The History & Theology of Calvinism by Curt Daniel — Updated and Expanded!

The History & Theology of Calvinism

Publication March 2020

Several years ago, a friend gave me a bound copy of Dr. Daniel’s notes on the history of Calvinism and the doctrines of grace. I’ve kept it nearby ever since. It’s one of the most useful and informative resources in my entire library—well written, crystal clear, and thorough without being ponderous. I’m delighted to see this expanded edition in print.

John MacArthur, Senior Pastor, Grace Community Church

This invaluable volume is a virtual goldmine containing the rich history and theology of the Reformed truths known as Calvinism. The beauty of this book is its comprehensive breadth and accessible readability that surveys the vast landscape of this immense subject matter. Ever since these pages first appeared years ago, it has been a trusted guide to me to navigate my journey through the many pivotal individuals, strategic movements, and doctrinal issues of biblical Calvinism. No serious student of church history or systematic theology can afford to be without this work in your personal library.

Steven J. Lawson, President, OnePassion Ministries, Dallas, TX

Curt is a proven scholar and a personal devotee of the doctrines to which he gives such careful attention in this book. It does not merely go over the well-known history already present in many volumes (though it does not ignore that) but gives both substance and perspective that is needed today in a time when there is growing renewed interest in these doctrines. I personally hope that you will pursue the opportunity to publish this substantial volume which interacts so thoroughly with Calvinism in its various nuances and denominational expressions.

Tom Nettles, Professor of Church History, Louisville, Kentucky

There is no doubt that Calvinism (even though John Calvin would abhor the term) has played a critical role in the history of the Christian faith. Amazingly, though, there have been very few studies that have sought to provide a comprehensive overview of both its history and theology. Dr. Daniel’s survey of the narrative and thought of this influential worldview does just that and does it magisterially. This textbook (for that is what it truly is) is thus very welcome and will be enormously helpful for all who are interested in this tremendous Christian movement.

Michael A. G. Haykin, Chair & professor of Church History, Louisville, Kentucky

It would be pretty hard to overstate how helpful Curt Daniel’s notes on Calvinism have been in my study of historical theology and the Protestant Reformation. He has an uncanny knack for untangling hard theological knots and deftly sweeping away confusion and misunderstanding. I have gained more insight from this volume than from any other book on systematic theology or church history, and yet this is a resource I can (and regularly do) recommend to lay people—even those who are just beginning to study theology seriously. It’s rare and refreshing to find a treatise on theology that is so comprehensive and yet so easy to read. This is that book. Get a copy. I promise you will thank me for the recommendation.

Phil Johnson, Executive Director, Grace to You

The History and Theology of Calvinism is a fascinating, tortuous, compelling drama. Curt Daniel, through a lifetime of study, deftly and insightfully sketches the course and essential content of that drama. Daniel understands the variegated nature of Calvinism and ably guides us through the highs and lows of the drama, never failing to engage us with the often maligned characters and often misunderstood theology that constitute historic Calvinism. This is a book that is vast in its sweep and deep in its analysis. I highly recommend it.

Ian Hamilton, Professor of Systematic Theology, Edinburgh, Scotland

Curt Daniel has done extensive research into the history and theology of Calvinism and has written one of the most helpful and readable treatments of Calvinism in print. The comments are fair and irenic, and the book attempts to cover the entire sweep of Calvinism (including much information on Puritanism and other Reformed groups, past and present). It is worth its weight in gold!

Lance Quinn, Senior Pastor, Bethany Bible Church, Thousand Oaks, California

How’s Your Indexing Knowledge?

Time for a quick test of your knowledge of back-of-the-book indexing. Would you say the following statements are true or false?

1. The index can be created by a computer.
2. Creating an index is a simple job.
3. A good index adds value to the book.
4. The best person to create the index is the author.
5. The indexer should have some knowledge of the subject matter.

Answers

First, let’s talk about statements 1 and 2. These are false and are common misconceptions about indexes. Regarding indexes, The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (University of Chicago Press, 2017) says:

A concordance—or a complete list of terms (typically minus articles, prepositions, and other irrelevant elements) and their page locations or frequency of use—can be produced automatically. But a concordance is not the same as an index. Most indexes . . . are produced from scratch. (16.5)

A good index . . . gathers all the substantive terms and subjects of the work, sorts them alphabetically, provides cross-references to and from related terms, and includes specific page numbers or other locators or, for electronic formats, direct links to the text. This painstaking intellectual labor serves readers of any longer work, whether it is searchable or not. . . . In a word, a good index makes the text more accessible. (16.2, emphasis added)

A well-written index is concise, accurate, audience appropriate, and complete—and therefore adds value to the book because it makes the information within the book more accessible. In fact, “indexes are written, not generated. As creative authored works, indexes are granted copyright registration” (Nancy C. Mulvany, Indexing Books [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005], 8). In other words, an index adds value to a book—so statement 3 above is true.

Perhaps surprisingly, statement 4 is false. Many people think the author is the perfect person to index their book—and while it’s true they know better than anyone else their subject matter and the audience to whom the work is addressed, not all can look at their work through the eyes of a potential reader, nor do many authors have the technical skills, let alone the time, necessary to prepare a good index . . . and would do better to enlist the aid of a professional indexer” (Chicago, 16.3).

Statement 5 is true. The indexer must be intimately familiar with the language of the book and the readers’ language in order to enable readers to locate information efficiently. Indexers must also anticipate how the language of the readers may be different from that of the author and provide several access points for the information through the use of cross-references.

A Book Index Adds Value

So an index is not just an appendage to a book—it is an integral part of it. An index increases the accessibility of information, enhancing the book’s usefulness and, therefore, adds value to the book. A good book indexer is analytical and detail-oriented, having a good command of the English language and being able to discriminate between relevant and nonrelevant information. They have an enthusiasm for the subject matter and have the passion and the gift for writing indexes.

I have that passion for helping to make a great book even more useful and accessible to the reader. Indexing is an art form that I have worked hard to master, and that, added to my editorial skills, makes me your best choice for indexing your next Christian nonfiction project. Please contact me today, and let’s get started!