Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport: Making Connections in Today's World

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Summary: Connecting Calvin to the 21st Century
Review: With some trepidation and the consent of my Diaconal board, I am about to do a sermon series on the 5 Points of Calvinism, something I never dared in my collective Protestant military chaplain days. Since the doctrines of grace are an integral part of our theology, they should be preached. But how does one relate "heavy" theology to the person in the pew? How can I keep it from becoming an intellectual exercise? Just as I was preparing and pondering, Fuller Seminary President Richard J. Mouw's book hit the market, with what has to be the religious book "title of the year". Mouw takes a scene from a movie in which a Reformed layman explains TULIP to a non-religious young woman. He summarized the points, but they failed to hit the mark. She left bewildered by what seemed an imponderable system. Mouw wants to help Calvinism into the 21st Century by making it relevant to life, and by examining how we may best convey its teachings. He wants considers how to reach that woman in the airport. He covers the 5 points, deals briefly with the problem of pain, confesses his own struggles, and calls for pluralistic dialogue with charity and tolerance. Calvinism is an intellectually stimulating approach, so it's important that we stress the closeness of our walk with Christ along with the rightness of our doctrine. I recommend this to fellow Calvinists who want a fresh look at our beloved system of thought.