Over the summer Roger Olson has posted a 10-part blog series called, “Why I am an ‘Evangelical Arminian Christian.” Among many other books, Olson is the author of: Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities (IVP Academic, 2006) Against Calvinism (Zondervan, 2011) Olson’s 10-part series begins with 6 principles (see the first one here), then in posts 7-10 […]
In response to my post “Why are Some People Not Healed?”, someone inquired regarding Jesus’s references to “great faith.” This entry addresses that comment. The Bible only records two instances when Jesus commends people for their “great faith.” In one story, a Roman centurion asks Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant, who was “suffering terribly” (Matthew 8:6). […]
Lewis Brogdon has produced an excellent work on the prosperity movement, offering more nuance to his evaluation of the movement than most, in that he is both critical and appreciative of the movement. First, Brogdon challenges the common historical narrative that the prosperity movement has its roots in New Thought metaphysics and Christian Science, and […]
Many pastors in North America have complained that the college or seminary that they attended didn’t adequately prepare them for the realities of pastoral ministry—when they graduated, they didn’t feel competent for all aspects of the “job.” Hence, last year, Horizon College & Seminary (where I teach!) made a significant change from time-based education (i.e., […]
Why do some people get healed immediately after prayer, but others never get healed, even after praying for a long time? The short answer is, we don’t know why God chooses to heal some, but not others—at least not for each individual case. Hence, I’m hesitant to ever answer the question beyond this. While there […]
On a couple occasions I’ve been asked about where one might read good theology online. Roger Olson’s Blog: This is the (only) blog that I read most regularly. He is an evangelical Baptist, a former Pentecostal, and a significant voice for Arminian theology in the evangelical world. He writes on theological topics like, John Piper’s Christian Hedonism, […]
In December 2015 the PAOC released another small book. Overall, I was encouraged by the key theme running through this book—theology and mission must and do meet. However, I will focus here on some specific points that stuck with me. Pentecostals and Experience There is no doubt that at the core of Pentecostalism are experiences […]
Following up on the October 2014 survey of PAOC credential holders, Adam Stewart and I had an article called “Missional Vitality and the Future of the PAOC” appear in the Fall 2015 issue of Enrich: The Leadership Magazine of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, p. 22-25. Click on the picture or here to view the article. *Posted here with […]
The Assemblies of God (AG, USA) has created a position paper in response to Reformed Theology (found here). The AG document is written in response to “growing popularity of Reformed theology among younger ministers and ministerial students” (p. 1), which I would also say is a concern for some in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC). […]
I recently read The New Canadian Pentecostals by Adam Stewart. I loved this book, so much so that I devoured it. As the title suggests, it describes changes in Pentecostal churches in Canada, specifically in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC). The book was a joy to read. One of the final chapters was my […]