Latest Blog Entries

Madonna, Perry Como, and the Powerpuff Girls sing songs titled, “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round.”  The phrase represents wishful thinking, starry-eyed romance, and sappiness.  To some, it conjures visions of Don Quixote chasing windmills. But that phrase means something else to me. A few theologians suggest that the phrase might tell us something about […]

This the fourth and final installment in my blog review of Keith Ward’s book, Christ and Cosmos. In the first installment, I noted that Ward thinks the social Trinity is a “bad idea.” I agreed, and I noted the helpfulness of Ward’s general doctrine of God, which comes from an open and relational perspective. In […]

Most open and relational theologians believe God is essentially loving. But if Keith Ward is right that God is not a social Trinity, how can God love be an essential attribute of God’s nature? Must God love, create, and be related to creatures? In my previous blogs, I noted that in his new book, Christ […]

Many smart Christians affirm the idea of the social Trinity. And yet Keith Ward says it’s a “bad idea.” It makes sense to evaluate the reasons some Christians like the social Trinity idea on the way to proposing an alternative. In my previous post, I noted that Ward believes Christians should not say God is […]

In his new book, Christ and the Cosmos, Keith Ward argues that “the idea of God as a sort of society is a bad idea.” I think he’s right. But the social Trinity concept is so popular that rejecting it may sound heretical! Of course, making sense of the Trinity is difficult. Some of the […]

Thanks primarily to Donald Trump’s rhetoric, some Christians have been quoting the Apostle John lately: “perfect love casts out fear.” I’m no Trump supporter, but I think these words have been misinterpreted. What they actually mean can help us during this election season! To be clear, I think love often takes risks. It often includes […]

A theologian. With a camera. Exploring nature. In Chicago. Those four elements introduce intriguing possibilities. I know, because I am that theologian-photographer who made photographs in Chicago. Making Photographs I say I “make” photographs. Good photography often results when a photographer works from a vision and uses a camera to portray an intriguing subject. Good […]

Many Christians believe Jesus never fails. But that’s not what scripture says. Our acknowledging that Jesus sometimes failed can help us make sense of life and live more abundantly. Jesus Cannot Heal All One my favorite examples (among others) of Jesus failing is his attempt to do miracles in his hometown. The people of Nazareth […]

The well-being of the world depends, in part, upon our decisions to promote overall well-being. That’s just a fancy way of saying: we need to love! Many people know that love, altruism, and compassion plays central roles for making sense of life and living life well. For centuries, various religious traditions and philosophers have recognized this. […]

What might it mean to think a thought whole? This weekend is most significant in the Christian calendar. Christians celebrate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we Christians look at the crucifixion, it’s not difficult for us to believe that Jesus’ death reveals the uncontrolling love of God. In his letter to the church […]