Arminius, Jacobus (Arminianism)

Meaning

Jacob Arminius was a Dutch theologian who lived from 1560-1609. He developed the movement, we refer to today as Arminianism. The fundamental principle in Arminianism is the rejection of predestination (which was taught by John Calvin and Theodore Beza). And instead affirms the freedom of the human will to choose salvation. Arminius was born in Oudewater, Holland in 1560. When he was older he went to Geneva to study theology under Theodore de Beza and returned to Amsterdam in 1587 where he was ordained as a minister.

Arminius criticized what became known as Calvinism and argued that people can resist the Holy Spirit’s conversion. Therefore his view of God’s election in salvation was not necessarily God’s choosing, but rather God’s foreknowledge of who would or would not accept the Gospel of Christ. Arminius position was ultimately rejected by the Synod of Dort in 1618-19. However the debate between Arminianism and Calvinism still continues today. And there are several Christian Protestant denominations which base a lot of their teaching on either Arminianism or Calvinism .