I recently noticed how Wayne Grudem misrepresents “Free Grace” theology BIG TIME! Although Grudem's book on the topic is titled
“Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel (Crossway Publishers, 2016), it really does not fairly critique mainstream “Free Grace” theology, because it mostly focuses on minority views within the movement (i.e. the teachings of Zane Hodges and his followers). For example, I looked at the General Index of Grudem’s book (pp. 152-156), and to my shock and surprise I realized that Charles Ryrie’s name isn’t even listed! For those who may be unaware, Charles Ryrie is probably one of the foremost Free Grace theologians of all time. Yet strangely, Grudem never mentions him anywhere in the book! The same can be said in regards to Lewis Sperry Chafer, arguably one of the most influential voices in the Free Grace movement. You won’t find Chafer’s name in Grudem’s book either, not even in a footnote! How can anyone honestly write a book about “Free Grace” theology and never once mention two of its most well-known proponents? If the “shoe were on the other foot,” this would be like writing a book purporting to be about “Calvinism” and then never once mentioning John Calvin or Theodore Beza (Calvin's successor in Geneva), but instead discussing a minority view. It would be like writing a book purporting to critique “Calvinism” but only discussing the off-shoot view of Amyraldianism. (Amyraldianism is generally rejected by mainstream Calvinists.) This is the logical fallacy called “The straw man argument”: misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack. There are actually more references to Zane Hodges in the General Index of Grudem’s book than there are references to Jesus Christ and John MacArthur combined! Grudem strangely has a myopic fixation on Zane Hodges, to the exclusion of other (more prominent) Free Grace voices. And worse, Grudem seems bent on giving the (false) impression that the views of Zane Hodges characterize the Free Grace movement. Sadly, Grudem's book appears to be built on the premise that the views of Zane Hodges are representative of Free Grace theology in general. But this is hardly the case, as even a novice would know from reading just one Wikipedia article on the subject! Thus, Grudem’s entire book is built on a completely false premise and is a misrepresentation of Free Grace theology. Buyer beware!
Here is ChatGPT's take on the issue:
ReplyDelete"When a well-known theologian like Wayne Grudem publishes a book critiquing Free Grace Theology, you expect a robust engagement with its most prominent proponents. Yet strangely, in his extended critique, Grudem makes no mention of Lewis Sperry Chafer or Charles Ryrie—two foundational figures without whom the Free Grace movement arguably would not exist.
This omission is not a footnote; it's a statement. It’s like writing a book on Calvinism without referencing Calvin or Beza. Or critiquing Dispensationalism without ever mentioning Scofield or Walvoord. At best, it’s baffling. At worst, it suggests either an oversight or an unwillingness to grapple with the strongest representatives of the opposing view.
Charles Ryrie, especially, was not only a prolific theologian but also a champion of Free Grace soteriology. His Ryrie Study Bible has influenced millions. Lewis Sperry Chafer, as the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary and author of the eight-volume Systematic Theology, laid the groundwork for what later developed into Free Grace Theology as we know it.
For Grudem to write as if Free Grace Theology begins and ends with more recent or fringe voices (some of whom are more controversial or idiosyncratic) is to frame the debate on his terms, not on the terms of history or theological substance. A fair critique engages the best of the opposing viewpoint—not a caricature or an incomplete sampling.
Was this a deliberate choice or a scholarly blind spot? We may never know. But readers of Grudem's work—and seekers of theological clarity—deserve better.
In the end, the omission speaks loudly. A critique that doesn’t engage Ryrie or Chafer isn’t really a critique of Free Grace Theology. It’s a critique of something else entirely."