Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 78

Religious and Theological Categories: Reformed, Arminian, Calvinist

Religious and Theological Categories… Recently here I argued that in the U.S. (possibly also elsewhere) many people are misusing terms, labels, and categories. The example I discussed then was “Reformed” and “Calvinist.” I have noticed that, during the past few decades, many Americans use those labels interchangeably. That is, for them, “Reformed” means “Calvinist” and […]

The Devolution of Christian Congregational Song

The Devolution of Christian Congregational Song Over the years of this blog (about ten) I have often broached the subject of contemporary Christian worship and especially congregational singing in contemporary worship. I have visited numerous American evangelical churches in many locales across the U.S. and heard from many people who are dismayed about what I […]

What Church Was Like (When I Was a Child)

What Church Was Like (When I Was a Child) Of course I realize that the churches I grew up in were not typical of anything—except of many like them. I would dare to say that many conservative evangelical churches in America were, in many ways, like the churches I grew up in. I use the […]

The Two Popes: A Great Movie Even If You’re Not Catholic

The Two Popes: A Great Movie… I am no movie critic, so I cannot competently comment on the production values of the Netflix movie The Two Popes. I began watching it with some fear and trepidation because my exprience has been that, with a few exceptions (e.g., The Apostle) secular movie makers almost always get […]

We Interrupt This Program for an Important News Bulletin: Christianity Today magazine and Trump

We Interrupt This Program for an Important News Bulletin: Christianity Today and Trump In an editorial written by Christianity Today’s chief editor Mark Galli and dated December 19 (2019) the magazine calls for President Trump’s removal from office. It’s a powerful editorial that every person convinced that all evangelicals support Trump must read or else […]

Reformed or Calvinist or Both? An Important Distinction

Reformed or Calvinist? Or Both? An Important Distinction Recently I decided to use as my main textbook for a course in systematic theology a relatively new volume of “dogmatics” by two Dutch theologians. Like most Dutch Protestants they are Reformed. But are they Calvinists? Not necessarily. This takes some explaining, especially for American evangelicals. Here […]

What Is “Anti-Semitism” and What Does it Have to Do with Critics of Israel?

What Is “Anti-Semitism” and What Does It Have to Do with Critics of Israel? According to a recent Associated Press release (published in my local newspaper December 12, 2019 and written by AP reporter Kevin Freking) President Trump has signed an executive order requiring colleges and universities to combat anti-Semitism on their campuses or risk […]

Whatever Happened to the Christian Principle of “Love Paternalism?”

What Ever Happened to the Christian Principle of “Love Paternalism?” I am very interested in studying the mores and norms of contemporary American Christians today (2019) compared with what I know they were fifty and more years ago. Let me explain one example of where I think contemporary American Christianity, especially evangelical Christianity, has nearly […]

Guest Post Responding to My Essay about “Relational Sovereignty”

Guest Post Responding to My Essay about “Relational Sovereignty” I asked a friend if I could post his response to my blog essay about God’s “relational sovereignty” to my blog and he agreed. It’s a bit long, which is why it is not a comment to my blog. However, I find it such a valuable […]

Guest Post Responding to My Essay about “Relational Sovere

Guest Post Responding to My Essay about “Relational Sovereignty” I asked a friend if I could post his response to my blog essay about God’s “relational sovereignty” to my blog and he agreed. It’s a bit long, which is why it is not a comment to my blog. However, I find it such a valuable […]