Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 37

The Way We Were: Part 2

The Way We Were: Part 2 Reading readers’ comments (hardly any questions) here bemuses me. I wrote about the way we American evangelical Christians were in the 1950s and 1960s. By-and-large I find today’s American evangelical Christianity so different as to be almost a different religion. Things that were major to us such as Bible […]

“Why?” Chapter 19: Jesus Christ—God’s Choice

“Why?” Chapter 19: Jesus Christ—God’s Choice ”God is a rough God, grim, and in our eyes even cruel. God does not have the refinement of a middle class European or American. … God is not one you can figure out.” (“Why? On Suffering, Guilt, and God,” p. 277) I am sticking to one chapter this […]

The Way We Were

The Way We Were I’m not saying here that “the way we were” was perfect or even all good. We, conservative evangelical Christians of the 1950s and 1960s, were, like everyone else, a mixture of good and bad. I’m talking here, now, about our way of life then. I’m afraid we American evangelicals have largely […]

Patriotism vs. Nationalism

Patriotism vs. Nationalism Remembering the Difference between Patriotism and Nationalism I’ve become increasingly concerned that many American Christians (and perhaps especially evangelicals) confuse patriotism with nationalism to the extent that idolatry lurks close by. Patriotism is love for one’s country without blinders about its flaws and defects.  Patriotism seeks to actualize the highest and best […]

“Why?” Chapters 17 and 18: “Which Model?” And “God Is Changeable”

“Why?” Chapters 17 and 18: “Which Model Do We Choose?” And “God Is Changeable?” Does God change? If so, how and in what ways? In these two chapters our author (of “Why? Suffering, Guilt and God”), Abram van de Beek, is wrestling again with the problem of God’s omnipotence and goodness. How to reconcile them […]

Polyamory Is Not “Next;” It’s Here Now, In the Churches

Polyamory Is Not “Next,” It’s Here Now, In the Churches This blog post is a follow up to an earlier on where I asked the Texas Baptist minister who wrote a column for the Baptist News about “embracing the slippery slope.” I won’t repeat that blog post here. I will only say that I asked […]

“Why?” Part III, Chapter 16: “God Is Different”

“Why?” Part III, Chapter 16: “God Is Different” This is another installment of my continuing series about the book “Why? On Suffering, Guilt, and God” by Dutch theologian Abram van de Beek (here vdB). Several readers of this blog are reading the book and I am slowing down my commentaries in order to allow everyone […]

Where Does the Slippery Slope End?

Where Does the Slippery Slope End? I recently read an opinion column in The Baptist News reacting to the Southern Baptist Convention’s rejection of women pastors. Famous American Southern Baptist mega-church pastor Rick Warren was appealing to the SBC to reinstate him and his church after they dropped their rule against women pastors and women […]

“Why?” Part III, Chapter 15: “Gnosis”

“Why?” Part III, Chapter 15: “Gnosis” In this chapter, Abram van de Beek (vdB) continues discussing views of God, suffering, and evil that begin with God’s goodness and explain suffering and evil as not attributable to God. Very briefly put, here, in this chapter, the view under consideration is that “evil is inherent in the […]

“Why?” Chapter III, Part 14

“Why?” Chapter III, Part 14 Some here are reading with me “Why? On Suffering, Guilt and God” by Dutch theologian Abram van de Beek (vdB). We are now on chapters 14 and 15: “Evil and the Evil One” and “Gnosis.” If you are reading with me/us, feel free to comment, but if you are not […]