Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 79

What If Twins in a Womb Could Think and Talk? A Parable

What If Twins in a Womb Could Think and Talk? A Parable I recently came across a fascinating parable in a new theology book. For years I’ve been using my own version of the parable in teaching theology but didn’t know it was already “out there.” I’m going to summarize the parable in my own […]

Has Franklin Graham Gone Off the Rails?

Has Franklin Graham Gone Off the Rails? According to many news reports, during a podcast interview with author Eric Metaxas Billy Graham’s son Franklin Graham said that opposition to President Trump is “almost demonic” and amounts to “spiritual warfare.” This took me back, way back, to the days of the Watergate scandal when many evangelicals […]

Finally Some Common Sense about Boys, Men and Masculinity

Finally Some Common Sense about Boys, Men and Masculinity Here, several times, I have raised questions and posed answers to this thorny issue in American culture: masculinity. Is it essentially toxic? Or can there be a “good masculinity?” That has been my underlying question. It seems to me that, especially in academic circles, “masculinity” has […]

A Relational View of God’s Sovereignty

A Relational View of God’s Sovereignty Roger E. Olson   My office phone rang and I answered it. A stern voice said “Is this Roger Olson?” who which I confessed. The man introduced himself as pastor of Baptist church in the state, implying that he was a constituent of the seminary where I teach. Anyway, […]

Is Contemporary Worship “Utterly Dangerous?” Keith Getty Says Yes

Is Contemporary Worship “Utterly Dangerous?” Keith Getty Says Yes In a recent article published in The Christian Post, an online Christian news magazine, contemporary Christian hymn writer Keith Getty declared that the “modern worship movement is utterly dangerous, causing de-Christianizing of God’s people.” That might be putting it a bit more strongly than I would, […]

Can God Change the Past? And What does that Have to Do with Open Theism?

Can God Change the Past? And What Does that Have to Do with Open Theism? My thesis: The “past” is what by definition, a priori, cannot be changed. That means that even God cannot change the past anymore than he can make a round triangle. Even William of Ockham, one of the main medieval formulators […]

Who Needs a God Who Looks Like Us?

Who Needs a God Who Looks Like Us? Over my years of teaching Christian theology I have frequently encountered the problem theologian Karl Barth identified as “projection.” (Of course, he was borrowing that term from 19th century atheist Ludwig Feuerbach who argued that God himself is but a projection of humanity on the “heavens. Barth […]

A Question about Evangelical Churches that are “Welcoming and Affirming”

A Question about Evangelical Churches that are “Welcoming and Affirming” Let me define my terms. To me, “evangelical” is a brand of (mostly) Protestant Christianity that strongly emphasizes the unique inspiration and authority of the Bible, that believes and preaches and teaches that all people are sinners in need of redemption and that Jesus Christ […]

The Fundamentalists Are At It Again

The Fundamentalists Are At It Again Most American fundamentalists stopped calling themselves fundamentalists years ago—around the time the media used that label to label non-Christian religious militants and terrorists. I was shocked when I heard the Ayotolah Khomeinei and his Iranian followers as “fundamentalists.” I had never before heard the label “fundamentalist” attached to anyone […]

What Is It Like to Be Black in America?

What Is It Like to Be Black in America? The simple answer is “I don’t know.” One thing I do think I know is that “It depends.” It depends somewhat on location, education, economic status, and gender. I’m not saying those differences change everything; I’m sure they don’t. But the differences aren’t what concern me […]