Hello,

I am a college student who enjoys learning about biblical and theological topics, and I have been “attracted” to the Reform tradition, but when I have heard calvinism described by John Piper and others (though they are my brothers and sisters in Christ), I had “retreated” to a Wesleyan theological framework.

I tend to like Karl Barth’s reformulation of election grounded in Jesus.

So could I be a member of the Reformed tradition and not believe that God predestined some to faith and passed over others? I see election and predestination centered in Christ, and that those who come by faith (through God’s initiative) also become elect and are predestined to the conformity to the image of the Son.

Having read people like N. T. Wright and J. Richard Middleton I see that God’s redemptive plan is not about going to Heaven, but the redemption of humanity and the cosmos. I think because of this, I believe, is why I have such a hard time seeing how individualistic predestination makes sense.

Thank you for all of your help and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Michael Mayes