Today is Arminius’ birthday, who was born on October 10, 1560. Praise and thanks be to God for his life, ministry, and theological heritage!
Arminius
Jesse Owens, “Arminius and the Doctrine of Prevenient Grace”
In his recent essay, Jackson Watts reminds us that Arminius wholly affirmed the human will’s complete depravity and perversity after the Fall. The Magisterial Reformers were not alone in affirming this. Arminius too held to the…
Keith Stanglin on Arminius’ View of Perseverance
In anticipation of his forthcoming book on the Perseverance of the Saints from an Arminian perspective, Keith Stanglin discusses Arminius’ view of perseverance. The video may also be accessed on YouTube here.
Book Review: Arminian and Baptist, Explorations in a Theological Tradition by J. Matthew Pinson
Arminian and Baptist is a book about the history of Arminian theology in the General Baptist and Free Will Baptist tradition. It is written by J. Matthew Pinson, a Free Will Baptist, and the president…
Ben Witherington and Roger Olson, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology – Part 15”
BEN: Your discussion of open theism is interesting, and I wonder if since your book was published (2006), you’ve settled the matter in your mind. For my part, I have rejected open theism. I think…
Ben Witherington and Roger Olson, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology – Part 14”
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…
Ben Witherington and Roger Olson, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology – Part 12”
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…
Ben Witherington and Roger Olson, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology – Part 9”
BEN: The issue of how to interpret the phrase ‘only begotten of the Father’ has bedeviled Christological debates forever it seems. Is this Scriptural notion the basis of Arminius and various his successors arguing that…
Ben Witherington and Roger Olson, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology – Part 4”
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…
Ben Witherington and Roger Olson, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology – Part 3”
BEN: On p. 51 you quote the Westminister Confession about ‘the chief end of humans being to glorify God and enjoy him forever’. You go on to quote Arminius to that effect. But what that…
Calvinist Misconceptions: The Arminian View Of Man’s Fallen State
Calvinists often accuse Arminians of being Pelagian, or Semi-pelagian at best, when it comes to original sin and the depravity of man. And it’s no wonder, as many Calvinist websites paint quite an inaccurate picture…
The Gift of Faith
When Calvinists accused Jacobus Arminius of insisting that faith in Christ is not the gift of God, he responded: “I never said this, I never thought of saying it, and, relying on God’s grace, I never…
The Loss of Arminius to the Remonstrants
One of the most frustrating aspects for the followers1 of Jacob Arminius’ teachings on God’s nature, character, salvation — including grace, election unto salvation, justification and conditional perseverance with an accompanying final or ultimate salvation…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace – Part Thirteen
BEN: What are the four testimonies that can bolster assurance of salvation, according to Arminius? In what sense is clear belief in Christ as savior a basis for assurance of salvation? KEITH: Arminius delineates what…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace – Part Twelve
BEN: What Arminius has to say about final justification seems to exclude the idea that works of piety and charity have anything to do with it (rather he opts for simple persevering in the faith…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace – Part Eleven
BEN: Arminius seems to be clear on the possibility of both intellectual and moral apostasy by a believer. Can you unpack his views for us briefly? Does he take the malicious rejection of Christ or…
Joshua Woo Sze Zeng, “James Arminius on the Significance of John Calvin’s Works”
I came across this interesting statement wrote by James (or Jacobus) Arminius, the founder of Arminianism: “After the holy scriptures, I exhort the students to read the Commentaries of Calvin… for I tell them that…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace – Part Ten
KEITH: Arminius did agree that the righteousness resulting from this reckoning comes to believers on the basis of Christ’s righteous obedience to the Father. Thus, in a sense, it is Christ’s righteousness that is imputed…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace – Part Nine
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…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace – Part Seven
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…
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