Manipulation” - a look at how Calvinist pastors manipulate the congregation into agreeing with them (or at least into being too afraid to disagree)
Check out this post for some examples of Calvinist theologians and authors and groups and websites: Is J.D. Greear a Calvinist?.
American Calvinist and Reformed Theologians
My List of Reformed Theologians
And here is another Wikipedia list of well-known Calvinists.
Famous Calvinists (from a Calvinist website that basically calls Billy Graham a heretic!)
Best Resources For Reformed Theology - an example of some of the resources Calvinist churches use, so you can be discerning about resources in your church
Is the ESV A Trustworthy Translation? (J.I. Packer and Wayne Grudem were editors of the ESV, and both are huge Calvinists.)
NOBTS professor detects Calvinistic tilt in study notes of LifeWay's new Bible, CSB
Lifeway Christian Resources is the publisher of the CSB, and Lifeway is a Calvinist group. See their Beliefs here, note the one on election.
"Is Lifeway Pushing Calvinism Through The Gospel Project?"
"Calvinism at Lifeway - New Curriculum Alert"
And while most of us grew up with the NIV, there is some concern about this translation being more Calvinist than others. See Calvinism and the NIV. D.A. Carson is the general editor of the NIV Zondervan Study Bible.
List of Calvinist Educational Institutes in North America
"Elder Rule increasing in Baptist life, and so is controversy over the role"
How Calvinism is Dividing the Southern Baptist Convention
SBC Insurrection: Calvinists Go for the Crown, JD Greear, David Platt, et all
Calvinism and the Cultural Spoon-Feeding of Control and Tyranny (A must-read if you want to know why Calvinists are so controlling of their churches. Be sure to read the article he links to in the first paragraph, written by 9Marks. Also see his "New Calvinism and Hotel California.")
"The Subtle Secrets of The Gospel Project"
Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Apparently, the original article on this topic that I linked to was removed, so I will link to this one instead. And here's another one: "John Piper's Advice for Women in the Workforce.")
Is there a Calvinist-Complementarian Connection?
Calvinism and Complementarianism: A Response to Kevin DeYoung
The Actual 4 Dangers of Complementarianism: A Response to the Gospel Coalition
"Why I Don't Trust Women-led Churches" - my reaction against the feminist movement's efforts to take the head pastor positions in churches.
Calvinism, gender politics, and the ESV
A book review I did for a woman who saw the effects firsthand of a Calvinism/complementarian takeover of her church: "A Review of 'Once an Insider, Now Without a Home Church' - A Look At How Churches Go Wrong."
Check out this story from a Calvinist pastor who out-right lied, by omission and deflection, about if he was a Calvinist ... after he was asked directly if he was a Calvinist and was told that he wouldn’t be hired if he was. He ought to be ashamed of himself! So dishonest! And he knew that he was doing it! [UPDATE: I am quite sure that he altered his article sometime after I linked to it. But I found the original article that I knew was there. See this post for my review of it and for the link to his original article.]
And here is an article from a Calvinist website, basically teaching Calvinist pastors how to hide their Calvinism: Saying What You Believe Is Clearer Than Saying "Calvinist"
Churches Beware: Calvinism on the Sly (Notice the pastor's deceptive use of "Jesus died for the sins of His people," which most people would hear as "Jesus died for all people" ... when what the pastor is really saying is that Jesus died ONLY for the sins of His PRE-CHOSEN people.)
A Guide for Determining a Pastoral Candidate's Level of Commitment to Calvinism
Calvinist churches may be listed with one of these groups. Type the name of the church in their church-finders to see:
Calvinist Church Finder
9Marks Church Finder
The Gospel Coalition Church Finder
Acts 29 Church Finder
Find A Reformed Churches Near Me
Additional links about the controlling nature of 9Marks and Acts 29 churches:
9Marks Church Authority Over Church Members
9marks Spiritual Abuse and How Church Members Can Fall Through the Cracks
Why Are 9marks Churches So Unhealthy?
Problems of Abuse at 9Marks Churches
Christmas Letter from Hell
Do Acts 29 Churches Share the DNA of the Mothership, Matt Chandler's The Village Church?
FBC Sapulpa Mails 9Marks Church Discipline Letters
Thoughtful Pastor: Is Acts 29 a Cult? Why Do They Marry So Young?
New Calvinism’s Dirty Little Secret: How They Practice "Redemptive" Church Discipline
9marks Category at The Wartburg Watch
Acts 29 Category at The Wartburg Watch
The Gospel Coalition Category at The Wartburg Watch
https://gbfsvchurchabuse.org/tag/the-gospel-coalition/
https://gbfsvchurchabuse.org/tag/9-marks/
https://gbfsvchurchabuse.org/tag/acts-29/
Church Membership Covenants - Legal Contracts that are NOT Biblical
Further Proof You Are Signing A Legal Contract Not A Membership Covenant: Courtesy of The Gospel Coalition
How to resign from a church whether or not you are under church discipline
For a disturbing example of church discipline gone wrong in one of these churches, click here and follow the links.
Regarding Calvinist Websites:
The 10 Best Blogs About Reformed Theology - to help you be aware of which blogs/websites are Calvinist
9marks Spiritual Abuse and How Church Members Can Fall Through the Cracks
Why Are 9marks Churches So Unhealthy?
Problems of Abuse at 9Marks Churches
Christmas Letter from Hell
Do Acts 29 Churches Share the DNA of the Mothership, Matt Chandler's The Village Church?
FBC Sapulpa Mails 9Marks Church Discipline Letters
Thoughtful Pastor: Is Acts 29 a Cult? Why Do They Marry So Young?
New Calvinism’s Dirty Little Secret: How They Practice "Redemptive" Church Discipline
9marks Category at The Wartburg Watch
Acts 29 Category at The Wartburg Watch
The Gospel Coalition Category at The Wartburg Watch
https://gbfsvchurchabuse.org/tag/the-gospel-coalition/
https://gbfsvchurchabuse.org/tag/9-marks/
https://gbfsvchurchabuse.org/tag/acts-29/
Church Membership Covenants - Legal Contracts that are NOT Biblical
Further Proof You Are Signing A Legal Contract Not A Membership Covenant: Courtesy of The Gospel Coalition
How to resign from a church whether or not you are under church discipline
For a disturbing example of church discipline gone wrong in one of these churches, click here and follow the links.
A little more about The Gospel Coalition, behind its "Christian" front (for your discernment, to tuck in the back of your mind):
I never realized how politically "left" The Gospel Coalition is (our ex-church was listed with their 'church search,' probably because of our new Calvinist pastor), until this article: TGC Doesn't Want You To Vote For Trump. WE GET IT!
And so I looked a little harder ... and found these (I'm sure I would've found more, but I only looked for a few minutes):
I never realized how politically "left" The Gospel Coalition is (our ex-church was listed with their 'church search,' probably because of our new Calvinist pastor), until this article: TGC Doesn't Want You To Vote For Trump. WE GET IT!
And so I looked a little harder ... and found these (I'm sure I would've found more, but I only looked for a few minutes):
Evangelical Leaders: Tell Us to Vote for Clinton [Personally, I think "But look what kind of a person Trump is, so we have to vote for Hilary" is a pathetic excuse Christians use to rationalize their desire to vote for someone who would clearly drag our country down even more into immorality and godlessness. That's my own opinion. And I'm allowed to have it. But what in the world is a supposedly godly organization like TGC doing making political endorsements like this!?! I'm beginning to think they aren't as Christian as I assumed they were. Here is someone's well-written opinion on the TGC's opposition to Trump: The Gospel Coalition vs. Donald Trump. You know what? I'm praying that Trump gets in again in the next election, that God would bless Trump with another 4 years in office simply so that, in part, God can show people (like the liberal left, the rabid feminists, and people like the "Christians" in the so-called "Gospel" Coalition) that He can thwart their plans, no matter how much they rage against Him or how powerful they think they are.]
Be wary! Be discerning about where you get your "Gospel" from!
Regarding Calvinist Websites:
The 10 Best Blogs About Reformed Theology - to help you be aware of which blogs/websites are Calvinist
Known Calvinist Sites (but no links):
These are the websites (not including video/YouTube websites) that, in my estimation, either definitely are or most likely are Calvinist (based on their statements of faith, the views they present, the Calvinists they promote, etc.) And just because a website or person denies that they are Calvinist doesn't mean they are not Calvinist. Look at what they teach and not at what they call themselves. Many Calvinists will not admit it because it might scare us off or because it exposes what their theology really is by name, allowing us to research it and evaluate it. They want you to think that what they are teaching is merely "Scripture" so that we let our guard down and trustingly accept what they teach. (Many of the websites that pop up on the first page of search results in any online theological search are Calvinist. Be careful!):
The Gospel Coalition
Acts 29
9 Marks
White Horse Inn
Lifeway
Desiring God
Founders
Ligonier
Wayne Grudem
Got Questions
Christianity.com (Found plenty of Calvinist articles and authors here)
Theopedia (as clearly seen in their post on free-will)
gty.org (John MacArthur's Grace To You, a.k.a. "Grace To Few")
Focus on the Family (It's veiled and not emphasized, but I do believe Calvinism is evident on this site, especially in the fact that they refer you to known Calvinist sites about theological matters in their articles.)
Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (I believe their "Standards of Doctrine" totally shows that they are Calvinist, especially their point on regeneration.)
Albert Mohler
Reformation 21
Tim Keller blog
aomin.org (Alpha and Omega Ministries, James White, FYI: Apologia Studios is listed as related to aomin)
Greenbaggins.wordpress blog
Monergism blog
Challies.com (Tim Challies)
Reclaiming the Mind
Ligon Duncan's blog
The Cripplegate
The Resurgence (I found this in a list, not sure what the actual name of the blog is. The Resurgence Report?)
Pyromaniacs (Phillip Johnson)
Josh Harris (joshharris.com)
tullian.net (Tullian Tchividian)
Reformed Theology
Ed Stetzer (I'm not sure if he is or not. Look it up yourself.)
Adrian Warnock (he writes at patheos.com)
Bible.org
dougwils.com (Blog & Mablog, Douglas Wilson)
Crossway.org
carm.org (Matt Slick)
J.D. Greear
Truth for Life (Alistair Begg)
compellingtruth.org
michellelesley.com
Abandoned to Christ (sunnyshell.org)
strivingforeternity.org (Andrew Rappaport)
Grace Online Library
The Aquila Report
biblereasons.com
heidelblog.net
moodymedia.org (Erwin Lutzer)
theocast.org
apuritansmind.com
reasonabletheology.org
str.org (Stand to Reason)
Naomi's Table Bible Studies
enCourage
Women with the Master
Solid Food Resources
The Bible Thumping Wingnut
The End Time
Sheologians
Relatable
Tulips & Honey
The Verity Fellowship
Women Under Grace
servantsofgrace.org
bloggingtheologically.com
Delivered by Grace
Wretched
Just Thinking
The Publicans
WWUTT/pastorgabe
wordofhisgrace.org
Proverbs 9:10 Ministries
forthegospel.org
whatchristianswanttoknow.com (After looking up "predestination" and "election" on this site and reading some of the articles, it appears that some are not-too-Calvinist and some are quite Calvinist, but in a "softened" way. Just my opinion. I would call it a "soft Calvinist" site. So be discerning.)
Reformed.org and almost anything else with "reformed" in the title
Almost anything with Calvinist in the title (unless it's a site against Calvinism)
Blogs listed with Calvinist site, The Gospel Coalition:
Between Two Worlds and Evangelical History (Justin Taylor)Christ is Deeper Still (Ray Ortlund)
DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed (Kevin DeYoung)
Pure Church (Thabiti Anyabwile)
Wit's End (Melissa Kruger)
Kingdom People (Trevin Wax)
Heavenward (Scotty Smith)
The Gospel-Driven Church (Jared C. Wilson)
Ordinary Pastor (Erik Raymond)
For the Love of God (D.A. Carson)
Other Calvinist (or potentially Calvinist) Ministries, Groups, or Conferences:
Anything by The Gospel Coalition, 9Marks, Acts 29, Ligonier Ministries
Kuyper conferences
G3 Conferences for pastors and leaders (some big name Calvinist speakers there like Tim Challies, James White, Paul Washer. And some Calvinist ministry partners like The Gospel Project, Founders, Grace to You, 9Marks.)
Sovereign Grace Churches (formerly Sovereign Grace Ministries. I'm not sure if these guys provide programs or resources for churches, but I'll include them anyway because they are a big name. )
Shepherd's Conference (a ministry of Grace Community Church, pastored by John MacArthur)
Weekender Conference (hosted by 9Marks)
Founders Conferences
Cross Conferences
Q conferences
t4g.org (Together for the Gospel conferences, sponsored by Lifeway and Crossway. A celebration of all things Calvinist, with dogmatic Calvinist speakers like John Piper, John MacArthur, Ligon Duncan, Albert Mohler, Kevin DeYoung, Matt Chandler, Mark Dever, Thabiti Anyabwile, and more. Oh my goodness! It doesn't get more Calvinist than this! It should be called "Together for Calvinism"!)
The Gospel Project (see this link for more on this, or google "The Gospel Project and Calvinism")
Known Calvinist Preachers or Authors or those who are "most likely Calvinist" in my estimation:
Updated: Both lists of names condensed into one (followed by the list of Calvinist websites):
One Master List
Danny Akin
Randy Alcorn
Sam Allberry
Jason K. Allen
Wendy Alsup
Thabiti Anyabwile
Aaron Armstrong
Tom Ascol
Augustine (whom Calvin based his theology on)
Matt Barrett
Voddie Baucham
Herman Bavinck
Joel Beeke
Alistair Begg
Jon Bloom
Loraine Boettner
Matt Boswell
James Pettigru Boyse
Anthony Bradley
Jerry Bridges
Josh Buice
Mike Bullmore
Wade Burleson
Rosaria Butterfield
John Calvin (of course)
William Carey
D.A. Carson
Anthony Carter
Matt Carter
Tim Challies
Francis Chan (commonly referred to as “Calvinist Light”)
Matt Chandler
Bryan Chapell
Vincent Cheung
Ray Comfort
Tim Conway
Brian Croft
Leonce Crump
Robert Dabney
Mark Dever
Kevin DeYoung
[*See note below this list]
Mark Driscoll
Ligon Duncan
Jeff Durbin (Apologia Church)
Jonathan Edwards
Carl Ellis
Zack Eswine
Sinclair Ferguson
Elyse Fitzpatrick
John Frame
Todd Friel
Gloria Furman
Timothy George
Louie Giglio
Greg Gilbert
John Gill
Graeme Goldsworthy
J.D. Greear
Wayne Grudem
Collin Hansen
Joshua Harris
Darrell Harrison
Susan Heck
Costi Hinn (he says it himself)
Mark Hitchcock (According to Br.d., from the comment section of a Soteriology 101 post, Mark is basically a Closet Calvinist. I don't know about this because I only just now heard about him, but I'm including his name for you to research yourself. But I did find this video where he basically says that sinners need to get the Holy Spirit in order to believe and that faith is a gift given to us by God, which is definitely Calvinistic. Start at the 3:50 minute mark. And if you're interested, see my post "Is Faith a Gift God Gives (forces on) Us?")
Justin Holcomb
Michael Horton
Gabriel Hughes
W. Bingham Hunter
Tim Hurd
Phil Johnson
Ken Jones
Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
Timothy Paul Jones
Tim Keller
D. James Kennedy
Ted Kluck
John Knox
Greg Koukl
Melissa Kruger
Abraham Kuyper
Steve Lawson
Mike Leake
Jonathan Leeman
Shai Linne
Martin Lloyd-Jones (didn't know if this went under "L" or "J" so I did both)
Crawford Loritts
Martin Luther (wasn't a follower of Calvin, but had similar beliefs)
Erwin Lutzer
Gabe Lyons (Q conferences and website, Qideas)
John MacArthur
CJ Mahaney
Debi Martin
Eric Mason
Conrad Mbewe
Al Mohler
Daniel Montgomery
Douglas Moo
Russell Moore
Robert Morey
Patrick Morley ? (He doesn't seem to say much about it on his blog, but from what I can tell, he graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary and says, in the statement of faith on his "Man in the Mirror" blog, that for lost people to be saved, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. See the note below this list for more on that.)
Iain Murray
Tommy Nelson (Denton Bible Church)
Tom Nettles
Trillia Newbell
Steve Nichols
Dane Ortlund
Ray Ortlund
John Owen
J.I. Packer
Darrin Patrick
Ben Peays
Jackie Hill Perry (most likely)
Justin Peters
Arthur Pink
John Piper
David Platt
David Powlison
Elizabeth Prata
Andrew Rappaport
Eric Raymond
Eric Redmond
Tony Reinke
Ron Rhodes (Reasoning From The Scriptures)
J.C. Ryle
Scott Sauls
Tom Schreiner
David Schrock
Luci Shaw
Sunny Shell
Matt Slick
Matt Smethurst
James K.A. Smith
Scotty Smith
R.C. Sproul
R.C. Sproul Jr.
Charles Spurgeon
Sam Storms
Owen Strachan
Allie Beth Stuckey
Joni Eareckson Tada
Justin Taylor
Tullian Tchividjian
Steve Timmis
Derek Thomas
Joe Thorn
Bob Thune
Paul Tripp
Ted Tripp
Carl Trueman
Jeff Vanderstelt
Kevin Vanhoozer
Bruce Ware
B.B. Warfield
Rick Warren
Paul Washer
Trevin Wax
James White
George Whitefield
Don Whitney
Warren Wiersbe
Jen Wilkin
Jared C. Wilson
Doug Wilson (Blog & Mablog)
Herschel York (I don't know who this is but found his name on someone else's list of Calvinists)
These
are just some of the more well-known Calvinist authors and/or preachers, but
there’s many more not listed here.
[*NOTE, UPDATE: I removed James Dobson's name because I have no other indication so far that he could be Calvinist other than a statement on his website that in order for lost people to be saved, they need to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
A statement like this could be Calvinist or not. Calvinists would mean that the Holy Spirit regenerates SINNERS (specific, preselected sinners, before they believe) to make them believers. But non-Calvinists (and I believe this is the biblical meaning) would say that He regenerates BELIEVERS, that if we choose to believe in Jesus (and anyone can) then the Spirit regenerates us, transforming us into a "born-again, new creation," sealing us for the day of redemption and helping us grow in faith.
And so both Calvinists and non-Calvinists would say that regeneration by the Spirit is necessary for salvation. But what makes all the difference is when you think it happens.
If you think you were predestined to be saved first, and then you are given the Holy Spirit so that He can regenerate you (make you born-again) before you believe, to cause you to believe in Jesus, then you are Calvinist. In Calvinism, regeneration/being born-again happens before and leads to belief (for prechosen people only).
But if you think that God makes salvation available to all, that anyone can believe, and that when/after we choose to believe in Jesus, then we get the Holy Spirit who regenerates us and makes us born-again, then you are not a Calvinist. In the Bible, belief comes before and leads to regeneration/being born-again (and anyone can believe).
Titus 3:5 tells us that we are saved through the "rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit," so regeneration is critical to being truly saved. (If you never truly believed in Jesus, then you were never truly born-again by the Spirit, which means you aren't truly saved.) But these verses clearly show that belief comes before getting the Holy Spirit, that we get the Holy Spirit after/as a response to our decision to believe in Jesus:
Acts 2:38: "... Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
John 7:39: "By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive..."
Ephesians 1:13-14: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of His glory."
And who are God's possession, who are his children?
John 1:12-13: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children not born of natural descent... but born of God."
You get the right to be "born of God" after you believe. You will be born-again (regenerated by the Spirit) after and as a response to your decision to believe in Jesus.
And so a phrase like "in order to be saved, sinners need to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit" is not clear enough to identify if someone is Calvinist or not. (A better, more accurate wording would be that the Holy Spirit regenerates "believers," making them born-again, not just "sinners," which sounds like He causes certain sinners to believe.) And so what you need to find out is what they believe comes first: regeneration or belief in Jesus. (Thank you to Howard for helping me clarify this.)]
And A Bunch More Links That Are Worth Reading:
Churches Infected With Calvinism
[Danger!] 6 Massive Warning Signs of Spiritual Abuse
Church Takeover Success Using Strategies from the Calvinista Playbook
A Calvinist Pastor Was Challenged By Members Who Read the Bad Internet, So Why Aren't They Reading the Calvinist Blogs (This is a response to a post from 9Marks - Calvinist Pastors and Non-Calvinist Churches, Candidating, Pastoring and Moving On. The 9Marks article is trying to make it sound like anti-Calvinists have been led astray by the internet, and it seems to give tips for Calvinists on how to "buddy up" to the congregation to get them to better accept your theology.)
Is Calvinism or Reformed Doctrine Taking Over Your Church?
My Journey into Calvinism (pdf)
Testimony of a Former 5-Point Calvinist
Who Are The New Calvinists, Part 1 and Part 2 (A Reformed website, but it's a useful article because it identifies a lot of today's Calvinists)
The Troubling Trends in America's Calvinist Revival
Who is "Got Questions?"
Covert Calvinists
Calvinist Rhetoric: The Series
Where'd All These Calvinists Come From (from the Calvinist website, 9Marks, but it gives a suggestion for how Calvinism became as prominent as it is)
Caution: Children and Predestination (A sad look at what Calvinism's theology does to a child's heart! I wonder if Calvinism is responsible for so much of the atheism out there today. I wonder if people who reject God are really just rejecting the god of Calvinism. They just don't know that there's a difference.)
More of my posts: "If Calvinism is true, then God is a Liar!" and "Why is it so hard for Calvinists to get free from Calvinism?" and Links to Other Anti-Calvinism Posts and "A Random Verse That Destroys Calvinism (And "Is The ESV a Calvinist Bible?") and "We left our church because of Calvinism (Things My Calvinist Pastor Said)"
My Experience in Campus Outreach.
The Five Points of Calvinism and Your Church's Sunday Meeting [A recommendation to pastors about how to live out the 5 Points of Calvinism in your church on Sundays, from the Calvinist giant, 9Marks. If this sounds similar to how your Sunday mornings go, you may be in a heavily-Calvinist church.]
Errors of Calvinism
Errors of Calvinism, with questions to ask a Calvinist
Errors of Calvinism, with questions to ask a Calvinist
Impossible Questions to ask a Calvinist, Part 1 (This has links to the other parts in the series)
Caution: Children and Predestination (A sad look at what Calvinism's theology does to a child's heart! I wonder if Calvinism is responsible for so much of the atheism out there today. I wonder if people who reject God are really just rejecting the god of Calvinism. They just don't know that there's a difference.)
More of my posts: "If Calvinism is true, then God is a Liar!" and "Why is it so hard for Calvinists to get free from Calvinism?" and Links to Other Anti-Calvinism Posts and "A Random Verse That Destroys Calvinism (And "Is The ESV a Calvinist Bible?") and "We left our church because of Calvinism (Things My Calvinist Pastor Said)"
The Five Points of Calvinism and Your Church's Sunday Meeting [A recommendation to pastors about how to live out the 5 Points of Calvinism in your church on Sundays, from the Calvinist giant, 9Marks. If this sounds similar to how your Sunday mornings go, you may be in a heavily-Calvinist church.]
