When asked what kind of Christian you are, most people would name a denomination. Or, at least that’s the way it was. “Catholic,” “Orthodox,” “Lutheran,” “Presbyterian,” “Baptist,” etc. That’s not the kind of answer sought here. I’m going back to a very strong custom among especially conservative, evangelical Christians in the US when I was growing up. My parents were Pentecostals. My father was a Pentecostal pastor for 53 years. He pastored only two churches during that time. Many of... Read more

What is a “heresy?” The dictionary helps little. As a religion scholar and theologian (four graduate degrees) I claim qualification to define it. No doubt some will disagree. A heresy is a serious deviation from a normed and norming doctrine of a religious community. “Heterodoxy” is a less serious one. Examples: For most Christian communities, including the World Council of Churches, “Jesus is God and Savior”is the central, unifying Christian doctrine. It is normed by the Bible and tradition and... Read more

All Christians believe there is only one God—Yahweh—who exists as three “persons” or “hypostases.” (The word “person” is problematic because of American individualistic culture. Augustine rightly said we do not say “persons” because we want to but because we have no alternative.) However, traditionally, Christian theologians have argued that our one God has only one nature whereas Jesus Christ, God incarnate, has two natures—human and divine. But, if Jesus is still human, as the Bible more than implies, doesn’t God... Read more

Recently I posted an essay here about the concept of “apostasy.” Here I will add to that and correct some commenters’ objections. The dictionary defines “apostasy” as either abandoning one’s religious identity or renouncing it. My question was whether a self-identified Christian who joined a non-Christian church or religion has committed apostasy. As a theologian, I said that “apostasy” is usually understood by theologians to mean two things, either together or separately: 1) Falling away from grace, or 2) Abandoning... Read more

During the 1930s in Germany some German Protestants declared themselves “German Christians” and openly supported the Nazi Party and Hitler. They declared them a new revelation from God and more than implied that Hitler was a savior, at least of the German people. They gave uncritical and total support to Hitler and hailed him as God’s leader. Even some Protestant theologians joined in this movement, refusing to join the “Confessing Church” that arose in opposition to Hitler and the Nazi... Read more

Here I continue and conclude discussion of Daniel Taylor’s book The Myth of Certainty: The Reflective Christian and the Risk of Commitment (IVP) with Chapter 6: Surviving As a Reflective Christian. If you have read the chapter, feel free to comment. If not, feel free to ask a question. In either case be sure to follow the rules stated at the end here. ”Nothing should be of higher value to the reflective Christian in difficult circumstances than an unqualified desire... Read more

Here I explain my theory of the origins of liberal theology among Christians especially in America. I set it forth more fully with examples in my book Against Liberal Theology (Zondervan). First, of course, I must define “liberal theology.” Most basically it is theology without miracles or anything supernatural. It has taken on many forms over the past 200 years, but all share that basically naturalistic view of reality. For a fuller account of liberal theology, read Against Liberal Theology.... Read more

Some time ago I asked Trump supporters what it would take for them to withdraw their support from Trump. The most common answer was only if he changed his whole political position to left-wing, something that is not really even in the realm of imagining. I considered that a non-answer. I believe that many Trump supporters, including many Christian ones, even “MAGA Christians,” are reasonable people who have a limit to their support for any politician. I know of one... Read more

Here I continue discussion of Daniel Taylor’s book The Myth of Certainty: The Reflective Christian and the Risk of Commitment with Chapter 5: The Risk of Commitment. If you have read the chapter, feel free to comment. If not, feel free to ask a question. In any case, be sure to follow the rules laid out at the end here. On page 113 Dan says “I do not have absolute certainty that anything I believe is true.” One has to... Read more

  Our Blessed Hope Revelation 21:1-7 Many students of the Bible have added much speculation about these events, about what biblical scholars and theologians call “eschatology.” Numerous books have been written attempting to answer every conceivable question about life after life and the return of Christ and the “end times.” Movies, Youtube videos, books, songs…many of them create fear in even Christians’ hearts and minds. What will be? What will happen? Why isn’t the Bible clearer about it all? Why... Read more