On his website, Arminian Perspectives, Ben Henshaw has a questions page at which he answers questions about Arminianism and Calvinism that visitors to his site pose in the comment section of the page. Here is a question from a man named Vladimir followed by an answer adapted from Ben’s:
Question: Can you recommend articles on Rom. 8:29-30, especially in light of corporate election?
Answer: In short, Rom. 8:29-30 uses plural corporate language (“those”), so it fits very nicely with the corporate view. Walls and Dongell do a good job describing how this works. One important point is the use of “called” in the passage. At the end of the post on “Corporate Election Quotes” linked below, I link to a post that will direct you to two articles on how called/calling should be understood in this passage. Unfortunately, the site where those articles are found is under construction so those articles are temporarily unavailable. But you should keep checking until they are, as they are excellent articles. The main gist of them is that “called/calling” should be taken primarily in a naming sense, rather than in the sense of an invitation. For example, you are “called” Vladimir. That doesn’t mean you were invited to anything. It has reference to your naming. That is the same thing with the Biblical concept. It has reference to God naming a people for Himself. Examples of this are found in Rom. 9:7 (“reckoned” or “named”) and 9:25,
“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one.”
That is the same way “called” should be understood in Rom 8:30. Those who are “called” are those who are “named” as God’ people, because they share the name of Christ, being untied to Him. Their calling (naming) is in their identity with Christ, just as their election is in Christ (Eph. 1:4). It is another way of describing them as belonging to God and Christ. It is describing them as Christians, as they share in Christ’s name through faith union/identification with Him.
For articles, see:
“Corporate Election Quotes” (The last section by Walls and Dongell address the passage some, though I did not quote their more extensive treatment.)
“Great Comments on Corporate Election, Apostasy, and Rom 8:28-39”
