arapahoepark
Puritan Board Professor
What is the history of Arminianism and how did it become predominant? How did Welsey stumble upon Arminian teachings? Where did Arminianism hide or reside after Dort?
Arminian history?
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DMcFadden
Puritanboard Commissioner
Some reasons for the predominance of Arminianism:
* The natural state of man is Pelagian (or semi-Pelagian). The closest thing to Pelagianism is Arminianism.
* American society is oriented toward free-will, independence, and voluntarism.
* The impact of revivalism ("I going to ask you to get up out of your seats. The cars, the buses, the vans, will wait.") is strongly impactful on popular religion.
* Reformation Christians are our own worst enemies. Our too-often elitist approach of devoting endless attention to hair-splitting distinctions and tendency to express our position in the most non-popular ways (e.g., heavy doses of Latin, Greek, and theological technical terms) alienates people.
This week I spent an hour speaking with the District President of a Reformational denomination. We lamented the fact that all too many recent seminary grads seem to think that if they devote their time to arguments on the internet, spend all day in the study reading theology, and preaching on Sunday, they have discharged their duties. Rightly repelled by the philosophy and practice of the church growth movement, they have all-too-often swung to the other end of the continuum, believing that as long as they preach truth, it is God's responsibility to do EVERYTHING else. My interlocutor cited the head of the denomination (a staunchly confessional man) telling a group of pastors that just because they reject the "church growth" approach does NOT mean that they should let their buildings fall into disrepair, ignore parking lot problems, or present a schlocky image in the printed materials of the church.
I grieve the "mile wide, inch deep" spirituality of American Christianity. But, a little self-criticism should accompany our tongue clucking.
* The natural state of man is Pelagian (or semi-Pelagian). The closest thing to Pelagianism is Arminianism.
* American society is oriented toward free-will, independence, and voluntarism.
* The impact of revivalism ("I going to ask you to get up out of your seats. The cars, the buses, the vans, will wait.") is strongly impactful on popular religion.
* Reformation Christians are our own worst enemies. Our too-often elitist approach of devoting endless attention to hair-splitting distinctions and tendency to express our position in the most non-popular ways (e.g., heavy doses of Latin, Greek, and theological technical terms) alienates people.
This week I spent an hour speaking with the District President of a Reformational denomination. We lamented the fact that all too many recent seminary grads seem to think that if they devote their time to arguments on the internet, spend all day in the study reading theology, and preaching on Sunday, they have discharged their duties. Rightly repelled by the philosophy and practice of the church growth movement, they have all-too-often swung to the other end of the continuum, believing that as long as they preach truth, it is God's responsibility to do EVERYTHING else. My interlocutor cited the head of the denomination (a staunchly confessional man) telling a group of pastors that just because they reject the "church growth" approach does NOT mean that they should let their buildings fall into disrepair, ignore parking lot problems, or present a schlocky image in the printed materials of the church.
I grieve the "mile wide, inch deep" spirituality of American Christianity. But, a little self-criticism should accompany our tongue clucking.
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