Looking for a Traditional Evangelical Arminian Systematic Theology ...

Updated Nov 20, 2024 by Jason Stone (Logos)

Hi everyone,

I wonder if anyone could recommend the best Arminian Systematic Theology around (especially if it is available in the Libronix format).

Thanks in anticipation.

Comments

Sort by:

1 - 3 of 31

Todd Phillips

✭✭✭

John Miley's seems to be recommended, but it's still on pre-pub: http://www.logos.com/products/prepub/details/4300

Oden's Systematic Theology also has a Arminian viewpoint: http://www.logos.com/products/details/3682
(Though he does present views on each topic from a historical perspective--mainly church fathers--before he gives his own conclusions).

MacBook Pro (2019), ThinkPad E540

Stephen Paynter

✭✭

Thanks, Miley's Systematic Theology looks exactly what I was looking for.

✭✭✭

Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Theological Discussion Group

John Miley's seems to be recommended, but it's still on pre-pub: http://www.logos.com/products/prepub/details/4300

Oden's Systematic Theology also has a Arminian viewpoint: http://www.logos.com/products/details/3682
(Though he does present views on each topic from a historical perspective--mainly church fathers--before he gives his own conclusions).

I thought Oden was a moderate calvinist.

Todd Phillips

✭✭✭

I thought Oden was a moderate calvinist.

I'll let him speak for himself, and you can decide:

Due to the history of sin, humanity is in far worse shape than a stone or lump of clay, for sinners actively resist their salvation. The potter can mold the clay, but what if the “clay” has a determined will not to be molded? God does not force godliness or regenerating grace upon human beings, for if forced it could be neither truly godly nor truly just. God draws persons toward salvation by calling, illuminating, convicting, and enabling faith wherever there is an opening amid human resistances (John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, step 4, sec. 121, p. 53). It is no simple work for the Spirit to create a pure heart and steadfast spirit, considering our recalcitrance (Ps. 51:10).
Thomas C. Oden, Life in the Spirit : Systematic Theology, Vol. III. (San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992), 165.

MacBook Pro (2019), ThinkPad E540

Friedrich

a lot of this depends on how you define these terms. To some, "Arminian" almost means Pelagian. To others a particular "Arminian" viewpoint almost seems Calvinist.

Jack Cottrell is essentially "arminian" and his "faith once for all", available in logos, will give you that perspective.

I like Apples. Especially Honeycrisp.

✭✭✭

Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Theological Discussion Group

I thought Oden was a moderate calvinist.

I'll let him speak for himself, and you can decide:

Due to the history of sin, humanity is in far worse shape than a stone or lump of clay, for sinners actively resist their salvation. The potter can mold the clay, but what if the “clay” has a determined will not to be molded? God does not force godliness or regenerating grace upon human beings, for if forced it could be neither truly godly nor truly just. God draws persons toward salvation by calling, illuminating, convicting, and enabling faith wherever there is an opening amid human resistances (John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, step 4, sec. 121, p. 53). It is no simple work for the Spirit to create a pure heart and steadfast spirit, considering our recalcitrance (Ps. 51:10).
Thomas C. Oden, Life in the Spirit : Systematic Theology, Vol. III. (San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992), 165.

Moderate Calvinists also do not believe that God forces regeneration on people apart from faith. Moderate Calvinist holds that faith precedes regeneration and therefore God does not "drag people kicking and screaming into heaven". As Norman Geisler say's "forced love is not love at all, it is rape" So a person is saved by grace through faith.

However doing more research on Oden, it seems you may be right. He has done some work on Wesley etc... I just always thought of him more as a moderate calvinist, then an arminian.

Thanks for that quote.. God Bless..

Todd Phillips

✭✭✭

Moderate Calvinists also do not believe that God forces regeneration on people apart from faith.

The reason I didn't say anything else is because "Moderate Calvinist" doesn't have a clear definition that I can point to or even understand. Moderate in what? and how much can Calvinism be moderated before the term loses it's meaning?

MacBook Pro (2019), ThinkPad E540

✭✭✭

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moderate_Calvinism

Moderate Calvinists also do not believe that God forces regeneration on people apart from faith.

The reason I didn't say anything else is because "Moderate Calvinist" doesn't have a clear definition that I can point to or even understand. Moderate in what? and how much can Calvinism be moderated before the term loses it's meaning?

This website will give you more information. Ive looked it over and it sums up moderate calvinism pretty well. Also you have a very good point. "moderate what" They seem to strike a balance being calvinistic in their teaching on sovereignty etc. However differing from calvinism on atonement (although they hold to atonement the way calvin taught it) and free will ( although their understanding of free will is not the ability to choose God apart from his grace. That is something which they deny. They are not pelegian, but free will being our ability to believe once God has drawn us apart from regeneration.)

I'll have to stop posting, as I believe I am hijacking the thread.

If you would like to discuss more I would be happy to talk with you in another forum, by email, or chat.

I think you are probably right on Oden though, I am probably wrong. I concluded that after seeing he wrote a book on Wesely

God Bless..

Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Theological Discussion Group

Bryan Brodess

✭✭

Moderate calvanists hold to these tenents:

·
Total
Depravity: maintains that man's
depravity is “total.” Since the fall of Adam all men are born in sin with
Adam's sin nature. There is no part of man's nature that was not affected by
sin. Man is totally depraved, and unable to change his inherit sin nature. But
total depravity does not mean total inability. Man's will is free to choose the
gift of salvation. The basis or ground of human responsibility is human
ability. Even though man does have a free will, he has no capacity for saving
himself. God graciously draws people to Himself, but free will is the means by
which salvation is received.

·
Unconditional
Election: agree that salvation is an unconditional gift. The question is
not whether there are any conditions for God giving salvation; but whether
there are any conditions for man receiving salvation. Election is unconditional
from the vantage point of the Giver, but there is one condition for the
receiver. Faith is the condition for receiving salvation. Moderate Calvinism
does not have to redefine the word “foreknowledge” in 1 Peter 1:2. Election is “according
to” or “in harmony with” God's foreknowledge. God's election is neither based
on His foreknowledge of man's free choice nor is His election exercised
independent of it. There is no chronological or logical priority of God's
election and God's foreknowledge.

·
Limited
Atonement: agrees with John Calvin who wrote, “Christ
suffered for the sins of the whole world, and in the goodness of God is offered
unto all men without distinction, His blood being shed not for part of the
world only, but for the whole human race.” God sent the Son into the world that
the world through Him might be saved (Jn. 3:17). That's why Jesus is referred
to as the Savior of the world (Jn. 4:42; 1 Jn. 4:14). In dying for the whole
world, Christ tasted death for every man (Heb. 2:9). Jesus is truly the Savior
of all men (1 Tim. 4:10). Atonement is unlimited in scope in that the offer of
salvation is for all men. Atonement is limited in effect in that only believers
are truly saved.

·
Irresistible
Grace: maintains that saving faith
is the God-ordained means for regeneration, and not the result of regeneration.
Regeneration or the new birth takes place at the moment a person trusts in
Christ and not before they trust in Christ. The scriptural order is first faith
and then life.

·
Perseverance
of the saints: teaches preservation of the saints as opposed to
perseverance of the saints. The Biblical doctrine of Eternal Security teaches
that the believer will be preserved by the grace of God. No saint will ever be
lost (even if they die in a sinful state). The believer is eternally secure.
Moderate Calvinists believe in assurance of salvation while on earth .

It would appear the difference between Moderate Calvinists and Arminians is one believes one can lose salvation. One does not.. Does anyone see any other differences?

John Bowling

✭✭

What is a moderate Calvinist? The term seems entirely unhelpful and even your expounding of "moderate" Calvinism by TULIP is ambiguous.

For example, do you understand "perseverance" to mean that a true saint will not finally and fully fall away from the faith, but that "This faith is
different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed, and weakened..." and that "although they can never fall from the state of
justification, yet they may, by their
sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His
countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their
sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance." If you affirm this, then you believe in the historical and normal sense of "Perseverance of the Saints" and there is no reason to "oppose" it in favor of something called "preservation," which we may equate with "easy believism".

Or one may ask what you mean by regeneration being subsequent to faith and who the Reformed persons are who hold to this? We already discussed this issue in another thread. It is admitted that Calvin did not use the term "regeneration" in any single sense and that he in fact affirms that what is today referred to by "regeneration" must precede faith. See, for example, where he states "It thus appears that none can enter the kingdom of God save those whose minds have been renewed by the enlightening of the Holy Spirit" (ICR II.ii.20).

So are these "moderate" Calvinists really just promoting a "new" Calvinism? If so, why not avoid confusion by calling it something new, that would not so easily lead to confusion.

Some people may consider themselves "moderate" Calvinists because they reject Limited Atonement. Conversely, a person may consider themselves "moderate" Calvinist because they aren't sure about a lot of the details, but think God ultimately predestines certain persons to eternal life. So the term is simply too ambiguous to be of any use and it creates even more ambiguity when one asks what we should label those to the "right" of the "moderate" Calvinists. Are they "hyper-Calvinists"? If so, what does this mean? Are they "extreme" Calvinists? Again, exactly what does this designate?

(The terms "Calvinism" and "hyper-Calvinism" already have an established or (historically) codified usage that we should not rework simply to make the view more rhetorically palatable for some. If some small group is under the impression that a hyper-Calvinist is anyone who affirms the five doctrines in TULIP, then we should simply correct their mistaken belief rather than concoct some other term based upon a misunderstanding.)

Those who simply reject Limited Atonement do us a favor by going by the historical usage of Amyraldians rather than "moderate" or "soft" or some other ambiguous qualifier. I would suggest "moderate" Calvinists have the same courtesy.

The point in one's using language should always be to communicate clearly. We should seek to be precise and avoid confusion as far as possible. Unfortunately, it is popular in today's culture to use language ambiguously to pacify or placate. Where there is an established historical usage we should use those terms in accordance with it and where there is not we should not muddy the waters by ambiguous qualifiers.

P.S. I might add, Bryan, that it seems the doctrines of TULIP as you expound them (if I understand you correctly) could easily be shown logically inconsistent. But I suppose that this isn't the place to debate that.

perspectivelyspeaking.wordpress.com

Bryan Brodess

✭✭

P.S. I might add, Bryan, that it seems the doctrines of TULIP as you expound them (if I understand you correctly) could easily be shown logically inconsistent. But I suppose that this isn't the place to debate that.

As for what you posted before this, I would love to speak about this further in Blair's thread,, this is not the place to discuss this. Just let me know

as for this comment

I think it might be that these are the two most "reformed" theologies, your either one or the other.

Arminianism, since they do not believe in eternal security. many probably wonder if they are even truly saved,, so do not even want to associate with this group.. Calvanism, on the other hand,, I doubt many question whether they are saved,, just how they arived at their faith., So those who differ on some points would rather associate themselves with people they consider brothers, as apposed to people they wonder if they are even brothers..

if this even makes sense..

and this is purely a simple guess as to why people consider themselves moderate calvin as apposed to moderate arminian..

✭✭✭

http://debate.divinesoteriology.com

P.S. I might add, Bryan, that it seems the doctrines of TULIP as you expound them (if I understand you correctly) could easily be shown logically inconsistent. But I suppose that this isn't the place to debate that.

As for what you posted before this, I would love to speak about this further in Blair's thread,, this is not the place to discuss this. Just let me know

as for this comment

I think it might be that these are the two most "reformed" theologies, your either one or the other.

Arminianism, since they do not believe in eternal security. many probably wonder if they are even truly saved,, so do not even want to associate with this group.. Calvanism, on the other hand,, I doubt many question whether they are saved,, just how they arived at their faith., So those who differ on some points would rather associate themselves with people they consider brothers, as apposed to people they wonder if they are even brothers..

if this even makes sense..

and this is purely a simple guess as to why people consider themselves moderate calvin as apposed to moderate arminian..

I would have to agree this is not the place for this subject. I would love to discuss this further on my debate forum

I actually believe I offered to further this type of discussion in my forum with John at another point in time but the conversation, but John never obliged.

Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Theological Discussion Group

Floyd Johnson

✭✭✭

I wonder if anyone could recommend the best Arminian Systematic Theology around (especially if it is available in the Libronix format).

A number of years ago I put together a list of Wesleyan-Arminian resources I would like to see in Libronix. Here is that list:

==================================================

Bible Commentaries

1. Wesleyan Bible Study Commentaries (2001 to Present) **

Currently being developed by the Wesleyan Publishing House
(a division of The Wesleyan Church), the following volumes have been
published:

Genesis (out of stock indefinitely) Psalms Proverbs John Acts Romans Ephesians I and II Thessalonians 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon James Revelation (January 2005)

2. Wesleyan Bible Commentary (1966) **

This six volume set, published by the Willam B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, covers the entire Bible. I have found it to be a
helpful resource to have at my side.

Theological Works

1. Miley, John (1892). Systematic Theology **

I am less familiar with Miley’s work, but Grudem says,
“This is probably the most scholarly and extensive Arminian systematic
theology ever written. Miley was a professor at Drew Theological
Seminary, Madison, New Jersey.” It is available on line at the Internet Archive:

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=Miley%20systematic%20theology%20AND%20collection%3Aamericana

2. Pope, William Burt (1880). A Compendium Of Christian Theology.

Pope’s three volume work is both scholarly and easy to
read. It is grounded throughout in scripture. This work is available
on-line as PDF files at

     Volume 1: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2404.PDF

     Volume 2: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2405.PDF

     Volume 3: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2406.PDF

Wayne Grudem (author of Systematic Theology) writes that, “This work
… is one of the greatest systematic theologies written from a
Wesleyan or Arminian perspective.”

3. Watson, Richard (1851). Theological Institutes.

Watson’s work, published in two volumes, is a well-written
work which, though very biblical, has a philosophical bent. It
available on-line at

http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyan_theology/watson/index.htm

The on-line format is such that it cannot be searched and its
formatting leaves much to be desired for reading. This work is also
available as a PDF file on an AGES CD.

4. Wiley, H. Orton (1940). Christian Theology.

Orton’s is an important work because it was the standard
Wesleyan theology text for Bible College and Seminary students for much
of the latter half of the 20th century. It, however, does not have the
depth of either Watson or Pope (or, Grudem states, Miley). It is much
more a descriptive theology than a systematic theology. It is
available on line at

http://wesley.nnu.edu/holiness_tradition/wiley/index.htm

Study Bibles

1. Reflecting God Study Bible (1998)

This is the Wesleyan edition of the familiar NIV Study
Bible. Besides including a good set of study notes, this edition also
includes a set for essays aimed at helping the believer live a holy
life. Though still available through Christian book distributors, it
does not seem to be available from the Zondervan, the publisher.

2. The Wesley Bible (1990)

Study notes from a Wesleyan perspective are the keynote of
this NKJV bible. This is still my standard Study Bible.

3. The Wesley Study Bible (2009)

A recent Wesleyan study Bible edited by Joel B. Green (from Fuller Seminary) and William H. Willimon (a United Methodist Bishop)

==================================================

Though this original list was created in 2004, I did add this last item to the list of original resources as I typed this note. You will note that I marked several of the items in RED ** to indicate that they are at some stage in the Pre-pub process. I would like to see the remaining items in Libronix, I can only hope.

I hope this list helps.

Yours because His,

Floyd

PS I am not seeing the red or the Arial Black font so I added asterisks to the three items that are in pre-pub.

Blessings,
Floyd

Pastor-Patrick.blogspot.com

Floyd Johnson

✭✭✭

Miley, John (1892). Systematic Theology **

I just added a link to Miley's Systematic Theology at the "Internet Archive" - this makes all four of the commentaries in my list accessible - though not via LOGOS as of yet. I eagerly await the time when they may all be available.

Blessings,

Floyd

Blessings,
Floyd

Pastor-Patrick.blogspot.com

david the psalter

✭✭

http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/nph/itempage.jsp?itemId=083-411-2191

Try this great book

Grace, Faith & Holiness

A Wesleyan Systematic Theology

By: H. Ray Dunning

Dan Sheppard

✭✭

2. Pope, William Burt (1880). A Compendium Of Christian Theology.

Pope’s three volume work is both scholarly and easy to
read. It is grounded throughout in scripture. This work is available
on-line as PDF files at

     Volume 1: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2404.PDF

     Volume 2: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2405.PDF

     Volume 3: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2406.PDF

Strange - Arminian theology, coming from a Pope!

Floyd Johnson

✭✭✭

2. Pope, William Burt (1880). A Compendium Of Christian Theology.

Pope’s three volume work is both scholarly and easy to
read. It is grounded throughout in scripture. This work is available
on-line as PDF files at

     Volume 1: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2404.PDF

     Volume 2: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2405.PDF

     Volume 3: http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/2401-2500/HDM2406.PDF

You forgot the "smiley". [H]

Strange - Arminian theology, coming from a Pope!

Blessings,
Floyd

Pastor-Patrick.blogspot.com

Nathan Lentfer

✭✭