Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 144

Terrorism Is Wrong; So Is Ridiculing People’s Faiths

I agree with Pope Francis. Terrorism is bad, wrong, evil, condemnable. But viciously ridiculing people’s sincerely held religious beliefs and convictions and life forms is also bad and, while violence is not a justified response to it, some kind of reaction is predictable. Satire is one thing; ridicule is something else. But the line between [Read More...]

Universalism Is “In the Air” (Much Discussed) Among Even Evangelicals: What About It?

Universalism Is “In the Air” (Much Discussed) Among Even Evangelicals: What About It?   Recently I’ve been reading and reviewing theologian Oliver Crisp’s new book Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology (Fortress, 2014) and at least a few of my blog followers have been reading it with me. I appreciate those who have posted comments about [Read More...]

Is There a Difference between “Permitting Evil” and “Doing Evil?”

Is There a Difference between “Permitting Evil” and “Doing Evil?”   They may make strange bedfellows but on one issue some Calvinists, many atheists, and most process theologians agree: there is no real difference between “doing evil” and “permitting evil.” For them, the traditional claim of free will theists (and many Calvinists!) that God permits [Read More...]

Review of Oliver Crisp’s “Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology” Part Five

Review of Oliver Crisps’ Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology Part Five   This is Part Five of my series of review essays of Oliver Crisp’s new book Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology and deals with Chapter 5 : Universalism and Particularism.” I invite those reading the book with me to agree or disagree with my [Read More...]

An Encouraging Message about “Against Calvinism”

I recently received this e-mail message from a total stranger. This is why I wrote Against Calvinism–simply to show that Calvinism is not the only Christian option and to point away from it to alternatives (primarily classical Arminianism). This is not the only testimony I’ve received like this; it’s just a very recent and especially [Read More...]

Woody Allen Should Have Quoted Pascal: “Magic in the Moonlight”

Woody Allen Should Have Quoted Pascal: “Magic in the Moonlight”   I am no Roger Ebert and don’t watch that many movies, but in my opinion, for what it’s worth, Woody Allen’s 2014 film “Magic in the Moonlight” is one of the last year’s most theologically profound movies. The theological point, however, may easily be [Read More...]

A Problem in Theology: Distinctions without Differences

A Problem in Theology: Distinctions without Differences   One thing that puzzles me (and more) in theology is the frequent appeal by theologians (including philosophers doing theology) to distinctions that seem to me to have no real differences. I cannot claim to be innocent; I’m sure that (at least to others) I have sometimes fallen [Read More...]

My Favorite Catholic Theologian: Walter Kasper (With Special Reference to “Mercy”)

My Favorite Catholic Theologian: Walter Kasper (With Special Reference to “Mercy”)   One of my main reasons for attending the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion is to browse the publishers’ displays. Over one hundred publishers of religious and theological books display their new and recently published books. To me there’s nothing like [Read More...]

Review of Oliver Crisp’s “Deviant Calvinism” Part Four

Review of Oliver Crisps’ Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology Part Four   This is Part Four of my series of review essays of Oliver Crisp’s new book Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology and deals with Chapter 4 : “Augustinian Universalism.” I invite those reading the book with me to agree or disagree with my interpretations [Read More...]

Growing Up “Evangelical” in the 1950s/1960s: “Look What They’ve Done to My Religion”

Growing Up “Evangelical” in the 1950s/1960s: “Look What They’ve Done to My Religion”   To me the classic version of the old song “Look What They’ve Done to My Song (Ma)” will always be Ray Charles’s (no offense to Miley Cyrus). When I think about contemporary American evangelical Christianity compared with the 1950s/1960s version I [Read More...]