Anabaptistica
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 56, No. 2 – Spring 2014
Managing Editor: Terry L. Wilder
By Ronnie W. Rogers. Bloomington, IN: CrossBooks, 2012. 208 pages. Paperback. $14.99.
Across the years, Pastor Ronnie W. Rogers of the Trinity Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma, has developed the art and spiritual attainment of pastoral ministry to a level that few can imitate. He has served his denomination in many positions, such as the chairmanship of the Board at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; but at the same time, he has given his focus overwhelmingly to the local church. One result of this commitment is a steady stream of young people going out from the churches he has served to enter church-related vocations around the world. In the midst of all this he has been a pastoral theologian, studying long hours and collating the results of that study not only in his preaching but also in all his pastoral ministries.
Consequently, I should not have been surprised when Reflections of a Disenchanted Calvinist came to my desk. But, I was surprised. First, I was aware of the fact that Pastor Rogers had inclinations toward Calvinism. He was never obnoxious with the matter, as sometimes happens, but I knew that his sympathies lay there. So, my first astonishment was to discover that his studies and observations in pastoral ministries had led him to abandon the Calvinistic position. Second, having known of his prowess as pastor theologian, I was, nevertheless, astonished at the thoroughness of his presentation bringing together the finest in thinking with a masterful grasp of Holy Scripture. Reflections of a Disenchanted Calvinist is a remarkable book, especially since it was penned by a man who had to churn out the manuscript amidst the daily grind of pastoral duty.
In the third place, the book is an answer to prayer. For some time I had prayed that someone would write from a non-Calvinist or Baptist position a relatively brief, yet thorough, exposition, which for all of its succinctness would be thorough and clearly demonstrate why Calvinism is not an option. This should not have surprised me either, for this is exactly what Pastor Rogers has done in this superb volume. Citing the best‒known Calvinists of the present era as well as from Christian history, Pastor Rogers is able to present the objectionable nature of what this Reformed viewpoint does to one’s concept of God, to say nothing of the damage done by imposing the Calvinist grid on Scripture, therefore, failing to account for much of what the Bible clearly says.
The book may seem redundant to some. A fair amount of repetition occurs in the book, but a careful reading shows why the author did this. The entire argument that he presents is dependent upon understanding not only the parts but the whole of the biblical position. Consequently Rogers weaves the threads of earlier conclusions into later arguments to show the cohesiveness of the biblical position.
Understandably, Calvinists will not appreciate the book, and they will provide their usual criticisms of the book, together with a restatement of the structure of Calvinism. There is, after all, little that is new under the sun. The explanations of the Calvinists will satisfy them, but those who have not yet made up their minds will be profoundly impacted by the sane and balanced assessment and by the determined obedience to Scripture found in Reflections of a Disenchanted Calvinist.
Of course, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Just as there are really no new ground-breaking arguments in favor of Calvinism, so there are no new turf-turning arguments against it. Ronnie Rogers has put things together in a refreshing way, but he would be the first to say there is nothing “newly discovered” in this book. He has not slashed through the Gordian knot. The debate that has centuries of history will also continue into the future; so why my accolades for this book? At first this view is germinated in the pastor’s garden rather than in the academic nursery. Therefore, it is written with a pastor’s heart, not an academic mind. Second, this book is long enough to treat the subject but brief enough to be consumed by busy people, whether in the pastorate or among the laity. Third, I find the logic and the scriptural interpretation of the book compelling. For those who find Calvinism an issue and its view of election “disquieting,” this book is invaluable. My prayer to God is that not a single pastor who cares about the things of God will fail to read this book and, whenever there is trouble in churches, pass it on to lay people who will find themselves identifying with the over-all love for Christ and passion that Pastor Ronnie Rogers has so profoundly presented.
