A Non-Calvinist's Favorite Calvinists

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Conversations about Calvinism online often seem like cage matches. There’s an unspoken rule that if you disagree with someone, you probably despise them too. But that’s not where I’m at, nor is it where I want to be. My distaste for someone’s distortion of Scripture does not mean I dislike who they are or everything they say. Just because someone believes in a Calvinistic form of predestination, “once saved, always saved,” or limited atonement, that doesn’t mean I hate them. Not even a little.

Even though I’ve written a book critiquing TULIP (at least what I think is its weakest petal), there are plenty of Calvinists I genuinely appreciate and have learned a lot from. So instead of just criticizing, I figured I’d do something different—actually give credit where it’s due. Instead of throwing stones, I figured I’d tip my hat.

So, with that said, here are some Reformed voices from recent history who’ve been helpful to me in different ways:

15. Paul David Tripp

There’s something about Tripp that just feels steady. He has this intense sense of calm and collectedness when he teaches, but it’s not dry—it’s clearly driven by a real passion for Scripture. He’s especially good at pressing biblical truth into everyday life in a way that actually sticks.

14. Sinclair Ferguson

There’s something about Sinclair Ferguson that feels like sitting under a wise, patient pastor who actually believes what he’s saying. Maybe that’s just because of his signature Scottish accent. His sermons on the Holy Spirit are some of the most warm, pastoral, comforting words I’ve ever heard. And his book, The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance, is worth the read. You might recognize him as one of the late R.C. Sproul’s right hand men from Ligonier ministries, and while I am on opposite sides of many arguments as Ferguson, I can admit that he’s got good material.

13. Matt Chandler

I’ve always appreciated his ability to tell a story that sticks with you. One that stands out was when he talked about a sermon illustration he witnessed—where a rose got passed around the congregation to show that nobody wants something “used.” And the point he drew from it was way better: Jesus wants the rose!

12. Todd Friel

If you grew up trying to figure out how to talk about your faith without sounding like a malfunctioning robot, Todd Friel probably helped you. He did for me. He made evangelism, apologetics, and thinking on your feet accessible. Clips from his shows, Wretched TV and Wretched Radio, on YouTube are generally pretty helpful with answering questions that young Christians or even unbelievers may pose.

11. Bryan Chappell

He’s got a long catalog of sermons and some really great books. What stands out most, though, is his consistent focus on grace—it’s not forced, just kind of woven into everything he does in a way that’s really endearing.

10. Milton Vincent

His little book The Gospel Primer is honestly one of the best—and shortest—books I’ve ever read from a Reformed author. It’s simple, clear, and really drives home what it looks like to preach the gospel to yourself daily. No fluff, just straight-up helpful.

9. Alistair Begg

He’s just a really solid expositor—clear, steady, and easy to follow. On top of that, he’s a great storyteller, which makes his sermons stick. If you don’t believe me, just Google “the man on the middle cross said I could come.”

8. Scotty Smith

Scotty has a way of speaking into the messiness of life without pretending it’s cleaner than it is. His sermons and conference talks often land like well-timed grace notes—reminders that the gospel isn’t just for your conversion story but for your Tuesday afternoon anxiety. Even his social posts manage to carry more weight than most people’s books.

7. Jon Moffitt

While Jon Moffitt’s focus has drifted into unfamiliar territory for me as of late, I greatly appreciate his work on assurance and how he challenged the Spiritual Formation movement led by Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, which traded in the Gospel for weird strategies for improving yourself.

6. Gavin Ortlund

Gavin might be one of the most refreshing theological voices out there right now. Not because he’s always right (he’d probably be the first to admit he’s not), but because he’s so charitable. In a day and age when disagreement often turns toxic, he models something better: conviction without contempt. And his defense of Protestantism is thoughtful without being shrill—a rare combination.

5. Elyse Fitzpatrick

The only woman on this list is Elyse Fitzpatrick. As far as I’m concerned, she is a legend. Fitzpatrick has a way of taking big theological truths and pressing them into everyday struggles. Her conference talks and countless books don’t just inform—they aim at the heart. And they do it without pretending sanctification is a straight line.

4. Tullian Tchividjian

Tullian is complicated. And maybe that’s part of why he matters. His writing has always had this raw, unfiltered edge—less like a lecture and more like a confession. He knows the language of grace not just as a concept, but as a necessity. You don’t read him to admire polish; you read him because he sounds like someone who needs the gospel as much as he’s preaching it.

3. Jared C. Wilson

Jared Wilson is one of the clearest communicators of grace in our time. Prolific doesn’t even begin to cover it—books, talks, essays—but what stands out is consistency. He keeps circling back to the same center: Jesus for sinners. Not Jesus for the cleaned-up version of you, but for the actual you. The one who still struggles, still doubts, still needs mercy.

2. Michael Horton

Horton has the kind of theological depth that could easily become inaccessible—but somehow, it doesn’t. Maybe it’s because he’s always tethered to the gospel. His work (and his connection to Rod Rosenbladt, a personal hero of mine) carries that Reformation heartbeat: law and gospel, properly distinguished, relentlessly applied. And his show, The White Horse Inn, is in my opinion an absolute gift to the Church.

1. Steve Brown

Steve Brown is honest about the failures of his own theological camp. He’s hilarious in a way that disarms you before lowering the boom of truth. And he refuses to pretend that Christians are anything other than forgiven sinners.

If you’re looking for a neat conclusion, I don’t really have one. Just this: theology matters. It really does. Ideas have consequences, and we should care about getting things right. But if your theology doesn’t make you more patient, more charitable, more aware of your own need for grace, then something’s gone sideways.

You can disagree with Calvinism—or Arminianism, or anything in between—without turning your neighbor into an enemy. Because at the end of the day, none of us are saved by having the cleanest system. We’re saved by a Person. And thank God for that.