Skip to content ↓

Where Did All These Calvinists Come From? A Visual History

I don’t think anyone could have predicted that in the twenty-first century the old doctrine of Calvinism would suddenly experience a great resurgence. Yet this is exactly what has happened. The New Calvinism, or the Young, Restless, Reformed, has been highlighted in platforms as diverse as Christianity Today and TIME as one of the ideas that is changing the world today. It has been a major emphasis in publishing and has its own celebrities, conferences and organizations.

But where did this thing come from? And how did it come to prominence? Josh Byers and I have teamed up to bring you a Visual Theology infographic we’ve titled Where Did All These Calvinists Come From?: A Visual History. We highlighted some of the dominant themes in the movement and then progressed through the people, the books, the conferences, and the organizations that have made it what it is. We hope you enjoy it. [Update: There is now a Visual Theology website.]

New Calvinism Timeline
(click on the graphic above to see the full timeline; or click here for the raw file)

Note: We don’t expect that you will agree with everything we’ve chosen to include and exclude. Also, while the timeline is roughly chronological, individual events within a particular year may not be in the exact right order (so, for example, Chosen By God may have been published after Desiring God, though both were published in 1986).


  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (December 14)

    A La Carte: Male and female forever? / The shortcomings of Jordan Peterson / The thief who steals joy / Letter to a progressive Christian / The weary world rejoices / and more.

  • Free Stuff Fridays (Propempo International)

    This week the blog is sponsored by Propempo International. Missions on Point by David C. Meade, founder of Propempo International and Send Forward, seeks to spotlight the local church’s biblical role in world missions. Missions on Point awakens and challenges church leaders, missions leaders, missionaries, and everyone involved in the support and execution of missions…

  • Questions To Ask a Man Who Would Like To Marry Your Daughter

    Questions For the Man Who Wants To Marry Your Daughter

    It is the conversation every father of daughters anticipates having at one time or another—the conversation with the young man who has expressed interest in securing her hand in marriage and who now seeks dad’s permission. Apart from those few men who have been blessed with many daughters, most of us have just one or…

  • A La Carte Friday 2

    A La Carte (December 13)

    A La Carte: Why I am not Catholic / Mastering your self / The Reformation moment is our moment / Is living together before marriage really a sin? / What if we let the Bible form us in 2025? / and more.

  • A La Carte Thursday 1

    A La Carte (December 12)

    A La Carte: Christmas words and phrases you didn’t want to admit you didn’t understand / Godliness is attainable / Does God hate the sin but love the sinner? / Odd Christmas phrases / Quick to strategize and slow to pray / and more.

  • New Years Resolution

    Now’s the Time To Consider a New Year’s Resolution

    The Bible says nothing about New Year’s resolutions. It does, however, say a lot about resolutions in general—about the determination and resolve to improve our character, to sharpen our habits, and to live better in the future than we did in the past. In other words, the determination and resolve to be more like Christ.