Arminian Theology Quotes

“Before you disagree make sure you understand. In other words, we must make sure that we can describe another's theological position as he would describe it before we criticize or condemn. Another guiding principle should be 'Do not impute to others beliefs you regard as logically entailed by their beliefs but that they explicitly deny'.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“The continental divide between Calvinism and Arminianism, then, lies with different perspectives about God’s identity in revelation. Divine determinism creates problems in God’s character and in the God-human relationship that Arminians simply cannot live with. Because of their controlling vision of God as good, they are unable to affirm unconditional reprobation (which inexorably follows from unconditional election) because it makes God morally ambiguous at best.21 Denying divine determinism in salvation leads to Arminianism.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“That is, for Arminius, inclusion in the covenant of grace is not determined solely by God but by the free response of the human person to God’s initiative in Christ and through the Holy Spirit.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“which regards that divine-human relationship as governed by two covenants: one based on works and the other based on grace.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“For Arminius, “legal theology” correlates with the covenant of the law with Adam as head of the race, whereas “evangelical theology” correlates with the covenant of grace with Christ as the head of the race—insofar as people accept him by faith.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“In sum, Arminius was at one with Reformed theology in his vision of God’s glory as the end or purpose of everything in creation and redemption.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“In his second oration Arminius concurs: “In this act of the mind and the will,—in seeing a present God, in loving him, and therefore in the enjoyment of him,—the salvation of man and his perfect happiness consist.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“Arminians share with classical Calvinists a firm belief in human depravity and the necessity of divine initiative for salvation.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“Arminianism teaches that all humans are born morally and spiritual depraved, and helpless to do anything good or worthy in God’s sight without a special infusion of God’s grace to overcome the affects of original sin.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“Wesley noted that “to say, ‘This man is an Arminian,’ has the same effect on many hearers, as to say ‘This is a mad dog.’ ”11”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“It is not uncommon to hear Arminians describe themselves as “moderately Reformed” in order to ingratiate themselves to the movers and shakers of the evangelical movement.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“I once informed a leading evangelical theologian that his newly published systematic theology is thoroughly Arminian even though he never uses the term. His response was, “Yes, but don’t tell anyone!”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities

“People who say that Calvinists teach predestination and deny free will, and that Arminians deny predestination and teach free will are simply wrong.”
― Roger E. Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities