David Van Biema of Time magazine interviews Dr. Albert Mohler about his Calvinism and what role it played in his recent brush with death. Van Biema’s interview is prefaced with this:
After roughly 200 years of decline, Calvinism, the faith of the Puritans, has made a modest comeback among younger Evangelical Christians. One of the movement’s potent mentors is Albert Mohler, the influential, telegenic head of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who made waves last June when he critiqued the religious claims of Presidential contender Barak Obama in an essay called Secularism With A Smile.
Mohler, a Calvinist, went into the hospital in December for a fairly routine stomach operation and suddenly developed pulmonary embolisms, a frequently fatal form of clotting, in both lungs. After emergency surgery and four days in the Intensive Care unit, he made a complete recovery. David Van Biema asked him whether his crisis could illuminate his brand of faith.
In reading this interview, one thing is clear. The old questions are the same questions people ask today. How can God be sovereign and man be truly free? What kind of freedom does man have, if any? Etc. The questions continue to reveal the presumption that human autonomy is the basic given in the universe—an assumption that is not warranted anywhere in scripture (e.g., Acts 17:25-28).
There’s nothing new under the sun, and I thank God for that.
Story: “A Calvinist Faces Death” – TIME
7 Comments
barry
I just read the interview. That’s great. Thanks for the post. I am grateful to be serving with “Al the Christian.”
Barry
Julie
Wow! What a great article, and a great testament!
Kris Weinschenker
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Mars Hill Speech preverted so badly as to say it supports Predestination.
D. Taylor Benton
What a wonderful contrast Dr. Mohler gives of being a Christian verses someone in a social club. He’s a Son of God, not a Calvinist club member. I’m not usually one to guess what the motives of God are in situations and circumstances, rather I try see what one’s role is in those circumstances as a Christian. However, I think to Have Dr. Mohler, one of the Most (if not the most) articulate men in Evangelicalism today, go through such a close brush with eternity gives some amazing and well put testimony to God’s Sovereignty and Grace! Praise be to God for Al the Christian!
Mark Pepin
Thanks so much for this. I might have missed it if not for you. Your views (and Dr. Mohler’s) mirror my own. Thank God! He is in control!
rachel
kris
what are you talking about in your post…i mean, can you explain yourself and reference to the Mars Hill Speech?
rachel
Larry Jones
Al “the Christian” is leading many into hell. He says that we will have signs of salvation, but nothing should make us question it. Which is OK if you believe the lie of eternal security. Michael Servetus was brutally murdered by John Calvin to protect this “do whatever you want – You’re God’s chosen” theology. Read Matthew 7. Evidently there is a reason to be worried if you are living in sin! Ephesians 5 makes it clear that we are transformed willingly into a follower of Christ. Calvin’s teachings are heresy!