The 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions will be held November 1-7, in Toronto. I’m especially excited about the Parliament theme: “The Promise of Inclusion, the Power of Love: Pursuing Global Understand, Reconciliation, and Change.” With such a grand title, it’s not surprising representatives from diverse religions will convene to explore a diverse set of […]

On a cold February evening, I pulled up to my fiancé Cheryl’s apartment with plans to take her to dinner. As Cheryl got into the car, I turned and slowly shared with her something I had only recently admitted to myself. “I just can’t believe in God anymore,” I said. Cheryl and I were both […]

I was recently asked by Reading Religion to review an intriguing book called A Philosophy of Christian Materialism. I’m sharing my review here, because the book, while technical, prompts insights and new reflection. Overview In this contribution to the Routledge Contemporary Continental Philosophy of Religion series, three authors construct a philosophy of Christian materialism that […]

Many thoughtful believers wonder how best to talk both about God’s steadfast stability and relational flexibility. Unfortunately, even some of the best thinkers end up sacrificing one to affirm the other. Unchangingly Perfect For much of  history, trained theologians in the Abrahamic faiths have sacrificed God’s relational flexibility in their desire to emphasize God’s stability. […]

In the book I’m currently writing, I address the question of heaven, hell, annihilation, and the afterlife. I take the logic of uncontrolling love to its eschatological end. And this process has led me to coin a label for my view, Relentless Love. The Usual Afterlife Theories The logic of uncontrolling love changes the way […]

I watched The Shack twice last weekend. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the movie. It presents God in a way I mostly find helpful. But some ideas didn’t sit well with me. I recorded a Facebook Live review of the movie, and you can access it by clicking the photo here. But […]

The idea that life could get better strikes some as naïve. With recent elections, wars and their chaotic aftermath, looming ecological disasters, and more, it seems absurd that things can get better.  Some even say things inevitably getting worse. I disagree. The Pessimists Pessimists will admit that improvement of a certain sort can be made.  […]

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 […]

Amos Yong’s new book, Renewing Christian Theology: Systematic for a Global Christianity, is simply excellent! Yong is among the leading Pentecostal theologians at work today, if not the leading Pentecostal theologian. The breadth and depth of his theological work is, as far as I know, unparalleled. In this book, Yong uses a broader moniker, however, […]

“We are children of an all-powerful God,” Marco Rubio told an Iowa audience recently. “Everything that happens is a part of His plan.” I think Rubio is wrong. In his campaign speech, Rubio said he has been asked about God in light of terrorism. People wonder, “Where was God on 9/11? Where was God in […]