A Good New Book: A Missional Orthodoxy: Theology And Ministry in a Post-Christian Context by Gary Tyra (InterVarsity Press, 2013). This book is hefty but it packs a good and needed “punch.” For evangelicals interested in being both missional and orthodox at the same time, it’s a breath of fresh air. One of the book’s central theses, maybe its main thesis, is that too many especially younger evangelicals think they have to choose between being either missional or orthodox. Tyra... Read more

The “God of the Gaps”: Right Use, Wrong Use One recurring theme here and in other evangelical engagements with science is the idea of the “God of the gaps.” I’m not sure who coined the phrase; I’ve heard it attributed to Bonhoeffer (from Letters and Papers from Prison), but I don’t remember him specifically using that phrase. He certainly criticized the idea of a “deus ex machine” brought in to fill the gaps—holes in the natural order science cannot (so... Read more

A Problem in Evangelicalism: Narcissistic Leaders Guest post by electrical engineer Stephen Berger I want to thank Dr. Olson for this opportunity to provide a guest blog.  It is an honor given in grace and kindness. During the time I was drafting this blog, my wife and I visited some long time friends. I received an unintended rebuke from their daughter-in-law as she answered my question about their future plans.  She and her husband, a law school student, are equipping... Read more

Embracing Creation – A Question of Faith (Guest Post by Bev Mitchell, NB, Canada and Oaxaca, Mx) There are many kinds of faith: faith in human ability; faith in our beliefs; faith in our faith (fideism); faith in our interpretation of Scripture; faith that our faith and reason combined will uncover purely human reasons to believe – and this by no means exhausts the possibilities. Christianity has a different take on faith. It sees faith as a dynamic gift from... Read more

On Telling Inconvenient and Uncomfortable Truths: When, How, Why Most people take for granted that truth-telling is a good thing…unless the truths being told are inconvenient, uncomfortable or otherwise disturbing. About a year ago (I don’t recall precisely) Christianity Today published an article by a man who grew up “on the mission field.” His parents were evangelical missionaries in New Guinea. He is now an established and respected pastor. The man told in sometimes shocking (but not vulgar or obscene)... Read more

Shopping for a Church One question I’ve been asked several times here (and elsewhere) is how to find a good church. Whenever someone asks me that I know one of two things are not the case. The person asking is not absolutely loyal to any denomination or there are too many or too few churches of his or her denomination in the locale. I once moved to a large city that had only one church of my denomination and, at... Read more

Thank God for Non-Fighting Fundamentalists Recently here I complained about fundamentalist Calvinists and stated that I have no particular problem with non-fundamentalist Calvinists—of which there are many and I have worked and worshiped with them over the years. I won’t rehearse here what I said in that post. Suffice it to say that I was rather hard on fundamentalism and fundamentalists. Without taking back anything I said there, here and now I want to say “Thank God for non-fighting fundamentalists”... Read more

With the publisher’s permission I am posting an excerpt from Austin Fischer’s new book Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed here. Please buy the book. In fact, buy two copies–one for yourself and one to give to a friend who isn’t sure if being a Calvinist is right for him or her. Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed by Austin Fischer Introduction: Black Holes   Gravity When a big star dies, a remarkable thing happens.[i] Its own gravity crunches it until it... Read more

The Most Pernicious and Pervasive Heresy (within American Christianity) It’s not what you expect. In fact, most people would never even recognize it. It’s so pervasive (at least in American Christianity) that it’s hardly ever noticed. I suspect, however, that if a first century apostle or second century church father came among us it would be one of the first things they would notice—and condemn—about our “Christianity.” It’s not a formal heresy like “Arianism” or “Pelagianism.” It’s a mostly unconscious... Read more

Is the Problem Calvinism or Fundamentalism (or the Combination)? According to a recent article in the New York Times I am the leading opponent of Calvinism (or the New Calvinism) in America today. I don’t know where the writer (Mark Oppenheimer) got that idea. Certainly not from me. Someone else must have said that to him. If it’s true it’s only because there are very few people with a public platform speaking out against it. It was never my intention... Read more