The "T" in Calvinism's TULIP could be renamed as "Totally Gnostic Manichaean"
It should horrify Augustinian-Calvinists to realize that ALL of the proof texts they use to support their distinctive doctrines are the same proof texts that the Gnostic heretics of the 2nd-4th centuries used to support their doctrines over and against the church.
The Gnostic concepts of radical predestination, their concept of "the Elect" the nature of fallen mankind as being "dead" (meaning total inability), and God's monergistic control of all things...all of these things were believed and taught by Gnostic heretics.
It is modern Calvinists' ignorance of early Church history that keeps them bound within an eisegetical system of Biblical interpretation. Is it possible to exegete John 6, Romans 9 and Ephesian 1 in such a way as to come up with Augustinian-Calvinist interpretations? Sure, the Gnostic heretics did. They cited the exact same passages to defend their errors against the free-will theism that was taught by the entire Early Church. And when we say "entire", we mean EVERY SINGLE church leader, theologian, apologist in the first 350 years of Church history who wrote about these topics.
The T.U.L.I.P. of Calvinism comes directly out of Gnostic heresy (and also the pagan Greek philosophical schools of neo-Stoicism and neo-Platonism).
I've decided that the T (Total Depravity) should be renamed, Totally Gnostic Manichaean - because that is EXACTLY where St. Augustine got the concept, baptized it and tragically imported it into the Christian faith in the 5th century.
It's a toss up - What influenced Augustine more to abandon the Apostolic understanding of Original Sin, Predestination, and Grace (Augustine being the first to teach its irresistability)? Was it Gnostic Manichaeism or was it the pagan Stoicism and Neoplatonism? The former leading to the semi-Gnostic label. The latter two leading to the semi-Pagan one.
The irony of ironies is the charges of Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism that Augustinian-Calvinists level at anyone and everyone who disagrees with them are mythological. Pelagius didn't believe any of the 14 charges Augustine leveled against him - he believe 1/2 of one of them. And Semi-Pelagianism is an a term invented in the wake of the Protestant Reformation, which again has NOTHING to do with Pelagius at all.
But don't confuse Calvinists with the historical facts. Not a single Calvinist I have known has ever read a word of Pelagius' writings - most of them are largely unfamiliar with Augustine and his work. And like Calvin, when they discover things about Augustine's life and theology, they often will quickly distance themselves from him as well.
What we do know for sure is that Augustine had BOTH Gnostic and Pagan ideas that radically influenced his theology which has been both thoroughly documented and thoroughly ignored.
Which is why when anybody begins the read the Early Christian writers before Augustine, they realize that there wasn't a Calvinist in sight (except ironically amongst heretics and pagans).
#calvinism, #calvin, #calvinist, #augustinianism, #augustinianism, #gnostic, #gnosticism, #manichaen, #manichaeism, #apostolic, #pelagian, #pelagianism
Comments
Post a Comment