Have you ever read Arminius’s works? He’s not an easy read, and we shouldn’t expect him to be.
He was no lay-person, but rather a theological professor at Leiden University— and not just any professor, a professor steeped in the reformed scholastic method of his time period. Thus, his writings weren't necessarily meant for some average bloke like you or me, but rather they were written for academia- students, colleagues, and more. Now, compound that by 400 plus years of changes between his time and ours, and it's no wonder that we have modern scholars like Keith Stanglin warning us not to rush headlong into Arminius’s Disputations.
Unfortunately, I had to learn all that the hard way. I had no mentor to teach me these things, and as such it took me years to figure out the proper resources to read so as to better understand Arminius’s writings—and, as you can imagine, that was no fun. So, in an effort to help others streamline this learning process, I’ve compiled a list of relevant resources that I think one ought to read before they read Arminius.
Note: I designed this list with the lay-person in mind— someone with little to no theological exposure. I also wrote it with the expectation that these recommendations would be read, for the most part, in order. Of course, there is no one right way to learn this information. If it helps- great. If it doesn’t- hopefully I didn’t waste too much of your time.
Where to Start:
“The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition and Reform,” — By Roger E. Olson
Christian Theology has a very long history, and Jacob Arminius is born hundreds of years after its conception. Olson’s book is therefore an easy narrative documenting the twists and turns of theology, with an emphasis placed on soteriology. In turn, this book has the added benefit of introducing its readers to Arminius— his life, teachings, and legacy. For those who are interested in reading more, I’d also recommend Justo González's 2 volume book series called “The Story of Christianity.” Unlike Olson, his books are less about Christian theology and more about Christian history and its progression. It too dedicates a chapter (in volume 2) on the life of Jacob Arminius.
R.T. Mullins and his Papers
This is probably going to be my most controversial recommendation, because it lacks a direct connection to Jacob Arminius.
R.T. Mullins is a modern theologian/philosopher whose work spans that of the philosophy of time, models of God, problems of evil, the Trinity, and more. He is recommended because of his ability to demarcate the Classical understanding of God from our modern conceptions— a pertinent thing to do when thinking about the reformers and their use of scholasticism. Even if you end up disagreeing with his perspective on things, the clarity in which he writes will provide a better foundation for understanding Arminius’s theology— especially as it relates to perfect being theology, God and his attributes, logical vs. temporal moments, creation, foreknowledge, and more. I recommend reading first: “The Difficulty with Demarcating Panentheism” which can be found on his website: here. Afterwards, read everything else in its published order.
“Arminius a study in the Dutch Reformation,” —by Carl Bangs
Written in 1971 (a later edition in 1985), this book by Carl Bangs provides us with a detailed look at Arminius’s life, his context, and the disputes surrounding his theological positions. The added benefit of this book is that Bangs often pulls from primary sources, giving us translations of them within the text. Thus, it is a critical book that can help bridge the 400 year gap between us and Arminius. For those looking for even more context (especially about the rise of Protestantism in the Netherlands and the Dutch Revolt), I recommend “The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477-1806,” by Jonathan Israel.
“Jacob Arminius: Theologian of Grace” — Keith Stanglin and Thomas McCall
If you decided to skip my first three recommendations, that’s fine. But please! — please don’t skip this book if you really want to learn about Arminius and his theology. Written in 2012, Stanglin and McCall provides us with a great look at his views on God, predestination, election, autotheos, and more. Thus, it is an essential book to have prior to reading Arminius's writings.
“God, Creation, and Providence in the Thought of Jacob Arminius,” — by Richard A. Muller
This book by Richard Muller connects Arminius to the Reformed Scholasticism of his time via an analysis of his teachings on the Doctrine of God, Creation, and Providence. In some sense, recommendation 4 provides a broader picture of Arminius and his teachings, while Muller's book is way more specific. As such, I recommend that this book be read after “Theologian of Grace,” and before tackling any of Arminius’s writings.
What's next:
Keith Stanglin said don’t start with Arminius’s disputations— and I agree. After the first five sources above, purchase W. Stephen Gunter’s book “Arminius and His Declaration of Sentiments: An Annotated Translation with Introduction and Theological Commentary.” Arminius wrote his Declaration of Sentiments for the layman, making it one of his easier things to understand. Thus, this translation by Gunter is the perfect place to begin. After this, the world is your oyster.