Even though it has always been widely debated, the theology of Jacob
Arminius (1559-1609) has not received the scholarly attention one would
expect. Given also its remarkable influence, it is surprising how little
research has been devoted to it. Only since the 1980s has the world of
scholarship seen some movement on this front. The present study by
William den Boer offers a new contribution to the understanding of
Arminius's theology by focusing on the theological motive that lay at
its very foundation. Arminius has been characterized as a theologian of
free will, of creation, or of freedom, and lately also as a theologian
of the assurance of faith. The question as to Arminius's central concern
in his theology has been answered in different ways, with each author
focusing on aspects of differing degrees of importance. William den Boer
defends the thesis that another characterization needs to be added, and
designates Arminius as a theologian of the justice of God, or more
precisely, as a theologian of the twofold love of God. He goes on to
illustrate how these two characterizations are valid at one and the same
time, and why they do not exclude but include all other
characterizations that have been offered by placing them in their proper
perspective. In Part 1 the author posits that the leading motif of
Arminius's theology lay in a careful defense of the justice of God. Part
2 considers the reception of his theology in the discussions between
Remonstrants and Counter-Remonstrants during the Hague Conference -
Haagsche or Schriftelicke Conferentie - of 1611. Finally, Arminius's
theology is placed within the context of sixteenth-century debates on
the cause of sin and God's relationship to evil.
