Roger E. Olson's Blog, page 81

What If Universalism Were True? A Question for Evangelical Christians Especially

What If Universalism Were True? A Question for Evangelical Christians Especially Throughout Christian history some Christian theologians have believed that eventually everyone will be saved. That’s putting it simply, perhaps simplistically. There are many types of “universalism” among Christians throughout history. Let’s look at two main types. First, there are those Christian theologians (and Christian […]

What Would Be the Alternatives (To Theology Explaining Things?)

What Would Be the Alternatives (To Theology Explaining Things)? My immediately preceding blog post was about theology’s explanatory power. It was a response to a snarky comment posted here that I, as owner and moderator, deleted. The writer simply said that theology doesn’t explain anything because there is no evidence backing it up. I have […]

What Does Theology Explain?

What Does Theology Explain? I often simply delete comments here that violate my blog rules. This is not a space for anti-Christians to spew their venom against Christianity or to preach their own false gospels. Unbelievers are welcome here to learn about Christianity, especially evangelical Christianity (defined very broadly), to ask questions, but this is […]

What Happened in 2015?

What Happened in 2015? I believe I am quite an astute observer of cultural trends and especially how they affect church life in America. I am puzzled by something that I believe I have noticed—a turning point, a before and after, that causes me to question many American Christians’ commitment to resisting cultural trends. Let […]

Do Arminians and Calvinists Worship the Same God? How?

Do Arminians and Calvinists Worship the Same God? How? This question never dies. While most Christians on both sides of the divide say yes, some on both sides say no. Because I have openly admitted here that consistent Calvinism turns God into a monster and makes it difficult to tell the difference between God and […]

Why Science and Theology Need Not Conflict

Some Thoughts about Science and Christian Theology (and Why They Need Not Conflict First, why does this matter? Why talk about the relationship between science and theology here and now? Because the “conflict model” that pits them against each other is still intense—both among scientists and devout Christians who are not scientists. Many moderate Christians […]

Has Science Buried God?

Has Science Buried God? John Lennox Says No Recently I found and viewed an interview on Youtube that constitutes one of the best examples of Christian apologetics I have ever heard or read. Please view and listen to it. It is part of a series called “Socrates in the City.” The title is “Has Science […]

A Simple Way to Distinguish between Fundamentalism and Liberalism in Christian Theology

One Simple Way to Distinguish between Fundamentalism and Liberalism in Christian Theology I have often been asked if there is a litmus test for determining whether a church or person or organization is liberal theologically. I have also often been asked if there is a litmus test for determining wither a church or person or […]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in Hitler’s Wheel?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in Hitler’s Wheel? Recently here, on this blog, there has been some discussion about the quote often attributed to Bonhoeffer about the Christian’s duty to be or put a “spoke in the wheel” of an unjust government or social order. The quote takes several forms as it gets repeated. But the […]

Could I Attend a Calvinist Church?

Could I Attend a Calvinist Church? The simple answer is—“it depends.” Here’s a hypothetical case useful for answering the question. Hypothetical case: I move to a small town where the only evangelical church is Calvinistic. (I don’t say “Reformed” because many “Reformed churches” are not Calvinistic. That is to say, they do not embrace full-bodied, […]