Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 30

Essentials of Christian Thought: Chapter Four

Essentials of Christian Thought: Chapter Four: Non-Biblical, Non-Christian Views of Reality My purpose in this chapter (and the interlude that follows) is to warn against syncretism among Christians. Here I describe a number of major metaphysical views of reality that are antithetical to the biblical story of God and to historic, classical Christianity. Among them […]

Is “Evangelical” Now a Political Identity?

Is “Evangelical” Now a Political Identity? A recent article in the New York Times suggested that “evangelical” is now a political identity more than a religious one. At least in America. And that is a major problem with the claim! Most evangelicals live outside the U.S. That fact seems to be overlooked by many pollsters, […]

Essentials of Christian Thought, Chapter 3: The Vision

Essentials of Christian Thought, Chapter 3: The Biblical Vision of Ultimate Reality Retrieved Again I ask that those not reading the book only ask questions. Readers are more than welcome to comment and/or ask questions. We come now to Chapter 3 and Interlude 3. Is there one main point of this chapter? I suppose it […]

What Was Jesus’s Ethnic Identity?

What Was Jesus’s Ethnic Identity? News reports tell of a new controversy about Jesus. An article appeared in a popular Christian magazine arguing that it’s perfectly good and right for people of all ethnic identities to picture Jesus as one of them, having their typical facial features. A leading conservative evangelical spokesman complained bitterly about […]

Background to Essentials of Christian Though

Background to Essentials of Christian Thought Some of you are reading my book Essentials of Christian Thought and some of you aren’t. I hope both groups will engage in the book discussion, although those of you not reading the book are urged to ask questions and not make comments (about the contents of the book). […]

Essentials of Christian Thought, Chapter Two

Essentials of Christian Thought, Chapter Two Here I will briefly comment on Chapter 2 of my book Essentials of Christian Thought (also the second interlude) and invite comments and questions from those who read it. The title is Ultimate Reality Is Supernatural and Personal (But Not Human). Here I begin to lay out the underlying, […]

A New Year’s Eve Memory: Watchnight Service

A New Year’s Eve Memory: Watchnight Services It’s been many years since I even heard of a church that held what was called a Watchnight Service. When I was a kid (1950s-1960s) most American evangelical churches, especially those in the Pentecostal-Holiness traditions, routinely held New Year’s Even Watchnight Services. What was that like? We gathered […]

Notes on a Christian Christmas Eve Service

Notes on a Christian Christmas Eve Service Last evening, Christmas Eve 2023, I attended a Christmas Eve service at a (to me) non-descript, independent church away from my home city. I had never been there before, but in advance I examined the church’s web site and tentatively judged that it is non-denominational in the truest […]

Christian Nationalism Old and New

Christian Nationalism Old and New I am now on an email list to receive messages from Christians Against Christian Nationalism. I don’t remember signing up for that list. I think someone else put me on the email list. Here is all that I want to say here: Christian nationalism is not new; it has been […]

Essentials of Christian Thought Book Discussion Begins

Essentials of Christian Thought Book Discussion Begins Here I begin our discussion of my book Essentials of Christian Thought: Seeing Reality through the Biblical Story. Zondervan gave the book its title. The title I wanted was Narrative Biblical Metaphysics: Seeing Reality through the Biblical Story. The origin of the book lies in this blog. I […]