John Brown the Calvinist
Photo: The Abolitionists / PBS
By Larry E. Ball – The Aquila Report
Calvinism rightly understood is a threat to the autonomy of modern man in modern America
…Modern America is not threatened by evangelicalism. Modern America is not threatened by fundamentalism. However, Calvinism is a different story. In my mind, Calvinism rightly applied, is the only real threat to the fulcrum of a godless America. Calvinism which is first of all a theology of grace is also a theology of sovereignty. Only God himself is sovereign, not man or the politics of man. This is a threat to the autonomy of modern man in modern America.
Watching PBS on a Sunday Evening provides an alternative to the trivial and often profane nonsense inherent in most of modern television. Last Sunday evening after watching the exploits of the masters and servants on Downtown Abbey, I watched the first of a new series on The American Experience about the Abolitionists prior to the Civil War.
Anytime PBS presents a special, I’m always hesitant to watch it because I know the bias of this venue. It is certainly not sympathetic to biblical Christianity. However, considering even this, I was emotionally moved by the portrayal of the suffering of many black slaves prior to the Civil War.
One Abolitionist who demanded an immediate end to slavery was John Brown, who eventually was hanged at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Most historians agree that John Brown was a vigilante. In common parlance, he was considered crazy and eccentric – a dangerous combination.
Please note that while I do not condone watching Downton Abbey on the Lord’s Day, I do think Mr. Ball has a valid point about true Calvinism and its impact on the culture. We have always been at the forefront of social change and while this might lead to persecution, we can bravely face it because our Lord has gone before us and we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who have also suffered on His behalf. May the good Lord continue to bless and increase His Church. Amen. – ed.