Please click on the link to read Chris Bounds, “Four Views of Salvation, Part 3: Other Views on Salvation on the Spectrum,” available online from Holy Joys. Chris Bounds is Dean and Professor of the…
Augustine
Chris Bounds, “Four Views of Salvation, Part 2: Semi-Augustinianism and Augustinianism”
Please click on the link to read Chris Bounds, “Four Views of Salvation, Part 2: Semi-Augustinianism and Augustinianism,” available online from Holy Joys. Chris Bounds is Dean and Professor of the School of Theology &…
Accepting/Rejecting Calvinism (Pt. 13: Calvinism, Church History, and Prevenient Grace)
This is from a series of posts which was copied with permission from Jordan Apodaca’s blog, “Thoughts & Anti-Thoughts,” which can be accessed here: https://jordanapodaca.wordpress.com/ This particular post, which allows comments, can be accessed here: https://jordanapodaca.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/acceptingrejecting-calvinism-pt-13-calvinism-church-history-and-prevenient-grace/…
A Letter to Dr. R. C. Sproul Sr. by John Wagner
SEA member John Wagner recently sent a letter to Dr. R. C. Sproul Sr. in response to issues with Sproul’s well-known book Chosen By God. Here is the letter: JohnWagner_LetterTo_RCSproul
Brian Roden: “The Doctrine of Election: Corporate Calling of a People with Conditional Individual Participation in the Elect”
This was my capstone paper for my Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. It received the 2017 Stanley M. Horton award for best seminar paper. (Stanley M.…
David Bentley Hart, “Traditio Deformis” (On Augustine’s Misreading of Romans)
Please click on the link to view David Bentley Hart, “Traditio Deformis.”
Sin, Reprobation and Foreknowledge: The Calvinists Attempt to Have Their Cake And Eat it Too
The doctrine of the unconditional election of a part, necessarily implies the unconditional reprobation of the rest. I know some who hold to the former, seem to deny the latter; for they represent God as…
Augustine’s Evolving Views on God’s Sovereignty (Part 2)
We have been examining Augustine’s changing views on faith, free will, and God’s sovereignty. His original views on these topics evolved from a synergistic model (where God and man cooperate in coming to faith) to…
Augustine’s Evolving Views on God’s Sovereignty (Part 1)
In a previous post we examined Augustine’s changing views on free will. His original view regarding free will and faith mirrored that of the other early church writers and theologians. But later, Augustine articulated views…
Mike Barlotta – Augustine’s Evolving Views on Free Will
Augustine (354-430) is considered one of the most influential Christian theologians and philosophers. In the Parchment and Pen Top 10 theologian series, he was ranked #1. As a young man, Augustine studied rhetoric. During his…
Mike Barlotta – An Ancient Theologian tackles John 6 and Romans 9
John Chrysostom, a 4th century theologian, served as Bishop of Constantinople and was known for his preaching and ascetic lifestyle. What made him a noteworthy teacher was his ability and desire to be understood by…
Martin Glynn, “Reponse to Jesse Morrell’s Video: Beyond Augustine”
Jesse Morrel has recently released a video where he argues that Calvinism is rooted in ancient gnostic theology. While many of you know that I am against Calvinism, I don’t completely agree with Morrel’s assessment of…
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,…
John Wesley: Neither Pelagian nor Augustinian
written by by Henry Knight III A common criticism of Wesley’s theology, especially from those of a more Calvinist inclination, is that it grounds salvation not on grace but human decision. This is, to put…
Augustine on Falling from Grace
The fifth point of Calvinism is Perseverance of the Saints. The Westminster Confession defines Perseverance of the Saints as: They, whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by his Spirit, can…
Church History vs. Calvinism (Part Two)
Emperor Constantine (AD 272-337), according to Laurence M. Vance,
- became the sole ruler of the Western branch of the Roman empire after defeating Maxentius (c. 283-312) at the famous Battle of the Mulvian Bridge, near Rome, in 312. It was here that Constantine claimed to have seen a vision of a shining cross that led to his victory. . . .
After supposedly attributing his victory to the “Christian God,” Constantine joined with Licinius (c. 265-325), one of the emperors of the East, in issuing in 313, at Milan, a decree of toleration toward Christianity.1
By this time, the marriage of the Church to the state would be her downfall. Thus, in many cases, the redeemed sat alongside the unredeemed in every church service. Theodosius, Constantine’s successor, by AD 381, proclaimed to all people that they “steadfastly adhere to the religion which was taught by St. Peter to the Romans, which has been faithfully preserved by tradition.”2
John Jefferson Davis, “The Perseverance of the Saints: A History of the Doctrine”
[Please note that that author is a Calvinist theologian, but this is a historical review of the doctrine that does not involve the author in arguing for his view. The web version of this article…
Interesting Links 11-01-09
The Spokane Examiner has an article entitled: A Methodist’s Take on Predestination and Free Will. (HT: Wesley Wong) Richard Coords takes a look at a dissertation that explores the potential Gnostic influence on Augustine’s doctrine…
Ben Henshaw, “Augustine the Libertarian”
Some refer to Calvinism as Augustinianism. John Calvin took the teachings of the later Augustine and systematized them. The only major difference between the later Augustine and Calvin’s theology is the doctrine of perseverance. Augustine…
