The “Catastrophe of Nominalism” Long-time readers of this blog will already know that I agree with Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) that the rise of nominalism in especially Western cultures has been a “catastrophe.” (See several of his many massive volumes but also his brief manifesto entitled The God Question and Modern Man [1967].) According to Balthasar, nominalism led to secularism which in term led to “forgetfulness of beauty” and ultimately the de-humanizing of “man.” In my own... Read more

According to Patheos and WordPress my blog has just passed the one thousand mark–one thousand blog posts since my blog was “adopted” by Patheos. Before joining Patheos it existed independently at www.rogereolson.com (which will still work). I don’t have a record of how many posts I made there–before this blog came into the Patheos family. Chances are, if you want to know what Roger E. Olson thinks about almost any subject philosophical or theological, you can simply “google” my name... Read more

Defending Denominations in a “Postdenominational Age” The “word on the street” is that we are living in a postdenominational age. Allegedly, denominations are “old school” and dying out. New forms of church life and cooperation are arising; independent, non-denominational churches are flourishing. Many churches are dropping their denominational identities; denominations are morphing into “networks.” People, so it is said, are shying away from churches with denominational labels in favor of churches that have no denominational identity. This week (November 12-13,... Read more

The “Man Problem” Is Finally Getting Some Attention…But Not Enough I’ve written much her over the years about the “decline of men”–especially as it affects boys and male health in general. All educators know about the “boy crisis” in schools–from elementary grades through graduate schools. Anyone who pays attention knows that men’s health is seriously neglected by government and non-profit organizations. On the positive side, one major Texas health organization (Baylor Scott & White) finally held a “men’s health fair”... Read more

Is the Bible “Inerrant” or “Infallible?” I was recently asked here to explain the difference between biblical inerrancy and biblical infallibility. I affirm the Bible’s infallibility but deny its inerrancy. The complete explanation would take a book, so this will inevitably by a brief summary explanation. Understanding the difference between the two concepts, at least as I understand it, requires understanding the difference between two interpretations of the Bible’s inspiration. Some evangelical (and other) theologians affirm that inspiration (theopneustos) refers... Read more

What Is a “Complete Gospel?” Recently a well-known and influential Calvinist pastor-theologian posted a sermon or essay on his web site asking whether Arminianism preaches a “complete gospel.” His answer was, of course, that it does not. Only Calvinism does (so he implied). I’d like to note two things about this before answering the question “What is a ‘complete gospel’?” First, “Arminianism” does not “preach” anything; neither does “Calvinism.” These are theologies, not people. Perhaps the Calvinist pastor-theologian meant “Do... Read more

In some ways it  has been the curse of my life, a genuine burden and even bane of my existence. For as long as I can remember I’ve tended to see problems everywhere I look. To my way of thinking, they simply jump out at me. I don’t have to strive to see or find them. They’re just there: ignorance (of those who shouldn’t be ignorant), injustice, malice, short-sightedness, illogical thinking and communicating, neglect (of people and issues that shouldn’t... Read more

Here Comes “Movember?” (Or Not) A few years ago I was strolling on the downtown pedestrian zone of Boulder, Colorado when I saw an intriguing sign in a store window. The sign was announcing a movement and month-long fund raising project called “Movember.” It explained that the purpose was to raise money for men’s health, especially cancer awareness and research, during November by asking men not to shave. I never did really figure out how that would raise money, but... Read more

Christian Thoughts about Our (American) New National Holiday: Halloween Of course, it’s not really a “national holiday” in any formal or legal sense; schools, banks and government offices don’t close on October 31. By “new national holiday” mean that, in recent years, what used to be an evening for kids to go door-to-door “trick or treating” has evolved into a popular festival day with television, schools and clubs devoting much time and attention to…whatever it is that Halloween celebrates. Many... Read more

Trinity Means Love: A Sermon to a Seminary Community Ephesians 1 Roger E. Olson I love ironies.  Except when I’m caught in one.  For a long time I’ve advised seminary students not to preach on the Trinity.  Imagine my surprise, then, when I was “invited” to preach the first in a series of community gatherings for worship sermons on a new hymn written especially for the seminary where I teach: “Give Us Courage” together with Ephesians 1 and the invitation... Read more