The Friday Files is SEA’s weekly look back at our archives. Our members’ names are in blue. Not everything in them reflects SEA’s positions (including my summaries), but they’re considered of interest to Arminians.
From last year: May 2019.
- Mike Winger, “Why I Think Calvinism Is Unbiblical.”
- Murray Vasser, “A Simple Graphic for Understanding Election in Romans 9.”
- Michael L. Brown, “Reflecting on the Death of a Progressive Christian.” On the death of Rachel Held Evans, and being gracious to fellow believers with whom we disagree.
- Roger E. Olson, “For Fellow Arminians and Quasi-Arminians (Non-Calvinists): Prevenient Grace.” After an interview with Leighton Flowers, Olson wonders how significant the difference is between Traditionalists and Arminians. [I’ll go where Olson won’t: Depends on the individual. Some are Pelagian; some aren’t.]
- Mark Horton (on the FWS Podcast), “Class Meetings and Wesleyan Discipleship.” [audio] Presented at the 2018 FWS Conference,
- Roy Ingle, “The Character of God.” The fundamental difference between Arminians and Calvinists isn’t God’s sovereignty; it’s his character. Yes God’s will is accomplished; no that doesn’t mean he wills we do evil.
- Kevin R.K. Davis, “Powerful Grace.” Defining grace, how it’s prevenient, and how Calvinists limit it.
- Joseph D. McPherson (on the FWS Podcast), “An Interview with Author Joseph D. McPherson.” [audio] McPherson’s the author of Just as New as Christianity and Exploring Early Methodism.
From five years ago: May 2015.
- Roger E. Olson, “Why Hyper-Calvinism Is Consistent Calvinism.” Either God unconditionally saves particular people or he doesn’t. If you affirm he does, indiscriminate evangelism is incorrect and should be avoided. [If you don’t… y’might be Arminian. Welcome to SEA!]
- Mike Barlotta, “How Free Is Free Will?” Thanks to prevenient grace, quite free. Reformers will disagree though.
- Thomas Cogswell Upham, “Humanity Demands a Personal God.” An impersonal, abstract god isn’t much different from no god at all.
- Roger E. Olson, “What’s Wrong with Calvinism?” Determinism. It makes God evil.
- Phillip A. Gray, “Foreknowledge and Freedom in the Fourth Gospel: Another Look at Open Theism.” [PDF] Open theism is an attempt to have a deterministic God who, because he doesn’t comprehensively foreknow human choices, isn’t really evil.
- Rich Davis, “Calvinism’s Misplaced Culpability.” Does God foreknow sinful events by ultimately causing them? Like atheists, Calvinists say yes.
From ten years ago: May 2010.
- Kevin Jackson, “Adoption—The Inheritance of a Son.” Adoption in the scriptures makes way more sense when one understands how the ancient Romans thought of it.
- William Birch, “The A Priori of Particular Grace.” The way Calvinists interpret election, what’s the point of the gospel?
- Martin Glynn, “Making God a Liar?” Because we have free will, is it possible for us to undo God’s promises?
Today: SEA’s links and books.
Hopefully this peek into SEA’s archive inspires you to dig into it further. If not—or if you’ve already done so—our links and books page provides plenty of reading material from other Arminians, particularly those who blog regularly. Have a look!
