Arminianism, Calvinism, And the Fight Against Slavery

The classic divide between Arminians and Calvinists pre-date the late 18th and 19th Century slavery debates, and when Arminians and Calvinists engaged the subject of slavery they had their own distinctive perspectives on which to draw.  This paper will examine how slavery was seen by Arminians and Calvinists, arguing that central aspects of Calvinism were easily exploited to support slavery, while central tenets of Arminianism were compatible with abolition.  In particular, Calvinist understandings of divine sovereignty and predestination were used to endorse and even bless slavery, while Arminian understandings of grace and free will undergirded freedom.