Have you ever words like Reformed theology, TULIP, Doctrines of grace, the five points, or Calvinism but never fully understood what they meant? If so, you are in good company.
When I was a new Christian fresh from the Roman Catholic Church, I had little knowledge of the Protestant Reformation. It’s only when I started following reformed preachers like John MacArthur, Paul Washer, and R.C Sproul that I discovered the five Solas and five points. My understanding of the Solas grew but not the five points. But in God’s providence, I discovered What is Reformed Theology: Understanding the basics by R.C Sproul.
Formerly published as Grace unknown, What is Reformed Theology is an easy introduction to the doctrines and beliefs of the reformed faith. It’s not a comprehensive book that examines every article of reformed theology but a “compendium shorthand introduction tot he crystallized essence of Reformation theology.”
Sproul begins the book by stating that Reformed theology is a theology, not a religion, and it’s God-centered, not man-centered. He says, “Reformed theology is first and foremost a theology. As a theology, it has confessional, reflective, and behavioral aspects… it is driven first and foremost by its understanding of the character of God.”
The rest of the book explores the doctrines of Reformed theology. It has two principal parts: The Foundations and Five points of Reformed Theology.
In the first section, Sproul explains the five stones that form the foundation of Reformed Theology; it’s centered on God, based on God’s Word alone, committed to faith alone, devoted to Jesus Christ the Prophet, King, and Priest, and structured by three covenants.
The second section covers the famous Five Points of Calvinism, also known as the Doctrines of Grace: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints (TULIP). He explains each point and provides these less confusing names: Radical Corruption, Sovereign Choice, Purposeful Atonement, Effective Calling, and Preservation of the Saints.
As expected, Sproul did a superb job of breaking down these complex doctrines so that anyone can understand them. The book is engaging, accessible, and doesn’t feel like a dry academic book.
His explanations are thorough and they cleared many misunderstandings I had about the five points. Sproul also presents many opposing views to reformed theology such as Roman Catholicism, Pelagianism, Arminianism, and refute them with well reasoned biblical arguments. But since this book is primarily an introduction, it doesn’t provide a thorough defense.
The chapter that interested me the most is the one on limited atonement. Like many others, non-reformed, the doctrine of limited atonement was a significant contention point for me. As I hoped, Sproul well explains the doctrine of limited atonement, or as he calls it, purposeful atonement, and shows how it fits with the previous points and biblical theology. He also addresses the biblical texts commonly used to refute this doctrine, such as 1 John 2:2.
If you wonder if this book can change someone’s mind about Reformed theology, the answer is a hearty yes. I used to think of myself as a four-point reformed because of limited atonement. But this book showed me the interrelation between the five points. They are as the faces of a cube; you can’t reject one without rejecting them all and vice-versa. Sproul’s simple explanation of the complete picture and my study convinced me; Reformed theology is biblical theology.
Whether or not you consider yourself reformed, this book will reinforce your knowledge of reformed theology and clear any misunderstanding. I highly recommend reading it!
