Liberal Christian theology permeates mainlines denominations and progressive circles of the church to this day. But what is liberal theology? What are progressive Christians progressing toward, and what are they leaving behind? In Against Liberal Theology, professor and theologian Roger E. Olson warns progressive and mainline Christians against passively accepting the ideas of liberal theology without thinking through the consequences. In doing so, he examines the basic beliefs of the Christian faith, the main ideas of liberal theology, the way today's mainline and progressive Christianity relates to classic liberalism, and how classic Christian faith and liberal Christianity connect and contradict. Following in the footsteps of Gresham Machen's now-classic Christianity and Liberalism 100 years ago, Olson worries that liberal Christianity may not be Christianity but a different religion altogether. After examining the origins of liberal theology in the nineteenth century, Olson examines how liberal theology views: <ul> <li>Sources of truth</li> <li>The Bible</li> <li>God</li> <li>Jesus Christ</li> <li>Salvation</li> <li>The Future</li> </ul> Gentle but direct, Olson provides an even-handed assessment and critique of the ideas of liberal theology and worries that liberal Christianity has strayed too far from the classic Christian orthodoxy of the fathers and creeds to be considered "Christian" at all.

Against Liberal Theology: Putting the Brakes on Progressive Christianity

Christian Books & Bibles

Olson, Roger E.

Churches & Church Leadership

Zondervan

'Jesus is the answer.' 'God has a perfect plan for your life.' 'All sins are equal.' Sayings like these may make catchy bumper stickers, but as deep, life-changing truths they fall short. They are the earmarks of 'folk religion'---a badly distorted pop-Christianity that thrives on cliches and slogans and resists reflection and examination. Such pat spiritual answers often contain a nugget of truth, but that truth is easily misunderstood and misapplied in ways that do more harm than good. Roger Olson encourages us to reach for a higher and deeper faith. Examining ten prevalent Christian beliefs, he raises questions that encourage us to engage our minds with the Scriptures in order to carefully consider what it is we believe and why. You'll be surprised at what you find. Questions to All Your Answers will help you use the God-given gift of your intellect to sift through glib sayings that sound right to what actually is right---to truth that really can set you and others free.

Questions to All Your Answers: The Journey from Folk Religion to Examined Faith

Religion & Spirituality

Many people equate evangelical Christianity with conservatism in religion, politics, theology and social attitudes. Some are scandalized by any separation between them. As one evangelical pastor's wife declared to a church group 'We are a conservative people!' In fact, however, evangelicals have not always been conservative; radical stances on doctrines, worship, social norms, politics and church leadership have often marked evangelicalism in the past. The 2007 movie Amazing Grace about William Wilberforce's protracted battle against the slave trade featured a small group of British evangelicals committed to abolition. The same radicalism characterized much of American evangelicalism in the years before the Civil War. In recent years the American media have portrayed the evangelical movement as a conservative force in society sometimes equating it with fundamentalism and puritanism. The missing piece of the story is, however, that both fundamentalism and puritanism contained radical elements that opposed the status quo. This book sets forth evidence that the link between evangelicalism and conservatism has not always been as strong as it is today in the popular mind and it will provide suggestions for contemporary evangelicals who want to remain evangelical (and not become 'post-evangelical') without identifying with conservatism in every way.

How to Be Evangelical without Being Conservative

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. Christianity has a long tradition of intellectual examination of other faiths and its own beliefs. Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living; great Christian minds of all the ages have believed the unexamined faith is not worth believing. Reflective Christianity is Christian faith that has subjected itself to the rigorous questioning of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. It is mature Christian faith that goes on believing even as it questions what it believes. The goal of this book is not to destroy anyone’s faith but to build it up by placing it on a firmer foundation of critical examination. Ten popular Christian clichés are subjected to critical inquiry and interrogated to discover whether they contain truth or are in error. In most cases the conclusion is—both. The aim is not to tear down straw men but to demonstrate a path toward stronger, more mature Christian belief.

Christian Living

Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism compares and contrasts four distinct positions on the current fundamentalist-evangelical spectrum in light of the history of American fundamentalism and evangelicalism.The contributors each state their case for one of four views on the spectrum of evangelicalism:-Kevin T. Bauder: Fundamentalism-R. Albert Mohler Jr.: Conservative/confessional evangelicalism-John G. Stackhouse Jr.: Generic evangelicalism-Roger E. Olson: Postconservative evangelicalismEach author explains his position, which is critiqued by the other three authors. The interactive and fair-minded nature of the Counterpoints format allows the reader to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions.The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible &amp; Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology)

Mohler JR., R. Albert

Stackhouse Jr., John G.

Bauder, Kevin

Zondervan Academic

Two-book pack containing award-winning author Michael Horton’s For Calvinism and Roger Olson’s Against Calvinism. For Calvinism Taking us beyond the caricatures, Michael Horton invites us to explore the teachings of Calvinism, also commonly known as Reformed theology, by showing us how it is biblical and God-centered, leading us to live our lives for the glory of God. Horton explores the historical roots of Calvinism, walking readers through the distinctive known as the “Five Points,” and encouraging us to consider its rich resources for faith and practice in the 21st Century. Against Calvinism In Against Calvinism, readers will find scholarly arguments explaining why Calvinist theology is incorrect and how it affects God’s reputation. Olson draws on a variety of sources, including Scripture, reason, tradition, and experience, to support his critique of Calvinism and the more historically rich, biblically faithful alternative theologies he proposes. Addressing what many evangelical Christians are concerned about today—the so-called “new Calvinism,” a movement embraced by a generation labeled as “young, restless, Reformed” —Against Calvinism is the only book of its kind to offer objections from a non-Calvinist perspective to the current wave of Calvinism among Christian youth.

For and Against Calvinism Pack

Horton, Michael

Christians disagree on doctrine, politics, church government, certain moral questions—just about everything under the sun, it can seem. Yet a unity remains, centered around a core outlook on God and the world that is common to all believers.
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 theologies, whether Calvinist or Arminian, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant, but it separates Christianity from other religious and secular perspectives. It is, quite simply, the essential requirement of a Christian view of the world.
Bold and incisive, The Essentials of Christian Thought will prompt thoughtful readers and students to more consciously appropriate the core of their faith, guarding against ideas that subtly but necessarily invite compromise.

The Essentials of Christian Thought: Seeing Reality through the Biblical Story

Christians disagree on doctrine, politics, church government, certain moral questions - just about everything under the sun, it can seem. Yet a unity remains, centered around a core outlook on God and the world that is common to all believers. 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, A Video Study, together with the accompanying book 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 were born, have historically held. This underlying metaphysic accords with all orthodox theologies, whether Calvinist or Arminian, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant, but it separates Christianity from other religious and secular perspectives. It is, quite simply, the essential requirement of a Christian view of the world.The Essentials of Christian Thought, A Video Study will prompt viewers to more consciously appropriate the core of their faith, guarding against ideas that subtly but necessarily invite compromise.The Essentials of Christian Thought, A Video Study is part of the Zondervan Scholar Series, which is dedicated to bringing expert teaching from world's best biblical scholars and theologians directly to interested learners. The Essentials of Christian Thought, A Video Study offers the chance to learn about the necessary principles of a Christian outlook on the world from one of today's premier theologians.Session titles and Runtimes:1 - Introduction (11 min)2 - Knowing Christianly: Seeing Reality through the Biblical Story (22 min)3 - Interlude One (10 min)4 - Ultimate Reality is Supernatural and Personal (But Not Human) (23 min)5 - Interlude Two (13 min)6 - The Biblical View of Ultimate Reality Retrieved (24 min)7 - Interlude Three (11 min)8 - Non-Biblical, Non-Christian Views of Reality (28 min)9 - Interlude Four (14 min)10 - The Biblical-Christian View of Ultimate Reality: God (24 min)11 - Interlude Five (10 min)12 - The Biblical Christian Perspective on the World (24 min)13 - Interlude Six (12 min)14 - Biblical-Christian Humanism (26 min)15 - Interlude Seven (15 min)16 - A Model for the Integration of Faith and Learning (13 min)

The Essentials of Christian Thought, A Video Study: 16 Lessons on Seeing Reality through the Biblical Story

The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology is a comprehensive critical survey of the main persons, events, controversies, concepts, and institutions of twentieth-century evangelical theology. It will introduce readers to and be a reference work for the study of evangelicalism's distinctive theological vision in its unity and diversity. Roger Olson explores evangelical theology through five lenses: The Story of Evangelical Theology, Movements and Organizations Related to Evangelical Theology, Key Figures in Evangelical Theology, Traditional Doctrines in Evangelical Theology, and Issues in Evangelical Theology.
The Westminster Handbook to Christian Theology series provides a set of resources for the study of historic and contemporary theological movements and Christian theologians. These books are intended to help students and scholars find concise and accurate treatments of important theological terms.

The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical TheologyÂ (Westminster Handbooks to Christian Theology)

Westminster/John Knox Press

The Good Question Bible Studies series is based on questions asked by Christianity Today readers and the responses from remarkable voices of seasoned scholars and experienced leaders. 
The Good Question Bible Studies series is based on questions asked by Christianity Today readers and the responses from remarkable voices of seasoned scholars and experienced leaders.
 Each of the six sessions in Good Questions on Right &amp; Wrong includes a thought-provoking article. Groups will think and talk together about such questions as: Are all sins equal? Can lying ever be justified? Should Christians take care of the earth?The Good Question Bible Studies will challenge groups to wrestle with the issues and grow sharper, stronger, and closer to each other—and to God—along the way. Each of the six sessions in Good Questions on Right &amp; Wrong features: • A thought-provoking article from J. I. Packer, Allen Verhey, Lewis B. Smedes, Roger E. Olsen, D. A. Carson, or Nancy Ortberg • Relationship-building exercises • Engaging questions • An in-depth look at Scripture

Good Questions on Right & Wrong (Good Question Bible Studies)

Smedes, Lewis B.

Carson, D.A.

Packer, J.I.

Verhey, Allen

Standard Pub.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Olson, Roger E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Olson, Roger E.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Olson, Roger E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Against Liberal Theology: Putting the Brakes on Progressive Christianity

Questions to All Your Answers: The Journey from Folk Religion to Examined Faith

How to Be Evangelical without Being Conservative

Questions to All Your Answers: The Journey from Folk Religion to Examined Faith

Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology)

For and Against Calvinism Pack

The Essentials of Christian Thought: Seeing Reality through the Biblical Story

The Essentials of Christian Thought, A Video Study: 16 Lessons on Seeing Reality through the Biblical Story

The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical TheologyÂ (Westminster Handbooks to Christian Theology)

Good Questions on Right & Wrong (Good Question Bible Studies)