A Word from Bob
No. I do not think John Calvin was an integrationist, even though, as we’ll see in today’s post, Calvin valued and used common grace insights from non-believers.
Some biblical counselors are using the word “integrationist” (or “neo-integrationist”) to describe fellow biblical counselors who value and use common grace insights. Like Calvin, many biblical counselors are using God’s Word as the lens or spectacles to assess and evaluate whether or not a given common grace insight—whether descriptive research, scientific research, neuroscience research, etc.—is potentially valid and helpful. Yet, they are being characterized as “integrationists.”
Re-reading John Calvin on the use of extra-biblical sources has me thinking:
If you took Calvin’s name out of his quotes on the validity of extra-biblical common grace sources, many modern biblical counselors would respond: “Integrationist!”
So, here’s a sampler of some of Calvin’s quotes on extra-biblical resources. Do these quotes make him an “integrationist”? Since they are from 500 years ago, would we make up a new term and call Calvin a “pre-integrationist,” or a “proto-integrationist,” or an “incipient-integrationist”?
A Calvin Sampler: Affirming Plato and Aristotle
To what extent did Calvin depend upon human authorities other than the Bible? To what extent
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