Английская Википедия:Arminianism
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Hatnote Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Arminianism Шаблон:Protestantism Arminianism is a movement of Protestantism initiated in the early 17th century, based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the Remonstrance (1610), a theological statement submitted to the States General of the Netherlands. This expressed an attempt to moderate the doctrines of Calvinism related to its interpretation of predestination.
Classical Arminianism, to which Arminius is the main contributor, and Wesleyan Arminianism, to which John Wesley is the main contributor, are the two main schools of thought. Central Arminian beliefs are that God's preparing (prevenient) grace to regeneration is universal, and that God's justifying grace allowing regeneration is resistible.
Many Christian denominations have been influenced by Arminian views, notably the Baptists in the 17th century, the Methodists in the 18th century, and the Pentecostals in the 20th century.
History
Precursor movements and theological influences
According to Roger E. Olson, Arminius’ beliefs, i.e. Arminianism, did not begin with him.Шаблон:Sfn Denominations such as the Waldensians and other groups prior to the Reformation have, similarly to Arminianism, affirmed that each person may choose the contingent response of either resisting God's grace or yielding to it.Шаблон:Sfn Anabaptist theologian Balthasar Hubmaier also promoted much the same view as Arminius nearly a century before him.Шаблон:Sfn The soteriological doctrines of Arminianism and Anabaptism are roughly equivalent.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In particular, Mennonites have been historically Arminian whether they distinctly espoused the Arminian viewpoint or not, and rejected Calvinism soteriology.Шаблон:Sfn Anabaptist theology seems to have influenced Jacobus Arminius.Шаблон:Sfn At least, he was "sympathetic to the Anabaptist point of view, and Anabaptists were commonly in attendance on his preaching."Шаблон:Sfn Similarly, Arminius mentions Danish Lutheran theologian Niels Hemmingsen as holding the basic view of soteriology he held and he may have been influenced by Hemmingsen.Шаблон:Sfn
Emergence of Arminianism
Jacobus Arminius was a Dutch pastor and theologian in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.Шаблон:Sfn He was taught by Theodore Beza, Calvin's hand-picked successor, but after examination of the scriptures, he rejected his teacher's theology that it is God who unconditionally elects some for salvation.Шаблон:Sfn Instead Arminius proposed that the election of God was of believers, thereby making it conditional on faith.Шаблон:Sfn Arminius's views were challenged by the Dutch Calvinists, especially Franciscus Gomarus, but Arminius died before a national synod could occur.Шаблон:Sfn
Arminius died before he could satisfy Holland's State General's request for a 14-page paper outlining his views. Arminius's followers replied in his stead crafting the Five articles of Remonstrance (1610), in which they express their points of divergence with the stricter Calvinism of the Belgic Confession.Шаблон:Sfn This is how Arminius's followers were called Remonstrants, and following a Counter Remonstrance in 1611, Gomarus' followers were called Counter-Remonstrants.Шаблон:Sfn
After some political maneuvering, the Dutch Calvinists were able to convince Prince Maurice of Nassau to deal with the situation.Шаблон:Sfn Maurice systematically removed Arminian magistrates from office and called a national synod at Dordrecht. This Synod of Dort was open primarily to Dutch Calvinists (102 people), while the Arminians were excluded (13 people banned from voting), with Calvinist representatives from other countries (28 people), and in 1618 published a condemnation of Arminius and his followers as heretics. Part of this publication was the famous Five points of Calvinism in response to the five articles of Remonstrance.Шаблон:Sfn
Arminians across Holland were removed from office, imprisoned, banished, and sworn to silence. Twelve years later Holland officially granted Arminianism protection as a religion, although animosity between Arminians and Calvinists continued.Шаблон:Sfn Most of the early Remonstrants followed a classical version of Arminianism. However, some of them such as Philipp van Limborch, moved in the direction of semi-Pelagianism and rationalism.Шаблон:Sfn
Arminianism in the Church of England
Шаблон:Main In England, the so-labelled Arminian doctrinesШаблон:Sfn were held, in substance, before and in parallel of Arminius.Шаблон:Sfn The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (finalised in 1571), were sufficiently ambiguous that they were compatible with either Arminian or Calvinistic interpretations.Шаблон:Sfn Arminianism in the Church of England was fundamentally an expression of negation of Calvinism, and only some theologians held to classical Arminianism, but for the rest they were either semi-Pelagian or Pelagian.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In this specific context, contemporary historians prefer to use the term "proto-Arminians" rather than "Arminians" to designate the leanings of divines who didn't follow classical Arminianism.Шаблон:Sfn English Arminianism was represented by Arminian Puritans such as John Goodwin or High Anglican Arminians such as Jeremy Taylor and Henry Hammond.Шаблон:Sfn Anglican Arminians of the 17th century such as William Laud fought Calvinist Puritans.Шаблон:Sfn They actually saw Arminianism in terms of a state church, an idea that was alien to the views of Arminius.Шаблон:Sfn This position became particularly evident under the reign (1625–1649) of Charles I of England.Шаблон:Sfn Following the English Civil War (1642–1651) Charles II of England, who tolerated the Presbyterians, re-instituted Arminian thought in the Church of England.Шаблон:Sfn It was dominant there after the Restoration (1660)Шаблон:Sfn for some fifty years.Шаблон:Sfn
Baptists
The debate between Calvin's followers and Arminius's followers is characteristic of post-Reformation church history. The emerging Baptist movement in 17th-century England, for example, was a microcosm of the historic debate between Calvinists and Arminians. The first Baptists—called "General Baptists" because of their confession of a "general" or unlimited atonement—were Arminians.Шаблон:Sfn The Baptist movement originated with Thomas Helwys, who left his mentor John Smyth (who had moved into shared belief and other distinctives of the Dutch Waterlander Mennonites of Amsterdam) and returned to London to start the first English Baptist Church in 1611. Later General Baptists such as John Griffith, Samuel Loveday, and Thomas Grantham defended a Reformed Arminian theology that reflected the Arminianism of Arminius. The General Baptists encapsulated their Arminian views in numerous confessions, the most influential of which was the Standard Confession of 1660. In the 1640s the Particular Baptists were formed, diverging from Arminian doctrine and embracing the strong Calvinism of the Presbyterians and Independents. Their robust Calvinism was publicized in such confessions as the London Baptist Confession of 1644 and the Second London Confession of 1689. The London Confession of 1689 was later used by Calvinistic Baptists in America (called the Philadelphia Baptist Confession), whereas the Standard Confession of 1660 was used by the American heirs of the English General Baptists, who soon came to be known as Free Will Baptists.Шаблон:Sfn
Methodists
This same dynamic between Arminianism and Calvinism can be seen in the heated discussions between friends and fellow Anglican ministers John Wesley and George Whitefield. Wesley was highly influenced by 17th-century English Arminianism and thinkers such as John Goodwin, Jeremy Taylor and Henry Hammond of the Anglican "Holy Living" school, and the Remonstrant Hugo Grotius. Wesley knew very little about the beliefs of Jacobus Arminius and arrived at his religious views independently of Arminius.Шаблон:Sfn Wesley acknowledged late in life, with the 1778 publication of a periodical titled The Arminian, that he and Arminius were in general agreement. Theology Professor W. Stephen Gunther concludes he was "a faithful representative" of Arminius' beliefs.Шаблон:Sfn Wesley was a champion of Arminian teachings, defending his soteriology in The Arminian and writing articles such as Predestination Calmly Considered. He defended Arminianism against charges of semi-Pelagianism, holding strongly to beliefs in original sin and total depravity. At the same time, Wesley attacked the determinism that he claimed characterized Calvinistic doctrines of unconditional election and reprobation and maintained a belief in the ability to lose salvation. Wesley also clarified the doctrine of prevenient grace and preached the ability of Christians to attain to perfection (fully mature, not "sinlessness"). His system of thought has become known as Wesleyan Arminianism, the foundations of which were laid by Wesley and his fellow preacher John William Fletcher.Шаблон:Sfn
Pentecostals
Pentecostalism has its background in the activity of Charles Parham (1873–1929). Its origin as a movement was in the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906. This revival was led by William J. Seymour (1870–1922).Шаблон:Sfn Due to the Methodist and Holiness background of many early Pentecostal preachers, the Pentecostal churches usually possessed practices that arose from the Wesleyan Arminianism.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn During the 20th century, as Pentecostal churches began to settle and incorporate more standard forms, they started to formulate theology that was fully Arminian.Шаблон:Sfn Today, the two largest Pentecostal denominations in the world, the Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal Church of God denominations, hold to Arminian views such as resistible grace,Шаблон:Sfn conditional election,Шаблон:Sfn or conditional security of the believer for the first.Шаблон:Sfn
Current landscape
Protestant denominations
Advocates of Arminianism find a home in many Protestant denominations,Шаблон:Sfn and sometimes other beliefs such as Calvinism exist within the same denomination.Шаблон:Sfn The Lutheran theological tradition bears certain similarities to ArminianismШаблон:Sfn and there may be some Lutheran churches that are open to it.Шаблон:Sfn Faiths leaning at least in part in the Arminian direction include some of high-church Anglicanism.Шаблон:Sfn Anabaptist denominations, such as the Mennonites, Hutterites, Amish and Schwarzenau Brethren, adhere to Anabaptist theology, which espouses a soteriology that is similar to Arminianism "in some respects".Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Arminianism is found within the General Baptists,Шаблон:Sfn including the subset of General Baptists known as Free Will Baptists.Шаблон:Sfn The majority of Southern Baptists accept Arminianism, with an exception allowing for a doctrine of eternal security,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn though many see Calvinism as growing in acceptance.Шаблон:Sfn Certain proponents of Arminianism may be found within the Restoration movement in the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.Шаблон:Sfn Additionally, it is found in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Шаблон:Sfn Arminianism (specifically Wesleyan–Arminian theology) is taught in the Methodist churches,Шаблон:Sfn inclusive of those denominations aligned with the holiness movement such as the Evangelical Methodist Church, Church of the Nazarene, the Free Methodist Church, the Wesleyan Church,Шаблон:Sfn and the Salvation Army.Шаблон:Sfn It is also found in a part of the Charismatics, including the Pentecostals.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Scholarly support
Contemporary scholars widely endorse Arminianism across various theological circles. In Baptist traditions, advocates include: Roger E. Olson, F. Leroy Forlines, Robert Picirilli and J. Matthew Pinson. In the expansive Methodist tradition, a multitude of theologians, Bible scholars, and apologists align with Arminian theology, including: Thomas Oden,Шаблон:Sfn Ben Witherington III,Шаблон:Sfn David Pawson,Шаблон:Sfn B. J. Oropeza,Шаблон:Sfn Thomas H. McCallШаблон:Sfn and Fred Sanders. The Holiness movement, in particular, boasts theologians such as: Henry Orton Wiley, Carl O. Bangs and J. Kenneth Grider.Шаблон:Sfn Additionally, scholars like Keith D. Stanglin,Шаблон:Sfn Craig S. Keener and Grant R. Osborne also support Arminian perspectives.
Theology
Theological legacy
The original beliefs of Jacobus Arminius are commonly called Arminianism, but more broadly, the term may embrace the teachings of Simon Episcopius,Шаблон:Sfn Hugo Grotius, John Wesley, and others. Arminian theology usually falls into one of two groups: Classical Arminianism, drawn from the teaching of Jacobus Arminius, and Wesleyan Arminian, drawing primarily from Wesley. The two groups overlap substantially.
In 529, at the Second Council of Orange, the question at hand was whether the doctrines of Augustine on God's providence were to be affirmed, or if semi-Pelagianism could be affirmed. Semi-Pelagianism was a moderate form of Pelagianism that teaches that the first step of salvation is by human will and not the grace of God.Шаблон:Sfn The determination of the Council could be considered "semi-Augustinian".Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It defined that faith, though a free act of man, resulted, even in its beginnings, from the grace of God, enlightening the human mind and enabling belief.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn This describes the operation of prevenient grace allowing the unregenerate to repent in faith.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn On the other hand, the Council of Orange condemned the Augustinian teaching of predestination to damnation.Шаблон:Sfn Since Arminianism is aligned with those characteristic semi-Augustinian views,Шаблон:Sfn it has been seen by some as a reclamation of early church theological consensus.Шаблон:Sfn Moreover, Arminianism can also be seen as a soteriological diversification of CalvinismШаблон:Sfn or more specifically, as a theological middle ground between Calvinism and semi-Pelagianism.Шаблон:Sfn
Classical Arminianism
Classical Arminianism is the theological system that was presented by Jacobus Arminius and maintained by some of the Remonstrants.Шаблон:Sfn Theologians as Forlines and Olson have referred to this system as "classical Arminianism",Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn while others as Picirilli and Pinson prefer to term it "Reformation Arminianism"Шаблон:Sfn or "Reformed Arminianism".Шаблон:Sfn
The teachings of Arminius held to Sola fide and Sola gratia of the Reformation, but they were distinct from particular teachings of Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, and other Protestant Reformers.Шаблон:Sfn
Classical Arminianism was originally articulated in the Five Articles of Remonstrance. "These points", note Keith D. Stanglin and Thomas H. McCall, "are consistent with the views of Arminius; indeed, some come verbatim from his Declaration of Sentiments."Шаблон:Sfn A list of beliefs of classical Arminianism is given below:
God's providence and human free will
Arminianism accepts classical theism, which states that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.Шаблон:Sfn In that view, God's power, knowledge, and presence have no external limitations, that is, outside of his divine nature and character.
Besides, Arminianism view on God's sovereignty is based on postulates stemming from God's character, especially as fully revealed in Jesus Christ.Шаблон:Sfn On the first hand, divine election must be defined in such a way that God is not in any case, and even in a secondary way, the author of evil. It would not correspond to the character of God.Шаблон:Sfn On the other hand, man's responsibility for evil must be preserved.Шаблон:Sfn Those two postulates require a specific way by which God chooses to manifest his sovereignty when interacting with his creatures.
On one hand, it requires for God to operate according to a limited mode of providence. This means that God deliberately exercises sovereignty without determining every event. On the other hand, it requires for God's election to be a "predestination by foreknowledge".Шаблон:Sfn
In that respect, God's foreknowledge reconciles with human free will in the following way: Human free will is limited by original sin, though God's prevenient grace restores to humanity the ability to accept God's call of salvation.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn God's foreknowledge of the future is exhaustive and complete, and therefore the future is certain and not contingent on human action. God does not determine the future, but He does know it. God's certainty and human contingency are compatible.Шаблон:Sfn
Roger Olson expressed those defining ideas in a more practical way:
""Arminianism," [...] is simply a term we use in theology for the view, held by some people before Arminius and many after him, that sinners who hear the gospel have the free will to accept or reject God’s offer of saving grace and that nobody is excluded by God from the possibility of salvation except those who freely exclude themselves. But true, historical, classical Arminianism includes the belief that this free will [to repent and believe unto salvation] is itself a gift of God through prevenient grace."Шаблон:Sfn
Condition of humanity
Depravity is total: Arminius states "In this [fallen] state, the free will of man towards the true good is not only wounded, infirm, bent, and weakened; but it is also imprisoned, destroyed, and lost. And its powers are not only debilitated and useless unless they be assisted by grace, but it has no powers whatever except such as are excited by Divine grace."Шаблон:Sfn
Extent and nature of the atonement
Atonement is intended for all: Jesus's death was for all people, Jesus draws all people to himself, and all people have opportunity for salvation through faith.Шаблон:Sfn
Jesus's death satisfies God's justice: The penalty for the sins of the elect is paid in full through the crucifixion of Christ. Thus Christ's death atones for the sins of all, but requires faith to be effected. Arminius states that "Justification, when used for the act of a Judge, is either purely the imputation of righteousness through mercy [...] or that man is justified before God [...] according to the rigor of justice without any forgiveness."Шаблон:Sfn Stephen Ashby clarifies: "Arminius allowed for only two possible ways in which the sinner might be justified: (1) by our absolute and perfect adherence to the law, or (2) purely by God's imputation of Christ's righteousness."Шаблон:Sfn W. Stephen Gunter concurs that Arminius would not take a rigid position on the doctrine of imputed righteousness (the righteousness of Christ is imputed for righteousness of the believer).Шаблон:Sfn For Keith D. Stanglin and Thomas H. McCall, Arminius would not object to saying rather that "the righteousness of Christ is imputed to righteousness".Шаблон:Sfn Forlines put it this way: "On the condition of faith, we are placed in union with Christ. Based on that union, we receive His death and righteousness".Шаблон:Sfn
Christ's atonement has a substitutionary effect which is limited only to the elect. Arminius held that God's justice was satisfied by penal substitution.Шаблон:Sfn Hugo Grotius taught that it was satisfied governmentally.Шаблон:Sfn According to Roger Olson, historical and contemporary Arminians have held to one of these views.Шаблон:Sfn
Conversion of man
God takes initiative in the salvation process and his grace comes to all people. This grace, often called prevenient grace, acts on all people to convince them of the Gospel, draw them strongly towards salvation, and enable the possibility of sincere faith. Picirilli states that "indeed this grace is so close to regeneration that it inevitably leads to regeneration unless finally resisted."Шаблон:Sfn The offer of salvation through grace does not act irresistibly in a purely cause-effect, deterministic method but rather in an influence-and-response fashion that can be both freely accepted and freely denied.Шаблон:Sfn
Man has a freed will to respond or resist: Free will is granted and limited by God's sovereignty, but God's sovereignty allows all men the choice to accept the Gospel of Jesus through faith, simultaneously allowing all men to resist.Шаблон:Sfn
Conversion is synergistic: As Roger Olson put it: "[Arminius]' evangelical synergism reserves all the power, ability and efficacy in salvation to grace, but allows humans the God-granted ability to resist or not resist it. The only "contribution" humans make is nonresistance to grace."Шаблон:Sfn
Election of man
Election is conditional: Arminius defined election as "the decree of God by which, of Himself, from eternity, He decreed to justify in Christ, believers, and to accept them unto eternal life."Шаблон:Sfn God alone determines who will be saved and his determination is that all who believe Jesus through faith will be justified. According to Arminius, "God regards no one in Christ unless they are engrafted in him by faith."Шаблон:Sfn
God predestines the elect to a glorious future: Predestination is not the predetermination of who will believe, but rather the predetermination of the believer's future inheritance. The elect are therefore predestined to sonship through adoption, glorification, and eternal life.Шаблон:Sfn
Preservation of man
Related to eschatological considerations, Jacobus ArminiusШаблон:Sfn and the first Remonstrants, including Simon EpiscopiusШаблон:Sfn believed in everlasting fire where the wicked are thrown by God at judgment day.
Preservation is conditional: All believers have full assurance of salvation with the condition that they remain in Christ. Salvation is conditioned on faith, therefore perseverance is also conditioned.Шаблон:Sfn Arminius believed the Scriptures taught that believers are graciously empowered by Christ and the Holy Spirit "to fight against Satan, sin, the world and their own flesh, and to gain the victory over these enemies."Шаблон:Sfn Furthermore, Christ and the Spirit are ever present to aid and assist believers through various temptations. But this security was not unconditional but conditional—"provided they [believers] stand prepared for the battle, implore his help, and be not wanting to themselves, Christ preserves them from falling."Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Possibility of apostasy
Arminius believed in the possibility for a believer to commit apostasy (i.e., desert Christ by cleaving again to this evil world, losing a good conscience, or by failing to hold on to sound doctrine). However, over the period of time Arminius wrote on this question,Шаблон:Sfn he sometimes expressed himself more cautiously out of consideration for the faith of his readers.Шаблон:Sfn For instance, Arminius declared in 1599 that this matter required further study in the Scriptures.Шаблон:Sfn Arminius said also in his "Declaration of Sentiments" (1607), "I never taught that a true believer can, either totally or finally fall away from the faith, and perish; yet I will not conceal, that there are passages of scripture which seem to me to wear this aspect; and those answers to them which I have been permitted to see, are not of such a kind as to approve themselves on all points to my understanding."Шаблон:Sfn
But in his other writings he expressed certainty about the possibility of falling away: Arminius wrote in ca. 1602, that "a person who is being 'built' into the church of Christ may resist the continuation of this process". Concerning the believers he said "It may suffice to encourage them, if they know that no power or prudence can dislodge them from the rock, unless they of their own will forsake their position."Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn He continued by saying that the covenant of God (Jeremiah 23) "does not contain in itself an impossibility of defection from God, but a promise of the gift of fear, whereby they shall be hindered from going away from God so long as that shall flourish in their hearts."Шаблон:Sfn He then taught that had King David died in his sins he would have been lost.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In 1602, Arminius also wrote: "A believing member of Christ may become slothful, give place to sin, and gradually die altogether, ceasing to be a member".Шаблон:Sfn
For Arminius, a certain class of sin would cause a believer to fall, especially sin motivated by malice.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In 1605 Arminius wrote: “But it is possible for a believer to fall into a mortal sin, as is seen in David. Therefore he can fall at that moment in which if he were to die, he would be condemned".Шаблон:Sfn Stanglin, along with McCall, point out that Arminius clearly sets forth two paths to apostasy 1. "rejection", or 2. "malicious sinning".Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Oropeza concludes: "If there is any consistency in Arminius' position, he did not seem to deny the possibility of falling away".Шаблон:Sfn
After the death of Arminius in 1609, his followers wrote a Remonstrance (1610) based quite literally on their leader's "Declaration of Sentiments" (1607) which expressed prudence on the possibility of apostasy.Шаблон:Sfn In particular, its fifth article expressed the necessity of further study on the possibility of apostasy.Шаблон:Sfn Sometime between 1610 and the official proceeding of the Synod of Dort (1618), the Remonstrants became fully persuaded in their minds that the Scriptures taught that a true believer was capable of falling away from faith and perishing eternally as an unbeliever. They formalized their views in "The Opinion of the Remonstrants" (1618) which was their official stand during the Synod of Dort.Шаблон:Sfn Picirilli remarks: "Ever since that early period, then, when the issue was being examined again, Arminians have taught that those who are truly saved need to be warned against apostasy as a real and possible danger."Шаблон:Sfn They later expressed this same view in the Remonstrant Confession (1621).Шаблон:Sfn
Forgivability of apostasy
Stanglin points out that Arminius held that if the apostasy came from "malicious" sin, then it was forgivable.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn If it came from "rejection" it was not.Шаблон:Sfn Following Arminius, the Remonstrants believed that, though possible, apostasy was not in general irremediable.Шаблон:Sfn However, other classical Arminians as the Free Will Baptists have taught that apostasy is irremediable.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Wesleyan Arminianism
Шаблон:Further John Wesley thoroughly agreed with the vast majority of what Arminius himself taught.Шаблон:Sfn Wesleyan Arminianism is classical Arminianism with the addition of Wesleyan perfectionism.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Here are mentioned some positions on specific issues within Wesleyan Arminianism:
Nature of the atonement
Steven Harper proposed that Wesley's atonement is a hybrid of the penal substitution theory and the governmental theory.Шаблон:Sfn However, theologians Robert Picirilli, Roger Olson and Darren Cushman Wood consider that the view of Wesley concerning atonement is by penal substitution.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Wesleyan Arminians have historically adopted either the penal or governmental theory of atonement.Шаблон:Sfn
Preservation and apostasy of man
Wesley accepted the Arminian view that genuine Christians could apostatize and lose their salvation, as his famous sermon "A Call to Backsliders" clearly demonstrates. Harper summarizes as follows: "the act of committing sin is not in itself ground for the loss of salvation [...] the loss of salvation is much more related to experiences that are profound and prolonged. Wesley sees two primary pathways that could result in a permanent fall from grace: unconfessed sin and the actual expression of apostasy."Шаблон:Sfn Wesley believed that such apostasy was not irremediable. When talking about those who have made "shipwreck" of their faith,(1 Tim 1:19) Wesley claims that "not one, or a hundred only, but I am persuaded, several thousands [...] innumerable are the instances [...] of those who had fallen but now stand upright."Шаблон:Sfn
Christian perfection
One issue that typifies Wesleyan Arminianism is Christian perfection.Шаблон:Sfn According to Wesley's teaching, Christians could attain a state of practical perfection, meaning a lack of all voluntary sin by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, in this life. Christian perfection (or entire sanctification), according to Wesley, is "purity of intention, dedicating all the life to God" and "the mind which was in Christ, enabling us to walk as Christ walked." It is "loving God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves".Шаблон:Sfn It is "a restoration not only to the favour, but likewise to the image of God," our "being filled with the fullness of God".Шаблон:Sfn Wesley was clear that Christian perfection did not imply perfection of bodily health or an infallibility of judgment. It also does not mean we no longer violate the will of God, for involuntary transgressions remain. Perfected Christians remain subject to temptation, and have continued need to pray for forgiveness and holiness. It is not an absolute perfection but a perfection in love. Furthermore, Wesley did not teach a salvation by perfection, but rather says that, "Even perfect holiness is acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ."Шаблон:Sfn
Other variations
Corporate view of election
Шаблон:Main The majority Arminian view is that election is individual and based on God's foreknowledge of faith. According to the corporate election view, God never chose individuals to elect to salvation, but rather He chose to elect the believing church to salvation.Шаблон:Sfn Jesus was the only human ever elected and individuals must be "in Christ" through faith to be part of the elect.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Corporate election draws support from a similar concept of corporate election found in the Old Testament and Jewish law. Identity stemmed from membership in a group more than individuality.Шаблон:Sfn
Arminianism and other views
Divergence with Pelagianism
Pelagianism is a doctrine denying original sin and total depravity. No system of Arminianism founded on Arminius or Wesley denies original sin or total depravity;Шаблон:Sfn both Arminius and Wesley strongly affirmed that man's basic condition is one in which he cannot be righteous, understand God, or seek God.Шаблон:Sfn Arminius referred to Pelagianism as "the grand falsehood" and stated that he "must confess that I detest, from my heart, the consequences [of that theology]."Шаблон:Sfn David Pawson, a British pastor, decries this association as "libelous" when attributed to Arminius' or Wesley's doctrine.Шаблон:Sfn Most Arminians reject all accusations of Pelagianism.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Divergence with semi-Pelagianism
Some schools of thought, notably semi-Pelagianism, which teaches that the first step of Salvation is by human will,Шаблон:Sfn are confused as being Arminian in nature. But classical Arminianism and Wesleyan Arminianism hold that the first step of Salvation is through the prevenient grace of God, though "the subsequent grace entails a cooperative relationship."Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Divergence with Calvinism
The two systems of Calvinism and Arminianism share history, many doctrines, and the history of Christian theology. However, because of their differences over the doctrines of divine predestination and election, many people view these schools of thought as opposed to each other. The distinction is whether God desires to save all yet allows individuals to resist the grace offered (in the Arminian doctrine) or if God desires to save only some and grace is irresistible to those chosen (in the Calvinist doctrine). Many consider the theological differences to be crucial differences in doctrine, while others find them to be relatively minor.Шаблон:Sfn
Similarities
- Total depravity – Arminians agree with Calvinists over the doctrine of total depravity. The differences come in the understanding of how God remedies this human depravity.Шаблон:Sfn
Differences
- Nature of election – Arminians hold that election to eternal salvation has the condition of faith attached. The Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election states that salvation cannot be earned or achieved and is therefore not conditional upon any human effort, so faith is not a condition of salvation but the divinely apportioned means to it. In other words, Arminians believe that they owe their election to their faith, whereas Calvinists believe that they owe their faith to their election.
- Nature of grace – Arminians believe that, through grace, God restores free will concerning salvation to all humanity, and each individual, therefore, is able either to accept the Gospel call through faith or resist it through unbelief. Calvinists hold that God's grace to enable salvation is given only to the elect and irresistibly leads to salvation.
- Extent of the atonement – Arminians, along with four-point Calvinists or Amyraldians, hold to a universal atonement instead of the Calvinist doctrine that atonement is limited to the elect only.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Both sides (with the exception of hyper-Calvinists) believe the invitation of the gospel is universal and "must be presented to everyone [they] can reach without any distinction."Шаблон:Sfn
- Perseverance in faith – Arminians believe that future salvation and eternal life is secured in Christ and protected from all external forces but is conditional on remaining in Christ and can be lost through apostasy. Traditional Calvinists believe in the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, which says that because God chose some unto salvation and actually paid for their particular sins, he keeps them from apostasy and that those who do apostatize were never truly regenerated (that is, born again) or saved. Non-traditional Calvinists and other evangelicals advocate the similar but distinct doctrine of eternal security that teaches if a person was once saved, his or her salvation can never be in jeopardy, even if the person completely apostatizes.
Divergence with open theism
The doctrine of open theism states that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient, but differs on the nature of the future. Open theists claim that the future is not completely determined (or "settled") because people have not made their free decisions yet. God therefore knows the future partially in possibilities (human free actions) rather than solely certainties (divinely determined events).Шаблон:Sfn Some Arminians, such as professor and theologian Robert Picirilli, reject the doctrine of open theism as a "deformed Arminianism".Шаблон:Sfn Joseph Dongell stated that "open theism actually moves beyond classical Arminianism towards process theology."Шаблон:Sfn There are also some Arminians, like Roger Olson, who believe Open theism to be an alternative view that a Christian can have.Шаблон:Sfn
See also
- Covenant theology
- Salvation in Christianity
- Grace in Christianity
- Sovereignty of God in Christianity
- Order of salvation
- Substitutionary atonement
- Justification
- Free will in theology
- Decisional regeneration
- Synergism
- Apostasy in Christianity
Notes and references
Sources
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External links
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