Calvinism

• Unconditional Election:

• Limited Atonement:

• Irresistible Grace:

• Perseverance of the Saints:

These five points are a summation of the judgments or canons rendered by the Synod of Dort, which was published as a point-by-point refutation of the five points of the Arminian Remonstrance. They are not a summation of Calvin's writings, or of the theology of the Reformed churches. The central assertion of these canons is that, God is able to save from the tyranny of sin, from guilt and the fear of death, every one of those upon whom he is willing to have mercy. God is not frustrated by the unrighteousness or the inability of men because it is the unrighteous and the helpless that he intends to save.

Calvinism is often further reduced in the popular mind to one or another of the five points of TULIP. The doctrine of Unconditional election is sometimes made to stand for all Reformed doctrine, sometimes even by its adherents, as the chief article of Reformed Christianity. However, according to the doctrinal statements of these churches it is not a balanced view to single out this doctrine to stand on its own as representative of all that is taught. The doctrine of unconditional election, and its corollary in the doctrine of predestination are never properly taught, according to Calvinists, except as an assurance to those who seek forgiveness and salvation through Christ, that their faith is not in vain, because God is able to bring to completion all of His intentions to save. Nevertheless, non-Calvinist Christians strongly object that these doctrines are false and offensive, and that they discourage the world from seeking salvation.

The substance of Calvinism is total dependence on God. Every good thing any person has is there because of God's unmerited grace, and salvation is particularly dependent on grace. Calvinism is intentionally such that all credit, for everything, must go directly to God; humans are but miserable sinners. The "solas" exist to keep all the credit where it belongs, and to exclude any illicit additions such as those the Reformers claimed Catholics had made. They were the summary of Calvinism, indeed of the Reformation, before the Framing of TULIP. The Solas are:

Sola Gratia-- By Grace only, not through any merit on the part of the sinner. Thus salvation is an unearned gift.

Sola Fide-- Through faith only, not works. This is the means of grace; the doctrine is that salvation comes, as Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it, by grace through faith, and that faith is not of ourselves, but is itself the result of grace. This saving faith, however, will always be accompanied by good works (see James 2).

Solus Christus-- The exclusivity of Christ; Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and there is no other name by which men can be saved. Neither a false god nor the sinner himself can bring salvation.

Sola Scriptura-- The Bible is the only authoritative Word of God, not traditions.

Soli Deo Gloria-- All the glory is God's, since He did all the work, not only the atonement on the Cross, but even granting the faith which allows men to be saved by that atonement. Each aspect of Salvation is a gift from God, and thus all praise is His, not man's.

• See John Calvin and Arminianism for more of the history of Calvinism.
• See Reformed churches for denominations that have historically adhered to Calvinist doctrine.
• See also: Predestination
• See contemporary Calvinistic theologians such as James Boice, Joseph Pipa, Michael Horton, and James White.