Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 59

Answer to Question: What Must a Person Know/Believe to be Saved (or to Be a Christian)?

Answer to Question: What Must a Person Know/Believe to Be Saved (or to Be a Christian)? Recently I invited questions and this (or these) was one asked by several people. I’ll put their questions into my own words and hope to do justice to their thoughts. “What must a person know (cognitively) in order to […]

Answering a Question about the Trinity: Is “Social Trinitarianism” a Heresy?

Answering a Question about the Trinity: Is “Social Trinitarianism” a Heresy? I am informed that some evangelical (and perhaps other) theologians are again labeling social trinitarianism a heresy. To put it bluntly and “up front,” this is nonsense. But, as you should be aware, there are conservative theologians who specialize in identifying heresies. They seem […]

Answer to a Question: Philosophy and Theology

Answer to a Question: Philosophy and Theology In my considered opinion, there can be no more important question for Christian theologians, than this one: What should be the relationship between philosophy and Christian theology? When I invited questions, this one popped up and that didn’t surprise me. Even “ordinary Christians” who think about Christian beliefs […]

Let’s Talk Theology: Questions Invited

Let’s Talk Theology: Questions Invited Recently unusual life events have slowed down my work on this blog, especially composing new blog essays about new topics. I have long wanted to be an Advice Columnist—but about something I know about. “Lonely hearts?” Not really. What I consider myself an expert in is religion, especially Christian theology, […]

Let’s Talk about Spiritual Technologies–Theologically

Let’s Talk about Spiritual Technologies—Theologically What is a “spiritual technology?” “Spiritual technology” is a term used in scholarly circles of religious studies for any practice that is believed to enhance a person’s spirituality. Usually, it is alleged to have some power to increase a person’s relationship with something sacred—a sacred force or power or person. […]

What Is the Essence of Christianity? Part 2

What Is the Essence of Christianity? Part 2 In Part 1 of this series I said that Christian theologians have identified three aspects of Christianity’s essence: orthodoxy (right belief), orthopathy (right experience), and orthopraxy (right living). Different theologians have focused on one or two or all three—as most crucial to identifying Christianity’s essence. Why is […]

What Is the Essence of Christianity? Part 1

What Is the Essence of Christianity? Part 1 Obviously, this question would take a whole volume to answer and even one volume might not be adequate to answer it. There have been several such volumes. Atheist Ludwig Feuerbach famously wrote a volume entitled Das Wesen des Christentums (pub., 1841). Liberal Protestant church historian and theologian […]

Let’s Talk about Evil–Theologically

Let’s Talk about Evil-Theologically A recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) opinion piece by Lance Morrow asserted that “Not That Long Ago Evil Really Meant Something.” A popular Netflix comedy series “The Good Place” deals with issues of good and evil, sometimes seriously. The issue of the meaning of “evil” is rising again. I have raised […]

Let’s Talk about Complementarianism–Theologically

Let’s Talk about Complementarianism—Theologically So far as I know, the word “complementarianism”—with its current meaning in evangelical Christian circles—first appeared with the formation and rise of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in the 1980s. John Piper and Wayne Grudem (and their friends and followers) use the term to say that, while men and […]

Let’s Talk about the Occult–Theologically

Let’s Talk about the Occult—Theologically Recently a student at a major Christian university wrote an article in the student newspaper defending the use of tarot cards—as not demonic and as compatible with Christianity. Tarot card “reading” belongs in the larger category of “the occult” and specifically divination (foretelling the future by paranormal means). Three biblical […]