Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 143

Must You Believe in the Doctrine of the Trinity to Be a Christian?

Must You Believe in the Doctrine of the Trinity to Be a Christian?   Perhaps the most surprising aspect of twentieth century Christian theology was the renaissance of the doctrine of the Trinity. Throughout the nineteenth century (and perhaps before) the doctrine had become dormant. Conservatives took it for granted, deists and liberals tended to [Read More...]

“Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed” a Year Later: Calvinism (Still) Isn’t Beautiful (A Guest Post by Austin Fischer)

Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed a Year Later: Calvinism (Still) Isn’t Beautiful by Austin Fischer   “They’re not going to embrace your theology unless it makes their hearts sing.”[1] -John Piper   One of the more persistent myths regarding art (broadly defined) is that the artist understands what he or she is creating. It is, [Read More...]

May 2015 Second National Missio Alliance Gathering (Please Come!)

This May (7-9) I will be speaking several times at the national Missio Alliance Gathering in Alexandria, Virginia. This is a gathering of Christians interested in exploring theology (broadly defined) without the fetters and limitations placed on such discussions by neo-fundamentalism. This year’s theme is “resurrection” and its implications for becoming truly human. Go to [Read More...]

Why I Believe in “Creatio ex nihilo” (Creation out of Nothing) (Even Though the Bible Doesn’t Directly Teach It)

Why I Believe in Creatio ex nihilo (Even Though the Bible Doesn’t Directly Teach It)   Every once in a while I meet someone who, while exhibiting every sign of being a true Christian, denies the traditional Christian doctrine of “creatio ex nihilo”—creation out of nothing. This belief, the “prior actuality of God” (Austin Farrer’s [Read More...]

Good Male Characters and Religion in Popular Culture: An Invitation to Contribute

So, following up on my recent post about Downton Abbey–Here is a challenge. Identify good male characters in recent/contemporary popular culture. They must be “real men” (not overly feminized like Phil in Modern Family) but also truly virtuous even if flawed. By virtuous I mean: wise, compassionate, selfless, other-focused, constructive (even if also critical where [Read More...]

Some Thoughts about “Downton Abbey” as Guilty Pleasure and Propaganda

Some Thoughts about “Downton Abbey” as Guilty Pleasure and Propaganda   I confess it reluctantly: I am addicted to the British television series “Downton Abbey” which I watch weekly (Sunday evenings) on “Masterpiece Theatre” on “public television.” One thing I like about it is—no commercials interruptions of the program itself. I also enjoy the stunningly [Read More...]

A Brief Guest Post by a Woman Pastor and Author (and Former Student of Mine)

The following blog post is written by my former students and always friend Kyndall Rothaus, pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. I am so proud of students who have gone on to publish books. Preacher Breath is newly published by Smyth & Helwys, a (moderate) Baptist-related publisher. Kyndall is brilliant, articulate, insightful [Read More...]

A Major Reason for “Failure to Communicate”–Even Among Christians

A Major Reason for “Failure to Communicate”—Even Among Christians Unlike many of my contemporaries, whether religious or irreligious, I always assume a very real distinction between what is objectively real and true and what is merely subjectively felt and perceived. I do not claim that the line between them is clearly visible; it often is [Read More...]

The Problem with Men and Why We Ignore It/Them at Our Own Risk

The Problem with Men and Why We Ignore It/Them at Our Own Risk Many observers of contemporary Western societies are observing and occasionally commenting on the increasing “man problem” possibly fed by the “boy crisis.” In a nutshell the “man problem” is that very many young men are simply dropping out of the social order [Read More...]

Private Sector Redistribution of Wealth?

Just today I learned the name for something I’ve been noticing but only recently becoming more aware of: “Mather pricing.” Go ahead; google it. In today’s corporatism (capitalism dominated by huge corporations that also have virtually controlling power over governments) increasingly prices are being set based on sophisticated algorithms that are computer-driven that take individuals’ [Read More...]