Audio: A Positive Answer to a Negative Theology

As highlighted in the description, this message is really focused on the negative aspects of the Calvinist TULIP theology and how early Anabaptists/Mennonites did not hold to this view of salvation, yet many have been influenced by these teahcings over time. There is also a fair amount of emphasis on early Anapbaptist/Mennonite history and practice.

I definitely do not criticise it, except I feel I should highlight a couple of small details. One (very minor) point is that it is delivered from the perspective of ones who still identify themselves as Anabaptist/Mennonites. At the beginning for example there is a quick reference to a view of “adornment” as one of a few defining teachings for Christians, even though very little about this could be gathered from the Gospel accounts. Yet, when addressing the reformation teaching about “grace”, the amount of times the word “grace” occurs in the Gospels is emphasised. I understand this is to make the point that many Christian denominations seem to teach Grace as a sort of plaster/fix-all to end any obligation upon the believer which can be misleading to peoples minds (although it must be admitted that many who place this emphasis on grace still live their lives for Christ, to the best of their ability, not to abuse that grace which was given). I personally believe this is an artificial separation of scripture that ought to be avoided. I of course agree that Jesus teachings take precedence, but I do not see a need to draw this line within the NT, since there is no reason to believe that the Acts and epistles are teaching anything other than what God and Christ intended to be taught to the church. Luke-Acts is a continuous account which bridges the Gospels to the later epistles in any case.

Although there are a couple of brief references to other theologians/Christians as more or less outsiders, I was grateful at the end of the message to hear the speaker point out that ones, even if holding to a faulty theology have/can/are trying to live Christian lives outside Mennonite/Anabaptist circles. This was the much needed point on which to the end of the message for me and it was there.

So, I recommend the message as a good overview of sound beliefs on salvation, refuting Calvinism and of the key differences in beliefs of Anabaptists vs the flaws in “standard” reform theology.