Skip to content
Ordinary Time

Movements & -isms

Arminianism

The tradition stemming from Jacob Arminius, holding that grace is resistible and election is conditioned on foreseen faith — God enables a genuine free response.

Not To Be Confused With

Arminianism is NOT Pelagianism: it insists salvation is by grace and that the will is freed only by God's prevenient grace. Its dispute with Calvinism is intramural and orthodox, not a denial of the gospel.

Set out in the Remonstrance (1610) and carried widely by Wesley and the Methodist tradition. It affirms grace as primary and prevenient while holding that humans may finally resist it. The contrast with Calvinism is one of Protestantism's defining family debates.

Related Terms

Related Word Studies

Arminianism — Definition | Theologos Media