“I still read and hear horrible misrepresentations of Arminianism by Calvinists who know better”
“I think that Calvinism appeals to young Christians because it claims to have all the answers and a highly systematic explanation of God and the Bible. As they mature, many, of not most, of them change their minds.” - Roger Olson
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I haven’t seen many calvinists revert to Arminianism unless they were very ill-informed calvinists to begin with. In fact, I don’t think I’ve personally known one. I do agree with him that calvinists often mis-label Arminians. (Usually as “semi-pelagian”).
I’m so thankful that Arminians never misrepresent Calvinists. (Note: sarcasim alert.)
G. N. Barkman
I remember asking a former pastor of mine (and current friend FWIW) about whether there were good theological works that fairly presented both sides of the arguments about divine sovereignty, as well as both sides of the arguments between dispensationalists and covenant theologians. He just laughed at me.
To be fair, there’s probably something out there, but you’ve got to look for it.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
Too often among the dogmatic or ill informed the debate degenerates into pelagianism vs fatalism.
[G. N. Barkman]I’m so thankful that Arminians never misrepresent Calvinists. (Note: sarcasim alert.)
They of course do but that’s not the subject at hand :). I’m a Calvinist myself but being honest about some calvinists tendency to misrepresent our opponents is a good thing.
When I was taking soteriology at BJU, I didn’t get a chance to read these two books, but as I recall they were both recommended as being very fair to the other side:
https://www.amazon.com/Why-I-Am-Not-Arminian/dp/0830832483
https://www.amazon.com/Why-I-Am-Not-Calvinist/dp/0830832491/
I guess they would have been pretty new at the time (published 2004).
Michael Osborne
Philadelphia, PA
Yeah, that’s why I like this book edited by Paul Feinberg when it comes to the debate between dispensationalism and covenant theology. You really have to get both sides to present their own arguments in order to get a handle on the issues that divide them. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0891074686/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_47D580VCGQ91Y1BVEBHJ
many so-called Arminians are not Arminians. They are semi-Pelagians.
For example, if you believe the armchair American evangelicalism belief that “God loves everyone” and that “Jesus died for everyone” so anyone can choose to follow Jesus or reject him, you are a semi-Pelagian. That belief is not Arminianism. It’s a democratized American style version of semi-Pelagianism.
How about this? God votes for you. The Devil votes against you. You get the tie breaking vote. That is not Arminianism. That is semi-Pelagianism.
Arminianism must includes the ability to lose your salvation. It is very critical to the idea of prevenient grace and free will that Jesus bought and paid for. Most evangelicals do not believe that. They pick and choose what they want their theology to be.
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