Download or read book Arminius Speaks written by James Arminius and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2010-12-06 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Nature of the Will in the Writings of Calvin and Arminius written by Alrick George Headley and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2017-06-05 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looking for deeper insights into an age-old debate on the question of the issue of free will in the theology of Calvin and Arminius? You've come to the right place. When the general question, "does man have a free will?" is directed to John Calvin and James Arminius, the received and oft-repeated answer is that Calvin, jealous for the glory of God, opposes free will and that Arminius, being human-centered, advocates for free will, thus robbing God of his glory. This book shows, through a fresh look at the original sources, that the above characterization of the differences between Calvin and Arminius on the nature of the human will is misguided. For, by using the fourfold state of human beings as the lens through which to ask and answer the question, it is shown here that the glory of God constitutes the main reason underlying both Calvin's opposition to, and Arminius's advocacy of, free will. Moreover, though for different reasons and with many nuances, Calvin and Arminius do agree seventy-five percent of the time--in the created, the redeemed, and the glorified state--that human beings possess free will. However, they differ significantly on the location, efficacy, and function of that free will. For Calvin, free will is a gift of grace; for Arminius, it is a gift of grace and nature.
Download or read book Calvin vs Wesley written by Dr. Don Thorsen and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2013-10-15 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Congregations are made up of people with all sorts of theologies. Pastor Mike Slaughter even says that these can stand in the way of the church’s mission of social and personal holiness. But most people do not adopt a theology on purpose, mostly they merely breathe in the prevailing cultural air. The theology "de jour" seems to be Calvinist, with its emphasis on “the elect” and “other worldly salvation.” In fact, there is so much Calvinism saturating the culture, that some do not even know there is an alternative way of thinking about their faith. They don’t know where to go to find a viable option; they don’t even know the key words to search Google. So people are left thinking like Calvinists but living with a desire to change the world, offering grace and hope to hurting people in mission and ministry—loving the least, the last, and the lost. In other words, they are living like Wesleyans. This book shows what Calvinist and Wesleyans actually believe about human responsibility, salvation, the universality of God’s grace, holy living through service, and the benefits of small group accountability--and how that connects to how people can live. Calvinists and Wesleyans are different, and by knowing the difference, people will not only see the other benefits of Wesleyan theology but will be inspired to learn more. By knowing who they are as faithful people of God, they will be motivated to reach out in mission with renewed vigor. And they won’t be obstacles to grace and holiness, but they can be better disciples and advocates for Christ through service in this world.
Download or read book Jacob Arminius written by Keith D. Stanglin and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2012-11-15 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Richard A. Muller, P. J. Zondervan Professor of Historical Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary --
Download or read book For Calvinism written by Michael Horton and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2011-10-25 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In an eloquent defense of Calvinist theology, author and professor Michael Horton invites us to explore the teachings of Calvinism—also commonly known as Reformed theology—by showing how it is biblical and Christ-centered, leading us to live our lives for the glory of God. The system of theology known as Calvinism has been immensely influential for the past five hundred years, but it's often encountered negatively as a fatalistic belief system that confines human freedom and renders human action and choice irrelevant. Taking us beyond the caricatures and typical reactions, For Calvinism: Explores the historical roots of Reformed thought. Delivers the essence of Calvinism, examining its distinctive characteristics, such as election, atonement, effectual calling, and perseverance. Encourages us to consider its rich resources for faith and practice in the present age. As a companion to Roger Olson's Against Calvinism critique and response, readers will be able to compare contrasting perspectives and form their own opinions on the merits and weaknesses of Calvinism.
Download or read book Arminian Theology written by Roger E. Olson and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2009-08-20 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Roger Olson sets forth classical Arminian theology and addresses the myriad misunderstandings and misrepresentations of it through the ages. For anyone interested in the Calvinist/Arminian debate, this irenic yet incisive book argues that classical Arminian theology has a rightful place in the evangelical church because of its deep roots within Reformational theology.
Download or read book Why I Am Not a Calvinist written by Jerry L. Walls and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-06-06 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paying particular attention to the issue of God's sovereignty, Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. Dongell critique biblical and theological weaknesses of Calvinist thought.
Download or read book Why I Am Not an Arminian written by Robert A. Peterson and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-08-03 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring biblical, theological and historical perspectives, Robert A. Peterson and Michael D. Williams critique problemmatic aspects of Arminian thought, particularly Arminian views on human nature and God's sovereignty.
Download or read book Edwards on the Will written by Allen C. Guelzo and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2008-03-17 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jonathan Edwards towered over his contemporaries--a man over six feet tall and a figure of theological stature--but the reasons for his power have been a matter of dispute. Edwards on the Will offers a persuasive explanation. In 1753, after seven years of personal trials, which included dismissal from his Northampton church, Edwards submitted a treatise, Freedom of the Will, to Boston publishers. Its impact on Puritan society was profound. He had refused to be trapped either by a new Arminian scheme that seemed to make God impotent or by a Hobbesian natural determinism that made morality an illusion. He both reasserted the primacy of God's will and sought to reconcile freedom with necessity. In the process he shifted the focus from the community of duty to the freedom of the individual. Edwards died of smallpox in 1758 soon after becoming president of Princeton; as one obituary said, he was "a most rational . . . and exemplary Christian." Thereafter, for a century or more, all discussion of free will and on the church as an enclave of the pure in an impure society had to begin with Edwards. His disciples, the "New Divinity" men--principally Samuel Hopkins of Great Barrington and Joseph Bellamy of Bethlehem, Connecticut--set out to defend his thought. Ezra Stiles, president of Yale, tried to keep his influence off the Yale Corporation, but Edwards's ideas spread beyond New Haven and sparked the religious revivals of the next decades. In the end, old Calvinism returned to Yale in the form of Nathaniel William Taylor, the Boston Unitarians captured Harvard, and Edwards's troublesome ghost was laid to rest. The debate on human freedom versus necessity continued, but theologians no longer controlled it. In Edwards on the Will, Guelzo presents with clarity and force the story of these fascinating maneuverings for the soul of New England and of the emerging nation.
Download or read book A Defense Of Calvinism written by Charles Haddon Spurgeon and published by Fig. This book was released on with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book 40 Questions About Calvinism written by Shawn D. Wright and published by Kregel Academic. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 40 Questions About Calvinism , church historian Shawn Wright tackles many issues about the theological system known as Calvinism. Taking an irenic approach, Wright explains the key doctrines while also contrasting them with Arminianism. The accessible format allows readers to easily look up topics in which they’re most interested, including: • What is the difference between Calvinism and the Reformed tradition? • Does God love all people? • Did Jesus die for the sins of the whole world? • Can people resist the Holy Spirit? • Do Calvinists practice evangelism and missions? “Here is a book to put into the hands of such inquirers whose understanding of Calvinism may have been formed by those who caricature it. The fact that each chapter is a question helps readers go straight to the issue that is dogging them.” —Conrad Mbewe, Kabwata Baptist Church, Lusaka, Zambia “If you are a non-Calvinist seeking answers about Calvinism, you will find a clear and winsome presentation of the position, as well as a response to some key criticisms. If you are a Calvinist looking for a model of how to talk about these things with non-Calvinists, then you will find a helpful and humble model for explaining the Calvinist position and its points of disagreement with Arminianism, in a fair-minded, evenhanded way.” —Ligon Duncan, Reformed Theological Seminary
Download or read book Milton s Theological Process written by Jason A. Kerr and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024-01-12 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume proposes a method for reading Milton's De Doctrina Christiana as an artifact of his process of theological thinking rather than as a repository of his doctrinal views. Jason A. Kerr argues that reading in this way involves attention to the complex material state of the manuscript along with Milton's varying modes of engagement with scripture and various theological interlocutors, and reveals that Milton's approach to theology underwent significant change in the course of his work on the treatise. Initially, Milton set out to use Ramist logic to organize scripture in a way that drew out its intrinsic doctrinal structure. This method had two unintended consequences: it drove Milton to an antitrinitarian understanding of the Son of God, and it obliged him to reflect on his own authority as an interpreter and to develop an ecclesiology capable of sifting divine truth from human error. Consequently, Milton's Theological Process explores the complex interplay between Milton's preconceived theological ideas and his willingness to change his mind as it develops through the layers of revision in the manuscript. Kerr concludes by considering Paradise Lost as a vehicle for Milton's further reflection on the foundations of theology--and by showing how even the epic presents challenges to the fruits of these reflections. Reading Milton theologically means more than working to ascertain his doctrinal views; it means attending critically to his messy process of evaluating and rethinking the doctrinal views to which his prior study had led him.
Download or read book Free Will Revisited written by Robert E. Picirilli and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2017-05-31 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether man has free will continues to be a hot topic among Bible teachers and theologians. After defining the issues involved, from both a worldview and a biblical standpoint, this work devotes three chapters to exploring the single-volume treatments against free will by the great theologians Luther, Calvin, and Edwards. The author then responds to the major issues involved in their objections to free will: foreknowledge and necessity, human depravity and the grace of God, the sovereignty and all-encompassing providence of God, and Edwards's rationalistic argument. In each instance, the doctrine of free will, rightly understood, is in full and biblical accord with these concerns. A concluding chapter summarizes and expresses the bottom-line differences in the doctrine of salvation between the Arminian and the Calvinistic wings of reformed theology.
Download or read book The Works of James Arminius Vol 1 written by and published by CCEL. This book was released on with total page 808 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Putting Amazing Back Into Grace written by Michael Horton and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2011-10 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leading Reformed voice offers a revised and updated edition of his landmark publication about the freeing message of saving grace.
Download or read book The Doctrines of Grace written by James Montgomery Boice and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is no question that we live in an age of weak theology and casual Christianity. We have substituted intuition for truth, feeling for belief and immediate gratification for enduring hope. Evangelicalism desperately needs to return to the doctrines that once before reformed the world: radical depravity, unconditional election, particular redemption, efficacious grace and persevering grace. James Boice and Philip Ryken not only provide a compelling exposition on these doctrines of grace, but also look briefly at their historical impact. The authors leave no doubt that the church suffers when these foundational truths are neglected and that she must return to a Christianity that is practical-minded, kind-hearted, and most importantly, biblically based.
Download or read book Against Calvinism written by Roger E. Olson and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2011-10-25 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Calvinist theology has been debated and promoted for centuries. But is it a theology that should last? Roger Olson suggests that Calvinism, also commonly known as Reformed theology, holds an unwarranted place in our list of accepted theologies. In Against Calvinism, readers will find scholarly arguments explaining why Calvinist theology is incorrect and how it affects God’s reputation. Olson draws on a variety of sources, including Scripture, reason, tradition, and experience, to support his critique of Calvinism and the more historically rich, biblically faithful alternative theologies he proposes. Addressing what many evangelical Christians are concerned about today—so-called “new Calvinism,” a movement embraced by a generation labeled as “young, restless, Reformed” —Against Calvinism is the only book of its kind to offer objections from a non-Calvinist perspective to the current wave of Calvinism among Christian youth. As a companion to Michael Horton’s For Calvinism, readers will be able to compare contrasting perspectives and form their own opinions on the merits and weaknesses of Calvinism.
