All other contemporary American issues pale in comparison to threats to our democracy. I say “our democracy” because, while it is not entirely unique, it does carry some special features such as the US Constitution’s guarantees of rights and liberties. It also thrives on three branches of government that hold one another accountable. I have no special sympathy with the current state of the Democratic Party, although I respect some Democratic people and believe one can be a Christian and... Read more

Here I continue my/our discussion of N. T. Wright’s book Creation, Power, and Truth: The Gospel in a World of Cultural Confusion with Chapter 2: Jesus the Lord: the gospel and the new imperialism. If you have read the chapter, feel free to comment. If not, fell free to ask a question. The first chapter was about neo-gnosticism. I mentioned here that I thought he was stretching the term “Gnosticism” too broadly and too thinly. I feel the same way... Read more

It seems everyone, at least every Americans, has to have some thoughts about the recent very public assassination of political influencer Charlie Kirk. To be honest, I had never heard of him before the news stories about his tragic murder. Apparently, from all that I have read and watched, I am out of touch. He is touted by some as a hero of a generation. President Trump celebrates his life and deplores and condemns his death. As of this writing,... Read more

*Here begins a series of essays about “Why I am an ‘Evangelical Arminian Christian’.” I begin at the beginning—with my fundamental principles of thought. These essays will appear every few days over the next few weeks.* 1) My First Principle: Authority is Truth (over Status) (by Roger E. Olson) Philosopher/theologian Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) quipped that “He who begins by loving Christianity more than Truth, will proceed by loving his sect or church better than Christianity, and end in loving... Read more

Here I begin discussion of N. T. Wright’s book Creation, Power, and Truth: The Gospel in a World of Cultural Confusion (Zondervan) with Chapter One: God the creator in a world of neo-Gnosticism. If you have read the chapter, feel free to comment. If not, feel free to ask a question. This is a fairly long chapter and the book itself has only three chapters. All three are relatively long. I will also cover the Conclusion here after covering the... Read more

I have before addressed this question: Is God infinite? I have said no, because it is not a biblical concept. It is a philosophical concept and one that is very confusing and leads into all kinds of disputes. German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814) famously provoked the so-called “Atheismus Streit” (Atheism Debate) in Germany when he claimed that God cannot be both infinite and personal. A person, he argued, cannot be infinite, and an infinite being cannot be personal. Philosopher... Read more

Here I announce a new book discussion. The book is by noted evangelical biblical scholar and theologian N. T. Wright (whom I will refer to as “Tom” because we are on a first-name basis): Creation, Power, and Truth: The Gospel in a World of Cultural Confusion (Zondervan, 2025). The book comprises lectures Tom gave at Harvard University some years ago. It is relatively brief and written in a style non-scholars can easily understand. I invite you to buy the book... Read more

Here I finish our discussion of God Who Looks Like Jesus; A Renewed Approach to Understanding God by Gregory A. Boyd (with M. Scott Boren) (Herald Press). The last chapter is entitled The Blessed Hope. If you have read the chapter, feel free to offer a comment. If not, you may only ask a question. In this chapter Greg affirms that “Jesus’ appearance at the end of the age is central to the good news of the New Testament.” (118)... Read more

A long time ago, most people in the world believed there is a power of evil in the world that tempts or even causes people to do evil things. There were believed to be degrees of this—from outright possession by evil powers to occasional giving in to temptation by evil forces, beings or powers. At least from the New Testament onward, Christians have believed very strongly in an evil being called variously “Satan” and “the Devil” and his mignons, fallen... Read more

Are Arminian Theology and Middle Knowledge Compatible? One of the most basic impulses of Arminianism is that God is not the author of sin and evil—even indirectly. On this virtually everyone knowledgeable about Arminian theology agrees. Divine determinism, the belief that God directly or indirectly determines all that happens according to a predetermined plan, was rejected by Arminius and has been rejected by all Arminians since him. I have demonstrated that in Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities and Against Calvinism.... Read more