Jacob Arminius

Jacobus Arminius (October 10, 1560 – October 19, 1609), is the Latin name of the Dutch theologian Jakob Hermanszoon. He is also known by the names of Jacob Arminius or James Arminius. Arminius was a professor of theology at the University of Leiden from 1603 until he died in 1609. He wrote many books and papers on theology, which is the study of God, and his views became the basis for the Dutch Remonstrants.

After he died, his views on theology were most widely known for being the opposite of the five points of Calvinism, though Arminius only objected to three: unconditional election, limited atonement, and irresistible grace; and he doubted the perseverance of the saints. His view on total depravity agreed with John Calvin, only changing the view held by Calvinists a small amount.

Life

Arminius was born at Oudewater, Utrecht. His father Herman died when Arminius was a baby, leaving his wife (and Jacob's mother) as a single mother with small children. Theodorus Aemilius, a priest, adopted Jacobus and sent him to school at Utrecht. His mother was killed by the Spanish in Oudewater in 1575. About that same year the kindness of his friends allowed him to go study theology at the University of Leiden.

Jacobus Arminius

Other websites

• The Works of James Arminius, Vol. 1
• The Works of James Arminius, Vol. 2
• The Works of James Arminius, Vol. 3
• "Who Was Arminius?" by W. Robert Godfrey (a Calvinist view)
• Profile page for Jacobus Arminius on the "Find A Grave" website