Roger Olson's Classical and Contemporary Introduction to Christian DoctrineFor the first time, celebrated historical theologian Roger Olson offers his own constructive theology, distilling decades of scholarly expertise into a concise systematic theology that is both approachable and substantial. Building on his acclaimed work in historical theology, Christian Theology examines the major doctrines of the Christian faith.This introduction is accessi...

Many Christians’ faith exists as a loose collection of unexamined clichés and slogans borrowed from songs, devotional books, sermon illustrations, and even the internet. Too often this belief system (if it can be called a “system”) lacks coherence and intelligibility; it can hardly be expressed, let alone defended, to others. The problem with folk religion is that it too easily withers under the onslaughts of secularism or seemingly reasonable answers provided by cults and new religions. C...

A respectful approach to the debate over Reformed theology.Calvinist theology has been debated and promoted for centuries. Roger Olson suggests that Calvinism, also commonly known as Reformed theology, holds an unwarranted place in our list of accepted theologies and certainly shouldn’t be understood as the only authentic Christian theology.In Against Calvinism, readers will find scholarly arguments disputing some points of Calvinist theology and h...

Liberal Christian theology is a big topic in today's churches and seminaries. But what does liberal theology really mean and why is it so controversial? What does it actually believe about truth, Scripture, and Jesus Christ? And where does it lead?The term "liberal theology" is often misinterpreted, confused with a set of loose ideologies within the Christian faith and sometimes rallied behind by genuine Christians who are simply concerned about modern social justi...

Wolfhart Pannenberg was one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century, and his work has much to offer contemporary theologians. In this book, the contributors analyze and discusses a component of Pannenberg’s theology with an eye to demonstrating its enduring promise for contemporary and future theological construction. Topics discussed include Pannenberg’s theological method, defense of the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection, doctrine of God, doctrine of the Trinity, theo...

Or at least, such an outlook should unite Christians of all theological and church backgrounds. However, alternate visions of reality often infect and corrupt Christians’ thinking.In The Essentials of Christian Thought, eminent theologian and church historian Roger Olson outlines the basic perspective on the world that all Christians, regardless of the place and time in which they are born, have historically held. This underlying metaphysic accords with all orthodox theolo...

In this book, Roger Olson sets forth classical Arminian theology and addresses the myriad misunderstandings and misrepresentations of it through the ages. Irenic yet incisive, Olson argues that classical Arminian theology has a rightful place in the evangelical church because it maintains deep roots within Reformational theology, even though it maintains important differences from Calvinism.Myths addressed include:Myth 1: Arminian Theology Is the Oppo...

Appropriately the premier volume in the Guides to Theology series, The Trinity provides readers with a basic knowledge of the central and most distinctive doctrine of the Christian faith -- the triune nature of God.Concise, nontechnical, and up-to-date, the book offers a detailed historical and theological description of the doctrine of the Trinity, tracing its development from the first days of Christianity through the medieval and Reformation eras and into the modern age....

Postconservative theology may be said to parallel with "postliberal theology" at its best. Orthodox, biblical, but open to new insights about how to interpret Scripture. But the new insights must be faithful as well as fresh. Postconservative theology is not the same as "progressive theology," which tends to lean toward indeterminant faith expressions, whereas "postconservative" allows for particular faith commitments and expressions but understands that the constructive task of theology i...

For some decades American (and other) culture has been obsessed with cults. But what does "cult" mean? How should a religious group be identified as a cult? Who joins cults and why? These and other questions are answered in this book. It provides a basic introduction to cults, "unsafe sects," especially from an orthodox Christian perspective. Here readers will also find accounts of the author's personal experiences of cults.

The Handbook of Denominations in the United States has long been the gold standard for reference works about religious bodies in America. The purpose of this Handbook is to provide accurate and objective information about the most significant Christian traditions and denominations in the United States today. It contains descriptions of over 200 distinct Christian denominations as well as overviews of the several major Christian traditions to which they belong—based on sha...

Historic heresies didn’t die or fade away. Each generation boasts its own. Even while these counterfeit teachings remain outside the accepted bounds of Christianity, modern-day versions plague churches.So how does a church leader or pastor understand and deal with these age-old controversies when they pop up in the congregation?In this book, Roger Olson describes the curses but also gifts that heresies bring the Church. While heresies can occasionally correct a version of orthodoxy...