Video: “I’m Not Trying to Avoid it” — Dr. Craig Keener

What does one of the preeminent New Testament scholars of our generation have to say about Calvinism and Arminianism? Unsurprisingly, Dr. Craig Keener throws a bunch of context in his answer. Enjoy! Craig Keener: Host Dr. Kurt Jaros begins today’s discussion by asking for Dr. Craig Keener’s take on the controversial Christian debate: Calvinism or Arminianism? In analyzing that question, Dr. Keener turns his gaze to the extremes (hyper-Calvinism and hyper-Arminianism) first, and then begins to look at the semantics of terms like “election” and “God’s sovereignty”. Specific Biblical passages, such as Romans 9, 11, and Ephesians 1 are all reviewed as Dr. Keener and Dr. Jaros grapple with the apostle Paul’s context for writing about election and predestination (which takes Dr. Keener into brief discussions about dispensationalism and covenant theology). In looking at this divisive topic, Dr. Keener brings to the fore much needed context and nuance.