It’s the St. Prisca’s Day edition of the Friday Files, our weekly glance at old SEA articles and links. Which aren’t all that old. Pretty sure we posted them within your lifetime.
Most of ’em were written or recorded by Arminians… but sometimes they’re not; hence our weekly disclaimer they don’t always reflect the views of SEA. Our members’ names are highlighted in blue.
Last year! (Jan. 2018)
This week last year was all about catching up on episodes of the Remonstrance podcast.
• Episode #22, where they continue to discuss Chris Bounds’s “spectrum of salvation,” as they did in episode #21. This week: Augustinianism.
• Episode #23 introduces three different Wesleyan-Arminian perspectives about sanctification, as spelled out by Chris Bounds. Starting with the shorter way.
• Episode #24 continues on sanctification, specifically the middle and longer ways.
Five years ago! (Jan. 2014)
• The very beginning of David L. Allen’s chapter-by-chapter review of editors David and Jonathan Gibson’s 2013 book From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective. (“Definite atonement” is what Calvinists call atonement when they wanna downplay how they imagine God arbitrarily limits it.) Part 1 introduces the book.
• Part 2 of Allen’s review is on the editors’ chapter “Sacred Theology and the Reading of the Divine Word,” in which they define definite atonement in a very generic way.
• Part 3 of Allen’s review is on Michael Haykin’s chapter on definite atonement in the ancient church. Not that the church fathers taught the idea, but Haykin tries his darnedest to deduce it from them regardless.
• Evan Minton writes on “The Incompatibility of Compatiblism”: It’s not logically possible to both determine people’s actions, yet maintain their actions were the result of their won free will.
• A link to the Nazarene Church’s Wesleyan-Holiness Digital Library. Free books!
Ten years ago! (Jan. 2009)
• Solus Arminius on “Faith, Works, and Obedience.” Arminians teach that Christians need to obey God—and so did the early Calvinists. Yet nowadays many Calvinists link sanctification to works-righteousness. As if our good works are even possible without God’s grace.
• Solus Arminius on “Amazing or Irresistible Grace.” Somehow Calvinists figure God’s grace isn’t amazing unless it’s limited to a chosen few, instead of all who call upon the Lord. And the scriptures affirm people can likewise resist the Lord.
• J.C. Thibodaux’s “Synergism as a Model for God’s Glory.” Is our sanctification monergistic or synergistic? And if in any way synergistic, does it deny God’s glory because he permits puny humans to have any say in our relationship with him?
• John Wesley’s “The Question, ‘What Is an Arminian?’ Answered by a Lover of Free Grace.” An Arminian classic, in which Wesley explains why he embraced Arminianism, and how he defines it.
Today: SEA members’ blogs.
I remind you as always: If you’re still looking for stuff to read, we SEA members have blogs. Dig in. All the way up to your elbows.
