Arminian

Arminian refers to adherents of a theological tradition derived from Jacobus Arminius (c. 1560–1609), a Dutch Reformed pastor and professor who argued that salvation involves human response to divine grace within God’s sovereignty. After his death, followers organized the Remonstrants and issued the Five Articles of Remonstrance (1610), challenging strict Calvinist determinism and stressing the role of human agency in salvation.

Central tenets commonly associated with Arminianism include conditional election based on foreseen faith, universal atonement (Christ died for all), resistible grace, prevenient grace that enables a person to respond to the gospel, and the possibility that a true believer may fall from grace if they reject grace. Arminian theology emphasizes freedom of the will and human responsibility in accepting or rejecting God’s offer of salvation, while maintaining dependence on divine help.

Historically, the Remonstrants’s views were opposed at the Synod of Dort (1618–1619), which produced the Canons of Dort and affirmed a Calvinist framework, including predestination, limited atonement, and the perseverance of the saints. The dialogue between Arminian and Calvinist positions significantly shaped Protestant debates about grace and election.

In the modern era, Arminianism has influenced broad streams of Protestantism, especially through Methodism and the Wesleyan tradition. The movement includes Holiness and some Pentecostal groups, as well as various Evangelical churches that emphasize providence, free will, and a cooperative process of salvation. Today, “Arminian” denotes a spectrum of evangelical soteriology that prioritizes human response to grace within a framework of divine initiative.