Spring melt

I’ll make two quick comments on Rauser’s latest anti-Calvinist screed:

i) He’s raising an objection that’s been dealt with by Oliver Crisp:

“Is universalism a problem for particularists?” Scottish Journal of Theology 63.1 (2010): 1-23.

In fairness to Rauser, maybe he was just too busy giving Princeton seminarians advice on condoms to keep up with relevant literature in philosophical theology.

ii) Ultimately, though, whether we should be Calvinists, Arminians, or universalists is an exegetical question. Only divine revelation (i.e. Scripture) can authorize our position. It’s not as if we have independent access to the mind of God.

Of course, Rauser spurns the authority of Scripture. He recapitulates the stereotypical narrative of the kid who grew up in a conservative church, then took a hard left turn. The poor guy is currently ice-skating during the Spring thaw. Makes for a very insecure existence.