Calvinism is back in a BIG WAY! Time Magazine (March 23, 2009) featured an important article — "10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now."
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884779_1884782_1884760,00.html
Interestingly, "The New Calvinism" is number 3 on the list. We believe it made the top 10 because Neo-Calvinistic ministers are organizing themselves into alliances and coalitions and systematically promoting their theological viewpoints on a large scale. Calvinists will no doubt be celebrating John Calvin's 500th birthday this July.
Over the coming months we will be mentioning coalitions and alliances that seem to be having a tremendous impact on theological positions and practices across denominational lines. Such impact is being felt in homes, churches, academic institutions, and other ministries. The three organizations we will highlight are: The Gospel Coalition, The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, and the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
We want to bring these organizations to your attention and provide the mission statement obtained from each organization's website.
The Gospel Coalition www.thegospelcoalition.org
"We are a group of (mostly) pastors and churches in the Reformed heritage who delight in the truth and power of the gospel, and who want the gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected to lie at the center of all we cherish, preach, and teach."
The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals www.alliancenet.org
"The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is a broad coalition of evangelical Christians from various denominations, including Baptist, Congregational (Independent), Anglican (Episcopal), Presbyterian, Reformed, and Lutheran. The purpose of the Alliance’s existence is to call the Church, amidst a dying culture, to repent of its worldliness, to recover and confess the truth of God’s Word as did the reformers, and to see that truth embodied in doctrine, worship, and life."
Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) www.cbmw.org
CBMW's mission is "to set forth the teachings of the Bible about the complementary differences between men and women, created equally in the image of God, because these teachings are essential for obedience to Scripture and for the health of the family and the church."
CBMW's vision is "to see the vast majority of evangelical homes, churches, academic institutions, and other ministries adopt the principles of the Danvers Statement as a part of their personal convictions and doctrinal confessions and apply them in consistent, heart-felt practice."According to Wikipedia, the Danvers Statement is the official statement of the complementarian view of gender roles. It was first published November, 1988, by CBMW.
Interestingly, there is some overlap in the leadership of these three organizations with at least one individual being affiliated with all three in an advisory capacity. The reformers are taking the Christian world by storm, and these associations are hugely responsible for this trend.