Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) was a Dutch theologian and statesman. He studied law under his father and, at the age of 23, became the advocate-general of Holland. His interests in theology led to his involvement with the controversies between the Calvinists and Arminians. He agreed with the latter group that men and women have the right to accept or refuse God’s saving grace through Christ. At the Council of Dort in 1619 the Arminians were condemned and Grotius was sentenced to life in prison. He spent the next two years writing until his wife was able to help him escape. He fled to Paris and later moved to Sweden where he worked in the Swedish government. He died on a trip back to Holland when his ship wrecked. His historical and theological writings, particularly On the Truth of the Christian Religion, were very influential and widely studied.
