Calvinism

Definition and Meaning

Calvinism is a theological tradition rooted in the teachings of the sixteenth-century Reformation figure John Calvin. It emphasizes the sovereignty of God in all things, including salvation. In a broad sense the term refers to Reformed theology as a whole; in a narrower sense it refers to five points concerning salvation. The name "Calvinism" is said to have been first applied by its opponents.

The five points are commonly known as TULIP, an acronym formed from the initial letters of their English names. The acronym was coined later in the English-speaking world.

• Total depravity: Because of sin, human beings cannot turn to God by their own power.
• Unconditional election: God chooses those who will be saved without regard to any condition in them.
• Limited atonement: Christ's atonement (His bearing the penalty for sin in the place of sinners) was made for the elect. It is also called "definite atonement."
• Irresistible grace: God's call is never ultimately rejected.
• Perseverance of the saints: Those who are truly saved are preserved to the end.

Biblical and Historical Background

Calvinists appeal to passages such as Ephesians 1:4–5, Romans 8:29–30, Romans 9, and John 6:44. Those who hold the opposing view cite passages such as John 3:16 and 1 Timothy 2:4 to emphasize that God desires the salvation of all people.

Calvin addressed predestination in his Institutes of the Christian Religion. After his death, the followers of Jacobus Arminius in the Netherlands, known as the Remonstrants, challenged the doctrine of predestination in 1610. In response, the Synod of Dort was convened in 1618–1619 and adopted the Canons of Dort as a rebuttal. The five points derive from these canons. This line of thought was later carried forward in the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Presbyterian churches: Calvinism entered Korea through Presbyterian missionaries and became the theological foundation of Korean Presbyterianism. Many Presbyterian denominations adopt the Westminster Confession of Faith as their doctrinal standard. It is generally observed that the more conservative a denomination is, the more strongly it tends to assert its Calvinist identity. In Korea, the terms "Calvinism" and "Reformed theology" are often used interchangeably.
• Methodist and Holiness churches: These follow Wesleyan theology. They emphasize the grace that precedes and is extended to all people (prevenient grace) and the human response to it, and they reject unconditional election and limited atonement.
• Baptist churches: Both Calvinist and non-Calvinist positions are found among Baptists.
• Pentecostal churches: These are generally regarded as closer to Arminianism.

These differences among denominations give rise to debates over predestination and free will and assurance of salvation.