Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 163

Is the Son of God Still a Human Being? A Meditation on the Incarnation

Is the Son of God Still a Human Being? A Meditation on the Incarnation I don’t remember when it first occurred to me that the majority of American Christians seem to think the incarnation was temporary, a mere interim in the eternal existence of the Son of God, the Word, the Logos, the Second Person [Read More...]

The Parable of the Carnival and the “Freak Show”

The Parable of the Carnival and the “Freak Show” *This is fiction. Any resemblance to real persons or organizations is purely coincidental. Many years ago, long before the internet, television or even radio, three wealthy businessmen got together and decided to found a traveling carnival with a singular purpose. It would be different from other [Read More...]

Review of Apostles of Reason by Molly Worthen: Part 3 (Final)

Review of Apostles of Reason by Molly Worthen: Part 3 (Final) This review is primarily of Part III of Apostles of Reason—a recently published book by historian Molly Worthen published by Oxford University Press. (No thanks to OUP which declined to respond to my request for a review copy.) Part III is entitled “Let Them [Read More...]

Why I Don’t Respond to Every Critic or Debate Every Calvinist

Over the past few years many, many people have asked me to respond to critics–most of them Calvinists. Many have also pressured me to enter into public debates with specific Calvinist theologians and radio personalities. I decline most such invitations and urgings. I choose my conversation partners carefully. For one thing, I simply do not [Read More...]

Inclusivism Revisited: Guest Post by William Walker III

William (Bill) Walker III is earning his Ph.D. in theology and ethics from Claremont Graduate University with Anselm K. Min as his mentor. He teaches courses in ethics at a university in San Antonio, Texas. He is a former student of mine and now I am also proud to call him my friend. Posting his [Read More...]

How We Should Handle “Fallen Leaders”

As usual, my musings here are primarily about the larger evangelical community. Catholics and so-called “mainline Protestants” can listen in and exchange ideas, but my thoughts here are primarily about how we evangelicals should handle fallen leaders. It seems every year another well-known evangelical personality is exposed as having clay feet (or worse). I’m going [Read More...]

Review of Apostles of Reason by Molly Worthen Part Two

Review of Apostles of Reason by Molly Worthen Part Two Before reading this you should have read Part One which was posted earlier. Each installment of this three part review focuses on one of the three parts of the book. This one focuses on Part II: To Evangelize the World. In Part II Worthen continues [Read More...]

Some Thoughts about Being Understood (and Misunderstood)

A serious health problem (not my own) has required an interruption of my reading and reviewing of Apostles of Reason. I’ll get back to that as soon as possible. Please stay tuned… In the meantime, I’d like to reflect here briefly on the frustrations of a blogger trying (often unsuccessfully) to be clear. Let me [Read More...]

Review of Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism (Part One)

Review of Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism by Molly Worthen (Oxford University Press) Part One This review will appear in three parts corresponding with the three parts of the book. This first installment covers the book’s introduction and Part I: Knights Inerrant. (Feel free to skip the first nine paragraphs [Read More...]

Is America Becoming a Police State?

Is American Becoming a Police State? A few months ago I was having a discussion with a group of very socially conscious, highly intelligent graduate students who read widely and deeply in social and political ethics. Somehow the question whether America could ever become a police state came up. One student perceptively asked “How would [Read More...]