Arminian Theology: Prevenient Grace and Total Depravity (Including a Review of a New Book about Prevenient Grace)

Last updated on: October 28, 2014 at 7:10 am by Roger E. Olson

Arminian Theology: Prevenient Grace and Total Depravity (Including a Review of a New Book about Prevenient Grace) 2014-10-28T07:10:39-05:00 Roger E. Olson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Two of the most commonly asked questions about Arminian theology are taken up and answered by Arminian scholar W. Brian Shelton (Toccoa Falls College) in his just published book Prevenient Grace: God’s Provision for Fallen Humanity (Francis Asbury Press, 2014). This is a long-awaited and much-needed book. I know of none other that deals with prevenient grace in such depth and detail from an Arminian perspective.

Shelton begins the book by discussing why prevenient grace deserves a whole book and then defines it in Chapter 1 “What Is Prevenient Grace?” Chapter 2 is devoted to “Exegetical Theology: Scriptural Depiction of Prevenient Grace.” In Chapter 3 he surveys “Historical Theology: Approval and Dissent of Prevenient Grace.” Chapter 4 focuses on “Arminius and Wesley: Historic Artisans of Prevenient Grace.” Chapter 5 constitutes a “Systematic Theology: Final Validation of Prevenient Grace” and Chapter 6 concludes the book with “Implications, Applications, and Limitations” of prevenient grace.

Shelton’s book receives high praise from both Arminian and Reformed/Calvinist scholars. It is a very irenic but emphatic defense and recommendation of prevenient grace as resistible but enabling grace that precedes (“prevenes”) and makes possible faith.

I can heartily recommend this book to everyone who has questions about the Arminian doctrine of prevenient grace. In fact, I would say that anyone who dares to speak against the Arminian doctrine of prevenient grace without reading this book first is in danger of putting his or her foot in the mouth. It is such a widely misunderstood doctrine that anyone who speaks out against it is likely repeat misunderstandings and misrepresentations of it.

However, I have two qualms about Shelton’s own view—not so much of prevenient grace itself but of his interpretations of others’ views of prevenient grace and the closely related doctrine of total depravity.

In his chapter on Arminius and Wesley Shelton rightly claims that Wesley believed prevenient grace sufficient for saving faith is universal because of the cross of Christ. All people everywhere benefit from the atoning death of Jesus in that it makes possible their faith. Wesley did seem to believe that God is an equal opportunity Savior. Shelton argues (pp. 118-120) that Arminius believed the same—that “It is a grace bestowed on all people.” The only quote from Arminius that he offers for this is the following from The Writings of James Arminius: “This aid is afforded to all men, by innumerable methods both secret and manifest.” (I: 367) While this single quote does lend support to the belief that Arminius believed in universal prevenient grace, I am not sure one can place Arminius together with Wesley on this point.

Shelton strongly affirms the idea that through the cross event all people—past, present, and future—receive sufficient assisting but resistible grace to believe and be saved. While I recognize that many of my fellow Arminians are convinced of this, I’m not as certain of it. Romans 10:17: “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” It seems to me that even if some measure of prevenient grace is given by God to all people, sufficient faith to believe and receive the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ is especially tied to the gospel message and its proclamation in some form. I would prefer to say that the gospel message is made available to many people in some form, even to those who are not reached by Christian evangelism.

My second qualm is about the concept of total depravity. On page 117 Shelton criticizes me for affirming it. He says “Arminius affirmed human spiritual helplessness but denied total depravity because of prevenient grace, which in turn complemented a gracious act of divine salvation. Olson’s word choice [viz., “total depravity” as part of Arminian theology] does not detract from the coherence of his position, but the term ‘total depravity’ forever smacks of Calvinism. One should avoid the use of the term among Arminian positions unless a disclaimer follows immediately, because of the potential confusion it easily offers unseasoned readers.”

I have always defined “total depravity” as extensive, not intensive. That is, “total depravity” simply means that all parts of every persons, except Jesus Christ, since Adam are corrupted by sin—reason not excepted. I have gone out of my way to say that total depravity does not mean, either for Calvinists or Arminians, that every person is as evil as possible. I affirm total depravity as spiritual helplessness apart from a special operation of God’s grace—whether universal or particular. Calvinists typically describe total depravity as being totally dead spiritually. I prefer to define it as being totally helpless spiritually, left to oneself, without prevenient grace. That’s because I believe the image of God remains, however damaged, in every person. Saying, as Calvinists do, that they are “all dead” (before regeneration) implies that they are not God’s special, loved creatures, possessing dignity and worth above all animals.

I have always been one to embrace good theological words even if they are misused by others. I prefer to rescue them from the dustbin of theological vocabulary rather than discard them. “Total depravity” simply means that there is no spiritual good useful for salvation and developing a strong relationship with God in any person born of Adam’s race (except Christ) that is not a super-added gift of God. With Calvinists I can affirm that we are all spiritually dead apart from supernatural grace, but I add only that 1) even the spiritually dead possess the formal image of God, and 2) supernatural grace heals that deadness so that sinners can at least make a decision to repent and trust in God and Christ or not.

Having expressed these two fairly minor qualms, I can nevertheless heartily recommend Shelton’s book and I urge everyone who is interested in the Arminian doctrine of prevenient grace and require everyone who dares to speak out about it to read it.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 26, 2014

Announcement of Dialogue with Peter Berger at Baylor University

Next Post

October 30, 2014 Is It Possible to Be Forgiven (Reconciled) but Not Born Again (Regenerated)?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I gleaned in fields behind reapers and caught the eye of a wealthy landowner. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ruth Hannah Orpah Naomi