From the concluding chapter of the recent book, Reconsidering Arminius: Beyond the Reformed and Wesleyan Divide, Dr. Keith D. Stanglin offers his own thoughts on Arminius’ theology in conversation with contemporary theological discourse. This task…
Arminius
Roy Ingle, “The Life of James Arminius”
Who was James (or Jacobus) Arminius? His actual name was Jacob Harmenszoon when he was born in Oudewater, Holland in 1559. His father died before his birth and thus Jacob was raised by a widowed…
Gomarus Learns from Arminius in Debate
By far Arminius’ fiercest opponent was Francis Gomarus (1563-1641), a supralapsarian Calvinist whose intent at Leiden was to undermine and challenge Arminius’ broadly Reformed scholastic orthodoxy. Arminius was drawn into debate with Gomarus by obligation,…
Arminius and the Remonstrants on the Forfeiture of Salvation
Years ago, I believed that Arminius was too ambivalent on the issue of the possibility of one falling away from the faith and forfeiting (or losing) one’s salvation by a subsequent rejection of that initial…
J. Matthew Pinson, “Listening to Arminius–and Not Just His Opponents–on Justification”
I often enjoy reading Reformation21, a blog of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. But I recently read a blog post by Mark Jones entitled “Arminian vs. Reformed on Justification” that diverged from the very careful…
The Doctrine of Original Sin: Arminius vs. Episcopius
The doctrine of original sin, to define the issue very simply, maintains that the effects of Adam and Eve’s sin, which is known as the first human sin, were passed ontologically (related to being or…
Roger Olson, “Arminius’s Reformed Doctrine of Justification”
This should be read ONLY in light of my previous post here “Arminian Doctrine of Justification Again Disputed” (May 28, 2015). There I expressed dismay at the continuing Reformed misrepresentation of Arminius’s and classical Arminians’…
Forthcoming Book on Jacob Arminius
From Cascade Books, a division of Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2015, Rustin E. Brian‘s forthcoming book, Jacob Arminius: The Man from Ouderwater, is slated for release by the end of this week. The author states…
Jacob Arminius’ Reformed Views on Justification
Given Arminius’ Reformed context, he argues for the Reformed teaching of Justification by Faith alone, or sola fide. Mark Jones, writing for Reformation21, quotes Herman Witsius to the effect, “Arminius, by his subtlety, frames vain…
Arminius vs. Perkins: Arminius’ Finger on the Pulse of Perseverance
I think Arminian scholars Keith Stanglin and Thomas McCall are correct in suggesting that “most scholars agree that Arminius taught that true believers can fall away.”1 The authors acknowledge that, for some readers, Arminius himself…
Dekker and Muller on Middle Knowledge in Arminius’ Theology
The following quotes are taken from Eef Dekker’s Was Arminius a Molinist? The Sixteenth Century Journal, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Summer, 1996), pp. 337-352. Arminius: The knowledge of God is a faculty of his life, which…
Was Arminius an Open Theist?
There exists a false charge that Arminius’ theology, when consistently maintained, renders one an Open Theist. This charge is merely a rhetorical one, synonymous with the insistence that the only consistent Calvinism is hyper-Calvinism, or…
J. Matthew Pinson, “The Nature of Atonement in the Theology of Jacob Arminius”
Please click on the link to view J. Matthew Pinson, “The Nature of Atonement in the Theology of Jacob Arminius” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 53.4 (December 2010) 773–85. Here is the author’s summary/conclusion of the article: Arminius…
Reformation Day Article: William Birch, “Luther’s Dangerous Reformation”
While the idea of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone is merely assumed Reformed doctrine, the formal principle of the Reformation was not unconditional election,…
Arminius on Certainty vs. Necessity
The following quote is from the Works of James Arminius, 1875 London Edition, Examination of Gomarus on Predestination. (Volume 3. p 547-549) Arminius’ Examination of Gomarus is only in the 1875 edition and is therefore…
New Book Arguing for Certain Influence on Arminius that Suggests He Eventually Rejected Middle Knowledge
Something for Arminius Geeks By Dr. Roger Olson Our number is few and I’m not even sure I’m one. Here I use the word “geek” in a non-pejorative way—as someone peculiarly (to others) interested in…
Arminius on the use of the moral law
This information is provided by SEA member, Roy Ingle IV. The uses of the moral law are various, according to the different conditions of man. (1.) The primary use, and that which was of itself…
Why I Am An Arminian
Part III: History
Many Calvinists claim that they represent historical orthodoxy. However, I believe that the opposite is true. In this post I intend to traverse Christian history and tease out, on a very basic and incomplete level,…
Arminius on why we sin
this post was written by SEA member, Roy Ingle I was reading from the Works of Arminius and noticed a short note he wrote on why we sin. Arminius wrote, “The efficient cause of actual…
Roger Olson, “Was Arminius an Arminian? (Report on A Vigorous Discussion)”
Yesterday (Nov. 24, 2013) I participated in a vigorous and invigorating panel discussion (followed by questions from the scholarly audience) about Arminius. The focus of the discussion was two new books about Arminius. (I have…