Tulips

Sometimes tulips remind me of the few days I spent in Amsterdam June of '06. And other times...not so much. Sometimes they remind me of something completely different.

I've been thinking very hard indeed these recent days about all things sotierology and eschatology, with a sprinkling of gender roles. make that a heavy sprinkling. My current reads, The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne and Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement by Kathryn Joyce, have provoked my contemplating as well as significant online research. So far I've been intrigued to see that those who come out on a given side of salvation doctrine and "Kingdom come" matters consistently correlate with either egalitarian or complementarian views of gender roles, though I'm sure there are exceptions. In fact, it's probably not even fair for me to refer to "sides" since people can fall somewhere on a spectrum regarding these issues.

At any rate, my thoughts aren't currently sorted out enough to write a fully developed, coherent post. However, my readings and research have reinforced the problems that I have with the five points of Calvinism represented by the acronym "TULIP." Brian McClaren is a pastor and voice in the Emergent church movement; I've been reading up on his ideologies recently and was have been struck by a proposed revision to TULIP.
Here is the Reformed/Calvinist TULIP:
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints

and McClaren's proposed revision:
Triune Love
Unselfish Election
Limitless Reconciliation
Inspiring Grace
Passionate, Persistent Saints

FASCINATING. That's all the personal input I have for now. SiMpLy FaScInAtInG