Great Theologians that have changed their minds

[Pergamum]

Who are some theologians whose theology has changed between their earlier writings and later writings? And what was the effect of those changes.

John Owen?

AW Pink?

I also heard Isaac Watts uttered some doubts about the Trinity?


Anyone know more about these or others, what they changed to, and why they changed?

 

[Herald]

I'm not of the veracity of this information, but hasn't R. C. Sproul vascilated on his eschatology?

 

[ADKing]

I think Augustine is a classic example. His Retractions come to mind.

 

[sastark]

John Calvin.

In his younger years he wrote against "lutheranism" (meaning the Protestant theology of his day), only to be saved by the grace of God.

 

[AThornquist]

John MacArthur wasn't a Calvinist at first. He made the change in the late 80's I think.

-----Added 7/17/2009 at 02:32:49 EST-----

I'm not of the veracity of this information, but hasn't R. C. Sproul vascilated on his eschatology?

He has also changed in what he believes about creation.

 

[Joseph Scibbe]

Well, all theologians have had their mids changed....... I digress.

 

[Wayne]

Those theologians who retreat from sound theology are by definition not great theologians: Clark Pinnock, as one example, adopting an openness view.

On the other hand, J. Gresham Machen came under the influence of Wilhelm Herrmann and was quite taken with his views for a time, but finally worked free from that error:

His inaugural address makes it abundantly clear that the clouds had lifted and Machen had resolved the doubts that had bedevilled him ever since his time in Germany. ‘History and faith’ is thus a public reply to Herrmann and the liberal perspective on history and the reliability of Scripture.

(Evangelical Times)

 

[Sven]

The Apostle Paul. Actually, he had his mind changed for him.

 

[Skyler]

I think when the OP says "changed their minds" it refers to theologians whose position on a certain doctrine changed at some point after their conversion. Of course their minds were changed when they were converted!

 

[Joseph Scibbe]

I think when the OP says "changed their minds" it refers to theologians whose position on a certain doctrine changed at some point after their conversion. Of course their minds were changed when they were converted!

I was aware what the poster was asking, I just could not resist the urge at my comment.

 

[Wayne]

"Learn to resist those urges," he counseled (not following his own advice).

 

[Skyler]

"Learn to resist those urges," he counseled (not following his own advice).

That sounds like a quote.

 

[Reformed Thomist]

Early on in his career Thomas Aquinas stated that God has no other essence or nature than being, that He is being in all its purity, and that creatures receive being as a participation of the Divine being, their essences limiting the degree of this participation -- but only much later on in his career did he clarify that there is a real composition in creatures between their being and their essence or that these two are really distinct!

 

[Scott1]

I'm not of the veracity of this information, but hasn't R. C. Sproul vascilated on his eschatology?

The most circulated story in relation to this is that at one of Dr. Sproul's conferences, someone said they had read his book, The Last Days according to Jesus and could not tell what millennial position he held- was it amillennial, postmillenial, historical premillennial, or modern dispensational premillennial.

Dr. Sproul is reported to have laughed and said, "That's because there are strengths and weaknesses in each position. Only one thing I am certain of- it's not the fourth one."

I don't think so much a change of mind as an honest attempt to sort this difficult area out biblically.

 

[Repre5entYHWH]

I'm not of the veracity of this information, but hasn't R. C. Sproul vascilated on his eschatology?

The most circulated story in relation to this is that at one of Dr. Sproul's conferences, someone said they had read his book, The Last Days according to Jesus and could not tell what millennial position he held- was it amillennial, postmillenial, historical premillennial, or modern dispensational premillennial.

Dr. Sproul is reported to have laughed and said, "That's because there are strengths and weaknesses in each position. Only one thing I am certain of- it's not the fourth one."

I don't think so much a change of mind as an honest attempt to sort this difficult area out biblically.

i have heard sproul say that his view on eschatology is like the weather in Florida in that it is always changing.

 

[christianhope]

Patrick Fairbairn changed his stance toward the interpretation of prophecy, moving from premill to postmill, resulting in his book "the interpretation of prophecy"

 

[steven-nemes]

Any stories of softy "God loves trees and puppies" unitarian universalists who became staunch and strict no-common-grace Calvinists?

 

[ChristianHedonist]

I have heard something along the lines that Jonathan Edwards changed his view on church government from Congregationalism to Presbyterianism. I'm not certain if this is correct though.

 

[Wayne]

Dan:

That story about Edwards is based on an account by Archibald Alexander, retold by R.J. Breckinridge in The Presbyterian newspaper, circa 1837.

I'll see if I can't get the content online--it would make a nice piece to post on my blog.

 

[Pergamum]

What's the deal with AW Pink. His earlier and later editions of the same books differed. Did the editors tamper?

 

[Rich Koster]

Benny Hinn........or did he really start out that far in left field?

 

[Jesus is my friend]

What's the deal with AW Pink. His earlier and later editions of the same books differed. Did the editors tamper?

Pink's Sovereignty which to me brought to Reformed Theology,is available in primarily two editions currently,Baker Books (American-This is original w/chapter on Reprobation included-is the one to get) and Banner of Truth (British-strangely edited without this chapter).This new version is just like the Baker Books edition and is very nice


Amazon.com: The Sovereignty of God: Arthur W. Pink: Books
Please check out this thread as Brother Hippo and others explained this in great depth


http://www.puritanboard.com/f48/pinks-sovereignty-god-development-38897/

 

[Puritan Sailor]

Patrick Fairbairn changed his stance toward the interpretation of prophecy, moving from premill to postmill, resulting in his book "the interpretation of prophecy"

He also originally believed in a later mass conversion of the Jews and had an "irrefutable" argument for it in a lecture entitled The Future Prospects of the Jews, but later rejected that view and argued against it in the Interpretation of Prophecy in a Chapter named The Prophetical Future of the Jewish people arguing that the OT promises were fulfilled in the Church. Later a book was compiled by Albertus Pieters with both articles together entitled The Prophetic Prospects of the Jews and sub-titled Fairbairn vs. Fairbairn. Fun reading.

 

[Mark Hettler]

Benny Hinn........or did he really start out that far in left field?

I don't think his theology changed, more like developed or expanded - he started out with three persons in the Godhead and worked his way up to nine.

 

[SolaScriptura]

Augustine changed his mind about some very important things.

 

[brandonadams]

What's the deal with AW Pink. His earlier and later editions of the same books differed. Did the editors tamper?

Aside from the editing of his "Sovereignty of God" (which he did not edit - but someone took the liberty of guessing after his death that he had changed his mind and edited it for him), he was a dispensationalist prior to writing a book against dispensationalism.

 

[py3ak]

Thomas Goodwin changed his mind about eschatology, when his expectations of certain great events were rather strikingly not fulfilled.

 

[Iconoclast]

A.W. Pink was originally dispensational,but studied himself past it.

 

[Puritan Sailor]

Any stories of softy "God loves trees and puppies" unitarian universalists who became staunch and strict no-common-grace Calvinists?

I don't know about "no-common-grace" Calvinists, but Thomas Chalmers and Abraham Kuyper were both converted while they were pastoring congregations and became stout defenders of the Reformed faith.

 

[Pergamum]

What about Owen? I keep hearing that he turned congregational, but I do not know if he merely developed more Presbyterian later on or at what point this was that he seeemed to favor congregationalism?