Synopsis "In Search of the Golden Strand"
"If you've ever been frustrated by the Calvinist/Arminian debate, or you just want to learn more about it, this book is a much-needed breath of fresh air. I've read more than a few on this subject, and In Search of the Golden Strand is now my very favorite!" - Pastor Michael Rowntree"Them's fightin words!" So say many Christians when you mention the Doctrines of Grace, otherwise known as the Five Points of Calvinism. How have these excellent gifts from God our Father become a battleground on which we war against each other, instead of common ground on which we fight as one in the cause of the gospel? In this book, retired pastor and author Dean Davis traces the problem to a species of drowning. The trouble begins when we fail to see that God has given us not one, but two oceans of divine revelation dealing with salvation. The first is the Sovereignty Perspective. This ocean speaks of God's eternal decrees, his all-controlling providence, and the five Doctrines of Grace. Here are the waters where our Calvinist brethren love to swim. The second is the Test Perspective. In this ocean we encounter a loving Creator who is pleased to test his free human creatures through his self-revelation in nature, conscience, and the gospel. Here is where our Arminian brothers love to swim. But, Davis warns, when we elect to swim more or less exclusively in one ocean, we forfeit the blessings of the other and actually wind up drowning: overwhelmed by waves of confusion, anxiety, anger, and internecine war. The solution? Davis calls it the Golden Strand: that narrow spiritual isthmus where the two oceans meet, where he himself found solid ground, and where the Church can indeed live together well with the Doctrines of Grace. He invites you to join him there.
