Book Review: Jeremy Walker - The New Calvinism Considered

Being both a Charismatic and a Calvinist made this book a must read for me. Even though I became a Calvinist before it was cool, I have seen many of my friends over the years do the same. I did not realize that there were more like me out there(both Charismatic and Calvinist) until I started to hear a few names being thrown around.

Little by little we started seeing young men who were tired of shallow preaching and even shallower Christian books. These guys were reading books by Sproul, MacArthur, and the like. They had a heart for theology and culture. It was a breath of fresh air.

At one time, it was almost impossible to find a book on predestination, the atonement, the Puritans, or the Reformation at the local Christian bookstore. If you did get a book on one of these subjects, it had to be ordered special. Now there is a wide variety of titles readily available at almost any neighborhood Christian Bookstore. Wow how things change!

Most books written from a Reformed perspective are probably from someone considered a "New Calvinist" In this book, Jeremy Walker gives us insights into the positives and negatives of the movement. Even though I do not consider myself exactly in the "New Calvinist" camp, I would be amiss to say I did not read and enjoy their books.

I have enjoyed Piper, Keller, Grudem, and many others. In fact, I probably would have considered myself a "New Calvinist" if it were not for a few inconsistencies from some of their writers. But the writers I just listed are not the ones I am referring to.

I liked this book. It was a little like taking medicine. It tasted bad going down, but I knew I would feel better after taking it. It is easier to admit faults in your neighbors than it is in your own family. It is like the old saying, "I can yell at my sister, but you better not!"

Walker did a great job in critiquing without destroying. He spent time on both the good and bad aspects of the movement. I respect that and commend him for a job well done.

I hope this book leads to a correction in many areas and a strengthening of the body of Christ.

It was a very interesting read. The only negative I had was it should have been 1000 pages long and packed full of footnotes. But I am just being facetious.

I don’t agree with everything but still I highly recommend it and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book, free of charge, from EP Publishers in exchange for an honest review.