Author: Hartog, Paul A.
Genre: Theology - Soteriology
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Rick Shrader‘s Review:
Dr. Paul Hartog is Professor of Theology at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary in Ankeny, IA. He is well-known for his historical research in the church fathers and of John Calvin. The answer to the question posed by the title is, that Calvin did not give a definite view on the extent of the atonement, although, one might find his wording to lean one way or the other in certain texts. Hartog sees the current Reformed Theology position of Limited Atonement based on Calvin, to be anachronistic, reading the Reformed view back into Calvin. Hartog still defends Calvin on the other four points of the “Tulip.” In order to blend Calvin on those points with an unlimited atonement he presents a view called “complex-intentioned approach” (epilogue, pp. 125-162). This view, Hartog says, preserves the role of Father, Son, and Spirit in completing the whole drama of the salvation of the elect. He writes:
“A complex-intentioned approach strengthens this unity. The claim, then, would not be that Christ ‘expanded the divine intention when he died,’ but that the Father, Son, and Spirit were eternally and historically united in the complex-intentioned-yet-unified design and implementation. Nor is the claim that Christ died for all with ‘self-conscious ineffectiveness,’ but rather he consciously, intentionally, and certainly provided a universal redemption; and he also consciously, intentionally, and certainly secured the salvation of the elect whom the Father had chosen and whom the Spirit would efficaciously call through the resulting general gospel offer” (pp. 138-139).