Arminian Books
Fuente: https://wesleyanarminian.wordpress.com/books/
Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities (Roger Olson). An excellent overview of Arminian Theology. Olson does not set out to “disprove” Calvinism. Rather, he explains why Arminians believe as they do, and endeavors to clear up common misconceptions. Olson’s style is irenic. As the Amazon reviews show, many Calvinists have found this work to be helpful. It is written at a layperson / college level.
Against Calvinism (Roger Olson). A forceful critique of High Calvinism. or 5 point Calvinism. Olson argues primarily against the 3 middle points – the ULI of TULIP. He quotes extensively from Calvinist theologians such as Edwards, Piper, Boettner and Sproul. He argues that Calvinism unwittingly damages the character of God. He goes as far to say (as did Wesley), that in his view, Calvinism makes it hard to distinguish God from the devil. It is written at a layperson / college level.
The Transforming Power of Grace (Thomas Oden). This is the book to read if you want to understand the Arminian view on the nature of God’s grace. Oden draws from what he calls the Paleo-Orthodox consensus on grace (What early Christians all agreed on). He quotes from church fathers throughout history. To get the most out of this book It is helpful to have a basic knowledge of church history and the early church fathers. Written at a college / seminary level.
Why I Am Not a Calvinist (Walls and Dongell). The authors’ goal is to explain why Calvinism is not a scriptural system. If you are looking to “disprove” Calvinism, this work is well worth the read. It is written at a layman / college level. As a side note, Jerry Walls (one of the authors) has a free mp3 presentation that is in large part based on the contents of the book. It can be found in the “Arminian Audio Links” column on the right. It is written at a layperson / college level.
God’s Strategy in Human History (Forster and Marston). The authors take a look at God’s interaction with humanity. There is in depth coverage of the scripture passages that Calvinists use, such as Romans 9 and Ephesians 1. Their overview of Romans 9 is masterful. They go into some detail about the Hebrew words that we translate as “harden”. They show how these words are inconsistently and inadequately translated into English. This is relevant to God’s interaction with Pharaoh, and gives context to the “hardening” of Pharaoh’s heart in Exodus. The book also has an appendix that reviews the consensus of the early church fathers on the issue of free will. They argue that determinism in a Christian context was an invention of Augustine. Written at a college level.
Foundations of Wesleyan-Arminian Theology (Mildred Bangs Wynkoop). This succinct work gives an overview of Arminian Theology from a Holiness/Wesleyan perspective. In a matter of fact way, the author explains the differences in Arminian and Calvinist Theology. Written at a high school level, this is a great book for the layperson who is looking to get his feet wet.
The Five Points of Calvinism, Weighed and Found Wanting (George Bryson). Another easy to read work, written from more of a Baptist perspective. Bryson rejects Calvinism, but also holds that it is impossible forfeit one’s salvation. A free pdf of the book can also be found online here. Written at a high school level.
Chosen But Free (Norman Geisler). A critique of Calvinism from a conservative Baptist viewpoint. Geisler presents some interesting analogies that highlight how “extreme Calvinism” (his label for 5 point TULIP theology) is damaging to the character of God. Geisler does not consider himself Arminian. He refers to himself as a moderate Calvinist. He in effect tries to split the middle between Arminian and Calvinist theology. A Geisler critique of “extreme Calvinism” can be found in the audio links on the right. Written at a high school level.
Arminian and Baptist
(J Matthew Pinson) Arminian theology in the Free Will Baptist tradition. The book gives a short history of Jacob Arminius, and a sketch of John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, the founders of the General Baptist movement. It gives a summary of Helwys “Short and Plain Proof” (a criticism of Calvinistic predestination). It discusses the theology of Thomas Grantham, and contrasts it to the theology of John Goodwin (also an Arminian). Next it looks at the theology of John Wesley, including some of the shortcomings of Wesley’s theology (shortcomings from a Classical Arminian perspective, not necessarily my own view). Lastly the book gives an overview of the Free Will Baptist distinctives. For example, FWBs believe that apostasy when it happens is permanent and comes from a rejection/loss of faith, not through sin.
The Wesley Study Bible (edited by Green and Willimon). This study bible is a collaborative effort from top notch scholars in the wider Methodist and Wesleyan community. The translation used is the NRSV.
Other relevant books that I haven’t yet read:
Grace, Faith, Free Will
Classic Catechism
What the Bible Says about God the Ruler
Perspectives on Election
The Quest for Truth: Answering Life’s Inescapable Questions
Arminius: A study in the Dutch Reformation
Life in the Son
Elect in the Son
The Believer’s Conditional Security : Eternal Security Refuted
Redemption Redeemed: A Puritan Defense of Unlimited Atonement, Expanded Edition
What Love is This? Calvinism’s Misrepresentation of God
The Other Side of Calvinism
The Book of Romans (Robert Picirilli). A commentary on Romans, written from a solidly Arminian perspective.
Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views
The New Chosen People
John Wesley’s scriptural Christianity
Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans 9:1-9: An Intertextual and Theological Exegesis (Library Of New Testament Studies)
Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in Romans 9:10-18: An Intertextual and Theological Exegesis (Library Of New Testament Studies)
(Brian Abasciano) An in depth study of Romans 9. Part 2.
The Dark Side of Calvinism: The Calvinist Caste System (George Bryson). An alert reader also pointed out that this book can be found online for free here and here.
Calvinism: Bitter for Sweet (J W de Silva). Book can also be found online for free here.