On Calvinism and Odes

A wonderful post by Mark Tooley at First Things on that John Piper video that made the rounds a little while ago. He comments:

It’s hard to think of Methodist equivalents, although there are great minds within Methodism. Some who operate under Methodism actually heed other intellectual traditions, like Karl Barth’s. Could there ever be a poem or video called “The Barthian?” It would be very nuanced, no doubt, but not very dramatic.

I am reminded of Barth’s description of Calvin, encapsulating Calvin’s uniqueness (and Barth’s orientalism for that matter):

Calvin is a cataract, a primeval force, a demonic power, something directly from the Himalayas, absolutely Chinese – strange and mythical… I could gladly and profitably set myself down and spend the rest of my life just with Calvin.

Barth, it seems, would prefer an ode to Calvin. The rest here.