Hyper-Calvinism

Curt Daniel has written what will become the definitive biblical and theological examination of “Hyper-Calvinism.” Like John Calvin, Daniel is a scholar who is first a pastor. His concern throughout is not simply to explain, as he puts it, the what, why, where, and when of Hyper-Calvinism but to do so for the sake of the spiritual health and God-given mission of the church. The excellent table of contents will enable you to dip into this massive work without becoming intimidated by its size. This is a theological tour de force. I heartily commend it.

Hyper-Calvinism: Its History and Theology by Curt Daniel is a monumental work of enormous value. It is a work of a lifetime condensed into one volume. It is more than a reference work on the history and development of Hyper-Calvinism; it is a beautiful antidote to the dangers of Hyper-Calvinism. It is robust yet concise. It is technical yet enjoyable to read. It is massive yet accessible. I am confident that it will become the definitive work on this subject.

Hyper-Calvinism, by my friend Dr. Curt Daniel, is a milestone in Reformed publications. No other book in print offers such a thorough treatment of the controversies about God’s free offer, the duty to respond to the gospel with faith, and related doctrines. One does not need to agree with every single one of Dr. Daniel’s conclusions to benefit greatly from his encyclopedic knowledge of this subject. This book will serve as an excellent reference tool for students and teachers of theology. It is also much needed for the sake of the church. The refutation of Hyper-Calvinism remains crucial for the vitality of Christian preaching, evangelism, missions, and assurance of salvation.

Dr. Curt Daniel’s work on Hyper-Calvinism is unsurpassed, and in this volume, he has compiled a rich compendium on the history and doctrine of that error. The result is an extremely helpful and thorough answer to the errors and misunderstandings that feed the Hyper-Calvinist tendency. Few seem to realize that Hyper-Calvinism and Arminianism share some of the same faulty presuppositions, and the resultant errors are equally detrimental to sound gospel ministry. Arminianism may be the more widespread and visible of these twin errors, but hyperism is arguably more destructive than Arminianism to a sound, biblical understanding of God, sin, redemption, evangelism, and the place and significance of evil in the eternal purpose of God. This book is a resource no well-informed Calvinist should be without.

Somebody needed to write a definitive history and study of Hyper-Calvinism. I am glad that Curt Daniel has done so. This lengthy volume is the product of decades of study. It details so many important aspects of the history. I hope that it has a wide usefulness. Just as dangerous as Arminianism's evaporation of the water of life is the freezing over of the water of life in the icy categories of Hyper-Calvinism. Let the river of life flow in the grandeur of biblical, experiential, and historical mainstream Calvinism.

I know of no one who has researched Hyper-Calvinism more than Curt Daniel. As a theology, it has held an infinitesimally small place in the history of Protestant—or even Reformed—thought. Most of what is said about Hyper-Calvinism today is derogatory or dismissive. Very often it is used by those who are not Reformed to blame those who are for a lack of evangelistic fervor or, what is more likely, for an unwillingness to embrace modern methods promoted in the name of evangelism. Rarely is the designation used with sensitivity to its theological foundations or historical roots. But Hyper-Calvinism, like Calvinism and Arminianism, can best be understood by carefully considering its theology and history. Dr. Daniel does both in a masterful way. Some might quibble with him regarding which historical figures to include in that stream, but with over 4,500 footnotes, no one can say that he has not done his homework! In fact, one of the greatest values of this volume is its extensive research into primary and critical secondary sources. Those who want to delve further into the subject will find great help here for doing so, and no one will be able to study Hyper-Calvinism in the future without consulting this fine piece of research.

“This volume is the product of almost half a century of research,” writes the author in his introduction. I first became acquainted with Curt Daniel’s research on Hyper-Calvinism in 1984 when I was in England on sabbatical leave. Since then, I have had several times of fellowship and discussion with this pastor/scholar, have read much of what he has written (all of which bears the same marks of scholarship and clarity of organization and writing style as this magisterial volume), and have grown on each occasion in my appreciation for his transparent Christian character along with his thorough scholarship and his love for Christ and His truth. This is not a shallow and reactionary treatment of this important and deeply complex subject but a thorough, mature, sympathetic, intricately informed, and honest description, engagement, and appraisal of this theological system. The author has read all of Calvin, all of John Gill, and all of Jonathan Edwards—everything presently available in any format—and has given careful attention to their agreements, nuances, distinctions, and disagreements. He has engaged the entire corpus of Hyper-Calvinist writing and confessions, both English and American, and where possible, Dutch. This is a contextually rich presentation of a small slice of Calvinistic thinking that shows how theological trajectories can create significant alterations to central biblical commitments of a doctrinal system. Curt Daniel has isolated the most important areas of difference between Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism, has presented the best arguments for Hyper-Calvinist defenses of their position and the best counterarguments for the historic Calvinist syntheses of the same doctrines. He clearly distances himself from Hyper-Calvinism while being meticulously insistent on a fair and accurate presentation of their theological arguments and biblical exposition. With all candor and in light of unrelenting research, he summarizes his conclusion, “Hyper-Calvinism’s distinctives are not true to the Bible, John Calvin, or mainline historic Reformed theology.”