Strange Bedfellows: Hegel and Kierkegaard My immediately preceding post was about Hegel’s revolutionary idea of God as subject rather than substance. It was a reaction against Protestant (and Catholic) scholasticism which had engaged in what we today call “ontotheology”—treating God as a thing, an object, to be examined by the human mind without personal involvement or commitment. Hegel didn’t go all the way with his insight; later theologians such as Karl Barth went further with it, partly with the help... Read more

The Modern Revolution in the Doctrine of God I have here before talked about the book that launched my interest in modern theology and especially modern thinking about God: God after God by theologian Robert Jenson. But what was the revolution in thinking about God among Christian philosophers and theologians that God after God illustrated? Of course we could trace the revolution I’m talking about further and further back; that’s always the way it is. Who started it? “It” referring... Read more

  For a long time I’ve been saying to whomever would listen that the progressive turn toward females in our American society, especially in matters of health and education, will predictably alienate especially young men in ways not good for the whole of society. There, that was a mouthful. I know that I will, as always, receive push back. I’m not promoting the “Manosphere” here but only sounding an alarm. It cannot be good for society as a whole for... Read more

The Journey of Modern Theology (New Edition) I received in the “mail” (some delivery method) a box containing three paperback copies of my magnum opus: The Journey of Modern Theology: From Reconstruction to Deconstruction (InterVarsity Press). I was surprised again at its length. I suppose that hinders its sales. 700 plus pages! I have trouble believing I wrote it! How did I do that? Backstory: My first published book was 20th Century Theology: God and the World in a Transitional... Read more

No Such Thing as “The Evangelical Church” There, I heard it again. A talking head, a scholar, commentator, on MSNBC uttered the phrase “the evangelical church.” There is no such thing as “the evangelical church!” One of the reasons I suggested that we here discuss the video series “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” (Randall Balmer, PBS) is that it well illustrates the diversity of American evangelicals. There never was and is not any evangelical headquarters  or human head, not... Read more

Was Richard Nixon a Communist? Did Donald Trump say the late President Richard Nixon was a communist? Well, no, not exactly. In fact, I’m not sure he was thinking of Nixon at all when he said (I saw and heard it on NBC News) that “price controls” are a communist idea. In August, 1971, and I remember this well, then President Richard Nixon imposed wage and price controls to try to reign in rampant inflation. Rampant inflation? 5.84% per annum.... Read more

Is So-And-So in Heaven? Recently I came across a Youtube video consisting of a discussion among conservative evangelical influencers about whether “so-and-so” (name left out here) is in heaven. The so-and-so in question died recently and was for years a very well-known evangelical Christian influencer, apologist, popular speaker. After he died several people came forward to tattle on him, saying that he lived an immoral life. Which means, of course, that he did some things they consider immoral. Is there... Read more

The Way We Were: American Evangelical In my previous post here I announced a new discussion topic: the documentary “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” (PBS) narrated by historian Randall Balmer. I got very busy and have had to neglect this blog for a week. However, I still urge you to rent or purchase the documentary at Amazon Prime. I will soon watch it again myself and announce when the discussion will begin and what segment we will be discussing.... Read more

A New Discussion Topic: American Evangelicalism Announcing a new discussion topic: “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” — a video series featuring historical Randall Balmer. It is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime (only $2.99 for rental for 30 days but only 48 hours to watch it) and on Youtube. You can buy it on Amazon Prime for $19.99. I can’t recommend that you watch it on Youtube and I don’t know that it will stay there or... Read more

Does Calvinism Deny God’s Goodness? I just watched it again. It’s on Youtube. “Does God Predestine People to Hell // Ask Pastor John.” Before answering the question, Piper says that people should NOT believe God predestines people to hell IF believing that would cause them to doubt God’s goodness. But the underlying but important issue is Does believing that God predestines people to hell (in the way Piper and other Calvinists believe it) actually require doubting God’s goodness? That is—logically?... Read more