“What I’ve learned: a church’s dominant soteriology indelibly shapes its culture (the way people think about and do) for mission.” –Dr David Fitch In his “Framework for Missional Christianity” series, influential missiologist Alan Hirsch writes (bold…
The video may also be accessed on YouTube here. Greg Boyd is an Open Theist, which is a position SEA disagrees with. However, this video clip is not about Open Theism, but Calvinism. And it has…
This is part of a series of posts on Romans. The main focus of this series will be chapters 9-11 of the letter. These chapters, particularly chapter 9, have been interpreted in various different ways….
So I was looking through Alpha and Omega ministries looking for a concise presentation of Dr. White’s view of Romans 9, for reference purposes, when I came across a primer in their blog roll. Now,…
INTRODUCTION Wesleyans are often surprised to discover how Reformed John Wesley is in his understanding of original sin and salvation. Conversely, many Calvinists are forced to re-evaluate their simplistic caricatures of Wesley as they examine…
BEN: It seems reasonably clear that Arminius took the Calvinistic view that regeneration precedes conversion. I suppose it depends on what one means by regeneration— the ability to repent? In any case, various later Arminians…
SEA member Dr. Michael Brown responds to a caller’s question on Calvinism and John 6:44. The The video can also be accessed at YouTube here.
BEN: I was reflecting on what you say on pp. 155-56 about ‘simul justus et peccator’ and it occurred to me what a difference there is between Luther and Wesley on this matter. Luther, famously…
If you can’t see the player above just follow this link to listen to this episode: Remonstrance Episode 1 This is our first full length episode of Remonstrance Podcast! On this episode we discuss the five…
Understanding the doctrine of prevenient grace was one of the most valuable studies for me after leaving Calvinism. It provided an answer to one of the simplest arguments I used to make for Calvinism: I…
BEN: On p. 55, you talk about Wesley’s treatise on divine sovereignty compared to Calvin’s view. Would you say that while Wesley agrees with Calvin that God is sovereign, absolutely so, and could do what…
Zacchaeus up in the tree, Paul’s conversion, the Philippian jailer. What do these stories have in common? In every case, it was God who took the first step towards man. As I’ve stated many times,…
BEN: Roger you seem to spend a good deal of effort trying to say that Arminian theology could rightly be called a form of Reformed theology, though one distinct from high Calvinism at various points….
A recent article stated: “Millennials leaving the church in droves, study finds.” We could say, “oh, that’s just young people these days”, or “it’s a sign of the times!” Or, perhaps we should consider that…
The fourth point immediately follows from the doctrine of depravity. If we are born depraved, separated from God, and incapable of coming to Christ on our own, then God is the one that needs to…
Maverick Victor Witlouw, of Sovereign Grace Messianic Blog, wrote a response to my article, “Why Irresistible Grace Doesn’t Work, and Why Prevenient Grace Does” [Responding to Steve Sewell’s Presentation of Prevenient Grace]. He happened to…
The differences in Depravity between Calvinists and Arminians are perhaps the most interesting for our topic since both Calvinists and Arminians agree on the basic concept. However, I do think we think about Total Depravity…
BEN: One of the things that is not clear to me from reading your book is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and prevenient grace in the thought of Arminius. Does by grace Arminius simply…
A Theological Dirty Word Recently I’ve noticed that, over the past century, Arminians have increasingly used the word “synergist” to describe themselves, rather than seeing it as a negative epithet, as most Christian theologians have….
BEN: Why was Arminius accused of Pelagianism or semi-Pelagianism if in fact he was clear that prevenient grace comes to a person purely by unmerited divine initiative? KEITH: This controversy is inherent in the Protestant…
