Arminianism
This is 1 of the most significant theological traditions in Protestantism. This represents a major shift in how Christians understand the relationship between God’s sovereignty & human free will.
It began as a technical debate within the Dutch Reformed Church in the 17th century, it eventually became the dominant “theological engine” for American revivalism & much of modern evangelicalism.
Arminianism is named for Jacobus Arminius (1590-1609), a Dutch pastor & professor at the University of Leiden. Arminius was trained in the strict Calvinism of Geneva, he was actually assigned to defend the Calvinist view of predestination against critics.
As he began researching on his own, he became increasingly unsettled by the idea that God might choose to save some (the “elect”) & condemn others (the “reprobate”) before they were ever born.
He argued that if God’s decree of salvation was “unconditional,” then God would ultimately be the author of sin. Arminius sought to preserve both God’s justice & human responsibility, leading to a system where God’s grace is primary but requires a human response.
After Arminius died, his followers (known as Remonstrants) formulated their beliefs into 5 articles. These points were a direct challenge to the “High Calvinism” of the time. These 5 articles are known as the Five Articles of Remonstrance, 1610:
- Conditional Election: God chooses people for salvation based on His foreknowledge of those who will believe, not an arbitrary decree.
- Unlimited Atonement: Jesus died for everyone, not just a select few/elect. However, only those who believe receive the benefit.
- Total Depravity (with a twist): Like Calvinists, Arminians believe humans are too sinful to save themselves. They need help to even take the 1st step toward God.
- Resistable Grace: God offers “prevenient grace” (grace that goes before) to everyone. But humans have the free will to reject it.
- Conditional Preservation: While God empowers believers to stay faithful, Arminians initially left it an open question whether a believer could “fall from grace.” Later Arminians generally argued that they could.
The Dutch authorities called a national council, the Synod of Dort (1618-1619), to settle the dispute. The Remonstrants were condemned as heretics. The council produced the Canons of Dort.
Interestingly enough, the famous “Five Points of Calvinism” (using the acrostic TULIP) didn’t exist before this. They were created specifically as a point-by-point rebuttal to the 5 Arminian articles. Essentially, Arminianism made Calvinism to define itself in the rigid terms we see today.
In American history, Arminianism underwent a HUGE transformation. It made its way across the Atlantic mainly through John Wesley & the Methodist movement. But it truly exploded during the Second Great Awakening (circa 1790-1840).
Preachers like Charles Grandison Finney took to its extreme. Finney argued that a revival wasn’t a miracle from God. But a “result of the right use of means.” By using emotional music, “altar calls,” & “protracted meetings.” He believed he could persuade the human will to choose Christ. This “practical Arminianism” redefined the American religious landscape.
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