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Calvin vs. Wesley: Bringing Belief in Line with Practice
The theology "de jour" originates with John Calvin, with an emphasis on “the elect” and "sovereign will of God.” So much Calvinism saturates our air that Christians may not know there is another way of thinking about their faith, one well represented by Wesley. But no matter what people think, many act in ways that promise to change the world by offering grace and hope but also by helping to provide food and shelter to hurting people. In other words, they believe like Calvinists but they live like Wesleyans.
This book is not intended to put down Calvin but to point to significant differences between Calvin and Wesley. Each wrote about major tenets of the who God is and what God's will is for us; the place of Scripture; the atonement of Christ; the role of human responsibility; the work of God’s grace, the relation of the church and world; and how these beliefs can connect to how people practice their faith. But Calvin and Wesley were different, and following their prescriptions will lead us down different paths.
This book is not intended to put down Calvin but to point to significant differences between Calvin and Wesley. Each wrote about major tenets of the who God is and what God's will is for us; the place of Scripture; the atonement of Christ; the role of human responsibility; the work of God’s grace, the relation of the church and world; and how these beliefs can connect to how people practice their faith. But Calvin and Wesley were different, and following their prescriptions will lead us down different paths.
158 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2013
53 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Don Thorsen
35 books7 followersDon Thorsen (PhD, Drew University) is professor of theology, chair of the department of theology and ethics, and chair of advanced studies in the Haggard Graduate School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. His previous books include The Wesleyan Quadrilateral and An Exploration of Christian Theology.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 27, 2014
This was a very well written, engaging book juxtaposing John Calvin's thought with John Wesley's. The author argues that most Christian ought to follow Wesley's understanding of Christianity over above (not necessarily against) Calvin's and that even when unaware we tend to lean toward Wesley's vision. I will be doing a full review for seedbed.com soon so make sure to look there for it.
August 17, 2017
Don't bother. Instead, go straight to the sources. From the beginning, Thorsen states his preference for Wesley and the rest of the book is cloudy to whether you're readying Thorsen's bias or generally held beliefs. Calvin and Wesley are both quoted, but primary references are slim, generally kept to a few sentences and sometimes altogether left out on very important summaries or conclusions by the author.
A pretty frustrating read.
The upside is that it did give me a curiosity to read more Calvin and Wesley.
A pretty frustrating read.
The upside is that it did give me a curiosity to read more Calvin and Wesley.
June 20, 2021
Helpful and easy introduction to Wesley's contributions with Calvin as the main conversation partner, with the intention on challenging the reader on whether the things they do actually reflect what they profess to believe. Would recommend if you're interested in the topic(s).
Thorsen clearly states that he prefers Wesley, but also clearly states it's not meant to be a teardown of Calvin, but trying to give Wesley a more prominent voice "at the table".
Kind of brief, hard to fault, has great discussion questions at the end of each chapter to help think things through because it's all about holding belief in consistency with action (which Thorsen doesn't think most people do).
Also really like how much it focuses on the primary authors and sources rather than their developments (Calvin not Calvinists/Calvinism, Wesley not Wesleyans/Wesleyanism/Wesleyan-Arminian), around 25 primary references per chapter.
All in all a great introduction to an alternative viewpoint people either misunderstood or misrepresent, and very balanced! Makes you want to read the primary sources, and makes it easy to find them!
Thorsen clearly states that he prefers Wesley, but also clearly states it's not meant to be a teardown of Calvin, but trying to give Wesley a more prominent voice "at the table".
Kind of brief, hard to fault, has great discussion questions at the end of each chapter to help think things through because it's all about holding belief in consistency with action (which Thorsen doesn't think most people do).
Also really like how much it focuses on the primary authors and sources rather than their developments (Calvin not Calvinists/Calvinism, Wesley not Wesleyans/Wesleyanism/Wesleyan-Arminian), around 25 primary references per chapter.
All in all a great introduction to an alternative viewpoint people either misunderstood or misrepresent, and very balanced! Makes you want to read the primary sources, and makes it easy to find them!
December 5, 2023
Thorsen lays out 8 areas (in 8 chapters) where Calvin and Wesley compare and contrast with each other, and he attempts to show that Wesley is "a more representative and persuasive spokesperson for biblical Christianity and the Christian life than is Calvin."
The first area/chapter on the difference in emphasis on God's love vs His sovereignty and the 3 chapters on scheme of salvation (different conceptions of predestination, whether grace is resistible, and limited vs unlimited atonement) are mostly what one would expect going into the book and the discussion. Thorsen is quite brief, but he does provide further discussion in the appendix. The 6th area/chapter also briefly touches on Wesley's advocacy of entire sanctification alongside his view of sanctification and the Christian life, contrasting it with Calvin's view of the Christian life as one of perpetual inevitable struggle with sin, which cannot be overcome until the new creation.
I question how Thorsen framed the other areas/chapters, however. The 2nd area/chapter contrasts Calvin's view of sola scriptura against Wesley's use of multiple sources of authorities, with biblical authority remaining primary. Thorsen notes that Wesley was deeply committed to Scripture, rightly noting his description of himself as homo unius libri (man of one book), but such a framing implies that Wesley was less committed to Scripture than Calvin (and his followers) was/are. Additionally, I question the extent to which Calvin only used Scripture and neglected other sources of authority, when he drew substantively from the church fathers and reason in formulating his various defences against Roman Catholicism. Indeed, that Calvin claimed (against Roman Catholicism) that "if the contest were to be decided by patristic authority, the tide of victory would turn to our side" seems to run against Thorsen's thesis.
The 8th area/chapter on how Calvin and Wesley viewed the church and its ministry is also questionable in its framing. Thorsen submits that Calvin had a hierarchal view of the church and was "cessationist" while Wesley was more flexible and was a "continuationist", but that leaves a lot out of the picture. After all, Wesley's Methodism retained much of the Church of England's hierarchy and the episcopal structure, while Calvinist churches do not typically have such a hierarchy. Additionally, to describe Wesley in the same way modern continuationists (typically Pentecostals) describe themselves gives the impression that Wesley would have agreed with them, which I highly doubt. Wesley never held a single healing service, nor did he advocate for speaking in unintelligible tongues, nor did he advocate for leaders to speak directly on behalf of God as apostle/prophet. While Wesley certainly believed in the power of the Spirit, I submit that to label him as a continuationist with a broad brush is inappropriate. Add to that the fact that Calvin had a high view of the Spirit's work in the present, such as in the inspiration of the preacher and receiver of the Word, and Thorsen's framing of Calvin vs Wesley in this area becomes questionable.
Overall, a decent introduction to someone starting to explore the theology of Wesley.
The first area/chapter on the difference in emphasis on God's love vs His sovereignty and the 3 chapters on scheme of salvation (different conceptions of predestination, whether grace is resistible, and limited vs unlimited atonement) are mostly what one would expect going into the book and the discussion. Thorsen is quite brief, but he does provide further discussion in the appendix. The 6th area/chapter also briefly touches on Wesley's advocacy of entire sanctification alongside his view of sanctification and the Christian life, contrasting it with Calvin's view of the Christian life as one of perpetual inevitable struggle with sin, which cannot be overcome until the new creation.
I question how Thorsen framed the other areas/chapters, however. The 2nd area/chapter contrasts Calvin's view of sola scriptura against Wesley's use of multiple sources of authorities, with biblical authority remaining primary. Thorsen notes that Wesley was deeply committed to Scripture, rightly noting his description of himself as homo unius libri (man of one book), but such a framing implies that Wesley was less committed to Scripture than Calvin (and his followers) was/are. Additionally, I question the extent to which Calvin only used Scripture and neglected other sources of authority, when he drew substantively from the church fathers and reason in formulating his various defences against Roman Catholicism. Indeed, that Calvin claimed (against Roman Catholicism) that "if the contest were to be decided by patristic authority, the tide of victory would turn to our side" seems to run against Thorsen's thesis.
The 8th area/chapter on how Calvin and Wesley viewed the church and its ministry is also questionable in its framing. Thorsen submits that Calvin had a hierarchal view of the church and was "cessationist" while Wesley was more flexible and was a "continuationist", but that leaves a lot out of the picture. After all, Wesley's Methodism retained much of the Church of England's hierarchy and the episcopal structure, while Calvinist churches do not typically have such a hierarchy. Additionally, to describe Wesley in the same way modern continuationists (typically Pentecostals) describe themselves gives the impression that Wesley would have agreed with them, which I highly doubt. Wesley never held a single healing service, nor did he advocate for speaking in unintelligible tongues, nor did he advocate for leaders to speak directly on behalf of God as apostle/prophet. While Wesley certainly believed in the power of the Spirit, I submit that to label him as a continuationist with a broad brush is inappropriate. Add to that the fact that Calvin had a high view of the Spirit's work in the present, such as in the inspiration of the preacher and receiver of the Word, and Thorsen's framing of Calvin vs Wesley in this area becomes questionable.
Overall, a decent introduction to someone starting to explore the theology of Wesley.
March 20, 2023
I read this book for my Wesleyan theology course and it was a fairly accessible comparison of Wesley and Calvin in key areas of Protestant doctrine. As an avowed Wesleyan, Thorsen was preaching to the choir when it came to myself as a reader but it was helpful in clarifying some bigger issues of doctrinal nuance and his illustrations from his own story at the start of each chapter were helpful. His thesis that Wesley edges out Calvin in Christian practice (and that even identifying Calvinists will in practice be more aligned with Wesley) rings true to me, even as I felt he perhaps did not 'have the data' to back up that claim and I sometimes equally feel that Calvinist tendencies can equally go unidentified in Wesleyan circles. Nonetheless it was a helpful read to see where these two major theologians of Protestant tradition meet and diverge.
March 7, 2021
As a Wesleyan myself, I appreciate the irenic comparisons with Calvin that highlight both how close the two men’s theologies were but also explains the important differences. However, chapter six begins with a story about the sexual abuse of a seminary student by her professor that does not recognize the nature of this kind of abuse, but only refers to the woman’s sin. Thankfully, when contacted, Dr. Thorsen immediately began making plans to update the book, removing or altering that section. Be sure therefore to buy the updated version if and when it becomes available.
September 8, 2017
Many wonder about the specific differences between the United Methodist theology and others like the Baptist, Presbyterian, etc. This is a GREAT start and foundation.
November 13, 2017
I've read a lot of books on Wesley by calvinists, but not the other way around. This was a good exploratory read to the similarities and differences between the two.
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November 29, 2025Ongoing religion project. The author contends that Wesley is more representative of the Christian life than Calvin.
July 24, 2016
John Calvin and John Wesley are two of the greatest Christian teachers of all time. Both have left large legacies that continue to this day. While Calvin and Wesley had much in common, many of their beliefs and practices differ drastically. In this book, Don Thorsen compares and contrasts Calvin and Wesley.
Reformed Christianity has a strong presence, especially in North American evangelicalism. Pastors such as Timothy Keller and Mark Driscoll, along with organizations such as the Resurgence, propagate Calvinist beliefs. Thorsen's book is a helpful contribution to the Calvinist-Wesleyan dialogue. Through discussing Calvin and Wesley's differing perspectives on issues such as salvation, the church and ministry, Thorsen effectively demonstrates that many of those who claim to be Calvinists are probably closer to Wesley in terms of belief and practice. For instance, Wesley had a more expansive view of ministry than Calvin did. Whereas Calvin privileged teaching and the sacraments, Wesley made important innovations to spread the Gospel, including allowing women to serve as lay leaders and setting up small groups that would meet during the week to minister to one another and be accountable to each other (similar to modern community groups).
Readers do not have to be experts on Calvin or Wesley to benefit from this book. Indeed, having examined the Calvinist-Wesleyan divide, not a lot of the information was new to me, however this book is very useful in systemically outlining the differences and letting the two theologians speak for themselves. Thorsen is emphatic that it is Wesley who stands in line with classic Christianity (including Catholic, Orthodox and Anglicans) as opposed to Calvin and that Arminians/Wesleyans are NOT Pelagians or even semi-Pelagians but SEMI-AUGUSTINIANS. Thorsen claims Wesley was not influenced by Jacob Arminius early on in his theology but I wish he would have expanded on how the two men differ as it can be tricky to distinguish between Arminianism and Wesleyanism.
This is a great book for people who want their beliefs to align with their practices and vice-versa. Thorsen believes that many who claim they are Calvinists are actually Wesleyans and that they deny the label of Wesleyan because Calvin presented a more systematic and logical theology than Wesley; Calvin's certainty is appealing to those Christians who despise any hint of mystery. However, Wesley appears to be the consummate theologian for the 21st century, particularly by his acceptance of experience as a source of spiritual affirmation.
Reformed Christianity has a strong presence, especially in North American evangelicalism. Pastors such as Timothy Keller and Mark Driscoll, along with organizations such as the Resurgence, propagate Calvinist beliefs. Thorsen's book is a helpful contribution to the Calvinist-Wesleyan dialogue. Through discussing Calvin and Wesley's differing perspectives on issues such as salvation, the church and ministry, Thorsen effectively demonstrates that many of those who claim to be Calvinists are probably closer to Wesley in terms of belief and practice. For instance, Wesley had a more expansive view of ministry than Calvin did. Whereas Calvin privileged teaching and the sacraments, Wesley made important innovations to spread the Gospel, including allowing women to serve as lay leaders and setting up small groups that would meet during the week to minister to one another and be accountable to each other (similar to modern community groups).
Readers do not have to be experts on Calvin or Wesley to benefit from this book. Indeed, having examined the Calvinist-Wesleyan divide, not a lot of the information was new to me, however this book is very useful in systemically outlining the differences and letting the two theologians speak for themselves. Thorsen is emphatic that it is Wesley who stands in line with classic Christianity (including Catholic, Orthodox and Anglicans) as opposed to Calvin and that Arminians/Wesleyans are NOT Pelagians or even semi-Pelagians but SEMI-AUGUSTINIANS. Thorsen claims Wesley was not influenced by Jacob Arminius early on in his theology but I wish he would have expanded on how the two men differ as it can be tricky to distinguish between Arminianism and Wesleyanism.
This is a great book for people who want their beliefs to align with their practices and vice-versa. Thorsen believes that many who claim they are Calvinists are actually Wesleyans and that they deny the label of Wesleyan because Calvin presented a more systematic and logical theology than Wesley; Calvin's certainty is appealing to those Christians who despise any hint of mystery. However, Wesley appears to be the consummate theologian for the 21st century, particularly by his acceptance of experience as a source of spiritual affirmation.
January 6, 2017
This book has been on my bookshelf for a few years, but having it assigned to me was what finally got me to actually read it.
Thorsen is very upfront with the fact that he is a Free Methodist and that he sides with Wesley on most (all?) issues. I appreciated that he was pro Wesley and not anti Calvin. Instead of trying to point out all of Calvin's faults he simply fairly laid out Calvin's beliefs and Wesley's beliefs and then stated why he felt most modern Christians actually live more like Wesley than Calvin in each area of theology even if they tend to agree more with Calvin in their head.
I am definitely not sold out for either theology. I attend a Free Methodist church but often visit a heavily reformed church so I appreciated Thorsen attempt at fairness. As with all books of this nature sometimes it does get difficult to separate the 100% truth and the 100% truth in the author's opinion. Example is near the end of the book the author states that "Wesley approached ministry in a way that was more widely embracing of innovative, yet biblically sound, way of meeting the needs of people and society." The author states it is as fact that Wesley used biblically sound practices, but in fairness many of Wesley's practices such as allowing woman to be lay leaders. Not a big issue and it didn't seem to happen a lot, but sometimes it gets a little frustrating to piece through what is absolutely 100% true and what is simply 100% true in the author's opinion. I guess this is true for most books though. Haha.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read on a somewhat daunting subject. I doubt my dyed in the wool reformed friends would be as big of fans though.
Thorsen is very upfront with the fact that he is a Free Methodist and that he sides with Wesley on most (all?) issues. I appreciated that he was pro Wesley and not anti Calvin. Instead of trying to point out all of Calvin's faults he simply fairly laid out Calvin's beliefs and Wesley's beliefs and then stated why he felt most modern Christians actually live more like Wesley than Calvin in each area of theology even if they tend to agree more with Calvin in their head.
I am definitely not sold out for either theology. I attend a Free Methodist church but often visit a heavily reformed church so I appreciated Thorsen attempt at fairness. As with all books of this nature sometimes it does get difficult to separate the 100% truth and the 100% truth in the author's opinion. Example is near the end of the book the author states that "Wesley approached ministry in a way that was more widely embracing of innovative, yet biblically sound, way of meeting the needs of people and society." The author states it is as fact that Wesley used biblically sound practices, but in fairness many of Wesley's practices such as allowing woman to be lay leaders. Not a big issue and it didn't seem to happen a lot, but sometimes it gets a little frustrating to piece through what is absolutely 100% true and what is simply 100% true in the author's opinion. I guess this is true for most books though. Haha.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read on a somewhat daunting subject. I doubt my dyed in the wool reformed friends would be as big of fans though.
January 30, 2014
One of the things I think most valuable to current debates is knowing what the beliefs are of a faith as a whole, what is simply a common practice and what is the belief of the individual. In Methodism, there is plenty of room for all 3 but it's still useful to know where the ideas came from and where they come into play. Thorsen does a wonderful job of explaining where the early Protestant faiths split and what the practical implications are. His writing is engaging if a little dense. I would suggest that if you don't have a strong background in Divinity, you acquire a digital edition, being able to instantly look up terms and names makes it so much easier to keep up. Thorsen goes to great pains to present a balanced explanation that offers a reasonably succinct but complete overview of the core beliefs of Calvin and Wesley regarding salvation, grace, and charitable acts.
July 25, 2014
The information in this book was very good. it is nice to have someone stand up for Wesley and compare him with Calvin especially because Calvin and Calvinism is cool thanks to the neo-Calvinism movement.
Having said that, I thought the book was stupid and if I wasn't stuck on a boat with a limited number of books, I wouldn't have finished it. The introduction was very condescending, I know what the book is about you don't need to sound like a college Freshman. The body of work seemed simple. I was hoping for more because of the time difference between Calvin, Calvinism during the time of Wesley, and Wesley's views or a least more of Wesley's practices vs theology.
This book is probably a good intro to Wesley by comparing him with Calvin but I didn't enjoy the writing style which took away from the book.
Having said that, I thought the book was stupid and if I wasn't stuck on a boat with a limited number of books, I wouldn't have finished it. The introduction was very condescending, I know what the book is about you don't need to sound like a college Freshman. The body of work seemed simple. I was hoping for more because of the time difference between Calvin, Calvinism during the time of Wesley, and Wesley's views or a least more of Wesley's practices vs theology.
This book is probably a good intro to Wesley by comparing him with Calvin but I didn't enjoy the writing style which took away from the book.
October 26, 2014
It was good, and the author's main premise and goal was interesting. However, as he was coming from a Wesleyan perspective, which he did very well with explaining; I felt like he pulled the rug out from Calvin, so to speak, a few times. I don't think he gave Calvin enough credit where it was due, and like he didn't do as much research as I felt would have been necessary.
Good book, but not the best I've read concerning these topics.
Good book, but not the best I've read concerning these topics.
December 23, 2013
This is an excellent book, clearly written and well-balanced. It compares Calvin's belief in the 'sovereignty of God's power' with Wesley's belief in the 'sovereignty of God's love' - in the basics of faith and belief they weren't as far apart as some would lead us to believe. Highly recommended.
April 29, 2020
I have reviewed this book in the following publication:
• book review, Thorsen, Don. Calvin vs. Wesley: Bringing Belief in Line with Practice. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013. 158 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1426743351. Wesleyan Theological Journal. vol. 51, no. 1, (Spring 2016): 234-236.
• book review, Thorsen, Don. Calvin vs. Wesley: Bringing Belief in Line with Practice. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013. 158 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1426743351. Wesleyan Theological Journal. vol. 51, no. 1, (Spring 2016): 234-236.
February 5, 2016
Very good comparison of Wesleyan and Calvinist doctrines, with a bias toward the Wesleyan.
December 27, 2014
Break it down!!! This book is super easy to follow and a gem of a textbook. I would have read it for personal enlightenment.
February 12, 2016
A helpful defense of Wesley over against Calvin. The book is generous to both theologians and is written in a clear and straightforward manner, although a bit weak in terms of argumentation.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews