The neutral zone is an area that is no larger than the width of a football. It is the zone that separates the offense and defense before the play starts. When a defensive player enters…
Calvinism
Roger Olson, “Review of *Recanting Calvinism for A Dynamic Gospel* by Steven L. Hitchcock”
Over the years, since I “came out” publicly among evangelicals as an Arminian (beginning with my 1999 Christianity Today article “Don’t hate me because I’m an Arminian”) Ihave received many books and manuscripts about Calvinism…
Rich Davis, “Calvinism’s Misplaced Culpability”
Calvinism and TULIP go hand in hand. When you think of the one, it’s rather hard not to think of the other. However, certain qualifications are in order. “The truth is,” says Michael Horton, “there…
Roger Olson, “What’s Wrong with Calvinism?”
This is a talk I (Dr Roger Olson) gave recently at City on a Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. (City on a Hill is a mostly Russian evangelical church. It’s leaders are concerned about infiltration…
Mike Barlotta – How Free is Free Will?
Over the last week I have been in a discussion over soteriology, which started with the request to define free will. Free will can be a hard concept to define because there are very different…
Roger Olson, “Why Hyper-Calvinism Is Consistent Calvinism”
I know, I know. I will be accused of being “uncharitable” simply for deconstructing Calvinism. Apparently what’s good for the goose is not good for the gander. I have at least twenty-five volumes about Calvinism…
Compatibilism vs. Free Will
God’s relationship with not only His universe but also the creatures whom He created in His own image has been debated, fashioned, and refashioned throughout the history of the Church. From what one may gather,…
Roger Olson on a New Book (Or Revision of an Old Book) about Arminian Theology
The back cover of Grace for All: The Arminian Dynamics of Salvation (Wipf & Stock, 2015) describes it as “an updated and revised version of Grace Unlimited, a 1975 collection of scholarly articles assembled by…
Rich Davis, “The “C” in Calvinism?”
In 2009 Time magazine ran a story entitled “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now” (Thursday, March 12). Not surprisingly, the top two spots were occupied by new trend setting thinking on career/workplace and life…
Calvinism & Arminianism: Controversial Passages – Xenos
Here is an annotated review of some passages that figure in the Arminian/Calvinist debate from Xenos Christian Fellowship: The following passages are interpreted differently by Calvinists and Arminians. John 6:37 “All that the Father gives…
Roger Olson, “Calvinist Attempts to Rescue God’s Character Considered and Refuted”
As anyone who has read me or listened to me (on the subject of Calvinism) knows, my main complaint about Calvinism is that it undermines the character of God. Of course, I do not mean…
New Calvinist Bible – Irresistible Grace (satire)
The following post is a satire, written from the perspective of an overzealous Calvinist. This post is part of a series on the New Calvinist Bible (NCB) – a new Bible translation designed to show…
Genesis 50:20 – Commentary in Light of Calvinism
Genesis 50:15-21 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to…
Roger Olson, “Calvinism and Evangelism”
One of the misconceptions about Calvinism (here meaning belief in T.U.L.I.P. and the eternal decree deciding who will and who will not be saved) is that Calvinists cannot or will not do evangelism. Or, to…
New Calvinist Bible – Limited Atonement (satire)
The following post is a satire, written from the perspective of an overzealous Calvinist. This post is part of a series on the New Calvinist Bible (NCB) – a new Bible translation designed to show…
Roger Olson, “C. S. Lewis Said It: God’s ‘Goodness’ Cannot Be Wholly Other”
For years now I have been insisting that the main reason I am not a Calvinist (or any kind of divine determinist) is that, taken to its “good and necessary consequences,” Calvinism makes God morally…
James White’s Testimony on His Conversion to Calvinism
Calvinist James White says: “When I read The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul, I was just overwhelmed with this sense of God’s holiness, His power, His transcendence, and yet His condescension, the gospel, and…
Introducing the New Calvinist Bible (satire)
The following post is a satire, written from the perspective of an overzealous Calvinist. Although Calvinism enjoys much support within evangelical Christianity, there are unfortunately still those who have doubts about certain aspects of it.…
Roger Olson, “A Reformed Theologian’s Critique of Divine Determinism”
Hearty thanks go to publishers Wipf & Stock for re-publishing theologian Emil Brunner’s three volume Dogmatics which was originally published in English by Lutterworth Press in England and subsequently by Westminster Press in America. At…
Mike Barlotta – Augustine’s Evolving Views on Free Will
Augustine (354-430) is considered one of the most influential Christian theologians and philosophers. In the Parchment and Pen Top 10 theologian series, he was ranked #1. As a young man, Augustine studied rhetoric. During his…
Recent Posts
Roy Ingle, “Calvinism and the Atonement”
Why Does God Deny the Opportunity of Choice for or Against Him to Young Children Who Die and the Mentally Impaired?
Mark K. Olson, “Wesley’s ‘Warmed Heart’ at Aldersgate – What Really Happened?”
Adam Roe, “The Crucial Thread of Prevenient Grace: A Wesleyan Perspective on Divine Drawing”
