The Isms & Schisms Podcast Aaron Chidgzey

Were you destined to listen to this episode? Were you chosen to be saved? Are you even capable at all of responding to God’s grace in any way other than negatively? Listen to this episode to find out! This episode on Calvinism is all about John Calvin’s theology, but predestination in particular - even though Calvin may not actually have been a Calvinist. We unpack Five Point Calvinism, which is neatly summarised in the acronym TULIP.

The Reformation has begun and is showing no signs of slowing. Luther opened Pandora’s Box and the world will never be the same again. This episode continues the dramatic story of the people who challenged the church’s dogmatism in order to install their own sort of dogmatism. Hooray! Let’s explore the lives of Melancthon, Zwingli, and Calvin (and also the short-lived life of Servetus), and see how Protestantism grows into a distinct expression of church.

16th century Germany was an era of radical change and disruption. Many before had attempted to reform the church, but none were successful. Until a monk named Martin Luther came along and developed new ideas about Scripture, the clergy, the sacraments, and justification, among many other things. With the help of the late medieval’s equivalent to the internet - the printing press - Luther’s ideas sparked a wildfire that the papacy could not possibly hope to contain. And the world began to change. The Protestants had arrived.

The ancient Hellenistic philosophical system known as Stoicism is a profoundly practical and helpful way of doing life. I don’t necessarily say that all of Stoicism is to be uncritically adopted, but it is, generally - I believe - perfectly compatible with Christianity. Indeed, it inspired much of the teachings of Christianity. This episode explores Stoicism and its similarities with Christianity.

”For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.” 

So wrote Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 15.3-4), passing on to the others the traditions about Jesus that he had himself received from others. But was Jesus actually raised on the third day? And what does he mean by ”in accordance with the scriptures”? Which scriptures?

Who killed Jesus? Probably depends on who you ask... BUT it was almost certainly this man, the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, who had Jesus executed. But who was he? Why was he in Judea? Why do the gospels present this man as kind of a weak, pathetic coward? Is that an accurate portrayal? Listen in to this episode to hear my thoughts!