The Church history of Loraine Boettner (1901-1990), as such intersects with Calvinism, is a world of fantastical claims not at all grounded in reality. From the Grace Online Library, Boettner is quoted as insisting, “It…
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Church Fathers on Libertarian Free Will
Clement of Rome: (Knew Peter and Paul personally. He was the third or fourth bishop of Rome. Tradition has identified him with the Clement who is mentioned in Philippians 4:3) “For no other reason does…
Jack Cottrell, “Did The Early Christian Fathers Teach Calvinism?”
The following appeared on non-Calvinist scholar Jack Cottrell’s Facebook page (dated July 25, 2011): QUESTION: Some say that the doctrines of Calvinism did not begin with John Calvin, nor even with Augustine (died A.D. 430).…
Steve Witzki, Early Christian Writers on Apostasy
In the attached article, Steve Witzki surveys the thought of the early church on the topic of apostasy, concluding: “It seems rather apparent that the Ante-Nicene Fathers believed that a Christian could sever their saving…
Church Fathers on Foreknowledge and Freewill
Some Calvinists suggest that God’s foreknowledge is based on His plan and/or knowledge of causal relations rather then based on the future. I thought I would look up what the church fathers had to say…
Calvinists Interpreting Church History
In a previous post I suggested that when it comes to interpreting non-Calvinistic Church history or representing Arminian or non-Calvinistic theology, many Calvinists cannot be trusted. We find very few academic exceptions (and this can…
Calvinist Scholar Finds: “The Remonstrants Clearly Were Not Pelagians”
“The Remonstrants clearly were not Pelagians.” You would think that such a statement comes from the lips or pen of an Arminian scholar or pastor, but it originally came from Reformed Baptist scholar Mark A.…
Church History vs. Calvinism (Part Two)
Emperor Constantine (AD 272-337), according to Laurence M. Vance,
- became the sole ruler of the Western branch of the Roman empire after defeating Maxentius (c. 283-312) at the famous Battle of the Mulvian Bridge, near Rome, in 312. It was here that Constantine claimed to have seen a vision of a shining cross that led to his victory. . . .
After supposedly attributing his victory to the “Christian God,” Constantine joined with Licinius (c. 265-325), one of the emperors of the East, in issuing in 313, at Milan, a decree of toleration toward Christianity.1
By this time, the marriage of the Church to the state would be her downfall. Thus, in many cases, the redeemed sat alongside the unredeemed in every church service. Theodosius, Constantine’s successor, by AD 381, proclaimed to all people that they “steadfastly adhere to the religion which was taught by St. Peter to the Romans, which has been faithfully preserved by tradition.”2
Church History vs. Calvinism (Part One)
To say that any semblance of a Calvinistic framework is entirely absent from the teachings of the early Church fathers, as will become evident shortly, is an understatement. Ironically enough, however, John Calvin was not…
Roy Ingle, “The Inconsistency of Calvinism On Free Will and Sovereignty”
The nature of divine sovereignty and human freedom has been often debated by both Arminian and Calvinist theologians for centuries. From the birth of the early Church, human freedom and divine sovereignty have often been…
Seng-Kong Tan, “The Doctrine of the Trinity in John Wesley’s Prose and Poetic Works”
Dr. Seng-Kong Tan serves at Biblical Graduate School of Theology. This article was previously published in the Journal for Christian Theological Research 7 (2002). [To view the footnotes on this page, scroll down to the bottom of…
Roy Ingle, “The Down-Grade Controversy”
It has often been said that when we fail to understand the past, we fail to interpret the future. Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 reminds us that “there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which…
Julian E. Pace IV, “Pietist Credentials of John Wesley”
Abstract: This article explores how the Pietist impulse, in both its “churchly” and “radical” forms, profoundly shaped the theology and spirituality of John Wesley. Churchly Pietists such as the Moravians, as well as the radical…
Video: Once Saved Always Saved? A Documentary Film
From the film’s YouTube page: The film “Once Saved, Always Saved?” is a thought-provoking documentary that examines the controversial doctrine of eternal security in Christianity. Through interviews with scholars, theologians, and religious leaders, the film…
Roy Ingle, “The Abuse of 1 John 2:19”
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they…
Roy Ingle, “True Conversions”
[This post is from 2008 and refers to some things going on back then. It also contains some potentially controversial comments, and it should be remembered that posts appearing on SEA’s do not necessarily represent…
Mark K. Olson, “John Wesley’s Order of Eschatological Events”
Abstract: As a postmillennialist Wesley understood the books of Daniel and Revelation to spell out salvation history from the 6th century BCE to the final consummation. The kingdom of God arrives in two phases: at…
Ben Henshaw, “An Arminian Response to C. Michael Patton’s ‘The Ultimate Balanced Guide to Arminianism (From a Calvinist)’: The Good, the Bad, and the [Very] Ugly”
You can find Patton’s original post here I was referred to this recent post by C. Michel Patton and thought I would respond to it. My comments can be found in-between sections of his post below:…
Mark K. Olson, “From Heaven Above to New Creation Below”
Abstract: In this third installment, John Wesley’s eschatology is surveyed from his Oxford period in the 1720s to his mature thoughts in the 1780s. It is further shown that the early Wesley was an amillennialist…
Edward H. Dewart, “The Life & Theology of Arminius” (1875)
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordpress.com] We deem, it, therefore, not inappropriate, in this first number of our METHODIST MAGAZINE—a part of whose mission will be to expound and defend our Scriptural, Arminian theology—by a…
