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There is such a rift in the Evangelical
community over the differences between the Reformed and Arminian
views of election, that I am compelled to devote an entire page to
articles debating those differences. The term "Calvinism"
carries a lot of baggage because of its historic
confrontations with the Wesleyans. And Wesleyan theology has
gained enormous popularity and widespread acceptance over the
years, though perhaps unwarranted. The Wesleyans won the
theological war for the hearts and minds of American evangelicals,
and in my opinion, the American Church has been weakened by
it. It wasn't the strength of Arminian theology that overthrew
the Reformed churches, as much as the weakness of the
Reformed churches. Calvinists substituted aristocratic leadership
for the universal priesthood of believers, while Arminians
emphasized the commonality of all believers. Theirs was a
simple and anti-intellectual faith, while the Reformed
churches separated clergy and laity with an almost
gnostic approach to understanding the Scriptures. In egalitarian
America, that was theological suicide. These aberrations in the
structure and administration of the Reformed churches
does nothing to belie their doctrine, only their practice;
nor does the popularity of the Arminian churches
prove their doctrine, only their widespread acceptance. We need
to determine what the Scriptures teach, not what the churches teach.
We must not cater to what people want to hear. Instead, we
must come to a correct understanding of biblical doctrine and
practice. The first article below is a light-hearted
exchange between an Arminian and a Calvinist who both attend the
same evangelical church (after all, we're inclusive even if we're
not consistent). It maps out the common ground that exists
between them.
General
Against Arminianism
Favoring Arminianism
Arminianism vs Calvinism
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