{"id":24984,"date":"2018-10-09T14:38:56","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T18:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?p=24984"},"modified":"2018-10-09T14:38:56","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T18:38:56","slug":"semi-pelagianism-and-arminianism-an-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2018\/10\/semi-pelagianism-and-arminianism-an-introduction.html","title":{"rendered":"Semi-Pelagianism and Arminianism: An Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/p>\n

The position of many Protestants (particularly many Calvinists) on this issue is hopelessly contradictory and incoherent, with regard to the soteriology of Arminianism and\/or Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism. The definition of the latter is as follows (from two highly authoritative non-Catholic sources):<\/p>\n

[Semi-Pelagianism], while not denying the necessity of Grace for salvation, maintained that the\u00a0first steps towards the Christian life were ordinarily taken by the human will and that Grace\u00a0supervened only later. (Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church<\/i>, edited by F. L. Cross, Oxford Univ. Press, revised edition, 1983, 1258)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The\u00a0Encyclopedia Britannica\u00a0<\/i>(1985 edition, vol. 10, 625) states:<\/p>\n

The result of Semi-Pelagianism, however, was the denial of the necessity of God\u2019s unmerited,\u00a0supernatural, gracious empowering of man\u2019s will for saving action . . . From [529] . . .\u00a0Semi-Pelagianism was recognized as a heresy in the Roman Catholic Church.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Indeed, the Catholic Church \u2013 despite constant bogus and astonishingly uninformed claims by Calvinists \u2013 has vigorously opposed Pelagianism in all forms from the time of St. Augustine. The Second Council of Orange (529 A.D.), accepted as dogma by the Catholic Church, dogmatically taught in its Canon VII:<\/p>\n

If anyone asserts that we can, by our natural powers, think as we ought, or choose any good\u00a0pertaining to the salvation of eternal life . . . without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy\u00a0Spirit . . . he is misled by a heretical spirit . . . [goes on to cite Jn 15:5, 2 Cor 3:5]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Likewise, the ecumenical Council of Trent (1545-63): Chapter V,\u00a0Decree on Justification<\/i>:<\/p>\n

. . . Man . . . is not able, by his own free-will, without the grace of God, to move himself unto\u00a0justice in His sight.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And Canon I on Justification:<\/p>\n

If anyone saith that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through\u00a0the teaching of human nature or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ;\u00a0let him be anathema.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Catholic theologian Ludwig Ott describes the Catholic view:<\/p>\n

As God\u2019s grace is the presupposition and foundation of supernatural good works, by which\u00a0man merits eternal life, so salutary works are, at the same time gifts of God and meritorious\u00a0acts of man. (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma<\/i>, Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books, 1974 [orig. 1952], 264)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

St. Augustine wrote (and the Catholic Church wholeheartedly concurs):<\/p>\n

What merit of man is there before grace by which he can achieve grace, as only grace works\u00a0every one of our good merits in us, and as God, when He crowns our merits, crowns nothing\u00a0else but His own gifts? (Ep. 194, 5, 19; in Ott, 265)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The concept of merit and its corollary reward is well-supported in Scripture: Mt 5:12, 19:17,21,29,25:21, 25:34 ff., Lk 6:38, Rom 2:6, 1 Cor 3:8, 9:17, Col 3:24, Heb 6:10, 10:35, 11:6, 2 Tim 4:8,\u00a0Eph 6:8. Trent must be understood in this light, and nothing in it contradicts 2nd Orange, Scripture, or the doctrine of all grace as originating from God, not man. Thus, neither Trent nor Catholicism is Pelagian or semi-Pelagian.<\/p>\n

Arminianism derives, classically, from the\u00a0Remonstrance<\/i>\u00a0of 1610, a codification of the teachings of Jacob Arminius (1559-1609). Here are the 3rd and 4th articles of five:<\/p>\n

III. That man\u00a0<\/b>has not saving grace of himself<\/span>, nor of the working of his own free-will,\u00a0inasmuch as\u00a0in his state of apostasy and sin he can for himself and by himself\u00a0think nothing that is good<\/span>\u2013nothing, that is, truly good, such as saving faith is,\u00a0above all else. But that\u00a0it is necessary that by God, in Christ and through his Holy\u00a0Spirit he be born again<\/span>\u00a0and renewed in understanding, affections and will and in\u00a0all his faculties, that he may be able to understand, think, will, and perform what is\u00a0truly good, according to the Word of God [John 15:5].<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

IV.\u00a0That this grace of God is the beginning, the progress and the end of all good; so\u00a0that even the regenerate man can neither think, will nor effect any good, nor\u00a0withstand any temptation to evil, without grace precedent (or prevenient),\u00a0awakening, following and co-operating.<\/span> So that all good deeds and all movements\u00a0towards good that can be conceived in through must be ascribed to the grace of\u00a0God in Christ. But with respect to the mode of operation, grace is not irresistible; for it is written\u00a0of many that they resisted the Holy Spirit [Acts 7 and elsewhere passim].<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Much more documentation from the many Arminian denominations could easily be produced. But two shall suffice at this point. John Wesley and the Methodists have long been a target of Calvinist suspicion and disdain. Wesley\u2019s\u00a0Twenty-Five Articles of Religion<\/i>\u00a0(1784), considered normative for Methodists, states in its Article VIII (\u201cOf Free Will\u201d \u2013 virtually the same as Article X of the Anglican\u00a0Thirty-Nine Articles<\/i>); emphasis added:<\/p>\n

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that\u00a0<\/b>he can not turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith and calling upon God<\/span>; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will. (in\u00a0Creeds of the Churches<\/i>, edited by John H. Leith, Garden City: New York: Doubleday Anchor, 1963, 356)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Likewise, in the Lutheran\u00a0Formula of Concord\u00a0<\/i>(1580), the distinction between Melanchthonian Arminianism and semi-Pelagianism could not have been more clearly stated (emphasis added):<\/p>\n

We also reject the error of the Semi-Pelagians<\/span>\u00a0who teach that man by virtue of his own powers could make a beginning of his conversion but could not complete it without the grace of the Holy Spirit. (Part I: Epitome, Article II: Free Will, Antitheses: Contrary False Doctrine, section 3; cf. Solid Declaration, Article II: Free Will, error #2: \u201ccoarse Pelagians\u201d)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Error #3 presents a critique of a twisted straw man version of Tridentine Catholicism\u2019s soteriology, supposedly semi-Pelagian, which only serves to reinforce the fact that confessional Lutheranism indeed vigorously opposes semi-Pelagian doctrine.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Further related thoughts<\/strong> (from 1997):<\/p>\n

As a former consciously Arminian evangelical, I (as well as any like-minded friends with whom I discussed this) had no wish whatsoever to \u201ccompromise God\u2019s power and sovereignty,\u201d as Calvinists often charge. I (and they) held those truths and the ostensibly self-evident (and biblically evident) reality of human freedom together in paradox, precisely as I do now as a Catholic.<\/p>\n

I think the proper analytical dynamic vis-a-vis so-called \u201cArminian heterodoxy\u201d is to tie it in with liberal Protestant uses of it. In other words, I think theological liberalism (or pentecostal<\/a> heresy; e.g., Kenneth Copeland et al) is the ultimate culprit where God\u2019s sovereignty is brought into question, not the system of Arminianism as historically and theologically understood (i.e., Jacob Arminius,\u00a0Remonstrance<\/i>, etc.).<\/p>\n

I vehemently reject the claim that Arminians are Semi-Pelagians (or Pelagians), and I have argued the contrary in debate with Calvinists. As always, the terms must be carefully defined. In my opinion, the Five Points of the\u00a0Remonstrance<\/i>\u00a0of 1610 are virtually identical (prima facie<\/em>) with Catholic Molinism (of which I am one):<\/p>\n

1) Election is conditioned upon man\u2019s response (conditional election)<\/p>\n

2) Universal Atonement<\/p>\n

3) \u201cUnaided by the Holy Spirit, no person is able to respond to God\u2019s will\u201d (thus eliminating the categorization of either \u201cPelagian\u201d or \u201cSemi-Pelagian.\u201d The latter holds that the first steps are originated by the human will rather than by the Holy Spirit)<\/p>\n

4) Grace is not irresistible<\/p>\n

5) Possibility of falling away from grace<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There are certainly many \u201cArminian liberals.\u201d But my point is that we can only go by the \u201cbooks,\u201d creedal statements, systematic theologies, confessions, catechisms, etc. on both sides, in order to have a constructive and fair discussion. We cannot honestly and fairly compare Arminian practice (thus including liberals who dishonestly deny the Arminian formularies) with sophisticated (orthodox) Catholic Tridentine or Augustinian or Thomist dogma and doctrine.<\/p>\n

This is improper and unfair, just as it is unfair for Calvinists to compare their books with Catholic practice (citing the many Pelagian ignoramuses in the pews, Marian devotional excess, dissidents, Ted Kennedy, etc.). Just as I have often argued that \u201cCatholic liberals\u201d are irrelevant with regard to what my Church teaches and believes, likewise we should not lump Protestant liberals in with evangelicals, such as many of us previously were (and I remember full well how I would have felt about such a correlation! :-) This is all the more important, I think, in matters of theological definition, such as \u201cSemi-Pelagian,\u201d \u201cCalvinist,\u201d \u201cTotal Depravity,\u201d \u201cArminian,\u201d etc.<\/p>\n

I would say that applying \u201cArminian\u201d to a belief in Pelagianism or Process Theology is nonsensical, just as much as applying \u201cCalvinism\u201d to an Arminian (in my definition) is. And of course we have all sorts of buffoons calling themselves \u201cCatholic,\u201d so that we are sadly familiar with this dynamic ourselves. Likewise, evangelicals have their wolves in sheep\u2019s clothing as well. J. Gresham Machen (in the 30s) and Francis Schaeffer (in the 70s and 80s) fought for Presbyterian orthodoxy. Norman Geisler has recently been fighting for adherence to the traditions of the Evangelical Free Church, etc.<\/p>\n

It is not necessary to have an infallible authority for the mere purpose of distinguishing theologies. The creed that the Arminian can appeal to is the\u00a0Remonstrance<\/i>, which is the historical root, and also the Methodist and later Lutheran formularies and creeds. That is something that can be \u201cgrabbed onto.\u201d Thus, there is authority at least on a denominational level. Weak? Sure. Non-binding? Yes, usually. Do people use labels falsely? All the time. But I can\u2019t define my terms based on ignorance and abuse. There has to be some objective measure of the defining of terms.This isn\u2019t substantially different from Calvinist appeals to the\u00a0Institutes<\/i>\u00a0or the Westminster Confession, or the Synod of Dort.<\/p>\n

If Calvinism can be analyzed from the perspective of TULIP, the Arminianism can be spoken of with reference to the\u00a0Remonstrance<\/i>, which \u2013 if I am correct \u2013 is what actually led to the clarification of TULIP. Why should any conservative Christian operate by liberal definitions? There are historical backgrounds to theological words. If the heterodox (whether in a Catholic or a Protestant context) get us to use terms the way they use them, they are winning half the battle.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

(originally from 1997 and 12-4-02)<\/p>\n

Photo credit:<\/strong>\u00a0Jacob Arminius<\/em>: portrait by\u00a0Hieronymus van der Mij (1687-1761), after\u00a0Michiel van Miereveldt (1566-1641)<\/span> [public domain \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a>]<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The position of many Protestants (particularly many Calvinists) on this issue is hopelessly contradictory and incoherent, with regard to the soteriology of Arminianism and\/or Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism. 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Inaccuracies abound . . .","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2018\/10\/semi-pelagianism-and-arminianism-an-introduction.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2018\/10\/semi-pelagianism-and-arminianism-an-introduction.html"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2018\/10\/semi-pelagianism-and-arminianism-an-introduction.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Semi-Pelagianism and Arminianism: An Introduction"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/","name":"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism","description":"Catholic biblical apologetics","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/471eaa20e441eca4bb1ea50393cf632e","name":"Dave Armstrong","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/820e6db89734ae7a9e5dac8d498f5ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/820e6db89734ae7a9e5dac8d498f5ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Dave Armstrong"},"description":"Dave Armstrong is a Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981, and Catholicism in particular since 1991 (full-time since December 2001). Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).","sameAs":["https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24984"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24984\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}