Happy
Monday evening! Hopefully, your week has started off on the right path. My girlfriend
is off in the Caribbean playing music with her band. That means my dog and I
have the whole week to ourselves (I really miss Sarah, though!). However, it
has given me some time to dive into a few of the books sitting on the shelf in
my home office.
As
a Christmas gift, Sarah gifted me with a copy of “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by
John Bunyan. Not growing up in the Evangelical world, I had never heard of this
book. Apparently, it’s the second best selling religious book behind the Bible.
You learn something new every day! I’ve made good progress (pun intended!) on
this book. It’s a wonderful allegory of the Christian life and should be
required reading for those seeking a deeper understanding of the faith.
In
addition to The Pilgrim’s Progress, there is a litany of other literature
sitting on my shelf unread. However,
there is one behemoth on the shelf that towered above the rest. It’s a
controversial book of literature that I have been working through with periods
of (long) interruptions for the better part of two years. The book is none other
than John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Calvin’s magnum opus
is widely considered to be one of the greatest systematic theologies ever
composed.
I’ll
start by saying that I wasn’t raised in the Reformed tradition. I was raised in
a devout Roman Catholic community and only heard Calvin’s name in history
class. I’ll also say that I don’t currently attend a Reformed Church. I had worshiped for a time in a PCA congregation, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, these days I attend
a Baptist Church with seemingly no Reformed leanings.
So, why then, would I read
Calvin?
Simply
put, I believe there is a lot to be gained by reading literature from authors
that are outside of one’s own religious tradition. Even if one disagrees with Calvin’s
notion of double predestination, there is still a wealth of knowledge to be gleaned
from his writing on the nature of the Trinity and the Sacraments (just a few of
many examples). I’ve learned so much from Calvin about the nature of God and
how the persons of the Trinity relate to one another. I would have completely
missed out on the enlightenment had I simply dismissed Calvin as “that predestination
guy”.
For
those that aren’t aware, I’m very active on Twitter and have found Christian Twitter
to be an excellent source of encouragement and learning. Follow me on Twitter
@WordSacBlog! On Twitter, I follow fellow Tweeters from various denominational
backgrounds. I follow many in the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition,
Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, and even a few Eastern Orthodox. I
love learning about each of these traditions and have been encouraged by their
adherents. It’s amazing to gain so many fresh perspectives on theological issues
and spiritual practices all in one place. Isn’t the Internet amazing?
Outside
of Twitter, I also enjoy religious radio and television. I’m very fond of watching and listening to
EWTN, which is the Catholic television network. This network has brought me to
a much greater understanding of the faith tradition I grew up in. I also enjoy
listening to Moody radio during my evening commute. These two entities are
diametrically opposed, but I have certainly found encouragement in both
stations.
So,
as you seek the wisdom of God in your life, don’t hesitate to jump outside of your
native faith tradition. Keep an open mind – it won’t kill you; I promise! By
avoiding other traditions, you are missing out on a wealth of information that
may be very beneficial and encouraging to you. Be sure to comment below about instances in
which stepping outside the bounds of your tradition was encouraging for you.
In Christ,
Kendal May
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