Arminius - A Study in the Dutch Reformation
by
Carl Bangs
The Story of the *Real* Arminius and the Dutch Reformation, January 24, 2000
[font=verdana,arial,helvetica][size=-1]Reviewer:
A reader from Canberra, Australia [/size][/font]
This book gives an outstanding insight into the real Arminius (c1559-1609), a second generation Dutch Reformer and one of the most important scholars involved in codifying a biblically based alternative to predestinarian Calvinism. The book details the development of Arminius' theological position and his interactions with the clergy and laity of The Netherlands and beyond. Calvinist old wives tales about Arminius and Arminians are debunked, the story of the coming of the Reformation to Holland is followed by the introduction of hard line Calvinism by refugees from the south. Although the book focuses on Arminus' life, the epilogue deals with the events immediately following his death, such as the Remonstrance and
the kangaroo court (otherwise known as the Synod of Dort) that followed where some Arminians were imprisoned and Jan van Oldenbarnevelt, the grand old man of the Remonstrants and Dutch public life, was executed on trumped up charges of treason. In the words of Bangs, the conventional history of the Dutch Reformation is that "Calvinism came in, Arminius nearly ruined it, the Synod of Dort restored it. This book is dedicated to the proposition that it isn't as simple as that." This much needed book is an outstanding read, both from a historical and theological viewpoint.
A Reasoning Man, September 1, 2001
[font=verdana,arial,helvetica][size=-1]Reviewer:
Randy Hoffman (see more about me) from Seaford, VA USA [/size][/font]Jacobus Arminius walked a fine line between following his own reasoned theology and trying to survive in the face of a strict Calvanist political environment. Carl Bangs has provided an excellent accounting of how Arminius managed to develop and teach his beliefs in the midst of bitter opposition. Bangs clearly does not present Arminius as a hero, but rather as a man who survived on principle and faith in a hostile world. The reader is treated to a well-written sotry of one man's spiritual journey. Thank you to Carl Bangs his insights into this little known scholar.
