Episode 83 - Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals: Jacobus Arminius - Part 02

Today we're continuing our look at Arminius and the storms that followed his death. He died of tuberculosis in 1609 but, of course, his impact continued, and continues, long after his death. Specifically, we're going to focus on the Synod of Dort, one of the most important, and perhaps least understood, events in the history of Christian doctrine. We'll look at what Dort was, why it happened, and why Christians today — often unknowingly — are still living in the shadow of its decisions.

Transcript

Welcome back to the Giants of the Faith Podcast, where we look at influential Christians and their impact on Christendom and the world. My name is Robert Daniels and I am the host of this show. This is episode 83, part 2 of our mini-series on Jacobus Arminius. This is the fourth episode in this season where we are drawing inspiration from Inter-Varsity Press' Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals.

A friend of mine called me out at church this week for being so slow getting these published. All I can say is that I've been busy at work and church and putting together a curriculum for a Biblical archaeology class I'm teaching. So Nathan, I'm sorry that it's taken this long to get this episode out. 

Today we're continuing our look at Arminius and the storms that followed his death. He died of tuberculosis in 1609 but, of course, his impact continued, and continues, long after his death. Specifically, we're going to focus on the Synod of Dort, one of the most important, and perhaps least understood, events in the history of Christian doctrine. We'll look at what Dort was, why it happened, and why Christians today — often unknowingly — are still living in the shadow of its decisions.

When Arminius died in 1609, he left behind not just a theology, but a movement — his followers, known as the Remonstrants. The Remonstrants were pastors, theologians, and laypeople who believed that God's grace, though sovereign, was not irresistible; that humans, enabled by grace, could respond freely.

In 1610, they presented their Five Articles of Remonstrance, where they get their name,  to the Dutch government. They wanted the government to convene a synod and recognize religious tolerance. These five points can be briefly summarized as

1. Conditional Election — God elects those whom He foreknows will believe.

2. Universal Atonement — Christ died for all, though only believers benefit.

3. Human Inability Without Grace — Humans need divine grace to have faith.

4. Resistible Grace — Grace can be resisted.

5. Possibility of Apostasy — True believers can fall away.

The Remonstrants didn't see themselves as calling on men to abandon Reformed doctrine, but rather to refine it, to correct what they saw as distortions of God's justice and love. That viewpoint did not stop them from dividing the Dutch Reformed Church.

Calvinists, also known as Contra-Remonstrants, led by theologians like Franciscus Gomarus, saw these ideas as a direct threat to Reformed orthodoxy and responded with strong opposition, insisting on unconditional election and irresistible grace. They called for their own synod to reaffirm reformed theology. Tensions exploded into violence. In some towns, churches split; in others, ministers were driven out. 

The Remonstrants found support among more liberal and urban political leaders, including Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and the jurist Hugo Grotius, who favored religious tolerance. The Contra-Remonstrants were backed by more conservative rural elites and Prince Maurice of Orange, who saw the Remonstrants as a political threat and sought religious uniformity for national unity.

The government, desperate for peace, called for a national synod — a church council — to resolve the controversy once and for all. Thus, the Synod of Dort convened on November 13, 1618 in the western Dutch town of Dordrecht and ran until May 29, 1619.

It was massive: over 100 theologians and church leaders from across Europe — including England, Scotland, Germany, and Switzerland — gathered in the city of Dordrecht. Over the six months of the synod there were 180 sessions. The goal was simple but weighty: to examine the Remonstrants' teachings and determine the official stance of the Reformed Church. 

The Synod was led by Johannes Bogerman and was overseen by Maurice, which ensured that the outcome would be official and enforceable. Bogerman was a Frisian theologian and minister who was chosen as president of the Synod. His role was decisive in shaping the outcome of the meetings.

He oversaw the sessions, managed debates, and ensured that the discussions followed proper order. He often had to mediate between Dutch and foreign delegates from Reformed churches across Europe. Bogerman was a committed Contra-Remonstrant who was strongly opposed to the Arminians. His leadership aligned with Prince Maurice of Nassau’s political support for the Calvinist side, which gave him confidence and influence and, frankly, made the outcome of the Synod almost a foregone conclusion.

Eventually, the Synod formally endorsed the traditional Reformed doctrines and Arminianism was condemned as heretical. Over 200 Remonstrance ministers were kicked out of office and many of those were either imprisoned, exiled, or forced to flee. Van Oldenbarnevelt, the previously mentioned political protector of the Remonstrants, was arrested in August of 1618 - four months before the Synod. His trial took place as the Synod of Dort was coming to an end. He was convicted of treason and on May 13, 1619, he was executed by beheading.

The Synod and Van Oldenbarnevelt's execution served to galvanize Maurice's political power. He forced the States-General, the legislative assembly of the Dutch Republic, to disband militias across the provinces that had been raised to support and protect the Remonstrants. The national army, under Maurice's control, became the only military force in the Republic and further cemented his dominance.

The primary theological documents to come out of Dort are collectively known as the Canons of Dort. The Canons are a response to the Five Articles of Remonstrance and are organized into four parts. It is from these four parts - when reorganized and split into five - that we get the TULIP acronym so famously related to Reformed belief.

The four parts are:

1. Divine Election and Reprobation - God’s election of the saved is unconditional, based solely on His will, not on foreseen faith or human merit.
2. Christ’s Death and Human Redemption - Christ’s atonement is sufficient for all, but its saving effect is intended only for the elect.
3. Human Corruption and Conversion to God - Humans are totally depraved, unable to turn to God on their own.
4. The Perseverance of the Saints - Those whom God has elected and regenerated will persevere in faith until the end.

The Canons, along with the earlier Heidelberg Catechism and Belgic Confession, form what is known as the "Three Forms of Unity" among Reformed churches and believers - initially all across Europe but eventually all over the world. It allowed Reformed believers to have a common identity and gave them a point of unity that transcended cultural and historical differences. They established the doctrinal identity of Reformed churches for centuries. At the same time that the Synod and the Canons brought unity to Reformed believers, they hardened divisions between the Reformed and other Protestants like Lutherans and Arminians. These divisions still exist today (just look on any online Christian forum) but the increasing secularization of society has helped to repair some of the broken bonds as Christians of all stripes stand together.

Many Christians today—whether they realize it or not—are still living in the shadow of the Synod of Dort, because the theological decisions made there shaped the very framework of how much of modern Protestantism understands salvation, grace, and human responsibility. The Synod was convened to resolve the controversy between the followers of Jacobus Arminius and the defenders of strict Calvinism, and its rulings gave birth to what we now summarize as the “Five Points of Calvinism” . These doctrinal formulations—total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints—did not remain confined to the seventeenth century; they became foundational to Reformed and Presbyterian churches worldwide and have influenced Baptist, Methodist, and even modern evangelical discussions about free will and divine sovereignty. Even Christians who reject Calvinism are reacting to categories and questions first crystallized at Dort, often without realizing their origin. Debates in today’s churches about eternal security, predestination, human choice in salvation, and the assurance of faith are echoes of the struggles faced in that Dutch city over 400 years ago. In this way, the Synod of Dort continues to cast a long shadow, silently framing the conversations, sermons, and theological assumptions that believers inherit, whether they call themselves Calvinist, Arminian, or somewhere in between.

Well, that's it for this episode. Again, I'm very sorry it took so long to go to press. Next time we'll briefly look at