Friday, January 2, 2009

Your OTHER Reading Plan for 2009


With 2009 being the 500th birthday of John Calvin, I thought it would be a great idea to read through the Institutes again. Lo and behold, Princeton has obliged with an online plan to read through this masterpiece systematically in one year. Here's the link to the program. I would particularly recommend this to those who have bought into any of the silly caricatures of Calvinism that are circulating today. If Dave Hunt had actually, um, read Calvin's Institutes beyond searching for quotes that could be yanked out of context, What Love is This would never have been written.

Here's a sample from today's reading. How relevant is this?

"For ungodly men have so far prevailed that Christ's truth, even if it is not driven away scattered and destroyed, still lies hidden, buried and inglorious. The poor little church has either been wasted with cruel slaughter or banished into exile, or so overwhelmed by threats and fears that it dare not even open its mouth. And yet, with their usual rage and madness, the ungodly continue to batter a wall already toppling and to complete the ruin toward which they have been striving. Meanwhile no one comes forward to defend the church against such furies. But any who wish to appear as greatly favoring truth feel that they should pardon the error and imprudence of ignorant men. For so speak moderate men, calling error and imprudence what they know is the most certain truth of God; calling untutored men those whose intelligence was not so despicable to Christ as to prevent him for bestowing upon them the mysteries of his heavenly wisdom! So ashamed are they all of the gospel!"

Happy reading!

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