Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 35

What Are “Miracles” and Is Belief in Them Contrary to Science?

What Are “Miracles” and Is Belief in Them Contrary to Science? It seems the word “miracle” is being stretched out of shape. I hear it all the time on TV. I have developed the view that there are three meanings (uses) of the word “miracle” in today’s American culture: 1) something surprising to an individual […]

Is Orthodoxy a Necessary Feature of “Evangelical?”

Is Orthodoxy a Necessary Feature of “Evangelical?” I was recently asked if I agree with church historian David Bebbington’s “quadrilateral” of features of evangelical Christianity. They are, not necessarily in the right order,: biblicism (a special regard for the Bible as the inspired Word of God written and authoritative for everything related to salvation), conversionism […]

Finally Finishing “Why?” Chapters 22 & 23

Finally Finishing “Why?” Chapters 22 & 23 I apologize for letting this go so long. This is for you who have the book “Why? On Suffering, Guilt, and God” by A van de Beek (vdB). Chapter 22 is “Participation with God.” There vdB embraces a somewhat relativist Christian ethic: “[n]o matter how far a given […]

Announcing a New Book Discussion: The Upside Down Kingdom

Announcing a New Book Discussion: The Upside Down Kingdom I have sometimes been asked the title of my favorite book of Christian ethics. Without hesitation I can say “The Upside Down Kingdom” by Donald Kraybill. For those of you who want to read along and discuss the chapters, I will wait two weeks in case […]

To My International Readers: What Is Happening Here?

To My International Readers: What Is Happening Here? I know what it is like to watch American news outlets talk about what is happening in other countries. They usually offer very little insight, just “facts” that leave me shaking my head in wonder. I have lived “abroad,” as we say, and know what it is […]

Announcing My New Book: Unsafe Sects

Announcing My New Book: Unsafe Sects Publisher Wipf & Stock (Cascade imprint) has just let me know that pre-ordering is now open for my latest book titled Unsafe Sects: Understanding Religious Cults. Here is the link to pre-order it: Book Details How does my book differ from the run-of-the-mill books about cults? Well, for one […]

A Christian Metaphysic?

A Christian Metaphysic? Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead said in Religion in the Making that whereas Christianity has always been a religion seeking a metaphysic, Buddhism is a metaphysic generating a religion. In the poorly titled book Essentials of Christian Thought: Seeing Reality through the Biblical Story (Zondervan) I argued that the Bible contains an implicit […]

Heaven Is for Real?

Heaven Is for Real? A few years ago, a six year old child, son of an evangelical pastor, reported seeing heaven during a coma. His report of heaven was extremely detailed and matched almost perfectly what his church taught about heaven. His report resulted in a best-selling book and then a movie. I read the […]

God and Time

God and Time I know I’ve addressed this issue before, but it still interests me. Why can I NOT think of God without thinking of time? And I mean God in time and time in God. Oh, perhaps not time as we experience it, but temporality in the sense of passage of moments: past passing […]

C. S. Lewis: Saint or Sinner?

C. S. Lewis: Saint or Sinner? As usual, I will first let you know why I am able competently to speak/write about this subject (viz., C. S. Lewis). Of course, I never met him. He died on November 22, 1963 when I was 11 years old and in the sixth grade. Why do I remember […]