T.U.L.I.P. on Tuesday not only has a nice alliteration but John Calvin, the person responsible for T.U.L.I.P., was born on Tuesday, July 10, 1509. If you are a Calvinist, Presbyterian, or know your theology, you will be familiar with T.U.L.I.P. also known as The Canons of Dort: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. The Canons of Dort were a rejection of the Arminian views and set forth the Reformed doctrine at the conclusion of the Synod of Dort that started on Tuesday, November 13, 1618, and ended on Wednesday, May 29, 1619. I’m going to assume T.U.L.I.P. was finalized on the 179th meeting, Tuesday, May 28, 1619, before the final meeting on the 29th to keep my Tuesdays’ associations with T.U.L.I.P.
Below are five short songs† I wrote and recorded one for each letter in T.U.L.I.P. Why you ask? I’ve been brushing up on my studies of the history of Christian theology, and I was inspired to write the songs after going through the section on Calvin and Reformed doctrine.
Total Depravity
Sitting shivering
In the heat of night
Sliced by rays
In the dark of light
Soul lies frayed
So depraved
Every thought a mortal
Every action a mortal
Every thought and action
A mortal Sin!
Unconditional Election
Some are elected
Others left in sin
Punished and damned
For their many transgressions
They can never win
Those few saved by grace
Unconditional love
Receive salvation
They are the few
Elected from above
All others
All the others
All the others get
All the others get damnation
Limited Atonement
Limited Atonement
Didn’t die for all
Elected are saved
Reprobates fall
No prevenient grace
Jeopardy double
Only the elect
Will make it through
Without any trouble
Redemption certain or
Redemption none
It’s predestination
Foreknown by
The One
Irresistible Grace
Irresistible Grace
Efficacy calls
Only some
But not all
For salvation
It could be me
It could be you
It may be neither
Grace for the few
Is Irresistible
Perseverance of the Saints
One saved always saved
No more death by
Trespasses and sins
Security of sanctification
Condition is secure
Eternal justification
Salvation for the
Saints persevere
†All songs are written, performed, recorded, and copyrighted by Timothy Price.
Off Center & Not Even 
You’ve been busy on the more weighty parts of life. 🙂
Thanks, David.
I rigged my browser to play all your tunes at the same time. Will, my GS boy, barked at my computer before he left the room. 🙂
Good boy.
I had thought about putting all the songs into one file to play one after the other, not all at the same time, but I wanted people to be able to sample the songs without committing them. Total Depravity is played with all minor and diminished chords and the lead is played in mostly half steps, which I realize might not set well with a lot of listeners. If people couldn’t get passed the first song then they would completely miss the songs that are easier to listen to.
I assume you got them all to play at the same time after I fixed Limited Atonement that Lavinia alerted me was not playing?
Yes, I played after Limited Atonement was fixed. When you play all at the same time, it’s no different than those psychedelic music from the late 60s. 🙂
Groovy. LSD is back in style. Get out the posters, turn on the black light and take a trip while sheltering in place.
I was listening trying to figure out the connection I was hearing. It came to me later. The music reminds me a bit of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band.
I’ve haven’t heard Captain Beefheart in years. Interesting you put that together. You have a good musical memory. I did a song I never posted, and probably never will, that the guitar part sounds so familiar. Can I place it? No. Kind of drives me crazy.
I went and caught a couple of clips from Trout Mask Replica on YT, and confirmed it.
I just flipped through samples on the album. There some great stuff on that album. I’m going to have to listen to the whole thing now. It’s really long. But it’s nice and crazy. It’s also cool they have a carp for the trout mask.
I have a name for your new band. Tim Tangleheart and his Band of Magic Cats. 🙂
Tangleheart and the Magic Cats has a nice sond to it.
Limited Atonement appears to have no content uploaded, or is not working for me. An interesting project you have going here, Tim.
Hi Lavinia. Try it now. Thanks for letting me know it wasn’t playing.
Got it. It plays now. Thank, Tim!
You’ve been busy creating! Enjoyed!
Thanks, Holly.
Thank you, you’re a genius!
I wouldn’t go that far. But I’m flattered. Thanks, Holly.
Well I would… did! Have a great day!
You too. I hope you new year is starting off well?
OOH… Is this a New Year Res??? To be even busier?
Maybe a 2020 finale in the new year. Thanks, Shey.
Well it is brilliant.
Short and sweet! Tim, these are all great and ah, that guitar playing!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Marina. I’m happy you like the guitar.
Not just the guitar but …the whole enchilada! 😉
Cheese, green chile, onion, chicken and tortillas. Maybe a set of songs for the ingredients for Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas is in order. Do you eat cheese? Green or red chile cheese enchiladas are common.
Oh…well I do kinda eat cheese… vegan cheese! 😉🤣… and I love enchiladas!!!!!
Enchiladas are a staple out here.
Well… I thought they would! 😋😉
Brilliant idea, by the way!!!!
Wow, that sounds like a lot of work! How do you find the time for all this creativeness, Tim??
Thanks, Tiffany. I don’t have TV, that might help.
I like the songs, the second one is my favorite. I don’t know how you find the time to do all the projects you are always working on my friend. Wow, you really play a mean guitar. You will always be a rocker, all those these songs remind me of Dylan a bit. Love Joni
Unconditional Election has a nice mellow sound. I realized that Irresistible Grace has a real Dylonesque feel to the vocals after I recorded it. Thanks, Joni. I’m happy you enjoyed the songs.
I love how much you’ve got going on, Tim — brushing up on Christian theology, a very large and complicated topic, writing songs and lyrics, performing and recording. Right on!
Thanks, Jet. I can’t let life be boring.
Interesting history, that I knew nothing about.
I adore history lessons.
I also adore your songs. What an interesting history/tribute teaching through creative means. Thank you, Tim!
Thanks, Resa. The Arminian views which The Canons of Dort rejected are part of what became the Methodist tradition. I was raised a Methodist so my perspective is very different and opposite in many ways from Calvinism.
Raised as a Catholic, we were taught NOTHING about other religions. We were told it was a mortal sin to go into a church that was not Catholic. Murder is a mortal sin. We were to avoid all other religions, or else.
In terms of history, I think all religions have something to teach, even if I am not religious.
This is a most interesting post.
Catholics get out of hand, but they all do. Martin Luther was the one who said everything one thinks and does is a mortal sin. Augustine of Hippo was the one who came up with the doctrine of original sin in the 4th Century CE. At some point you say “What’s the point?” The Gnostics, who were rejected as heretics, believed the physical world is evil and that the soul wis trapped in evil, filthy mortal bodies trying to escape to the Pleroma, a kind of fulfillment, where they belong, but the evil Archons (gods) in the lower reaches of the heavens keep souls from escaping. They called the God of the Jews the arrogant Archon because he claims to be the one and only God in the universe. Modern Christianity has so much rationalizing, Platonism and doctrines developed over the years that it hardly resembles early Christianity in the first century CE.
It is just dizzying!
However, I think knowing as much as possible about the past, can make for an informed future.
You have a lot of info at your fingertips here.
I’ll bet you know a lot about history!
My knowledge of history is selective and easily forgotten. Sometimes I remember historical facts really well, and other times I can’t seem to dig them up out of the gray matter. One would think knowledge of history would help with an informed future. However, you would assume the supposedly well-educated people in power would know something of history, especially, recent history that they have witnessed, and stop doing the same stupid things over and over and over again. But no. They simply ignore history, put on their blinders, and press on for whatever they think is best from themselves and the special interests that serve their purposes.
I do agree with you.
Ill history repeats itself, because certain segments of humanity are ill informed, were never informed or just don’t give a ship.
Ignorance of some is not bliss for those who are informed. Ignorance is a burden, in that case.
Tim, I am sick, afraid and exhausted by/with what is happening in the USA…. … The greatest country on earth?
We’ll see how it plays out. Like so much that goes on, I can’t really tell what the truth is because all sources of information are so biased and fractured along ideological and party lines. I don’t watch is called news, listen to news or actively seek it out, and yet the bits and pieces that I do read about just wears me out. I don’t know how people can constantly watch and listen to all the propaganda.
Agree!
It is exhausting. I’d rather draw and sew, to music!
For me photography, cat herding and music.
Creativity has its rewards!
Do you know this cat herding? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_MaJDK3VNE
I love that cat herding video. It is very well made and really funny.
I studied Calvinism and Lutherism at university, that is long ago, and I didn’t remember that ‘TULIP’ part. Are you studying Calvinism only or are you interested in other religions?
I’m not particularly interested in Calvinism. I think Calvin and Luther got way of base, but they had, and still have, a lot of influence.
You would not remember TULIP because in French it would be something like DEEGP:
Dépravation totale
Élection inconditionnelle
Expiation limitée
Grâce irrésistible
Persévérance des saints
It could be DEEPG is you change places with Persévérance des saints and Grâce irrésistible.
I remember the notion behind the acronym, but not the acronym itself, and I studied it … in English! So it is nice to read this and listen to your songs. The amazing thing is that I should remember it because I had researched it for a presentation . Sometimes the meanders of memory get lost in strange sinuosities…
The only reason I would remember it is the acronym. It is not part of the Methodist tradition, which I grew up with.