I enjoyed this book - I appreciated the emphasis on how Calvinism brings joy rather than just on a defense of the doctrine. I felt like some of the points were weak like joy is not an emotion/love is not an emotion. This seems like a popular teaching but is very difficult to defend from scripture. He equates love with sacrifice but the love chapter I Cor 13 says "If I give my body to be burned and have not love..." God created our emotions too and they are to point us to God as much as the mind and will. One other interesting point I thought was that Forster maintains that man has free will. He distinguishes between how we understand the term today as opposed to Calvin and Luther's day. I thought he did a decent job explaining what he meant by the term, I just don't think it is the best term to describe someone who is a slave to sin. Will yes, free will (even using today's understanding) not so much. Still overall it is a good study in Calvinism and would give food for thought to the convinced Calvinist and a good introduction to the teaching for someone looking to understand or study Calvinism. ( )

Calvinism is often seen as a joyless and cold theological tradition. Forester, however, believes that this is a gross misunderstanding. Calvinism is about joy – not an emotion, but “a settled certainty that God is in control.” The doctrines of grace, Forester argues, should be know as expressions of God’s love and our joy in His provision: thus the subtitle, “Knowing God’s Personal, Unconditional, Irresistible, Unbreakable Love.” Rather than explaining Calvinism by way of the more familiar TULIP acrostic, which itself was formulated as a rebuff to Calvinism opponents, Forester offers a beautiful and startling affirmation of Calvinistic soteriology – not in terms of reaction, but a positive expression of the grace, love, and joy found in its doctrine. Where he sticks to this tone, Forester’s is among the very best contemporary expressions of Calvinist theology. On the other hand, however, Forester does his readers a huge disservice by way of his mischaracterization of non-Calvinistic theologies (esp. Arminianism). While Forester rightfully seeks to compare and contrast, he both misinforms his readers and steals away from the otherwise joyful tone of his work. B- ( )