The Reformed's Westminster Shorter Catechism, point #1, "What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." That's a solid claim! I don't disagree, except it doesn't explain a deeper-still question, why did God create? What motivated Him? Was there a need in God to be glorified? Did God have a lack He neede…

God created the universe, and planet earth, with an inherent quality of free-play. Free-play is where energies, gravity, animals, weather and more all have their ability to move and be and impact reality. Given that, is life a matter of chance? Still more, is life a matter of unruly randomness? Both the Reformed and the Arminians have a high emphas…

Across my last five or so episodes I've put enormous weight on human agency in understanding a biblical theology. This cast O' the pod, following Reformed vs. Arminian constructions and the priority of prevenient grace, emphasizes both the 'that' and the 'why' of God's revelation (the Gospel) being the premise of salvation. We cannot save ourselves…

The Reformed doctrine of Total Depravity rather necessitates their doctrine of Common Grace, or better, common graces. When I was in seminary I realized that most other Christians talked about life in terms of grace, whereas my tradition spoke about life in terms of God's Spirit. What are the benefits of each? What are important biblical frames for…

The P of TULIP is Perseverance of the Saints. And so the question rises, "can you lose your salvation?" Just asking that question will get you kicked out of many in-home bible studies! Nevertheless, the Reformed and the Arminian Protestants answer this in ways that we note and unpack. And then me? The UU? Who takes Trinity (and so personhood, and a…

Is the grace of God resistible? Can the Holy Spirit's efforts be frustrated? When does the new birth (regeneration, justification) happen in time? In their historical context, why do Protestants, both Reformed and Arminians, so resist having works be involved in salvation? Those questions are all plowed-through in this eighth episode in this series…

Probably like me you hear it all the time, "everything happens for a reason." More than likely? Those who say that do not realize they are espousing Reformed theology, or drawing on Reformed sensibilities. But really, does the Bible teach that everything happens for a reason? And if so, doesn't that make God the author of evil, and so make him a mo…

The New Testament, from the Gospels to Revelation, proclaim Jesus to be the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." But how do the Reformed and the Arminians process the effective nature of Jesus' atoning death? I explore the logic of each divergent camp's theology. What does John Piper teach? What did John Calvin teach? What interesting…

The Reformed and Arminians agree that God predestined the elect, but they don't agree together who the elect are. They also don't agree on what God decreed about the reprobate (unbelievers). Frankly, they don't agree on several important things: God's power and whether He can (or does) limit himself; the levels of mystery at work in life; or the th…

Predestination: it's a big topic of controversy. The Reformed and Arminians each emphasize predestination in varied ways. Why did God predestine? Whom did God predestine? I also explore the very common sentiment, "but, I only want to believe what the Bible says!" That sentiment has historic (and, gulp!, philosophic) roots that those who assert it d…

The Reformed and Arminians (R'n'A) seldom agree. But they do agree on the doctrine of total depravity. In this episode I work through what that means, respectively, to the R'n'A. What did Sproul say about it? What did Wesley assert? Then I ask questions about what it means to be human: a) do we still, after the fall, exist as the image of God? b) d…

"God seeks glory." That is critical and foundational to both a Reformed and an Arminian theological perspective. But the two camps diverge on how it is, principally, that God seeks glory. And it finally comes down to a matter of premises. It's sort of like when you go hiking: you get to the trail head and you have a choice between different trails.…

Let's compare the Reformed with the Arminians (no, not Armenians!). What are their emphases? Where, at surface level, do they disagree? Who are the famous leaders on each side? I'm betting that my listeners will be surprised to learn that the Arminians started out in the Reformed branch of the Church. One way (not the only way, as this series will …

Because I taught college for 25 years I'm tracking the devolution of Pro-Hamas rallies on university campusi. But it wasn't that which provoked this show's one-off reflection. No, instead it was a couple articles in my denomination's quarterly ministers' magazine that smacked me upside the head. They accepted the premise. Accepted the definitions a…

In this, the last, episode of my series on God's Holy Spirit I present the theology of Kallistos Ware. A bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ware emphasizes that God's Spirit is encountered especially through other people. More particularly, through holy fools and seasoned soul-guides. What are those two types? How do we, might we, encounter suc…

In the theological component of this episode we examine the unique contributions of Michael Welker to Pneumatology (God's Spirit). Why does Welker land where he does? Why does his presentation seem to take itself apart? What are his foundational commitments? Do they align with biblical commitments and teachings? Along the way I also unpack the sign…

He came through a resolutely Baptist upbringing. In that context he was taught that the gifts of God's Spirit ceased with the time of the Apostles. So he was shocked when, attending a revival meeting at the Toronto Airport Vineyard, Clark Pinnock was dramatically healed of an eye affliction. It spurred him to go on and write an entire systematic th…

How is God present in and for His creation? Traditionally, that has been addressed through Christological categories. Our theologian for this episode, Wolfhart Pannenberg, presses us to consider that it is God's Spirit who is immanent (in, with, for, to) regarding creation. What does that look like? Is it biblically based? We also examine Pannenber…

While he was a young man Jürgen Moltmann was conscripted into the Germany Air Force. After an Allied bombing of his city Moltmann then spent 3 years in a Scottish prison. While there he encountered the Gospel. But his own dramatic experience became foundational seedbed for his own theological career. What did that mean for his theology? What did th…

Christianity is grounded in God's revelation, and so in theology, and so in doctrine. But Christianity is not mere doctrine. It is a life, a life that can be felt and experienced. J. Rodman Williams was a Presbyterian theologian who experienced the profound presence of God's Spirit. He articulated what that meant for believers. I explain the whats …

What did the famous German theologian Karl Barth teach about God's Spirit? I highlight four of Barth's emphases. Particularly I land on Barth's teaching about how Christians, by the agency of God's Spirit, become disturbed sinners; I think it will help make sense of your own walk. I also admire what Barth taught about God's Spirit and mission: to b…

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) was a beautiful soul. He wanted to bring the grace and light of God to bear on all areas of life: families, schools, and societal institutions. And he even spent four years as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands working to implement the grace of God inside his Danish culture. Later, as a theologian, he had important thi…

Theology walks a razor's edge: it seeks to be true to God's revelation in history but it brings that revelation to each successive culture. German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher did not like that his own 19th century culture was destroying Christian religion. So what'd he do? He made a very clever shift to invite that culture in for a conversa…

Praise God for salvation, right? But there's still more: God wants us to become like him. Traditionally that call to personal transformation is called sanctification: the gradual process both of loving what God loves and turning away from sin. John Wesley (1703-1791) taught that instantaneous sanctification—a full and complete turning away from sin…

What happens when one person's interpretation of a bible verse goes off the rails? What happens when that same person claims to be operating in the presence or power of God's Spirit? In this, second, episode on Pneumatology (a study of God's Spirit) we look at some old errors in order to learn from them for today. The Anabaptists were radicals. Rad…