Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 75

“This World Is Not My Home” A Reminder to Evangelical Christians

“This World Is Not My Home” A Reminder to Evangelical Christians I know what some evangelicals’ and others’ immediate reaction will be. I have taught it myself. “The old gospel song ‘This World Is Not My Home’ ought to be left behind because it leads to neglect of the biblical mandate to take care of […]

The “Ultimate” and the “Penultimate”: An Important Distinction in Christian Ethics

The “Ultimate” and the “Penultimate”: An Important Distinction in Christian Ethics Lately I’ve been re-reading Bonhoeffer’s Ethics. It’s a collection of essays edited by Bonhoeffer’s good friend and protégé Eberhard Bethge. Many of the essays were found after Bonhoeffer’s death. Some of them were hidden in his parents’ attic and others were buried in their […]

Why Should the Human Species Survive?

Why Should the Human Species Survive? Someone here repeated a comment I have heard many times in my conversations with atheists and others—that people ought to live their lives for the common good of humanity so that the human species may survive. Backing up to my previous blog post for a moment. I argued there […]

What Matters More Than Anything Else at All, Whatsoever?

What Matters More Than Anything Else at All, Whatsoever? I’m not asking what matters to you or to me personally, subjectively, in our own temporal lives? My question has to do with the overall scheme of things—reality itself. What matters more than anything else—period? That includes us, but is not limited to individuals or even […]

Why I Am Disobeying the Bible

Why I Am Disobeying the Bible I was brought up to believe, as I was taught, that a true Christian always obeyed biblical commandments with certain rare exceptions. One such exception had to do with the Old Testament. We did not believe Christians were expected to observe all the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament […]

Can God Change?

Can God Change? Can God change? This question is here and now only for biblically- committed, evangelical Christians (broadly defined). In one of my seminary classes I am using a book entitled The Color of God by Methodist theologian Major Jones (Abingdon Press). It was published in the 1970s—well before “open theism” became a “thing.” […]

Can a True Christian Be Demon Possessed?

Can a True Christian be Demon Possessed? I know this is one of the strangest questions I have discussed here. And yet, it is still a live question—especially among conservative, evangelical Christians—especially those in churches (or raised in churches) that are intensely experiential as well as biblically-committed. I like to hear this question, and I […]

Responding Theologically to the Coronovirus Epidemic

Responding Theologically to the Coronavirus Epidemic Let me just say up front that I am not a medical professional so read what I write here with that in mind. Please do not quibble over terms like “epidemic” versus “pandemic,” etc. Thank you for that. Over the last week (March 8 through March 13, 2020) it […]

My Case for Greater Inclusion in “Diversity”

My Case for Greater Inclusion in “Diversity” I live and work in the academic world. There, let’s get that out of the way. However, I know from my students (over almost forty years) that many American corporations and businesses, government agencies and offices, etc., are also obsessed (no judgment implied) with diversity. (One can be […]

What Does “Post-Christian World” Mean?

What Does “Post-Christian World” Mean? Another book is published expressing the opinion that Christians now must learn to live in a “post-Christian world.” A friend asks me if there can be such a thing as a post-Christian world. Here is my answer. It depends. We certainly do not live in a world without Christianity. But […]