BEN: In regard to the old chestnut about God’s knowing and willing it seems clear that Calvin would say God knows it because he wills it, and therefore Calvin makes God’s will (and its exercise…
Arminius
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace – Part Five
BEN: Would it be correct to say that Arminius rejects Calvin’s strong distinction between the secret decrees and will of God and the revealed will of God, which allowed for the possibility that God’s revealed…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace– Part Four
BEN: Arminius seems to work hard to avoid making God the author of sin, or of anything evil for that matter, including the Fall. He is very willing to talk about God’s ‘permissive’ will when…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace– Part Three
BEN: There is also a strong emphasis early on in the book on what is called the ‘intellectualist’ approach to the nature of God, which is to say that God’s knowledge is given priority over…
Why Calvinists Should Advance Arminius
Arminianism, as with the overall theology of the early Church fathers, will never die. Calvinism experiences ebb and flow in popularity but Arminianism and other non-Calvinistic theological systems remain constant. I argue, though, that Calvinists…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace– Part Two
BEN: Jacob Arminius seems to be a frequently misrepresented theologian, whose works have been neglected, and lack readily accessible translations into English from the Latin and Dutch. To what would you attribute this neglect, and…
Ben Witherington, “Jacob Arminius. Theologian of Grace– Part One”
Of late there has been an attempt, rightly in my view, to clear away a lot of misconceptions and in fact misrepresentations of Arminian theology, including the misrepresentation of Arminius himself as either a Pelagian…
Lion-Hearted Arminius in a Fist Fight
Arminius’ mild-mannered temperament is noted in the pages of history from both his friends as well as his foes: The personal character of Arminius was irreproachable; and he attracted the esteem and applause of his…
Calvin on Faith Preceding Regeneration
Arminius, in his Dissertation on Romans 7, insists that faith in Christ precedes regeneration: “Besides, even true and living faith in Christ precedes regeneration strictly taken, and consisting of the mortification or death of the…
Arminius on the Gospel — The Gospel for All God’s Creatures
From my point of view, this post is one of the most significant on this site, for herein all the complaints from anti-Arminian Calvinists is laid to rest once for all. Calvinists, both historic and…
A Christmas Invitation for the World
Every single individual alive today, as well as each one in future generations, is graciously invited by God their Creator to join the throng of the redeemed who, writes Jacob Arminius (1559-1609), are incited “to…
Understanding the Controversy of Former Supralapsarian Calvinist Arminius
The title of this post is a bit controversial in itself: Was Arminius a supralapsarian Calvinist at one time? That is a possibility. I believe that he was a supralapsarian. At least twice in Arminius’…
Arminius the Gadfly
A gadfly is a “persistent irritating critic; a nuisance.” (link) The late Anglican priest John R.W. Stott comments that the Church needs gadflies to “sting and harry us into action for change,” even though gadflies…
The Motive for Arminius’ Theology
What we must first understand about Arminius’ theological thought process is his positional biblicistic framework. Calvinist theologian Richard A. Muller confesses as much: “Had Arminius been a biblicistic pietist,” i.e., a devotional writer, “promulgating a…
Taylor Brown, Book Review of *Reconsidering Arminius: Beyond the Reformed and Wesleyan Divide*
Jacob Arminius may well be one of the most misunderstood figures in Protestant theology. Despite the widespread influence of Arminius’ theology in many churches and denominations, many of both his supporters and his opponents grossly…
Jacob Arminius Refutes William Perkins on Perseverance
Whether or not one adheres to the theology of Jacob Arminius in toto, Arminius’ careful attention to context regarding scriptural interpretation cannot be overemphasized. For example, debating Roman Catholic apologist Adrian Smetius on the subject…
Arminius for Everyone
Often historical information regarding sixteenth-century Reformed theologian Jacob Arminius (1559-1609) is weighed down by theological jargon too complicated and uninteresting for the average lay-reader. Too much is assumed by the respective authors and too much…
Arminius Would Have Made a Good Baptist
What do I mean by suggesting that Arminius would have made a good Baptist? This is a curious thought, in light of Arminius’ opposition to the Anabaptists of his day, as well as his own…
Assessing John Hendryx on Prevenient Grace
Monergism.com hosts articles by various Calvinists, some of which present arguments against Arminianism based on a Calvinistic hermeneutic, and others of which are a pure misrepresentation of Arminian doctrine. Having read “A Short Response to…
Jacob Arminius Refutes William Perkins on Perseverance
Whether or not one adheres to the theology of Jacob Arminius in toto, Arminius’ careful attention to context regarding scriptural interpretation cannot be overemphasized. For example, debating Roman Catholic apologist Adrian Smetius on the subject of…
Recent Posts
Roy Ingle, “Calvinism and the Atonement”
Why Does God Deny the Opportunity of Choice for or Against Him to Young Children Who Die and the Mentally Impaired?
Mark K. Olson, “Wesley’s ‘Warmed Heart’ at Aldersgate – What Really Happened?”
Adam Roe, “The Crucial Thread of Prevenient Grace: A Wesleyan Perspective on Divine Drawing”
