--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Calvinism and Islam had this much in…" description: "\"“Calvinism and Islam had this much in common: neither was just a religion; both were social systems.”\" — David H. Finnie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/david-h-finnie-50352_quote_calvinism-and-islam-had-this-much-in-com_2220740.jpg" --- # Calvinism and Islam had this much in common: neither was… ![“Calvinism and Islam had this much in common: neither was just a religion; both were social systems.” quote by David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/david-h-finnie-50352_quote_calvinism-and-islam-had-this-much-in-com_2220740.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/david-h-finnie-50352_quote_calvinism-and-islam-had-this-much-in-com_2220740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cee/david-h-finnie-50352_quote_calvinism-and-islam-had-this-much-in-com_2220740.jpg) > ““Calvinism and Islam had this much in common: neither was just a religion; both were social systems.”” [David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both Calvinism and Islam function beyond faith, shaping social structures, norms, and community organization. **In simple terms:** Religions can act as social systems. Key Takeaway Recognize the societal impact of belief systems. Themes religion society culture politics identity Mood analytical thought‑provoking Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - interfaith dialogue - community building - education curricula Key Concepts social theory comparative religion institutional analysis Questions to Reflect On - In what ways do these systems influence daily life? - How can we respect differences while noting parallels? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on similarity can ignore critical doctrinal differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calvinism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calvinism/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) ## Related quotes > [“Calvinism and Islam had this much in common: neither was just a religilon, both were social systems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-finnie/calvinism-and-islam-had-this-much-in-common-neither-was-just-a-2/) [David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) > [Look at all the misery in the Middle East, for example. All these countries have Islam in common, and far too few dare to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bj-rn-ulvaeus/look-at-all-the-misery-in-the-middle-east-for-example-all-these/) [Bjorn Ulvaeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bj-rn-ulvaeus/) > [“Your frequent claim that we must understand religious belief as a “social construct,” produced by “societal causes,” dependent upon “social and cultural institutions,” admitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/your-frequent-claim-that-we-must-understand-religious-belief-as-a/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [If you work with such people almost on the level of spiritual direction, you see that they are people who prefer a world view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/if-you-work-with-such-people-almost-on-the-level-of-spiritual/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [Science has the cold facts, but lacks religion's social organization and ability to inspire that moves people to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-druyan/science-has-the-cold-facts-but-lacks-religion-s-social-organization/) [Ann Druyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-druyan/) > [“In the West, of course, God has been dead for some time. What remains is religion as social belief, which is at best a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-west-of-course-god-has-been-dead-for-some-time-what-remains-is/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Two attempts have been made in the world to found social life: the one was upon religion, and the other was upon social necessity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/two-attempts-have-been-made-in-the-world-to-found-social-life-the-one/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [ What I am trying to argue here \[Save Calvinism\] and in other works before this one is that the Reformed tradition as I have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/what-i-am-trying-to-argue-here-save-calvinism-and-in-other-works/) [Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/) > [The alternative of hypothetical universalism, according to which Christ's work is sufficient for all but efficient only for the elect, was alive and well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/the-alternative-of-hypothetical-universalism-according-to-which/) [Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/) > [Calvinism is the consistent endeavor to acknowledge the Creator as the Lord, working all things after the counsel of His will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/calvinism-is-the-consistent-endeavor-to-acknowledge-the-creator-as/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [“Ah! Gentle, gracious Dove, And art thou grieved in me, That sinners should restrain thy love, And say, “It is not free: It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/ah-gentle-gracious-dove-and-art-thou-grieved-in-me-that-sinners/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon/my-hope-arises-from-the-freeness-of-grace-and-not-from-the-freedom-of/) [Charles Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon/) > [Lutheranism restricted itself to an exclusively ecclesiastical and theological character, while Calvinism put its impress in and outside the church upon every aspect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/lutheranism-restricted-itself-to-an-exclusively-ecclesiastical-and/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [“Finally, the Reformers also agreed that worship should be in the vernacular and that the twofold structure of Word and sacrament be maintained. Zwingli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-webber/finally-the-reformers-also-agreed-that-worship-should-be-in-the/) [Robert E. Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-webber/) ## More by David H. Finnie > [“Americans were known for a zealous and often immoderate attachment to the United States and all it represented.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-finnie/americans-were-known-for-a-zealous-and-often-immoderate-attachment-to/) [David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) > [ “The English are rapidly expanding their conquests in Afghanistan \[ca. 1840\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-finnie/the-english-are-rapidly-expanding-their-conquests-in-afghanistan-ca/) [David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) > [“Today we are apt to think of the Middle East, however defined, as something of a geographical unit. During the first half of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-finnie/today-we-are-apt-to-think-of-the-middle-east-however-defined-as/) [David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) > [“The Middle East was not a wilderness, and the people there were not savages: if anything they were over civilized. Too many American newcomers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-finnie/the-middle-east-was-not-a-wilderness-and-the-people-there-were-not/) [David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) > [“For eighteen centuries avid and pious Christians of divergent sects had overlaid the simplicity of Biblical scenes with tawdry symbolism, rude commercialism, and pious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-finnie/for-eighteen-centuries-avid-and-pious-christians-of-divergent-sects/) [David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) > [“Calvinism and Islam had this much in common: neither was just a religilon, both were social systems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-finnie/calvinism-and-islam-had-this-much-in-common-neither-was-just-a-2/) [David H. Finnie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) [Explore all 7 David H. Finnie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-finnie/) ## More Calvinism quotes > [“Finally, the Reformers also agreed that worship should be in the vernacular and that the twofold structure of Word and sacrament be maintained. Zwingli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-webber/finally-the-reformers-also-agreed-that-worship-should-be-in-the/) [Robert E. Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-webber/) > [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [Lutheranism restricted itself to an exclusively ecclesiastical and theological character, while Calvinism put its impress in and outside the church upon every aspect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/lutheranism-restricted-itself-to-an-exclusively-ecclesiastical-and/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon/my-hope-arises-from-the-freeness-of-grace-and-not-from-the-freedom-of/) [Charles Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon/) > [“Ah! Gentle, gracious Dove, And art thou grieved in me, That sinners should restrain thy love, And say, “It is not free: It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/ah-gentle-gracious-dove-and-art-thou-grieved-in-me-that-sinners/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [Calvinism is the consistent endeavor to acknowledge the Creator as the Lord, working all things after the counsel of His will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/calvinism-is-the-consistent-endeavor-to-acknowledge-the-creator-as/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [The alternative of hypothetical universalism, according to which Christ's work is sufficient for all but efficient only for the elect, was alive and well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/the-alternative-of-hypothetical-universalism-according-to-which/) [Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/) > [ What I am trying to argue here \[Save Calvinism\] and in other works before this one is that the Reformed tradition as I have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/what-i-am-trying-to-argue-here-save-calvinism-and-in-other-works/) [Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/) > [I would rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended, than a universal atonement that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-would-rather-believe-a-limited-atonement-that-is-efficacious-for/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [During my academical life, and from this time forward, I was indefatigable in my search after truth. I read all the authors of greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-godwin/during-my-academical-life-and-from-this-time-forward-i-was/) [William Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-godwin/) > [“Jonathan Edwards, the dear old soul, who, if his doctrine is true, is now in heaven rubbing his holy hands with glee, as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/jonathan-edwards-the-dear-old-soul-who-if-his-doctrine-is-true-is-now/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [Calvinism that does not humble has missed its mark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-chantry/calvinism-that-does-not-humble-has-missed-its-mark/) [Walter J Chantry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-j-chantry/) > [For the Arminian, salvation is possible for all but certain for none. In the Calvinist position, salvation is sure for God's elect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/for-the-arminian-salvation-is-possible-for-all-but-certain-for-none/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“Calvinism emphasizes divine sovereignty and free grace; Arminianism emphasizes human responsibility. 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