Hey
I've often come across the term arminians here in this forum. And it seemed to me that this term is used as the opposite of Calvinism?
So what is arminianism? All non-Calvinist or non-reformed protestant churches? Or is this term even broader including the apostolic churches etc?
Thanks for your answers. Esdra
To properly address your questions above, a person could write a small book. R.C. Sproul wrote a book years ago dealing with history behind the free will debate entitled: "Willing to Believe".
The term "Arminian" can and is used in a variety of ways. Most "Arminians" are not classical Arminians in the sense of holding the same beliefs as the man Arminus behind the term. There are so many shades of Arminianism that it's not even funny, but they all have something in common, they all deny "total inability". They all affirm reguardless of position on original sin, even depravity, that all humans are capable, within the will, of responding to God with faith. The semi-palagian position could be described as cooperating with the Grace of God, while the Arminian position could be described as free to believe, or visa versa. I agree with Dr. Sproul's analysis:
"Though the Pelagian controversy ended with the condemnation of Pelagius and his followers, the views of Augustine were not universally accepted in all their details. At first, opposition arose to some elements of Augustine’s thought in North Africa. Some monks from the monastery of Adrumetum in North Africa objected to Augustine’s view of predestination and to his view that fallen man is morally unable to incline himself to the grace of God. Questions arising from this debate prompted Augustine to write On Grace and Free Will and On Rebuke and Grace. These works were answered by the abbot of the monastery, Valentinus, in a cordial and respectful manner.
As discussion continued in North Africa, a more violent opposition to Augustine’s views erupted in France, particularly in the south at Massilia. Friends of Augustine, Hilary and Prosper, reported to him this opposition and urged him to write a response. Augustine did so in his final two works, On the Predestination of the Saints and On the Gift of Perseverance. In these works Augustine dealt more gently with his critics than he did with Pelagius, regarding them as brothers in the faith. This attitude anticipates the aura of future controversies. In the main, both Augustinians and semi-Pelagians tend to regard Pelagianism as a heresy so serious that it is non-Christian, while the on-going controversy between Augustinianism and semi-Pelagianism is an intramural debate among believers. Though the issues involved are deemed to be quite serious by both sides, they are not regarded to be so serious as to be essential to Christian faith." -
Sproul, R. (1997). Willing to believe: The controversy over free will (electronic ed.) (69–70). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
"The leading spokesman of the semi-Pelagian party was John Cassian, abbot of the monastery of Massilia. He is so identified with semi-Pelagianism that it is sometimes called Cassianism. Cassian bowed before the inscrutable mystery of God’s decrees and was reluctant to probe deeply into the question of predestination. His chief concern was to safeguard the universality of God’s grace and the real moral accountability of fallen man." -
Sproul, R. (1997). Willing to believe: The controversy over free will (electronic ed.) (70). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
and..
"Over against Pelagius, Cassian insisted that grace is necessary for righteousness. This grace, however, is resistible. For it to be effective the human will must cooperate with it. Cassian is primarily concerned here to maintain that we are unable to do any good without God’s help and that our free will must be active.
Adolph Harnack summarizes Cassian’s view:
God’s grace is the foundation of our salvation; every beginning is to be traced to it, in so far as it brings the chance of salvation and the possibility of being saved. But that is external grace; inner grace is that which lays hold of a man, enlightens, chastens, and sanctifies him, and penetrates his will as well as his intelligence. Human virtue can neither grow nor be perfected without this grace—therefore the virtues of the heathens are very small. But the beginnings of the good resolve, good thoughts, and faith—understood as the preparation for grace—can be due to ourselves. Hence grace is absolutely necessary in order to reach final salvation (perfection), but not so much so in order to make a start. It accompanies us at all stages of our inner growth, and our exertions are of no avail without it (libero arbitrio semper co-operatur); but it only supports and accompanies him who really strives.… even this … action of grace is not irresistible." -
Sproul, R. (1997). Willing to believe: The controversy over free will (electronic ed.) (72). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
and further into the book...
"Repeatedly the Synod of Dort charges the Remonstrants with teaching the doctrines of Pelagianism. Is not this charge overly severe and unfair? Both Arminius and the Remonstrants sought to distance themselves from pure Pelagianism. Arminianism is often said to be semi-Pelagian, but not, strictly speaking, Pelagian. What the fathers of Dort probably had in mind is the link between semi-Pelagianism and Pelagianism that renders the semi-Pelagian unable to escape the fundamental thesis of Pelagianism." -
Sproul, R. (1997). Willing to believe: The controversy over free will (electronic ed.) (140). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Arminians have a different ordo saltus or order of salvation and in the initiating of salvation Arminians hold to a view called "synergism" while Calvinist hold to a view called "Monergism". Synergism can be summed up as a sinner cooperating with Grace such that salvation is accomplished by man and God, synergists may balk and squirm at the notion but it is what it is. Monergism can be summed up as salvation accomplished by God alone. We Monergists hold that regeneration comes before faith, and both are gracious merciful gifts from God according to His will for His purposes. The synergist may agree on original sin, even depravity, however the synergist does not believe that people are so deprave that they cannot exercise faith from their own will so that they may come to Christ of their own volition. We Monergists believe that mankind is totally depraved in that the whole man is fallen into sin, the heart, mind, and soul, that people are dead in sins, their wills and desires dead and mind set on the flesh, such that it requires a miracle, a merciful divine intervention from God to regenerate the heart, mind, and soul, for a person to be new. Gotta go my son is fussing...
