For My Brazilian Readers: Portuguese Translations of My Books

July 13, 2013 By 19 Comments

For My Brazilian Readers: Portuguese Translations of My Books

Some of my best students have been from Brazil, the world’s largest Portuguese-speaking country (and also one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing democracies and economies). Many North Americans think of Brazil as a Catholic country, but Protestant churches are growing there. The Assemblies of God has over 12 million members in Brazil—four times the number in the United States.

Several of my books have been published by Brazilian publishers in Portuguese translations. Most notably, perhaps, in the past, there is The Story of Christian Theology published as História da Teologia Christã by Editora Vida (translation by Gordon Chown). (That book has also been translated into several other languages and published by publishers in those countries. One particularly interesting edition is in Chinese by the University of Beijing Press!)

I am happy to announce that Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities is now being published in Brazil in Portuguese translation by Reflexão (which also hopes soon to publish a translation of Against Calvinism in Brazil). It is my hope, as well as the publisher’s, that the book will help non-Calvinists among Brazilian evangelicals understand that Calvinism, which is growing in influence among them, is not the only theological option for them.

Unfortunately, I do not read Portuguese, so I am unable to post comments in that language here. I would be happy to hear from Brazilian readers of my books and blog in English, however, if that is possible.

My thanks and best wishes go out to my Brazilian publishers with hopes and prayers that my books will contribute to theological understanding among Christians of all traditions there.

Filed Under: Uncategorized 19 Comments
  • Flavio Figueiredo Cardoso

    Great news!

    In the last oficial census, made by Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics), the evangelicals grew up 61.45% in the last 10 years. In 2010, 42.3 million of brazilians declared themselves as evangelical (22.2% of brazilian population). You can see it, in portuguese, at http://g1.globo.com/brasil/noticia/2012/06/numero-de-evangelicos-aumenta-61-em-10-anos-aponta-ibge.html

    But, as a brazilian pastor, I hesitate to celebrate these numbers. Most of it is due to neopentecostal preaching, mainly on TV, spreading the prosperity theology. So, the numerical growth appears to be accompanied by a great loss of quality. Our churches are in dire need of healthy theology.

    Because of that, your books are so celebrated! Your Arminian Theology will fill a huge blank in the brazilian theological scene, where most of evangelicals are, by far, arminians who don’t realize that. The books about arminianism are realy rare. In fact, to best understand arminianism, in the past, I looked for a book about that in Brazil, but found no one! Finally, I had to read your book in english. Surely, I’ll read again, this time in portuguese.

    Thank you for your labour, research and writings. Problably, you don’t realize how many people have been blessed by God through you.

  • Douglas

    Hello, Dr. Olson. Your book is very welcome in Brazil. The Battle against calvinism started.

  • Samuel Coutinho

    Be assured that we will translate this post. Many of your writings have been published in Portuguese by a group of brothers who works for the disclosure of Arminianism in Brazil.

    Arminian Theology is growing in our country.

    God bless you! (Deus te abençoe!)

  • Samuel Coutinho
  • Marlon Marques

    Dr. Olson!

    We, arminians brazilians, are very happy for the publication of the book Arminian Theology – Myths and Realities. As in the U.S., in Brazil there are many semi-pelagians, due to disabilities and lack of interest in theological education. When some begin to take an interest in education are faced with Calvinism, which they always, calvinists, care about this self-affirmation to disseminate their beliefs. But arminianism is starting to grow due to sites like arminianismo.com, brazilian website that propagates arminian soteriological thought. His books are the apex so that we can show arminianism here in Brazil.

    Thanks for the publication of their books. We arminians of heart, we heartily thank! God bless you!

  • Anderson lucas de Paula

    His books are excellent! What a blessing to know that his brother will publish more in our language. God bless you too.

  • scotmcknight

    Eu chegei en San Paolo…

    • Roger Olson

      Scot, The Holy Spirit never gave me the gift of interpretation of tongues! (You are speaking in tongues, right? :)

      • http://cramercomments.blogspot.com/ DavidCramer

        Two words: google translate!

        • Roger Olson

          I will give it a try, but I haven’t found the translations there all that helpful and it’s important for me not to misunderstand comments. Here. But perhaps you meant for Brazilians to use it to translate their comments into English? That will be interesting to read!

    • Samuel Coutinho

      The correct is:

      Eu cheguei em São Paulo…

      rrsrssrsr

  • Marcos Roberto Hohne

    I am a Brazilian reader and I’m very glad to hear such news. Some time ago I was struggling a lot with my theology studies because it seemed to me that every serious theologian with books available in Brazil was Calvinist. So I got one of your books in Kindle. Unfortunately, though, most of my friends cannot read English, so it’s great news!

  • rafa_00k

    I’m very happy with this this translations Dr. Roger Olson, im already your reader and this “Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities” is coming in a good hour.

  • Walson Sales

    I already read your book in english. Now, I’m going to buy this one in portuguese too.

    I’d like to thanks to God for your life and Job. We are very glad and thankful for your books, now, in portuguese. God bless you one thousand more (Dt 1.11). So, we are waiting you here in Brazil for a series speechs about Calvinism and Arminianianism. What do you think about that Dr. Olson? A big hug.

    • Roger Olson

      I’ve been invited for next summer. We’ll see.

  • Bruno Flavio

    Dr. Olson I´m From the Adventist Latin American seminary in São Paulo, Brazil, and I´m reading your book, The Story of Christian Theology. I Really think that it’s one of the bests works in this area in Portuguese, and one of the bests I have ever read. Thank you so much for write such amazing book and publish it here in Brazil.

    Such works, like yours and professor Fernando Canale´s papers about ontology and hermeneutics, helped-me a lot to understand theology and theologians, and it help-me to teach it to the church too.

    Certainly I will read this new book you are publishing here and the Next too.

    Thanks for remember us in Brazil and may God bless You and your job.

  • Lailson Castanha

    Companion of faith Dr. Olson, health.

    The book Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities is a prize
    for arminianos Brazilians who did from the Internet a guide of search, study
    and compartilhamento on the theology arminian.

    It is with much joy, that we receive this work in
    Brazil. The translation of his work for the Portuguese language, made us feel
    that our efforts were contemplated and compensated.

    Lailson Castanha

  • Clóvis

    Brother Olson,

    I am Calvinist and I’m reading your book with great interest. I’ve read his other two books in Portuguese, which were useful to me.

    I usually discuss with Arminians and try to correct representations of Arminianism and certainly his book will help me in this.

    God Bless You.

  • Valdomiro

    Dear Brother Dr. Olson, I’m happy for the publication in portuguese. I bought it recently. This initiative is a further step to change the reality of theology on this issue in Brazil. Many calvinists books have been translated into Portuguese, but few about arminianism.

    The bookstores CPAD (Assembly of God), unfortunately, are full of books calvinists

    Here in Brazil the majority is arminian, but many are misinformed about what really is arminianism and this favors the increase of calvinism. His books are welcome to help stop the growth of calvinism in Brazil.

    Other titles await!

    God bless you!