Over at Puritanical recently I received a question (in the comments section of a post) that I think it would be good for me to address. A certain Central Bible Chapel asked, "Do you see the faculty and leadership as a whole at Emmaus leaning towards calvinism and reformed theology?"I answer below.
Central,
I understand your concern in asking this question. I cannot tell whether you are asking it hostile-like or just as a question so I will answer it just as a question.
I am well aware that this is a topic (unfortunately) of hot debate among the "Peculiar People". Before I came to Emmaus I was warned by some well meaning friends, "Don't go to Emmaus they'll just make you Calvinist!" This was always said with a grimace and gasps. I therefore came to Emmaus terrified that I would be indoctrinated into this awful system of Calvinism.
I tell my friends now that Emmaus had zero impact on my becoming Reformed in my Soteriolgy and I mean zero.
I think it is best to let our president speak for himself. President Kenneth Alan Daughters has recently said this, "Our teaching is moderate, falling in the spectrum between consistent Calvinism and Arminianism. Our faculty is not loyal to either doctrinal system. We seek to be biblical in our explanation of relevant texts, balancing all that God's Word says on the subject. We do not indoctrinate our students in a negative manner. We teach them to think critically, and equip them with the tools to exegete the biblical passages themselves. Our professors teach from their own perspectives and are respectful of the views of our students as we seek to understand the Scripture together. As a faculty we represent the range of beliefs found in North American assemblies."
I think it is good to be forthright: Emmaus has professors that lean Calvinist. BUT Emmaus also has professors that lean Arminian! Neither side predominates and neither side makes demands or fights with the other side. In fact, I almost speak as if we have a divided faculty and like this is an issue. I have been here 6 years and I would honestly say that among the spectrum of our faculty this is a non-issue!
I heard a girl at one of our DEW weekends say that she couldn't come to Emmaus because someone told her that the profs teach only hardcore Predestination here. I laughed aloud when I heard that. Sure we talk about Predestination and some teachers more than others, but even in classes the professors disagree with each other and the students debate it (though I can only remember 2 instances where the topic actually came up).
No, Emmaus faculty and leadership as a whole does not lean towards Calvinism. And to say that they did as a whole would be laughable. It would be like looking at Notre Dame and saying that because George Marsden and Mark Noll teach there Notre Dame must be a Protestant Presbyterian Reformed grad school. Which we all know isn't true since Notre Dame is a Catholic/Secular school and loudly professes to be so on their website.
So you may ask, how did I become Reformed? I had a friend who came to Emmaus a lover of John Piper and he introduced me to Piper. I have read and listened to Piper (and therefore Jonathan Edwards, Augustine of Hippo, John Owen, Francis Schaeffer and many many more) for years now and am convinced that the Reformed view of Soteriology is Biblical. I personally would love to see our assemblies embrace a passionate and graceful Calvinism (not the Dave Hunt kind, which is a gross misrepresentation of Calvinism) and would especially like to see our youth embrace a Reformed Soteriology. My professors may speak for themselves on this issue, some would agree, some would disagree, a great example of the spectrum of beliefs at Emmaus.
I'll tell what Emmaus did make me was a passionate Dispensational Pre-millennial and a passionate Biblicist! THOSE things are definitely weaved into every class at Emmaus.
soli deo gloria
RDT