A system of theology introduced by Moise Amyraut, in which the Calvinist doctrines of total depravity, unconditional election, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints are affirmed, along with (contrary to Calvinism) the teaching that Christ died savingly for all people, making salvation hypothetically possible for all, while only the elect are brought to faith and actually saved; sometimes called Amyraldism.
- Scripture that argues against Amyraldianism:
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things (Romans 8:32 ESV)?
- From Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge:
The Scriptures further teach that the gift of Christ secures the gift of all other saving blessings. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. viii 32.) Hence they are certainly saved for whom God delivered up his Son. The elect only are saved, and therefore He was delivered up specially for them, and consequently election must precede redemption. The relation, therefore, of redemption to election is as clearly determined by the nature of redemption as the relation of the sun to the planets is determined by the nature of the sun.
- From Systematic Theology by Robert Letham, page 427-428:
Moise Amyraut (1596-1664) held that Christ died on the cross forall people on condition of their faith. However, God the Father elected some to salvation. In turn, the Spirit grants repentance and faith to the elect… . Essentially, Amyraldianism sought to maintain the particularity of election and the application of redemption by the Spirit, while also having a universal atonement… . Unlike Arminianism, its doctrine of election is not based on God’s foreknowledge of the human response to the gospel. However, its view of the efficacy of Christ’s work was split—he died for all but intercedes for the elect. It appears to drive a wedge between the decree of election, the atonement, and the particularity of application.
- From The Plan of Salvation by B. B. Warfield:
The Amyraldians “point with pride” to the purity of their confession of the doctrine of election, and wish to focus attention upon it as constituting them good Calvinists. But the real hinge of their system turns on their altered doctrine of the atonement, and here they strike at the very heart of Calvinism. A conditional substitution being an absurdity, because the condition is no condition to God, if you grant him even so much as the poor attribute of foreknowledge, they necessarily turn away from a substitutive atonement altogether. Christ did not die in the sinner’s stead, it seems, to bear his penalties and purchase for him eternal life; he died rather to make the salvation of sinners possible, to open the way of salvation to sinners, to remove all the obstacles in the way of salvation of sinners. But what obstacle stands in the way of the salvation of sinners, except just their sin? And if this obstacle (their sin) is removed, are they not saved? Some other obstacles must be invented, therefore, which Christ may be said to have removed (since he cannot be said to have removed the obstacle of sin) that some function may be left to him and some kind of effect be attributed to his sacrificial death. He did not remove the obstacle of sin, for then all those for whom he died must be saved, and he cannot be allowed to have saved anyone. He removed, then, let us say, all that prevented God from saving men, except sin; and so he prepared the way for God to step in and with safety to his moral government to save men. The atonement lays no foundation for this saving of men: it merely opens the way for God safely to save them on other grounds.
Learn more:
- Carl R. Trueman: Amyraldianism
- R. Scott Clark: Amyraldianism
- Michael Lynch: Amyraldianism and English Hypothetical Universalism: What’s the Difference?
- Curt Daniel: Amyraldianism (audio)
Related terms:
Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured as a Theological Term of the Week? Email your suggestion using the contact button in the navigation bar above.
Clicking on the Theological Terms button above the header will take you to an alphabetical list of all the theological terms.