n>Popular Protestant narratives about the Reformed tradition often teach that Reformed theologians rejected Pelagian Roman Catholic teachings on grace and free choice, even radically departing from the general consensus of the medieval church. Roman Catholics had their own telling of the story: Protestants, and especially the nefarious John Calvin, taught that God was the author of sin, denied free choice, and even believed that God created some human beings for damnation. Furthermore, Calvin, according to this portrayal, accurately and sufficiently represents the Reformed tradition. Doubtless, such narratives have latched onto important realities in early modern theological wrangling. Some Reformed theologians of the early modern period gave the impression that the Roman Catholic church did not understand the first thing about God’s grace, and Roman Catholic theologians rightly feared some of the language found amongst the Reformed relating to God’s relationship to sin, predestination, and reprobation. But a new book thankfully complicates overly-simplistic interpretations of these early modern theological disputes. Beyond Dordt and De Auxiliis, a collection of essays by both Roman Catholic and Protestant historians, examines the interdependence of these two traditions in the early modern period as they discussed and debated doctrines such as predestination and divine grace.  Read Full Article »