Why John Piper Says I Should Not Be a Calvinist! Did you think that John Piper wants every Christian to be a Calvinist? If so, you were wrong. Watch and listen to this Youtube presentation by John Piper (or a Russian imitating his voice!): Does God Predestine People to Hell // Ask Pastor John . I was joking about a Russian imitating Piper’s voice—of course. The only reason I suggested that, tongue in cheek, is because in this Youtube video-talk… Read more

The Great Reset Is Coming! There is much talk about a “great Reset” these days. If you don’t know what that is, look it up on the internet but be sure to read (or watch on Youtube) a reliable expositor of this proposal by members of the World Economic Forum. I am still researching the proposal. But this blog post is NOT about THAT. It’s about a basic Christian belief about the future. “The Great Reset” could be a term… Read more

People Disagree. So What? I don’t remember ever being bothered by the fact that seemingly intelligent and good people disagree about important issues. But I often encounter people who are bothered by that or who believe that such pluralism means there’s no point in continuing the search for truth or being committed to a certain idea of the truth. “Theology is a mess.” No doubt about it. There’s tremendous diversity among even Christian theologians. For years I was a member… Read more

Reclaiming Something Good from a Deeply Flawed Religious Heritage I was tempted to title this blog essay something like “My experience of ‘second naivete’.” But I was afraid that would send potential readers running scared. I don’t know how many people know what is meant by “second naivete.” I learned the concept from philosopher-theologian Paul Ricouer, but perhaps he learned it from someone else. A second naivete is the experience of being able to appreciate something one has before discarded… Read more

Essentials of Christian Thought I interrupt this fascinating discussion about God (change, death) with a commercial break. My publisher has asked me to announce on my blog, today, a special deal on one of my books–good only today (November 19, 2020). Here is the email I received: “I wanted to let you know that The Essentials of Christian Thought is going to be featured as a flash deal during the ETS conference. Tomorrow (Thursday, 11/19) the eBook will be available for $2.99…. Read more

Who Died on the Cross? This is really “part 2”—following my immediately preceding blog essay “Can God Change without Changing?” There I answered in the affirmative. I do not believe in God’s immutability or impassibility or simplicity—as those attributes are often explained in the literature of traditional Christian theism. Of course I believe in them in my own way, a way which I consider more biblical than the way they have of often been described in traditional theological literature. For… Read more

Can God Change without Changing? Prior to the 20th century, almost all Christian theologians held firmly to the traditional doctrine of the immutability of God. It was interpreted by most as meaning that God cannot have new experiences; nothing can affect God. God is perfect being and any change in God would be toward greater perfection or less than perfection—both logically impossible for an already perfect being. (Here “perfect” meant metaphysically as well as morally.) This is now often called… Read more

Distinguishing between a Movement and Its Ethos People ask me how I can still call myself “evangelical” in light of the fact that about eighty percent of white American evangelicals say they support Donald Trump (who is still, as I write this, president of the United States). Many of my progressive evangelical friends and acquaintances threw off the label during the last four years (2016-2020). My answers have been simple and I do not understand why people don’t understand them…. Read more

What Is a “Miracle?” Recently I blogged here rather pessimistically that theology might be dead. By that I meant that Christian theologians’ ideas, even consensus ones, those arrived at virtually across the spectrum, do not seem to trickle down into pulpits or pews. Today I want to give an example. I often ask Christians “What is a miracle?” The typical response is “A violation of natural law.” Now, of course, I mean this “typical response” is from Christians who have… Read more

Some Random Thoughts on Another Election Day in the U.S.A. It’s November 3, 2020, another major election day in America. This day comes around every four years; every four years, on the first Tuesday of November, we, American citizens, elect our president and some members of our Congress. (Senators serve for six years.) This is probably the most tense election day I can remember, although I remember others that were also tense. But there are new elements of tension today… Read more