Happy Sts. Justa and Rufina Day… and now the Friday Files, your ordinarily-weekly look back at what SEA has posted and linked to. Not all of them were written by Arminians; not all their views reflect SEA’s positions; heads up. Members’ names are in blue.
Posts are from the third week of July…
Last year! (2018)
- David Allen, “Calvin and the Extent of the Atonement: 21st Century Research.” [PDF] You may not realize John Calvin never directly affirmed a belief in limited atonement in his writings. Today’s Calvinists insist he believed in it anyway, same as they, ’cause reasons. Allen goes through some of the more recent published reasons.
- Don Thorsen, “Why Wesley, and Not Calvin.” Because Wesley taught about how the Christian life is practically lived, whereas Calvin’s all theory. (Thorsen also wrote a book about it, Calvin vs. Wesley: Bringing Belief in Line with Practice, which he plugs heavily in the article.)
- John Leek, “The Promise of Planting with Prevenient Grace.” When you plant a church, it helps to recognize the Holy Spirit’s been laying the groundwork long before you ever got there.
- Vic Reasoner, “Sin, part 1.” Part of the FWS Podcast. in two parts. Reasoner introduces the doctrine of sin.
Five years ago! (2014)
- Roger E. Olson, “Arminianism FAQ 3 (Everything You Always Wanted to Know…)” On open theism, Molinism, meriting one’s salvation, leaning towards liberal theology, and whether Arminianism is about free will.
- Roger E. Olson, “Arminianism FAQ 4 (Everything You Always Wanted to Know…)” On Romans 9, the lack of Arminian populists, and why Arminians tend to shun our label.
- David Allen, “Carl Trueman on John Owen, the Covenant of Redemption, and Definite Atonement: Review 9, From Heaven He Came and Sought Her.” Trueman writes about John Owen and his Covenant of Redemption theory—and its problems; namely that it’s not found in the scriptures.
- David Allen, “Review of Williamson, ‘Election, Atonement, and Intercession in the Pentateuch’ in From Heaven He Came and Sought Her, Part 10.” The authors, beginning with the Pentateuch, look at the scriptures which support limited (or definite) atonement. Problem is, there aren’t any. So they spend much of their time explaining why these passages don’t mean what they appear to.
Ten years ago! (2009)
- Solus Arminius, “The Controversial Jacobus Arminius.” Because you’re gonna be controversial when you go against the mainstream, and in Arminius’s day that’d be supralapsarian Calvinists.
- J.C. Thibodaux, “The Calvinist Mitigation of the Divine Warnings Given to the Saints.” Since Calvinists insist no true believer would ever fall away, the warnings against apostasy must therefore be God trying to psyche us out, and make us follow him more. [Um… by trying to deceive people who know better?]
- SEA Admin, “Exploring the Psychology of Embracing Calvinism.” Because Calvinists like to emphasize election, it makes people feel good that God personally chose them.
- Brennon Hartshorn, “Proof-texting Without Context: A Closer Look at 2 Timothy 2:25.” The thinking is “If God perhaps will grant them repentance” implies God has to initially give people the power to repent. But Paul’s writing of two false teachers who have to choose to repent.
- Martin Glynn, “Ephesians 1:9-10; A Devotional.” God doesn’t have a secret plan for the cosmos; he revealed it in Christ, and Paul reminds us of it right here.
Links to visit!
There’s all kinds of stuff in the Christian blogosphere of Arminian interest. Feel free to browse our links. Our members write a lot, so between their articles and SEA’s archives, there’s no shortage of material.
