How are Canadian Pentecostal Clergy Changing?

Together with Dr. Adam Stewart (Crandall University) and Kevin Shanahan (Environics Research), I recently published a journal article called “Changes in Clergy Belief and Practice in Canada’s Largest Pentecostal Denomination.” You can download the article here. Most readers will be most interested in the second part of the article, which discusses overall changes over the […]

Shouldn’t Faith Always Result in Healing?

(Including a list of some books on a theology of suffering)

faith healing suffering

Some people argue that “the New Testament always shows healing and never shows someone asking for healing and leaving still sick.” The Bible, however, includes examples of people who were not healed. Paul himself was not always healed. Paul himself was not always healed. He reminds the Galatians that “it was because of an illness […]

3 Reasons to Fast

Moving to a Selfless Understanding of Fasting

fasting

Much of our understanding of fasting is based on tradition (namely – we fast to gain some benefit, like an answered prayer). The selfless biblical understanding of fasting, however, seems to be completely lost. I don’t know for sure, but perhaps we’re in this position, at least in part, because we seem to ignore this act of piety […]

The Main Thing that Concerns Me about Joel Osteen’s Theology

Joel Osteen declare

I recognize that Joel Osteen is a great communicator (even Forbes does), and there are numerous things I appreciate about him and his ministry. Nevertheless, there is a repetitive theme in his ministry that I find troubling. And it is particularly troubling given the millions of people who listen to his sermons and assume that […]