Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 164

Why I Am Not a Process Theologian

Why I Am Not a Process Theologian Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson once quipped that the only thing wrong with process theology is that it is such an attractive alternative to Christian faith. I agree. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying people who believe in process theology cannot be Christians. Lots of people are [Read More...]

Dispelling a Delusion about the Subjunctive Mood (Why Saying I Would Not Worship God “If”…Is Not Insulting to God)

Dispelling a Delusion about the Subjunctive Mood (Why Saying I Would Not Worship God If…Is Not Insulting to God) Ever since I said here that if God were the God described by TULIP and the God of divine determinism, the author of sin and evil, I would not worship him I have been besieged by [Read More...]

Explaining Calvinism to Calvinists (and Others)

Explaining Calvinism to Calvinists (and Others) One surprising feature of the new Calvinist movement is that so many claim to be Calvinists but have not studied Calvinism thoroughly. Nothing shows that more clearly than the responses offered here to my critique of the Calvinist pastor who prays that his son be “among the elect.” Many [Read More...]

Changing My Mind (Some) about Pope Francis

Earlier here I expressed dismay at the media hype about the election of a new pope and said that he is not “my pope.” I was not excited about the election of a new pope–as were some Protestants I know. It didn’t even particularly interest me. To me, the Roman Catholic Church is just a [Read More...]

My Response to Two Books about Arminius

Response to W. Stephen Gunter, Arminius and His Declaration of Sentiments and Keith D. Stanglin and Thomas H. McCall, Jacob Arminius: Theologian of Grace Roger E. Olson             These two books are significant contributions to what I call the “Arminian Renaissance” in contemporary theology. For centuries Arminius’s theology and Arminianism have been defined by their [Read More...]

Was Arminius an Arminian? (Report on A Vigorous Discussion)

Yesterday (Nov. 24, 2013) I participated in a vigorous and invigorating panel discussion (followed by questions from the scholarly audience) about Arminius. The focus of the discussion was two new books about Arminius. (I have held off reviewing them here until after this session.) The authors of the two books were on the panel as [Read More...]

Can a Calvinist Pray for His Child to Be “Elect?”

Recently I heard of a well-known Calvinist pastor, author, speaker, who, on a podcast, testified that he often goes into his little son’s bedroom after he’s asleep and prays over him that he be among the elect. While I certainly understand the pastor’s sentiment and desire, I wonder if this is consistent with Calvinist theology? [Read More...]

Is Prejudice always Conscious (or Can It Be Unintentional)?

When it comes to the issue of prejudice (racial, sex-related, immigrant-related, religious, cultural, etc.) I find there are two kinds of people. First, there are those who think that it must be conscious and deliberate in order to count as prejudice. Second, there are those who think it is often unconscious–found in and among people [Read More...]

Someone Needs to Write a Better Book Defending Capitalism

Someone Needs to Write a Better Book Defending Capitalism For some years now I’ve been having my ethics students read The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism by Catholic theologian and philosopher Michael Novak. Before choosing it I asked many conservative Christian intellectuals for their recommendation for “the best” theological treatment and defense of free market capitalism—hopefully [Read More...]

2013 Maston Lecture: “Sin Boldly: Christian Ethics for a Broken World”

“Sin Boldly: Christian Ethics for a Broken World” Roger E. Olson, Foy Valentine Professor of Christian Theology and Ethics, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University The Maston Lecture, November 6, 2013, George W. Truett Theological Seminary             Few movies have affected me as strongly as the 2011 film “Machine Gun Preacher” starring Gerard Butler [Read More...]