A comment (slightly revised) made by a SEA member in the society’s private discussion group:
- Misrepresentation of Arminius and Arminian theology has been going on for a long time as evidenced by this quote by Methodist Pastor Albert Nash. In 1870, he wrote:
- After the death of Arminius, some who called themselves by his name, taught doctrines not only not found in his works, but clearly repugnant to his views. From these caricatures, thousands now drive their notions of Arminianism. . . . Many good men have never learned to distinguish between the views really held by Arminius, and these essentially defective notions. With this form of Arminianism, (if we must allow it the name) we have no more sympathy or fellowship than has the Calvinist (Perseverance and Apostasy: Being an Argument in Proof of the Arminian Doctrine, p. 7-8)
The key to correcting this misrepresentation is the same now as it was then—read the primary sources or books like Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology that work with primary sources. Olson’s book makes it inexcusable for a Calvinist to continue to misrepresent what Classical Arminians believe.
