Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 148

Should a Christian ever Think or Act as If God Does Not Exist?

Should a Christian ever Think or Act as If God Does Not Exist?   The “father of modern international law” Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), who happened also to be a Dutch Remonstrant, argued that, for the sake of viable international law, people of faith ought to set aside their religious beliefs and craft such laws “as [Read More...]

Is It Possible to Be Forgiven (Reconciled) but Not Born Again (Regenerated)?

Is It Possible to be Forgiven (Reconciled) but Not Born Again (Regenerated)?   Lately I’ve been wondering about the traditional Christian “orders of salvation”—especially evangelical Protestant ones. “Order of salvation” (ordo salutis) refers to a doctrine about the events involved in becoming saved: election/predestination/foreknowledge, prevenient grace/inward call, conversion, regeneration, justification, union with Christ, sanctification, glorification. [Read More...]

Arminian Theology: Prevenient Grace and Total Depravity (Including a Review of a New Book about Prevenient Grace)

Arminian Theology: Prevenient Grace and Total Depravity (Including a Review of a New Book about Prevenient Grace)   Two of the most commonly asked questions about Arminian theology are taken up and answered by Arminian scholar W. Brian Shelton (Toccoa Falls College) in his just published book Prevenient Grace: God’s Provision for Fallen Humanity (Francis [Read More...]

Announcement of Dialogue with Peter Berger at Baylor University

What Is a “Spirit-filled” and “Spirit-led” Church? Part Two

What Is a “Spirit-filled” and “Spirit-led” Church? Part Two   In Part One I described a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led church; there I explained the marks or characteristics I look for in deciding whether a church more or less deserves that recognition. Here I will prescribe how a church might move in the direction of becoming [Read More...]

What Is a “Spirit-filled” and “Spirit-led” Church?

What Is a “Spirit-filled” and “Spirit-led” Church?   Recently I engaged in a conversation about the meanings of “Spirit-filled” and “Spirit-led” church. Specifically, we discussed how to recognize such and how to move a church in those directions. What is my opinion about this? How do I recognize a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led church? How would [Read More...]

Reading Is Fundamental (And Not Reading Is a Recipe for Failure)

Reading Is Fundamental (And Not Reading Is A Recipe for Failure)   The burden of this message is the importance of reading for success in life. Some years ago there was a public service campaign with the slogan “R.I.F. (Reading Is Fundamental).” The goal of the campaign was to raise awareness of the importance of [Read More...]

Can A Christian Support “Physician-Assisted Suicide?”

Can A Christian Support “Physician-Assisted Suicide?”   If you expect me to take a definite stand for or against Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS) you will be disappointed. This blog is a place where I often reflect about difficult and controversial issues; I don’t always take a stand about them. One of my goals as a Christian [Read More...]

Leaving Behind “Left Behind”

Leaving Behind “Left Behind”   I haven’t seen the new movie starring Nicholas Cage and don’t intend to, so this is not a movie review. Instead, I intend to respond to the whole phenomenon of what I call “rapture fever” that has gripped segments of American society for the past fifty years. I grew up [Read More...]

Is A “Carnal Christian” Saved? (Part Three)

Is A “Carnal Christian” Saved? (Part Three)   Part Two of this three part series asked why this question is important and answered that. Now I would like to turn to attempting to answer the question. Any attempt to answer this is bound to annoy and even distress some people. There are no simple, straightforward [Read More...]