Arminius Speaks

Arminius Speaks
Author: James Arminius
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 393
Release: 2010-12-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1498272975

James Arminius is one of the most maligned and misunderstood theologians in church history. In an era of major debate over predestination, free will, and related concepts, Arminius was accused of being Pelagian, Semi-Pelagian, or a heretic of all sorts. This is a trend that started in his time and has continued to this day. The truth is that he was a brilliant theologian who shook the foundations of Calvinism to the core. Yet he was quite orthodox in his thinking, as he had come right out of the Protestant Reformation, though he sought to reform some ideas of Calvin and Luther. Contrary to common belief, Arminius believed in the utter depravity of man and that a major work of grace, i.e., prevenient grace, is necessary to bring a person to repentance. He also emphatically rejected Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism. He thoroughly answers every accusation against him and masterfully refutes William Perkins, a major Calvinist writer of that time. How do we ultimately understand what he thought? By carefully reading his writings. Until now, this was not an easy task. The only way has been to wade through his three-volume "Works," totaling 2, 300 pages. Hence the need for a compendium of some of his best writings, edited for modern readers. Our hope is to help a new generation of Christians understand this much-misunderstood theologian, an understanding especially needed in an era in which Calvinism is experiencing a major resurgence.

Jacob Arminius

Jacob Arminius
Author: Keith D. Stanglin
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2012-11-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199755671

Richard A. Muller, P. J. Zondervan Professor of Historical Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary --

On Predestination

On Predestination
Author: Jacobus Arminius
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2015-06-25
Genre:
ISBN: 9781514701621

Jacobus Arminius (1560 -1609), the Latinized name of the Dutch theologian Jakob Hermanszoon from the Protestant Reformation period, served from 1603 as professor in theology at the University of Leiden. He wrote many books and treatises on theology, and his views became the basis of Arminianism and the Dutch Remonstrant movement. Arminius wrote that he sought to teach only those things which could be proved from the Scriptures and that tended toward edification among Christians (with the exception of Roman Catholics, with whom he said there could be no spiritual accord). His motto was reputed to be "Bona conscientia paradisus," meaning, "A good conscience is a paradise." Arminius taught of a "preventing" (or prevenient) grace that has been conferred upon all by the Holy Spirit and this grace is "sufficient for belief, in spite of our sinful corruption, and thus for salvation." Arminius stated that "the grace sufficient for salvation is conferred on the Elect, and on the Non-elect; that, if they will, they may believe or not believe, may be saved or not be saved." William Witt states that "Arminius has a very high theology of grace. He insists emphatically that grace is gratuitous because it is obtained through God's redemption in Christ, not through human effort." Arminius referred to even faith as being received from God as a gift.

The Arminian Confession of 1621

The Arminian Confession of 1621
Author: Mark A. Ellis
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 157
Release: 2005-08-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1597523372

In 1621, two years after their hopes for free and open debate were dashed at the Synod of Dort, the colleagues and students of Jacobus Arminius published the 'Confession or Declaration of the Pastors, which in the Belgian Federation are called the Remonstrants, on the principle articles of the Christian Religion.' The first and perhaps most important of Arminian confessions, written by Simon Episcopius (Arminius' successor at the University of Leiden and leader of the Remonstrant party at Dort) and then approved at a gathering of Remonstrant pastors, provided not only a defense of the Òfive pointsÓ condemned at Dort, but also a succinct declaration of the entire range of their theology. This fresh, unabridged translation of the Confession, the first since 1676, together with the original Latin, allows the contemporary reader to interface directly with theology of the original Remonstrant leaders without the intervening interpretations of either their opponents or later admirers.