Is Arminianism Christian?

A Quote from Sproul:

Semi-Pelagianism of which Arminianism is, "is clearly Christian with its passionate confession of the deity of Christ and its confidence in the Atonement, the Resurrection, and the rest. Semi-Pelagianism is the majority report among evangelical Christians...But...Semi-Pelagianism still represents theology of compromise with our natural inclinations. It has a glaring defect in its understanding of God. Though it salutes the holiness of God and protests loudly that it believes in God's sovereignty, it still entertains delusions about our ability to incline ourselves to God, to make "decisions" to be born again. It declares that fallen people, who are at enmity with God, can be persuaded to be reconciled even before their sinful hearts are changed. It has people who are not born again seeing a kingdom Christ declared could not be seen and entering a kingdom that cannot be entered without rebirth. Evangelicals today have unconverted sinners who are dead in trespasses and sin bringing themselves to life by choosing to be born again."1

It has been said that historically there are three main doctrinal positions in Christianity: Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, and Augustinianism. From Pelagianism we get our liberal theologians who deny the deity of Christ and all the essentials doctrines of the church. From Semi-Pelagianism we get Arminianism from which Wesley, and Charles Finney embraced. Augustinianism all the major Reformational figures held including but not limited to: Martin Luther and John Calvin.

-Joe




1 Sproul, R.C, The Holiness of God, Tyndale Publishers, 1985 (1998, p. 182.