Arminius can be described as a truly holistic thinker who places his ultimate fidelity in Scripture and to the pursuit of Jesus as first and foremost, prior to any hermeneutical or philosophical agenda or tradition.
He loved John Calvin and his theological teachings, even though he disagreed with some key areas of John Calvin. He was deeply sympathetic to the need for reform and to the Reformation cry of Reformata, Semper Reformandi (Reformed, Always Reforming). Over a century after this, John Wesley took up the mantle of Arminius in his opposition to what became strongly identified with Calvinism.Īrminius was a Reformed Christian. Arminius produced many works, the most important of which was the Declaration of Sentiments in 1608, which spelled out in detail his opposition to that doctrine. This doctrine was ratified by the Synod of Dort (a specially called meeting of Reformed churches in 1618-19, decades after Calvin’s death). Specifically, Arminius was troubled by a particular doctrine taught by many of Calvin’s supporters, namely, that even before sin entered the world (“the fall”), God predestines some to eternal life and others to eternal separation or damnation. It is in the work of Arminius, whose life intersected the end of the life of John Calvin (1509-1564), that we see both the connections John Wesley’s theology had with Calvin’s, as well as the key areas that separate Calvinists and Wesleyans theologically. Any understanding of Wesley’s theology that does not pay sufficient attention to the work of Arminius is unintelligible.
Jacob Arminius’s theology stands as a crucial bridge between the theology of John Calvin and the theology of John Wesley and his followers. His pastoral spirit and sensibilities cannot be overestimated and were clearly present throughout the entirety of his career, including his theological writings. He served as professor of theology at the University of Leiden for about 6 years before dying of tuberculosis in 1609. Jacob Arminius (1559 – 1609) was a Dutch pastor and scholar who spent most of his career as a pastor in Amsterdam.
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