In our time it is common to hear about the resurgence of Calvinism. It seems with popular Calvinist speakers such as John Piper, Albert Mohler, and others, Calvinism has been enjoying a resurgence especially among…
History
Mark K. Olson, “The Joy of Conversion”
The Joy of Conversion New life in Christ is exciting and fulfilling. Below, there is a link to early testimonies of conversion gathered by Charles Wesley in the early 1740s. They are fascinating to read.…
Roy Ingle, “Lessons Learned from Alexander Campbell”
I have been reading a book by Richard Cherok entitled, Debating For God, which covers the life of Alexander Campbell’s defense of Christianity during the 19th century against various attackers, but the most famous being Robert…
Mark K. Olson on Wesleyans vs Calvinists: “The Minutes Controversy 1770-1777”
Historical Setting In 1739 theological differences over election and predestination became public between John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. It led to a sharp breach in 1741, though on a personal level the Wesleys…
How Far Back Does the Concept of Prevenient Grace Go?
On his website, Arminian Perspectives, Ben Henshaw has a questions page at which he answers questions about Arminianism and Calvinism that visitors to his site pose in the comment section of the page. Here is a question…
Mark K. Olson, “John Wesley & The Imitation of Christ”
Background The Imitation of Christ is one of the most influential writings on Christian devotion ever written. Both Catholics and Protestants have turned to the Imitation over the centuries for spiritual counsel and direction. Apart from the Bible, the Imitation has…
Animated Video: “The John Wesley Story”
Vision Video has produced a number of church history animated cartoons in a series called The Torchlighters. Episode 13, covering John Wesley, is available in full at Vision Video’s YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/gF4vkrOXw0c From the video…
Early Augustine on Foreknowledge Compared to Memory
[This post first appeared at Gospel Encounter where comments can be made] I do not remember where I first read Augustine’s comparison of foreknowledge to memory, but it stuck in my mind and I continue…
Andrew V. Sullivan, “The Arminian Roots of John and Charles Wesley”
[To view the footnotes on this page, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Clicking on the hyperlinked footnotes will take you off site to the notes in the original article location.] Introduction John…
William Burt Pope on the History of the Doctrine of Regeneration
Please click on the link to view William Burt Pope on the History of the Doctrine of Regeneration from pp. 20-27 of the third volume of his 3-volume systematic theology, A Compendium of Christian Theology. The…
Some Calvinist Scholars Admit That Arminianism Is Neither Pelagian Nor Semi-Pelagian
From Calvinist scholars Robert A. Peterson and Michael D. Williams, Why I Am Not An Arminian, p. 39: Does the antipathy between Calvinism and Arminianism suggest that Pelagius, the arch-opposite of Augustine, is the proper…
Mark K. Olson, “Luther & Wesley on The Theologia Germanica”
The Christian mystics were devotional writers of the Reformation and post-Reformation eras. They stressed union with God through inner purification and illumination. Many of them were Roman Catholic. Their influence was enormous among Catholics and…
William Burt Pope on the History of the Doctrine of the Divine Righteousness for Man and in Man
Please click on the link to view William Burt Pope on the History of the Doctrine of the Divine Righteousness for Man and in Man from pp. 418-51 of the second volume of his 3-volume systematic…
Mark K. Olson, “William Law and John Wesley”
Wlliam Law exerted an enormous influence on John Wesley during his Oxford period, to the point that Wesley sought his spiritual counsel and patterned his preaching and ministry after his mentor’s teachings. To better understand…
Richard Ellis, “A Reflection on Arminius’s Children”
This picture of a dutch child learning to walk was drawn by Rembrandt in 1646 Today I find myself coming back to Arminius’s writings on The Seventh Chapter of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.…
Video: Documentary on the Synod of Dort: A Disgrace in the History of Protestantism
The below video can also be accessed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/sq8IgwVfjAU. From the video’s YouTube page: This documentary examines what really happened between 1618 and 1619 in the Dutch city of Dordrecht, during one of…
Roy Ingle, “A Couple of Movie Reviews”
[Editor’s note: This post originally came out in 2009, so it is not about new or new-ish movies. Nevertheless, the movies are still available to watch, and so there is value in hearing the author’s…
William Burt Pope on the History of Debate Over Preliminary Grace
Please click on the link to view William Burt Pope on the History of Debate Over Preliminary Grace from pp. 386-90 of the second volume of his 3-volume systematic theology, A Compendium of Christian Theology.…
Mark K. Olson, “John Wesley on Assurance of Salvation”
John Wesley on Assurance of Salvation Assurance of salvation is a vital topic for anyone who desires to be with Christ in eternity. A young man once asked Jesus, “What good thing must I do…
Roy Ingle, “The Historical Demise of Arminianism”
[Editor’s Note: This post is from 2009, when Calvinism was resurging. The Calvinist resurgence seems to have leveled off and even begun to decline in recent years while Arminianism seems to have gained ground again.…
