ARMINIUS, JACOBUS

Called also Jakob Hermandszoon, Dutch Reformed theologian; b. Oudewater, South Holland, Oct. 10, 1560; d. Leiden, Oct. 19, 1609. Aided by friends, Arminius, after his father's death, studied at Utrecht and at Marburg (only briefly, since he was called home when most of his family was slain during the Spanish siege of Oudewater); he later attended the University of Leiden to study theology

(1576–82). He went to Geneva, at that time under Theodore Beza, where he studied for three years (interrupted by a brief stay in Basel); he then went to the University of Padua, made a short visit to Rome, and spent a few more months in Geneva. In 1587 he was called to Amsterdam and in the following year became a minister. For 15 years he served as a kind and devoted pastor, showing his love for his people especially at the time that the plague struck so devastatingly (1602). He was a gifted preacher who possessed a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. A few years after his arrival in Amsterdam he married and became the father of nine children. In 1603 he was invited to become professor of theology at the University of Leiden, where he remained until his death. By nature a peace-loving man, Arminius nevertheless became involved in many disputes over the Calvinist teaching of unconditional predestination, since his studies in St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans had led him to doubt so harsh a doctrine and inspired him to promote the milder form of a conditional predestination. The disputes continued until the time of his death.

Bibliography: Opera theologica (Leiden 1629); Eng. ed. and tr. J. and w. nichols, 3 v. (London 1825–75). c. brandt, The Life of James Arminius, tr. j. guthrie (Glasgow 1854). n. bangs, Life of James Arminius, ed. j. nichols (New York 1843). j. h. maronier, Jacobus Arminius (Amsterdam 1905). a. h. w. harrison, The Beginnings of Arminianism to the Synod of Dort (London 1926); Arminianism (London 1937). w. f. dankbaar, Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart 3 1:622.

[l. f. ruskowski]