Neo-Calvinists Ordain Women, New Calvinists Don’t

Published on by D. G. Hart

[corrected] Molly Worthen deserves credit for trying to explain the difference between neo’s and News in the context of wives, husbands, church officers and complementarianism:

“It’s like we opened up a blister, and we’re getting story after story. I’m frankly shocked,” [Marie Notcheva Darlene Parsons] said. “I would say that I’m getting word of new stories once a week, (from churches across the country) and they’re all tied to this Neo-Calvinist movement that’s become more popular.”

Molly Worthen, an assistant professor of American religious history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, refers to this as a Calvinist revival that has been taking place primarily in Baptist and evangelical churches since the ’70s and is continuing to spread into other churches to this day.

“It tends to refer not to the historic ethnically Dutch (Calvinist) church,” she explained. “It tends to refer more to conservative evangelicals, often southern Baptists who have chosen this as a way to support certain theological and social points.”

Worthen, whose studies served as the basis for her 2013 book “Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism,” said that churches in this movement of religious thinking often promote conservative “separate but equal” gender roles.

“There’s a lot of pressure for women just to accept things and accept the authority of men,” she said. “In the context of marriage and the context of the church, the man is the head.”

Worthen also said these churches tend to settle personal matters, such as marriage or abuse counseling, inside the congregation, rather than reaching outside the church for help.

When you start inspiring with every square inch, it’s hard to put the genie back in the bottle.

28 thoughts on “Neo-Calvinists Ordain Women, New Calvinists Don’t”

  1. If there is a ‘Crisis of Authority In American Evangelicalism,’ it is in the inability of some to distinguish between following the authority structures God has ordained from being authoritarian. One of the differences between the two can be found in how people react to challenges and differences. Those who act aggressively to believers whose challenges to tradition and what has been taught are showing signs of possessing an authoritarian personality rather than having faithfully followed the authority structures God has provided.

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  2. I always thought it odd that a church so obsessed with marriage would divorce the cultural context of the Bible from it’s various passages to try to distill some eternal principle from each teaching. They view the authority structures of male headship as an is – as in, “man is head of the woman”. They don’t see it as a was – as in, “In ancient Israel and Greece and Italy under the control of the Roman Empire, man was head of the woman because it was more or less required by Roman law and Tradition and was a common feature of the cultures in the region that men have authority over women because they were all patriarchal societies.”

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  3. Curt, “Authoritarian personality?” Are you watching Dr. Phil?

    Going psychological is the oldest play in the liberal progressive playbook. I thought you were radical.

    Again, you heave the word, “authoritarian,” and think you’ve won. It’s a contested term. But the contest is over because those who don’t use your definition are psychologcially deficient. I believe psychologists have a term for that — passive aggressive.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. So it would be considered unusual in a Reformed church to sign a membership covenant? Are there any historical instances during the Reformation or before where someone had to sign a covenant to be a member of a church?
    Thanks

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  8. The question is, how many news are becoming neos? Or, what will John and Don say to Tim and Scotty? Trajectories, contextualization…WINSOMENESS and so on. This is the coming crisis for The Gospel-Industrial Complex. And what will Lig say to them all? Will KDY get sucked (further) into the niceness vortex?

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  10. cw l’unificateur says: Will KDY get sucked (further) into the niceness vortex?

    Did you see this post yesterday -a good one. Here’s a excerpt from the prayer:
    https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/kevindeyoung/

    …Dear Lord, remove the unhealthy suspicion that so easily creeps into the human heart. Guard us–all of us, of every skin color–against self-justification, against self-righteousness, against a lack of care and compassion for others. Turn away the schemes of the Devil–that fiendish serpent who loves to pull apart those whom Christ has joined together. In the midst of all our differences–of outlook and experience and political inclinations–may we never forget all that we have in common as descendants of the same Adam, as children of the same Fall, and as sinners redeemed by the same Christ…

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  13. Ali, is a ‘gospel coalition’ something that Christ has joined together? But the bigger conundrum is the jump from the church body(his local church) to the nation, and healing and repentance from the stain and SIN of our history of racial prejudice. The conflation of the church and the nation as God’s kingdom is troubling and unwarranted. Plus, I’m not real open to getting lumped in with a bunch of racists with which he is self-identifying. He doesn’t get to make his prayer closet time, political commitments and personal convictions, mine. The hate and discontent continue………………..

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  14. Letmesplainsean says: The hate and discontent continue………………..

    Indeed Letme. And to that Jesus says:

    James 4: 1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

    James 1: 14 each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

    James 1: 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

    Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

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  16. Ali, exactly my point. Make sure KDY is copied on your concerns. He apparently is a xenophopic, jingoistic, white supremacist, as is his university congregation. That’s a rough crowd.

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  17. ohh, you don’t need this prayer letme?

    Guard us–all of us, of every skin color–against self-justification, against self-righteousness

    if so, ‘splains alot

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  18. Ali, I’m all good. I was trained by nuns and priests, have a mother, pastor, three sisters,and MIL. I’ve been surrounded my all life by folks on watch for my faults. In that process I’ve learned there’s lots of projection, protection of self, and manipulation for reasons of self-interest that goes down. Can you believe that sheet?! Young, white, hipster, racist, pastors don’t make the grade. I’ve been better than the likes of them my all life.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. you don’t need this prayer letme – Guard me against self-justification, against self-righteousness

    huh? You’re all good? And your mother, pastor, three sisters, MIL are going to do what only God can?
    Ok, good luck.

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  21. D.G.,
    Actually, the authoritarian personality was discovered way before Dr. Phil.

    In addition, are we going judge something as right and wrong by whether liberals teach it? Are you asking an updated question of whether anyone good come from Nazareth? Of course that is with the exception of Mario Andretti.

    I would counter your remark about liberals with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.:


    The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.

    Now all we have to do is to place a fill in the blank for the word ‘Western.’

    The big fault of theological liberalism isn’t found in certain practices or the advocacy of certain causes, it is found in their reduction of reality to the physical. Outside of that, what they teach must be judged on a case by case basis. After all, when Vlad reiterated what Marx taught about religion, he might have been speaking from observation rather than ideology. And as much as I disagree with Vlad, his observations about religion would serve as an indictment on the Church for failing to be faithful to its call.

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  22. Ali, I have plenty of people in my life who provide schoolmarmy scolding, I don’t need white, weenie, fish putting in their two cents. Scolding is not the law or the gospel and it’s even worse pop psychology and therapeutic remedy, even when it comes in the form of a prayer. I got Dr. Phil and TD Jakes for that entertainment.

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  23. Scolding is not the law or the gospel

    Whatever, sean. As the Lord Himself says Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
    2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

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  24. Ali, what can I tell you. I’ve been raised on religious moralism. I know when it’s done well and when it’s done poorly. In either case it’s not law and gospel. It’s self-righteousness finding cover behind a collar and brow beating. I’m over it.

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  25. whatever, Mr. scold

    Letmesplainsean says: January 17, 2017 at 6:13 pm
    Greg, I remember T-Nation. They had a bunch of nakedy fitness models there. Yea, I remember all that. Ummm, I mean the articles were really informative.

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  27. Ali, when folks go out of their way to virtue signal they put a big bullseye on themselves, more often than not it’s a tell. And if not, it’s at least giving it back in kind.

    Like

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