From our perspective, this article should be read in the light of humanity’s need for God’s grace to free us to be able to believe in Christ. On that point, see the Freed to Believe…
Fatalism
Roy Ingle, “Did God Cause The Fall of Man?”
The debate over the sovereignty of God often takes a strange turn whenever you begin to discuss the issue as it concerns the fall of humanity into sin. No one in the entire Christian world…
Predestination and Free Will in Romans 9 – 11, by Mako A. Nagasawa
Editor’s Note: Mako Nagasawa does not formally identify as Arminian, but his essay is a good representation of the narrative understanding of election shared by many Arminians. Romans 9 – 11 is sometimes taken as…
Arminius – Nine Theological Questions
THE NINE QUESTIONS: NINE OPPOSITE QUESTIONS 1. Which is first, Election, or Faith Truly Foreseen, so that God elected his people according to faith foreseen? 1. Is the decree “for bestowing Faith on any one,”…
Michael Egnor, “More Than Material Minds”
As a Christian and a neuroscientist, I keep learning that to be human is to have a soul. Please click on the link to view Michael Egnor, “More Than Material Minds,” Christianity Today September 14, 2014.
Adam Omelianchuk, “A Response to Theological Fatalism”
I had the privilege of taking a class with William Lane Craig on divine omniscience this past January and he had us respond to this argument by the Open Theist philosopher William Hasker: It is now true that…
Andrew Lobb, “Why Knowledge Is Just Knowledge”
Let’s do a thought experiment. Imagine, if you will, you have a pretty sweet computer. Maybe one the size of a couple of solar systems – very powerful, lots of memory. Now, an important figure,…
A CALVINIST DAD HAS “THE TALK”
A CALVINIST DAD HAS “THE TALK” DAD: Kids, Daddy wants to talk to you about God’s glory. KIDS: OK. DAD: You know God is glorified in all things, right? KIDS: Um, yeah. DAD: Everything…
Is Everything that Happens God’s Will? – Michael Brown
If you have trouble seeing the video, you can follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsr89DDV0ww&app=desktop
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.…
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…
Determinism in the Hebrew Scriptures: Hosea
What scholars refer to as the Minor Prophets, which include the books following the prophet Daniel (from Hosea to Malachi), we discover that the consistent theme of God’s sovereignty and humanity’s relative free will remain…
Determinism in the Hebrew Scriptures: Daniel
The prophet Daniel offers believers a startling portrait of our sovereign God while faithfully maintaining the biblical truth of genuine human freedom and responsibility. His doctrine of God’s sovereignty appears methodically organized in the exact…
Determinism in the Hebrew Scriptures: Ezekiel
As should be expected, the prophet Ezekiel promotes the same theoretical unCalvinistic and libertarian worldview as do both prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. This is not surprising, given the notion of Scripture as being wholly agreeable,…
Brian Abasciano, “True Love, Free Will, and Heaven”
Several years ago, a friend of mine asked the following question on his blog: The argument that there must be freedom of choice in order for their to be love towards God makes total sense…
Determinism in the Hebrew Scriptures: Jeremiah
“I don’t see how anyone could read the Old Testament and not conclude that Calvinism is right,” was the conclusion of one Calvinist professor, admitted in front of his class. In context, by “Calvinism” he…
Determinism in the Hebrew Scriptures: Isaiah
For consistent Calvinists like John Piper, an inevitable implication of the sovereignty of God — and what it means for God to be God — is a prominent thread easily detected throughout all of their…
Perhaps Compatibilistic Calvinism is the Answer … Perhaps Not
Relatively recently, Arminian scholar Jerry Walls has engaged Calvinist responses to his 2011 article, “Why No Classical Theist, Let Alone Orthodox Christian, Should Ever Be a Compatibilist.” Steve Hays, of Triablogue, attempts to undermine the…
Glen Shellrude, “My Problems with Calvinism (Summary)”
[This article may also be downloaded as a pdf.] 1. There is an inadequate exegetical basis for Calvinism. Determinism is based on a relatively small number of texts which are read in isolation from their…
Ben Witherington and Keith Stanglin, Jacob Arminius, Theologian of Grace– Part Four
BEN: Arminius seems to work hard to avoid making God the author of sin, or of anything evil for that matter, including the Fall. He is very willing to talk about God’s ‘permissive’ will when…