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 not a discussion board where everyone has the right to say whatever it on his or her mind—especially when what is on his or her… Read more

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 me explain. Now, this is a blog about evangelical Christianity especially but not only in America. By “evangelical” I mean relatively conservative churches, organization, and… Read more

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 the devil, some have assumed I believe the answer must be no. However, I have never said that Arminians and Calvinists worship different Gods. I… Read more

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 Buried God?” The interviewer is conservative Christian writer Eric Metaxas and the interviewee is retired Oxford professor of mathematics and philosophy of science John Lennox…. Read more

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 organization is fundamentalist. I begin by answering that not every church, person or organization is either one. Most people who ask me for these litmus… Read more

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, classical Calvinism.) Back to the case: In this small town the only evangelical Protestant church is classically Calvinistic. Their statement of faith includes affirmation of… Read more

Cruelty to Children: Clear Evidence of Evil Recently I watched an interview with the head of the U.S. Government’s ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agency. The previous day the ICE and local law enforcement had raided a business in a Southern U.S. state and hauled off hundreds of undocumented immigrants said to be in the U.S. illegally. The program showed a little girl sitting on the front steps of her school. She had just learned that her father had been… Read more

Who Is Helping Christians Cope with Non-Christian Messages? Some years ago I felt called to use my four degrees in religious studies and (now) many years of teaching Christian theology to help Christians discern between cultural messages that are compatible with Christianity and those that are not. I have used this blog for that. In fact, that call is one of the main reasons I began this blog—about eight years ago now. I have composed and posted well over a… Read more