John Wesley was someone who focused on the practical matters of living out the Christian life. But he did not ignore the essential doctrines of the faith. In sermon #45, entitled “The New Birth”,…
Arminianism
Andrew Hnatiuk, “Prevenient Grace: An Introduction”
Understanding the doctrine of prevenient grace was one of the most valuable studies for me after leaving Calvinism. It provided an answer to one of the simplest arguments I used to make for Calvinism: I…
Ben Witherington and Roger Olson, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology – Part 5”
BEN: One of the major emphases in Stanglin and McCall’s fine book on Jacob Arminius is that Arminius did not agree with Beza et al. on the issue of monergism, which is to say that…
Can One Be Both a Calvinist and a Molinist?
Can one be both a Calvinist and a Molinist? Many Reformed Christians have deemed this an impossibility, while some prominent Reformed philosophers like Alvin Plantinga and Del Ratzsch profess to be simultaneously Calvinists and Molinists.…
Life is like a …
On one of the Society of Evangelical Arminian (SEA) forums, we were exploring illustrations on how we might describe the world, specifically how can we describe the interactions between God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom and…
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…
Why I May or May Not Respond to Every Comment
Originally posted on Arminian Theology. Any hitherto reference to “this site” is a reference to Arminian Theology. While this represents that site’s official policy, we felt it apt to recommend this policy to other bloggers. …
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…
Andrew Hnatiuk, “(Re)Thinking through Romans 9”
Share This: Via Twitter | Via Facebook *All scripture quotations are from NASB, unless otherwise noted. In his song “Context”, Calvinist recording artist Flame says: “exegesis is the careful systematic study of scripture for the…
Wesley’s Question, “How’s Your Doing?”
When Christians gather in small groups together, we usually greet one another with the colloquial “How are you doing?” This question can also be used to describe what happens thereafter. Many small groups that focus…
Ben Witherington and Roger Olson, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology – Part 2”
BEN: Roger you seem to spend a good deal of effort trying to say that Arminian theology could rightly be called a form of Reformed theology, though one distinct from high Calvinism at various points.…
Randy L. Maddox, “Theology of John and Charles Wesley”
Please click on the link to view Randy L. Maddox, “Theology of John and Charles Wesley,” in T&T Clark Companion to Methodism, 20–35. Edited by Charles Yrigoyen, Jr. New York: T&T Clark, 2010.
Ben Witherington, “Roger Olson’s Arminian Theology– Part One”
Roger Olson’s fine book entitled Arminian Theology. Myths and Realities (IVP, 2006, 266 pages) is a must read for those who don’t really know much about the differences and similarities between Arminian theology and Calvinist…
Wesley’s Creedal Faith
Wesley once stated that early on the Oxford Methodists were tenaciously orthodox, “firmly believing not only the three creeds, but whatsoever they judged to be the doctrine of the Church of England, as contained in…
The Arminian Conundrum
John Owen, seventeenth-century Calvinist theologian who insists that Arminians are “tares in the field” of God’s kingdom, emissaries and mouthpieces of Satan, who “by their words, which are smoother than oil, [an individual can] taste…
Can God Love All People?
Calvinist John Piper answers the question he himself frames and thus poses: “Why can’t God eternally love those who don’t believe in Him?” (link) Is there not at least one obvious and inherent flaw in…
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…
Roger Olson, “Does God Love Everyone? Review of New Book about Calvinism and Arminianism”
Yesterday I was asked by bright, eager, young Christian student of theology to identify “the one major difference between Calvinism and Arminianism.” Without hesitation I identified it the way evangelical Arminian philosopher Jerry Walls does…
Steve Sewell: Response to John Piper: “How Do Arminians Pray?”
John Piper video clip: How Do Arminians Pray? In Piper’s words, Arminians praying to God for someone’s salvation: “Arminians don’t believe that He has the right and authority and power to save anybody. Do they?…
Roger Olson, “Why I am an ‘Evangelical Arminian Christian’ Part 10: Wrapping Up ‘Why I Am an Evangelical, Arminian Christian’ (Final Installment)”
*First read my first nine posts in this series; they precede this blog post. *Now concludes a second part of this series; this series is about my reasons for being a Christian and for embracing…
