Evening Prayer & Church History

McNiell, John Thomas. The History and Character of Calvinism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962. Dr. McNiell utterly disarms hostile commentators calling Calvin the “theocrat” of Geneva. It’s false, dishonest and evinces lack of understanding of the Gevevan magistracy itself and show ignorance of Calvin’s warm, pastoral and brotherly approaches in his correspondence (widespread) and, inferentially, his private conversations. Do NOT believe ignorant bigots and revisionists (184). Greg Allison’s “Historical Theology:” After discussing Pagel, Bauer and Erhman (not named but he’s in the mix), Prof. Allison turns to the neo-Gnostics of the 20th-21st century advocating for Gnostic Gospels as warrantable for the Canon. Even the Bultmannian Norm Perrin, himself a demythologizer, dismisses the credibility or quality of the Gospel of Thomas or Gospel of Judas as 2nd century documents. The sheer deliciousness of seeing Perrin disown the neo-Gnosticizers enthusing over Gnostic Christologies is a delight. Allison comments on current, credible and academic responses from Millard Erickson, Michael Horton, Simon Gathercole, Fred Sanders, Klaus Issler, Oliver Crisp, Richard Bauckham, Robert Bowman Jr, J. Ed Komoszweskie and others. Chalecdonian defenders are not wanting. A lovely handling of this modern era (387). Edward Cairns’s “Christianity Through the Centuries:” Prof. Cairns discusses the static and stultified EO Church (1305-1516) due to the Turks dominion after 1453. The center of Orthodoxy shifted to the Russian Orthodox, itself closely allied with and dominated by the secular arm (293). Millard Erickson’s “Christian Theology:” Prof. Erickson discusses practical implication of divine immanence, carefully discussed. God works with means, agencies, individuals, the sciences and the like. God is free to work without those, directly and immediately (311). Cf. the WCF for HIGH STANDARDS. Again, Erickson operates without such. Justo Gonzalez’s “History of Christianity: Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation:” Prof. Gonzalez’s falls off the wagon and mortally hits his head on the pavement when talking about Augustine, free will, grace, predestination and original sin—all mischaracterized by the Wesleyan, Arminian historian. Page 249 needs to be entirely rewritten, thank you. “Nip it! Nip it in the bud!” said Barney Fife to Andy Griffith.