Aberration Quote by 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 in early Reformed thought. Moreover - and importantly for our purposes - this view was not regarded as an aberration but as a legitimate position that could be taken within the confessional bounds of Reformed thought. But that means that the Five Points aren't the non-negotiable conceptual core of Calvinism after all.”
About This Quote
Early Reformed theology allowed a view that Christ’s work is sufficient for all, but only effective for the elect, showing the Five Points were not rigidly fixed.
In simple terms: Calvinism once tolerated a broader view of salvation.
Key Takeaway
Doctrinal flexibility existed historically.
Themes
theology
history
Calvinism
Mood
analytical
reflective
Type
theological argument
When to use this quote
- seminary debates
- interdenominational dialogues
Key Concepts
soteriology
confessional limits
Practical Applications
- re‑examine doctrinal assumptions
Questions to Reflect On
- How does historical flexibility affect contemporary belief?
- What defines a 'non‑negotiable' doctrine?
A Different Perspective
Modern adherents may view this as heretical, limiting acceptance.
![“[ Jonathan] Edwards is the person who really made theological determinism a serious option for Reformed thinkers, and the influence his views had in nineteenth century Reformed thought, in the USA and the UK in particular, is enormous.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ae4/oliver-d-crisp-12863_century_jonathan-edwards-is-the-person-who-reall_2794909.jpg)
![“The expansion I have in mind isn't the same as distortion. Of course, there are those who say their views represent Reformed thought, but what they end up with is a caricature of what Reformed thinking is really about. I hope I am not one of those people, but readers [of the Saving Calvinism] will…” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c33/oliver-d-crisp-12863_calvinism_the-expansion-i-have-in-mind-isn-t-the-s_1930588.jpg)
![“[John] Calvin is revered as a thinker of immense importance in Reformed thought, Jonathan Edwards could say in his preface to his treatise on Freedom of the Will that he had derived none of his views from the work of Calvin, though he was willing to be called a "Calvinist" for the sake of…” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/79f/oliver-d-crisp-12863_conventions_john-calvin-is-revered-as-a-thinker-of-i_1850444.jpg)
![“The book [Saving Calvinism] itself is not recommending that we move the borders, so to speak. It is recommending that we look at what lies within the confessional bounds of Reformed thought.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e7b/oliver-d-crisp-12863_book_the-book-saving-calvinism-itself-is-not_1612566.jpg)
![“Tony [Campolo] and I might disagree on the details, but I think we are both trying to find an alternative to both traditional Universalism and the narrow, exclusivist understanding of hell [that unless you explicitly accept and follow Jesus, you are excluded from eternal life with God and destined…” quote by Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9d1/brian-d-mclaren-8226_accepting_tony-campolo-and-i-might-disagree-on-the_577840.jpg)
![“[John Calvin's] treatment of the person and work of Christ, of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, of prayer and liturgy, of the sacraments, and of the way in which we have an in-built sense of the divine that we suppress to our great sorrow - these are all immense contributions to…” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4ef/oliver-d-crisp-12863_believer_john-calvin-s-treatment-of-the-person-an_62415.jpg)
![“What I am trying to argue here [Save Calvinism] and in other works before this one is that the Reformed tradition as I have characterized it is much broader and richer than many of us today imagine. It is not just about "Five Points," and it was never just about [John ] Calvin's thought.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2cb/oliver-d-crisp-12863_arguing_what-i-am-trying-to-argue-here-save-calv_134263.jpg)
![“[John Calvin] writes clearly, directly, without artifice, and gets straight to the practical heart of the matter.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/872/oliver-d-crisp-12863_artifice_john-calvin-writes-clearly-directly-with_309224.jpg)
![“In the chapter on the nature of the atonement [in the book saving Calvinism] I argue that it is a mistake to think that penal substitution is the only option on the doctrine of atonement.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5fe/oliver-d-crisp-12863_arguing_in-the-chapter-on-the-nature-of-the-aton_377313.jpg)
![“Reading [John] Calvin is a breath of fresh air.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e14/oliver-d-crisp-12863_air_reading-john-calvin-is-a-breath-of-fresh_529860.jpg)
![“To my mind [ Jonathan Edwards] is an interesting figure because he is both a canonical Reformed thinker, and yet also someone that pushed the envelope in a number of key areas of theology.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/45c/oliver-d-crisp-12863_areas_to-my-mind-jonathan-edwards-is-an-intere_588690.jpg)
![“[Jonathan] Edwards definitely shows up in the book [Saving Calvinism]. He appears as one of the interlocutors in the chapter on free will, the other being the Southern Presbyterian theologian John Girardeau.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/37e/oliver-d-crisp-12863_book_jonathan-edwards-definitely-shows-up-in_710749.jpg)
![“Here is the interesting twist:[McLeod] Campbell came to his views through reading Jonathan Edwards who suggested at one point in his ruminations on the atonement that Christ could have offered up a perfect act of penitence instead of punishment, and that this would have been an acceptable offering…” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c6f/oliver-d-crisp-12863_acceptable_here-is-the-interesting-twist-mcleod-cam_712068.jpg)
![“[Dr. Constain James] refuted so well the aberrations of Darwinism… [A system] which is repugnant at once to history, to the tradition of all people, to exact science, to observed facts, and even to reason itself, would seem to need no refutation. But the corruption of this age, the machinations of…” quote by Pope Pius IX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/927/pope-pius-ix-26903_aberration_dr-constain-james-refuted-so-well-the-ab_292056.jpg)
