The Dutch literary scene Nov 12, 2009
Knielen op een bed violen is the remarkable story of a nurseryman who falls under the spell of an orthodox Calvinist sect and ends up not only ruining his business, but also completely alienating his wife and two sons, right up until his dying day. The book deals with evil in the shape of deeply religious people who destroy a marriage, a paradise on earth, and a family. (Harper's Magazine)
Getting to know all about you Oct 31, 2009
Robbie Macpherson, the Sydney Leadership Program's Scottish-born manager for the past nine years, says: "Has it been worthwhile? Frankly, the Calvinist part of me questions that a lot; anyone who thinks a program like this can suddenly turn the world around is kidding themselves." But how else, he adds, can you encourage people to see the world through fresh eyes. It was a program born of a time when John Howard was prime minister and of a new "social coalition" between corporates, the welfare... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Protestant Roots in the Danish West... Oct 29, 2009
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Calvinist branch and thus many of the proscribed doctrines fit into the Lutheran s beliefs. This allowed ministers to of both denominations to preach sermons to the two sets of believers, especially as churches and places of worship were few during the beginning Company rule. (Suite101.com)
Faith No More Oct 27, 2009
Usually, when I ask some Calvinist whether he is really a Calvinist (in the sense, say, of believing that I will end up in hell), there is a slight reluctance to say yes, and a slight wince from his congregation. I have come to the conclusion that this has something to do with the justly famed tradition of Southern hospitality: You can't very easily invite somebody to your church and then to supper and inform him that he's marked for perdition. (Slate)
Will Buckley and Pancho Villa Oct 20, 2009
Further, lurking in the American character is an unfortunate universalist reformism deriving from Calvinist intolerance. It s a handsome paradox: the more secular we become as a nation, the more Americans desire to establish the city of God on earth. (The American Conservative)
‘American Fantastic Tales’ collects best stuff that bad dreams are made of Oct 18, 2009
Yes, let s. Not only did their Calvinist theology dwell on the existence of inalterable evil, but those grim, suspicious people, settled on the edge of the primeval forest, a teeming darkness, the realm of unredeemed nature out of which untold evil might spring. This impenetrable, primordial past with its shades of displaced peoples - or creatures - must surely seek revenge, especially as our usurping order becomes moribund. (Boston Globe)
John Brown's complex legacy still divides Oct 18, 2009
Brown was an old-line Calvinist, a tradition passed along from his father, Owen. "A Calvinist believes in an activist God, that God inserts his hand and directs human affairs," Mr. Oates said. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Realpolitik and Idealism in Foreign... Oct 17, 2009
Woodrow Wilson, coming from a strict Calvinist background, chose the so-called moral high ground when formulating his , a blueprint for a new world order where war was not an option for settling disputes among states. The world, however, was not ready for Wilson s political Sermon on the Mount. (Suite101.com)
Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awak... Oct 3, 2009
The 18th century was also the Age of Reason, the period of the Enlightenment, which rejected Calvinist notions of total depravity ... While the same Psalms were still sung on the , many sermons had departed from the strict Calvinist views that characterized 17th century Puritanism. (Suite101.com)
Colonial Sabbath Day Practices Sep 30, 2009
Even as these primitive churches were rebuilt in later years, Calvinist New England frowned upon church adornment, unlike the Anglican Churches in the Virginia colony ... In New England and Dutch New Amsterdam, also a Calvinist community, these rules were far more stringent and more rigidly enforced. (Suite101.com)
Family-run firms ride out global financial storm in Italy Sep 16, 2009
"My father taught me humility, respect, not to be arrogant, values that are even a little Calvinist perhaps," she added. Armando Branchini, secretary-general of the Altagamma foundation which represents big Italian luxury brands, says family firms have important advantages in difficult economic times. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
It was just 40 years ago today Sep 13, 2009
I have no Calvinist urge to set you straight. Linger on in all the whimsies of the world. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
The Haunted House Tales of Algernon... Sep 7, 2009
Algernon Blackwood was born in Kent in 1869 to strict Calvinist parents. He was from the beginning a speculative youth, becoming fascinated with psychic phenomenon and the occult. (Suite101.com)
Witchcraft in the American Colonies Sep 7, 2009
Persecution of witches was most apparent in Colonial New England where strict Calvinist views formed the basis of a theocratic, Old Testament model that accepted witches. In Nathaniel Hawthorne s 1835 story Young Goodman Brown, the pious Goodman Brown ventures into the haunted forest to converse with the devil. (Suite101.com)
Int'l intellectuals protest against Slovak language law Aug 30, 2009
Signatories to the statement include Jozsef Palinkas and E. Szilveszter Vizi, former and current presidents of the Hungarian Academy of Science, Roman Catholic Archbishop Balazs Babel and Calvinist Bishop Istvan Bogardi Szabo, Australian historian Ann Major, American history professor Charles Ingrao of Purdue University, Israeli poet Yaakov Barzilai and American literature professor Ivan Sanders of Columbia University. Editor: Xiong Tong. (Xinhuanet, China)
Lockerbie deal leaves no clean hands Aug 26, 2009
Even so, listening to MacAskill's dithyrambs of self-praise for Scottish judicial compassion would have evoked a guffaw from generations of convicts who were victims of Scotland's vindictively Calvinist prisons in times past. Compassion is a relatively recent official trait in the country, but American furor can make Scotland pride itself on its double independence, cocking a snook at both London and Washington. (Asia Times Online)
Heres hoping Favres comeback ends in a faceplant Aug 19, 2009
A little too harsh for anyone this side of a Calvinist. Peter Griffin. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
Presidents Awarded the Nobel Peace ... Aug 19, 2009
Wilson s passionate idealism may have been tied to his strong Calvinist upbringing and lifelong beliefs. At the end of World War I, Wilson traveled to war-torn Europe to present his Fourteen Points, a blue print for redressing immediate injustices and for ensuring a lasting global peace through the creation of an international organization of nations. (Suite101.com)
Descent from Italian Settler Pietro... Aug 2, 2009
Some researchers say that he became attracted to the Calvinist movement and left Italy in search of religious freedom. Family History of First American Italian Immigrant. (Suite101.com)
Suzette Martinez Standring: A glimpse of early colonists religion Aug 1, 2009
Modern Congregational, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed and Huguenot churches derive some of their practices from the Pilgrims' Calvinist tradition, according to Pickering. Historically, Brewster, a layman, could not offer communion. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Happy Birthday John Jul 11, 2009
Others have noted the surprising ways that Calvinist ideas helped to legitimize representative political institutions. Less widely acknowledged, though no less historically significant, is the profound impact of Calvinist assumptions on the formation of American patriotism -- and in particular on the country's sense of itself as an exceptional nation empowered by providence to bring democracy, liberty, and Christian redemption to the world ... Early modern Christians in the Calvinist tradition... (The American Conservative)
Economic crisis boosts Dutch Calvinism Jul 11, 2009
Nowhere is this more so than in the Netherlands, which is often described as the most Calvinist nation in the world ... You could call it Calvinist architecture - but the simplicity has a calming effect ... In several recent speeches, Mr Balkenende - a devout Calvinist - has called for more morality in the economy. (BBC News)
Reformed theology still alive in churches Jul 11, 2009
He is also a Calvinist, one who has gained a sizeable following among young conservatives ... The issue was dropped, but it brought media attention to something Southern Baptists have known for some time: There are a growing number of Calvinists in their ranks, and not everyone is pleased ... Nearly 30 percent of recent seminary graduates who are pastors of Southern Baptist churches identify as Calvinists, according to a 2007 study by the North American Mission Board, an agency of the Southern... (The Augusta Chronicle)
* FEATURE : Divided Geneva marks 500 years of Calvinist rigor Jul 10, 2009
FEATURE : Divided Geneva marks 500 years of Calvinist rigor ... To this day, much of Genevas influential private banking community X often built around family dynasties X and decision makers have Calvinist roots, lending a slightly austere or restrained flavor to life in the lakeside city in western Switzerland. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
What Cheney Learned From Stalin Jul 3, 2009
The Scottish Calvinist witch-hunters used nothing more than cold, hunger, and denial of sleep to extract confessions, and in Salem not even that was necessary. You may say that the world has moved on and that if we use advanced methods, we get better results. (The American Conservative)
What is a Calvinist? Jun 18, 2009
These women, charged with the early education of their children, helped to facilitate the growing movement of French Calvinists known as Huguenots ... Once these Englishmen returned home after the death of Mary, they took their Calvinist beliefs with them ... Calvinist liturgy focused on the Scriptures. (Suite101.com)
Great Reformer Calvin's 500th Birthday in July Jun 18, 2009
In the late 18th century Calvinist-descended churches began to take root in wide parts of the United States, among Presbyterians and others ... Yet the Calvinist impact remains evident in the city ... The Geneva-based International Red Cross was founded by a devout Calvinist, Henry Dunant. (Newsmax)
Newsweek: Brown struggles in U.K., rises abroad Jun 18, 2009
In the run-up to the G20, Brown made it clear in a speech to African leaders that the challenge was "not simply getting out of this financial crisis; it is building a global economy that is a force for justice on a global scale." Such thinking, says Mark Malloch Brown, Brown's special envoy to the G20, is "part of the porridge in Scotland"part of the prime minister's Calvinist makeup as the son of a Church of Scotland minister. In Britain, the media coverage of the G20 dwelled on his efforts... (MSNBC -- International)
Iran Is Not the Enemy Jun 18, 2009
In the great Shia pilgrimage city of Mashhad, on the old Silk Road to China, I understood for the first time that this was something utterly apart, as separate from Sunni practice as a Sicilian Roman Catholic might be from a Scotch Calvinist. I have never felt so close to understanding the passionate pre-Reformation world of medieval Europe, its relics and devotees, its enormous, thronged, and gilded shrines. (The American Conservative)
Swiss show van Gogh's landscapes in major exhibit May 19, 2009
Visitors get a similar impression from a picture van Gogh did the next year of the tower church where his father, a Calvinist pastor, gave the Sunday sermons. His brother Theo, an art dealer in Paris who financially supported the artist throughout his life, talked him into dropping such a darkening approach if he wanted to become a respected modern artist. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
The Success of Pentecostalism May 17, 2009
Along with the giving of spiritual gifts, Pentecostals generally believe in baptism, the elimination of sin, a literal interpretation of the Bible, and a Calvinist approach to predestination and salvation. A Modern Crusade with Evangelism. (Suite101.com)
Former preacher turns to police work in Anchorage May 7, 2009
Parker, 58, a self-proclaimed Calvinist, is an ordained preacher and a cop ... Parker, 58, a self-proclaimed Calvinist, is at once an ordained preacher and a cop. (Juneau Empire)
City's police department spokesman answers calling May 3, 2009
APD Lt. Dave Parker, 58, is a self-proclaimed Calvinist who was a pastor for 14 years before joining the force ... Parker, 58, a self-proclaimed Calvinist, is at once an ordained preacher and a cop. (Anchorage Daily News)
Local teams have a shot at an unheard-of slam Apr 14, 2009
In this Calvinist town, though, wondering about potential parade conflicts is a delightful luxury. Which of his confreres wouldn't want Tom Menino's dilemma. (Boston Globe)
The Wealth Delusion Apr 10, 2009
With asset prices rising for over a generation, investment lost its Calvinist roots. An investment no longer demanded sacrifice of current pleasure. (The American Conservative)
Noah Webster Gives His Blessing Apr 8, 2009
H.L. Mencken wrote that Noah Webster, paragon of American lexicography, was "not only a pedagogue, but a Calvinist and a foe of democracy." Whether because of his stern outlook or no, ever since he issued his first dictionary in 1806, Americans have held the volumes in awe as impartial arbiters. Historically, the dictionary, like society at large, had a staunchly heterosexual view of marriage. (Slate)
A huge GOP defection Mar 30, 2009
One can't mention Ahmanson without also discussing his association with Calvinist theologian R.J. Rushdoony, who believed in a literal application of biblical teachings and is credited with inspiring the Christian home-schooling movement. Rushdoony's ideas captured Ahmanson's imagination in what the philanthropist now calls "my wild youth," but he has mellowed. (Albany Times Union)
Motors and Mary Mar 24, 2009
The foundation works to promote Calvinist principles within the Netherlands' oldest party, the Political Reformed Party, which draws much of its support from Christians living in the country's Bible belt. The "Bijbelgordel" runs from the south west to the north east across the central portion of the Netherlands and contains communities in which the Reformed Christian Church plays a central role, one hostile to the liberal attitudes of mainstream Dutch society towards such issues as euthanasia,... (BBC News -- Europe)
Charlemagne: Fingers in the dyke Mar 21, 2009
Thanks to Calvinist discipline, this should be doable. Most painfully, the Dutch can preserve the long-term solvency of the state only by raising the retirement age, to 67 or more. (The Economist)
Tough-guy Iggy: The Grits are on their way Mar 19, 2009
They long ago rejected the Calvinist creed that gave much of this nation its founding ethic: The earthly path to salvation is through hard work. No other motivating ethic has emerged to replace the exhausted verities of an earlier age. (Globe and Mail)
Country profile: The Netherlands Mar 13, 2009
He holds a degree in economics and law and is a devout Calvinist. Media. (BBC News -- Europe)
3. The New Calvinism - 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now - TIME Mar 13, 2009
Calvinist-descended liberal bodies like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) discovered other emphases, while Evangelicalism's loss of appetite for rigid doctrine and the triumph of that friendly, fuzzy Jesus seemed to relegate hard-core Reformed preaching (Reformed operates as a loose synonym for Calvinist) to a few crotchety Southern churches ... Neo-Calvinist ministers and authors don't operate quite on a Rick Warren scale ... But, notes Ted Olsen, a managing editor at Christianity Today,... (Time.com)
Stein: Fear-Mongers Keep Us In Recession Mar 9, 2009
People expressing opinions such as these have been pre-emptively pilloried for taking the harsh Calvinist view that all sin must be punished. We don't feel that is quite where we are coming from, but that doesn't mean that the Calvinists have it wrong. (CBS News)
Flannery O'Connor -- quiet life, disturbing fiction Mar 9, 2009
"For both writers, the poetry came from God, but different ones: Hawthorne's was a Calvinist creation, O'Connor's a Roman Catholic one.In his new biography, Brad Gooch focuses on O'Connor's deep-seated faith as the mainspring of her emotional and intellectual life. Writing on novelists of the 1950s, John Updike described O'Connor's fiction as "Christian orthodoxy eminently, provocatively represented. "Her life was cut short by lupus. O'Connor died at 39 in 1964 after a 14-year battle with the... (Sioux City Journal)
Wilsonian Slaughter Feb 25, 2009
It is not enough to say that Wilson was a Calvinist or a Presbyterian. Wilson, as Magee s evidence makes clear, was a particular kind of Calvinist and Presbyterian. (The American Conservative)
"Friday the 13th" Feb 13, 2009
Here of course I must risk the wrath of the spoiler cops, whose vigilance is even sillier than usual when you're talking about a movie whose every movement is as foreordained as Kabuki theater performed in a Calvinist church. Perhaps to engage the chronic attention deficit of his audience, Nispel essentially repeats the same story three times, at different speeds. (Salon)
