A Guest Post Are UFOs secret technology or God’s chariots? By Ted Peters Author: Ted Peters is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and author of, UFOs: God’s Chariots? Spirituality, Ancient Aliens, and Religious Yearnings in the Age of Extraterrestrials, Career Press New Page Books, 2014. ISBN 978-1-60163-318-7. Visit his website: tedstimelytake.com. The worldwide UFO community has been waiting on tip toes for the Pentagon report to the U.S. Congress on UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). We want... Read more

Is There Such a Thing as “Public Theology?” Recently, a major evangelical magazine hired a well-known Southern Baptist ethicist to lead their “public theology” division. This provoked a question in my mind. Is there really such a thing as “public theology?” Two words require definitions: “public” and “theology.” First, “theology.” Because the magazine in question is evangelical Christian, I assume that in this case “theology” means specifically Christian theology but not any certain denominational theological tradition. Also, I assume that... Read more

Dear Blog Friends and Followers, Please stay tuned; don’t go away! Occasionally (as now) I have to take a brief hiatus from posting anything. But I will keep moderating my blog as possible, so keep posting comments and questions. Thanks for your understanding. Roger Olson Read more

Kenotic Christology Explained and Defended Throughout my career as student and professor of theology I have often talked and written about “kenotic Christology.” I have read many books about the subject, had conversations with theological proponents and opponents of it, and sought to explain it to students—both in academic and ecclesiastical settings. In brief, kenotic Christology is the idea that the Son of God, God the Son, the Word/Logos, voluntarily decided to “set aside” (or retract) his attributes of glory... Read more

What Is the Purpose of a Christian College or University? I have been a faculty member of three Christian universities (one was called a “college” when I taught there) in succession over the past almost forty years. I have held tenured positions at two of them and now have held a named chair at one for several years. I have spoken at numerous American Christian colleges and universities and have a wide circles of acquaintances who taught or teach at... Read more

A Model for Church Discipline Recently, here, I have been advocating a return by Christians to standards of holiness that many, if not most, evangelicals have forgotten. In my experience, very few evangelical churches (and I include in that category a wide range of denominations and specific “types” of relatively conservative Protestant churches) uphold or promote any specific expectations with regard to personal conduct. In general, with many exceptions, of course (and I am not including here real fundamentalist churches),... Read more

Slip Sliding Away: Culturally Accommodated “Christianity” I recently posted here some thoughts about Christians and modesty. I expected disagreement and I got it. My purpose was to provoke thought about Christian norms. To what extent do we, American Christians especially, allow our Christianity to be shaped and re-shaped by contemporary American culture? Are we supposed to stand out rather than (just) fit in? To what extent? Whatever happened to the Christian norm of avoiding “worldliness?” Do we throw the baby... Read more

Should Christian Colleges and Universities Use Nude Models in Art Classes? This has been a lively discussion and debate within and around especially conservative Christian colleges and universities for a very long time. Recently a female student who majored in art in her undergraduate career complained that the university disallowed male nude models. She blamed that on the administration and “constituents.” I know the real reason—parents. The majority of students at all conservative Christian colleges and universities are female. It’s... Read more

Remembering “Satanic Panic” in America (1980s) One of the curses and blessings of getting old is remembering things other people don’t remember—either because they have forgotten or because they weren’t alive or because they just weren’t paying attention. I’m talking about important things, things that mattered, things that made a difference, a lasting impact. One of the strangest social, cultural, religious phenomena of my lifetime swept through North America (the U.S. and Canada) in the 1980s. It probably began quietly... Read more

Authoritative vs. Nurturant Styles of Religion Occasionally a friend (or even a stranger) sends me a book they have written and want me to read and possibly review here. Recently arrived is Embracing Prodigals: Overcoming Authoritative Religion by Embodying Jesus’ Nurturing Grace by my friend John Sanders (Cascade Books, 2020). It’s an excellent little book for individual enrichment reading or for use in a book group or church group—for discussion. According to John, “authoritative religion” is a style of religion... Read more