Arminianism

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Jacob Herman, called Jacobus Arminius, the founder of Arminianism

Arminianism is a moderate branch of Reformed Protestantism , whose followers are also known as Remonstrants . It was founded by the Dutch theologian Jacob Hermann (1560-1609), who was known under the Latinized form of his name Jacobus Arminius . Although he was initially influenced by Jean Calvin and his successor Théodore de Bèze , from 1590 he rejected the Calvinist doctrine of predestination and advocated the free will of man to accept salvation through Jesus Christ in faith. After his death, his theological views were condemned at the Reformed Dordrecht Synod from 1618 to 1619. Today's acceptance of Arminianism extends to a large part of regional Protestantism, the Methodist churches, a large part of the Pentecostal movement and the American Baptist Churches USA .

Teaching

The logic of Arminius, but less his theology, is shaped by Ramism ( Petrus Ramus ).

Arminianism holds the following teachings:

  • Human beings are naturally incapable of doing anything for their salvation.
  • Salvation is only possible through God's grace ( Sola gratia ).
  • Human works cannot bring about or contribute to salvation.
  • Election by God depends on faith in Jesus Christ .
  • Salvation through Christ is for all people.
  • God allows those who do not want to believe to resist His advance grace.
  • Salvation can be lost again because it depends on continued faith in Jesus Christ.

There are two main varieties within Arminianism:

  • classical Arminianism after Arminius, represented for example by the Remonstrants
  • Wesleyan Arminianism after John Wesley , represented by the Methodist and Wesleyan churches and often used as a synonym for Methodism.

By including different, z. B. Socinian elements, various divisions emerged, e.g. B. the anti-Trinitarian Arminians. The most important group were the purely independentist colleagues .

Some Calvinist critics accuse Arminianism of Pelagianism , which, however, is vigorously rejected by supporters of both variants.

In ecclesiastical history , Arminianism is most closely related to Calvinism , from which it also descends, and the two schools share history as well as much of the teaching. Nevertheless, Arminianism and Calvinism are often seen as arch-rivals in conservative Protestantism, as they hold different doctrines regarding predestination and salvation .

See also

literature

German

  • Walter Klaiber , Manfred Marquardt: Lived grace. Outline of a theology of the United Methodist Church. 2nd edition, Edition Ruprecht, Göttingen 2006, ISBN 3-7675-9497-8 ( publications of the Evangelical Methodist Church ).
  • Walter Klaiber, Wolfgang Thönissen (ed.): Justification from a free church and a Roman Catholic point of view. Edition Anker u. a., Stuttgart a. a. 2004, ISBN 3-7675-7071-8 .
  • Wilfried Plock : Why I'm neither a Calvinist nor an Arminian. Unifying thoughts on a dividing topic. CMD, Hünfeld 2017, ISBN 978-3-945973-09-7 .

English

  • Leroy F. Forlines: The Quest for Truth. Answering Life's Inescapable Questions. Randall House Publications, Nashville TN 2001, ISBN 0-89265-962-9 .
  • Roger Forster, V. Paul Marston: God's Strategy in Human History. Expanded new-millennium edition. Wipf and Stock Publishers, Eugene OR 2000, ISBN 1-57910-273-5 .
  • Herbert McGonigle: Sufficient Saving Grace. John Wesley's evangelical Arminianism. Paternoster Press, Carlisle et al. a. 2001, ISBN 1-84227-045-1 ( Paternoster Biblical and Theological Monographs - Studies in Evangelical History and Thought ).
  • Roger E. Olson: Arminian Theology. Myths and Realities. Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove IL 2006, ISBN 0-8308-2841-9 .
  • David Pawson: Once Saved, Always Saved? A Study in Perseverance and Inheritance. Hodder & Staughton, London 1996, ISBN 0-340-61066-2 .
  • Robert Picirilli: Grace, Faith, Free Will. Contrasting Views of Salvation. Calvinism and Arminianism. Randall House Publications, Nashville TN 2002, ISBN 0-89265-648-4 .
  • J. Matthew Pinson et al. a. (Ed.): Four Views on Eternal Security. Zondervan, Grand Rapids MI 2002, ISBN 0-310-23439-5 ( Counterpoints ).
  • Robert Shank: Elect in the Son.Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis MI 1989, ISBN 1-55661-092-0 .
  • Jerry L. Walls, Joseph R. Dongell: Why I Am Not a Calvinist. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove IL 2004, ISBN 0-8308-3249-1 (Walls and Dongell put forward their reasons against Calvinism from the Bible and philosophy, referring primarily to the questions of human freedom, the sovereignty of God, and permanence of the self and the Christian life).
  • John Wesley : The Question: "What Is an Arminian?" Answered by a Lover of Free Grace.
  • Steve Witski: Free Grace or Forced Grace? In: The Arminian Magazine. 19, 1, Spring 2001.

Web links

Commons : Arminianism  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm Gaß: Arminius, Jakob, Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 1 (1875), pp. 536-540
  2. ↑ Article in the news magazine Newsmax, "Christian Theology: 5 Christian Denominations That Follow Arminianism", S. Sweitzer, (2016), [1]
  3. ↑ David George Mullan: Scottish Puritanism 1590-1638. Oxford University Press, 2000
  4. ↑ Arminĭan. In: Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon . zeno.org , accessed October 7, 2012 (1905–1909).