Friday, July 6, 2012

Roger Olson Interacts with our Book

Professor Roger Olson has been interacting with our book, recently. You can read his initial impressions here. I will be interested to see what he thinks once he gets to our last chapter, chapter 15; this chapter is the one that Myk and I cowrote and it offers up the most definitive statements of what it means for us (Myk and I in particular) to be so called Evangelical Calvinists. 

Roger Olson
My concern, thus far, as I read Olson's, and some of his commenter's, impressions, is that there still isn't a substantial recognition of the radicality that is involved in our methodology (which is why I think our chapter 15 will be instructive and informative for Olson). It still seems as if Olson & co. (his commenters) are trying to read what we are offering through what Torrance calls logical-causal and deterministic lenses. As if what we are trying to communicate is still working through a mechanical mode of inquiry V. a personal and Trinitarian one.

We shall have to see if this is finally caught once Olson makes it through the book, we'll see ... :-). Just glad Olson is giving our book a fair read! 

1 comment:

  1. I understand this is an older blog, however I ran across it while surfing the web on a particular subject. I have read Olson's review of your book on his blog, and I would like to point something out and get your feedback. It would be greatly appreciated. In his blog Olson states,

    @” I would ask both Fergusson and Habets to justify from Arminius’ own writings or from any leading classical evangelical Arminian theologian the claim that Arminianism gives “equal weight” to “the trust we show” and “God’s mercy.”

    Now I believe Olson would consider himself a leading classical Arminian theologian, with that being said I would like to point out something he said in his discussions with Horton, he said,

    @"If God is love He would not effectually draw some and leave others out, therefore it must be ultimately up to us if God is love."

    Now the word ultimately is a very strong word. According to the dictionary, synonyms are, absolutely, altogether, exclusively, finally, fully, and totally.

    I hope the point is obvious, in other words Olson himself seems to place the onus on us and our trust. My question is do I have a point here, or am I reading to much into this?

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.