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Neo-Calvinism Part 3: The Holy Bible

by Derek Melleby

I can still remember where I was sitting at the moment of my epiphany. I could barely get through the last chapter of Lesslie Newbigin's A Walk Through the Bible. Overwhelmed by emotion, I put the small paperback on my lap and began to cry. As I think about it now, it seems a bit strange. Why would I cry over such a small book? What was the source of this emotion?

For one thing, I was in the midst of rethinking (and re-living) much of my faith. For the first time, I had been exposed to some Neo-Calvinist thought. With a degree in political science, and as a young evangelical Christian, I was captivated by the political implications of Neo-Calvinism. What's more, I was excited about the implications of a faith that made everything matter. All things belong to God. But here was the problem: as an evangelical, I wasn't sure how the bible spoke into all areas of life. And quite frankly, while I was excited about Neo-Calvinist philosophy, I didn't understand how it supposedly emerged from Scripture.

Enter Newbigin. Now, I know that Newbigin is not a Neo-Calvinist, but it was his book, A Walk Through the Bible, that has forever changed the way I understand scripture. And to my delightful surprise, I discovered that Newbigin's depiction of scripture as a narrative, from Genesis to Revelation, a cosmic drama about the creation of the world, about the fall of humanity, and about God's bringing of redemption, was the same way in which Neo-Calvinists understand the Bible.

Shortly after reading Newbigin, I was introduced to Calvin Seerveld's essay, “Reading the Bible Like a Grown Up Child.” Seerveld argues:

…we often read the Bible for what it's not and seldom read it for what it is. Here's what it is not: It is not a book you use to prove a point. Neither is it a book written to solve your personal problems. Here's what it is: It is the true story of what God has really done in history. It is a true account of how God works and what God wants done on earth.

Understanding scripture as a narrative may not be unique to Neo-Calvinists, but it is something that Neo-Calvinists emphasize. Whereas many reformed Christians value systematic theology, reformational Calvinists value narrative theology. (Although this is a loaded term popularized by Stanley Hauerwas and others, I still think it is the best way to describe it.)

Not only do I find a narrative approach helpful, I have also realized some of the dangers in reading the Bible in a fragmented way. In their recent book, The Drama of Scripture, Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen articulate this point well:

Many of us have read the Bible as if it were merely a mosaic of little bits — theological bits, moral bits, historical-critical bits, sermon bits, devotional bits. But when we read the Bible in such a fragmented way, we ignore its divine author's intention to shape our lives through its story. All human communities live out of some story that provides a context for understanding the meaning of history and gives shape and direction to their lives. If we allow the Bible to become fragmented, it is in danger of being absorbed into whatever other story is shaping our culture, and it will thus cease to shape our lives as it should. Idolatry has twisted the dominant cultural story of the secular Western world. If as believers we allow this story (rather than the Bible) to become the foundation of our thought and action, then our lives will manifest not the truths of Scripture, but the lies of an idolatrous culture. Hence, the unity of Scripture is no minor matter: a fragmented Bible may actually produce theologically orthodox, morally upright, warmly pious idol worshippers!

In a preface to this current series of posts about Neo-Calvinism, I suggested that Neo-Calvinism was perhaps the best way forward for the church given the current cultural landscape. The narrative approach to scripture (with its emphasis on story and how stories shape lives) combined with a postmodern culture (which has us talking about stories) gives weight to my conclusion.

May others come to experience similar epiphanies!

© Coalition for Christian Outreach 2005

Part 1: What is in a Name?

Part 2: Introductory Reading

Part 3: The Holy Bible

Part 4: CREATION, Fall, Redemption

Part 5: Creation, FALL, Redemption

Part 6: Creation, Fall, REDEMPTION

Part 7: Structure and Direction

Part 8: Sphere Sovereignty

Part 9: Final Remarks and Seerveld's Summary

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