*First read my first four posts in this series. This essay continues a series about why I am an “evangelical Arminian Christian.” 5) My Fifth Principle: Answers to Life’s Ultimate Questions Must Be Revealed (And…
Arminianism
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 Fourteen
BEN: As we conclude this discussion, let’s talk about the practical implications of Arminius’ thought for today. It seems clear to me that Arminius, and Wesley as well, would have rejected recent ideas that have…
Roger Olson, “Why I am an ‘Evangelical Arminian Christian’ Part 4: My Fourth Principle: There Is No ‘View from Nowhere’…”
*First read my first three posts in this series. This essay continues a series of essays answering why I am an “evangelical Arminian Christian.” 4) My Fourth Principle: There Is No “View from Nowhere” (or…
Causal vs Social Centered — Part III: Atonement
The atonement debate is really interesting to me because to some degree it is a red herring. Both sides seem to think that the issue has to do with the nature of the Atonement. However…
Roger Olson, “Why I am an ‘Evangelical Arminian Christian’ Part 3: My Third Principle: Two Criteria for Deciding What Is True”
*First read my first two posts in this series. 3) My Third Principle: Two Criteria for Deciding What Is True (By Roger E. Olson) As I move on in this series of “my principles,” what…
Calvinists Concerned about the Salvation of Arminians
[Editor’s note: What is said in this post about Calvinists applies only to some Calvinists, not all.] Google-search “Are Arminians saved?” and you will discover how so very concerned Calvinists are regarding the possibility of…
Roger Olson, “Why I am an ‘Evangelical Arminian Christian’ Part 2: My Second Principle: Only I Can Decide What Is True (for Me)”
*First read “My First Principle…” which was the immediately preceding blog post. This essay is the second in a series about why I am an “evangelical Arminian Christian.” 2) My Second Principle: Only I Can…
Causal vs. Social Centered — Part II: Election
The question of election isn’t whether or not God chooses who to save, but whether or not He does so unconditionally. The question is whether or not our differences on this question are grounded in…
Roger Olson, “Why I am an ‘Evangelical Arminian Christian’ Part 1: My First Principle: Authority is Truth (over Status)”
*Here begins a series of essays about “Why I am an ‘Evangelical Arminian Christian’.” I begin at the beginning—with my fundamental principles of thought.These essays will appear every few days over the next few weeks.*…
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…
Video Lecture: Keith Stanglin, “How Much Purer Is the Synopsis Purioris Theologiae? A Comparison of Leiden Theology before and after Dordt”
This lecture was given on March 31, 2016 at the Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research’s Colloquium entitled, “The Leiden Synopsis Purioris Theologiae (1625) and Theological Disputation in the Era of Orthodoxy” held at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary…
Causal vs Social Centered — Part I: Glory
What Is Centeredness I have often heard it said by Calvinists that they are God centered while we are man centered. Now as far as I have seen, they’ve never really given a definition about…
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…
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…
Matthew Pinson, “Who’s Afraid of the Word ‘Synergist’?”
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.…
Scott R. Burson, “The First Comprehensive Arminian Assessment of Brian McLaren’s Theology and Apologetics”
Brian McLaren in Focus: A New Kind of Apologetics (Abilene Christian University Press, August 2016) By Scott R. Burson, Associate Professor of Philosophical Theology, Indiana Wesleyan University Why a New Book on Brian McLaren?…
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…
Steve Sewell, “Why the Draw to Calvinism?”
I find it strange for a Christian to be drawn to Calvinism — an anomaly, really. I don’t believe that Calvinistic theology is in harmony with who we are as followers of Christ. Christians are…
