a hundred degrees

Calvin Bashing

  As we pulled in to the parking lot at church this morning I made a prediction. "This should be a lively discussion," I prognosticated for Lexie's benefit. I was not wrong.
  I've mentioned before that our Sunday School class (internally known as the Mystics and Cynics) is using a book called Devotional Classics. It features fifty-two selections from various authors almost all of whom are dead guys. This week's reading was taken from the writings of John Calvin. Below are outtakes from the discussion.

  We imagined Luther giving Calvin a hard time: "They're mocking you down at Covenant this morning. Dude, if you ever want to ease up a bit, come on over to our side of heaven: We're having a beer bash." The consensus was that the piece was devoid of the Spirit and of grace.
  "This is what you get when you take the bible as the literal and final word of God." This is self righteousness and the (un)gospel of works displayed in efficient soulless Switzerland. When work and worship are the only options and are so narrowly defined, art is limited to the likes of Rembrandt.
  I referenced Manasclerk's recent post on grace. If you haven't read it, follow that link. Our discussion also reminded me of what I was just reading to Lexie in John Varley's The Golden Globe. In the book, there are planetary computers which monitor and record and, being intelligent, understand every aspect of human life on the planet. The voters have always had a clear enough picture of their own failings that each planet has its own version of a statute that prevents the computer from reporting crimes to the authorities. A certain low level of crime is better than utter fascism.
  "This is bourgoise." Notice how Calvin bashes "philosophers" at every opportunity. He might as well have said "intellectuals." He tells the poor to be "patient in their poverty." Everyone should get his "just due." This is the fundamentalism that hurts.
  There's nothing wrong with courageous convictions. Virtue's Latin root is closer to "macho" than "saintly." To be virtuous is to be authentically human. Denying our humanity is not virtuous.
  Self denial is a factor, but not the whole equation. Just as we cannot simply sin that grace may abound, we cannot judge with a fixed interpretation of a static text. We are responsible for using the brains God gave us. Not simply for regurgitation but for comprehension and integration and compassion and forbearance.