Love Research Needs a Definition
Research in science and religion captivates me. Adding the dimension of love to this research motivates me in powerful ways. Making sense of life requires exploring science and religion with help from philosophy. In fact, I can’t imagine answering well the big questions of life while ignoring any of […]
Free EBook: The Science of Love (Templeton Press)
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 […]
The Triune God Everlastingly Creates, Relates, and Loves
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 […]
A Triune God Who Essentially Loves Creation
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 […]
Theological and Scientific Research on Love
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 […]
My Response to Christianity Today Review
I thank Derek Rishmawy for his Christianity Today review of my new book, The Uncontrolling Love of God. I offer this response as a way to clarify and note differences between Derek’s views and my own. Derek begins his review (click here) with a concise summary of the general drift of my book. This […]
My Response to Howard Snyder
My friend, Howard Snyder, has written a review of my new book, The Uncontrolling Love of God. I thought it might be helpful if I responded. I have great respect for Howard and his work. Although we disagree on several theological issues, I count him as an important voice in Wesleyan Theology […]
Making Sense of God and Evil
We all want to make sense of life. But tragedies and evils – whether caused by free creatures, microorganisms, or random events – make it difficult to do so.
Revenge is in God’s Hands? – The Revenant
The Revenant is in my opinion and the opinions of many, this year’s best picture. Revenge, a common plotline of action movies, drives the main character. But The Revenant’s storylines and conclusion raise questions about who properly takes revenge. The movie is based on the true struggle for […]
Avoiding the Mystery Card
I’ve been reading what great and not so great theologians say about evil. The vast majority believe an almighty God could stop evil. But they don’t know why a loving God doesn’t do so. It’s a mystery, they say. I’ve recently published a book that solves the problem of evil. The Uncontrolling Love of […]