Duane Edward Spencer (–1981)

If you want the party line on the "Five Points of Calvinism," then this will work for you. Don't expect nuance, understanding, or compassion for those who differ. (And I'm pretty Calvinistic--but in Spencer's world everything is starkly black and white. People either agree with him 100% or they're dead wrong.) I can appreciate the logic behind the five points, but I think they miss the point (!) that God is bigger than any theological system. What's more, when I read the Bible--any part of the Bible--I am confronted by a God who is living, not by just a set of propositions. Obviously much more could be--and has been--said (many times over). So I won't go on. But if you read this, do yourself a favor and read something more profound, like "The Open Secret" by Leslie Newbigin (or anything else by him).… (more)