During these weeks of summer doldrums, some students and I are reading and discussing Christ on Trial: How the Gospel Unsettles our Judgement (sic) by Rowan Williams.  I had a little trouble getting into it, but now, in the middle of the book, I'm very impressed and hope many people will read it. The bulk of the book is a commentary on the gospels and especially the passion narratives and especially the various accounts of Jesus' trials.  Williams sees in Jesus' demeanor at his trials … [Read more...]

Ken Stewart supplied me with some examples of non-Calvinists misrepresenting Calvinism.  I have run across other examples over the years. So, in fairness, let me shame non-Calvinists who misrepresent Calvinism.  (Ken has himself corrected Calvinists who misunderstand and misrepresent it in his book Ten Myths about Calvinism which I reviewed in Christianity Today.) Contrary to what many non-Calvinists think and say: 1) Calvinism is not fatalism.  Fatalism is belief in an impersonal … [Read more...]

Thanks to my colleague and dean David Garland for compiling the following list of biblical injunctions regarding how God's people are to treat aliens and strangers among them: Exodus 22:21 (NRSV) 21 You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Exodus 23:9 (NRSV) 9 You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Leviticus 19:33 (NRSV) 33 When an alien resides with you … [Read more...]

Occasionally here I have mentioned that one thing that really gets my ire up is when some neo-fundamentalists stoop to unethical means to undermine their theological opponents.  I alluded to the fact it has happened to me--especially with regard to open theism. As everyone knows, I'm not an open theist but I have defended open theism as a legitimate evangelical option.  I personally knew Clark Pinnock and know Greg Boyd, John Sanders and William Hasker.  These were/are godly men who base … [Read more...]

Actually, what I have to say here applies to ANY criticism of ANY theology.  We need to distinguish carefully between criticism and misrepresentation.  Fair criticism is valid; misrepresentation in order to criticize (straw man treatment) is invalid and should itself be criticized by everyone. Reformed theologians especially have long pointed out what they believe to be the "good and necessary consequences" of certain Arminian beliefs.  That's fine, so long as the critics point out that … [Read more...]

Another Fathers Day comes around.  Thank God for good fathers and there are so many of them.  Unfortunately, I was not so blessed, but I have had wonderful father surrogates such as my doctoral advisor Niels Nielsen, my main seminary mentor Ralph Powell and my dear friend Roger Fredrikson (all now in their 90s and going strong!).  These men leaned into my life in ways beyond the call of duty and much of any good I have achieved is due to them (and they deserve none of the blame for anything … [Read more...]

Several commenters here have argued (some of them being lawyers) that the bills I have complained about would never be used to prosecute humanitarians acting on behalf of needy illegal immigrants.  I think that is naive. However, one attorney in particular (from California) posted a comment here claiming that IF a humanitarian were ever arrested on the basis of the Oklahoma, Alabama or Texas laws he would have no trouble getting the person acquitted based on case law. I'm not a lawyer or … [Read more...]

According to AP reports the Texas legislature has now approved a bill (and the governor will sign it) giving permission to law enforcement officers in Texas to ask about anyone's legal status in the U.S. during any detention including a routine traffic stop.  In fact, the law is aimed at law enforcement agencies in the state including county and city sheriff and police departments because many of them have policies forbidding racial profiling.  According to critics, this law's entire purpose … [Read more...]

It happens all the time.  I move around in evangelical circles quite a bit and overhear conversations and receive comments about Arminianism.  And I invite Calvinists to my classes. I am certainly not claiming that all Calvinists are guilty of this, but many, in my experience, do not seem to care about representing Arminianism fairly. Here's a typical example.  A friend and I drove quite a way to browse at a used theological bookstore.  The owner is a passionate five point Calvinist … [Read more...]

Yet another state, populated largely by people who consider themselves Christians, has apparently criminalized Christian behavior toward illegal immigrants.  At least according to the Associated Press which says in an article published in my local newspaper June 10 that Alabama's new immigration law makes it "a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride."  That's the AP saying that, not me.  If you think that's mistaken, please prove it. Many Americans have developed very nasty … [Read more...]