This book was written as an easy-to-read popular version of the Oxford doctoral thesis, Augustine’s Conversion from Traditional Free Choice to ‘Non-free Free Will’. This FAC book is published in German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese is forthcoming. (Scholarly book reviews for Augustine’s Conversion are also published on this site.)
There are no scholarly reviews for FAC since this book is not written for scholars. There are numerous positive reviews on Amazon. Here are posted the negative comments (some are not book reviews) by those whose own personal faith disagrees with Wilson’s conclusions.
- James White, Augustinian Calvinist, Alpha and Omega Ministries
- My opinion: White produces strong work on some issues; but, miraculously finds his own Calvinist views in the early church fathers. No Patristics scholar has ever identified this anachronism (including Reformed theologians, e.g. B.B. Warfield). As fervent devotees to their theology, he and Matthew MacMahon follow John Gill’s error (1738) of eisegesis when reading the early church fathers. White has a Th.D. from an online unaccredited seminary. He does not have a doctoral degree in theology from even a reputable school, much less a leading scholarly institution. (As a medical doctor, I would be fearful of going to a doctor with an unaccredited online medical degree.) After observing White’s behavior in the videos below, one might wonder if White ‘s bravado will cause him to argue with Jesus when Jesus corrects his errors.
- White is a master of the straw man argument, as Dr. Leighton Flowers (Soteriology 101) points out in his critique. White makes claims that cannot withstand academic scrutiny. Talk is cheap. Facta non verba. This is a public challenge to James White to write a book refuting Wilson’s Oxford Doctoral doctrinal thesis (Augustine’s Conversion, 2018, Mohr Siebeck) which exposes Augustine’s syncretistic Christian–pagan theology of determinism. Then, have a prestigious publisher like Mohr Siebeck publish it (Warning: this requires scholarly scrutiny at a world-class level). So in lieu of a book, at least write an article for a prestigious academic journal like Journal of Biblical Literature where Wilson published on James 2:18–20 against Augustine’s popular misinterpretation (2020, JBL 139.2). White will never be able to publish academically because his rhetorical arguments are not valid. I suspect this gauntlet thrown down will lay untouched as he pretentiously dances around it with his usual rhetorical excuses.
- When speaking on Augustinian Calvinism, White is a modern Simon Magnus (Acts 8), deceiving the Calvinist crowd into thinking he is the great power of God as he wields his rhetorical magic. Facta non verba. Podcast verba are cheap. Peer reviewed prestigious academic publications are facta. Until White publishes, he is nothing but hot air.
- Resources exposing White:
- Dave Armstrong’s opinion on White’s “bogus” doctorate and hypocrisy.
- Video of White expressing his own arguments and rantings against Wilson, and their exposure as logical fallacies by Dr. Leighton Flowers.
- Soteriology 101 summary of White’s errors and Wilson’s first response to White (Part 1).
- Part 1 on Soteriology 101 exposing White.
- Part 2 on Soteriology 101 exposing White.
- Dr. Leighton Flowers Refuting James White
- Thuyen Tran, Violator of Amazon’s Customer Review Policy
- Below are notes from Wilson’s Soteriology 101 podcast correcting the sophomoric errors of an antagonist. Tran’s rants against the Foundation of Augustinian Calvinism and especially Augustine’s Conversion reveal either an inability to read academic writings or a willful rejection of truth that opposes his uneducated opinion. Wilson’s responses are highlighted in blue.
- Note that it is easy to malign persons with accusations of dishonesty and errors when there is no peer review. You can write recklessly without consequences. This is a public challenge to Thuyen Tran: Publish your opinions in a peer-reviewed academic journal where there is accountability, and scholarship and honesty are critical. Your inability to publish your malicious garbage will expose who is the real dishonest author sorely lacking in scholarship. FYI, that will not be me.
Wilson’s interviews for Spanish-speaking Christians on ‘Cápsulas de Teología‘ exposing erroneous claims on the internet .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00VSiS6Jp28
3. Robert Wilkin, Founder of Grace (DisGraced) Evangelical Society
a. This is a heretical group as explained in Wilson’s Heresy of the Grace Evangelical Society.
b. Wilkin’s Review on the GES website
https://faithalone.org/journal-articles/book-reviews/the-foundation-of-augustinian-calvinism/ . Wilson’s corrections are highlighted in blue. The pdf after the review shows the page Wilkin references in his review that he did not comprehend.
d. D.H. Williams translated Hilary of Poitiers’ Commentary on Matthew. On page 31 he references Matt. 21:15 where Hilary writes ‘fides sola iustificat.’ Williams identifies Hilary as the first Christian theologian to explicitly cite Paul’s justification by faith alone. William’s article below is referenced on page 94 above.
4. One popular book review claims Wilson has no theological training. “The lack of theological training is evident in this book, which is a summary of his doctrinal thesis.”
Book Review: https://tottministries.org/the-foundation-of-augustinian-calvinism/
Wilson has a M.Div. from Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary and a Th.M. from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as his doctorate (D.Phil.)from Oxford, where he trained in philosophy and theology. This “lack of theological training” might be more advanced than the reviewer’s own credentials, who makes false claims in his lack of knowledge. Unfortunately, this is typical of many Augustinian Calvinists who blindly and deafly speak defensively, attempting to salvage their pagan-based deterministic opinions. If they insist on mimicking the outer monkeys, they would be wise to also mimic the middle monkey.
