That God is sovereign over all of creation and all of history is a central and defining mark of the Christian faith. However, various theological traditions within our shared faith have thought differently about the character and expression of God’s sovereignty.
Inasmuch as our understanding of God’s sovereignty may influence everything from our view of the human condition and vocation to our approach to spiritual disciplines and discipleship in general, this is far from a peripheral issue. Thus, it becomes increasingly important to consider how faithful Christian leaders and communities down through the ages have thought of and engaged this issue.
In this workshop, professor (Truett Theological Seminary) and author, Roger Olson, considers how a Calvinist perspective of God’s sovereignty has come to predominate, if not presume final authority, across the evangelical landscape. Moreover, he seeks to articulate “relational theism” as an historically-rooted and theologically compelling alternative that seems to better accord with the character and nature of God as revealed in the person and work of Jesus.
We’d love to hear your feedback on the workshop and on the topic of God’s sovereignty in general.
- How has your thinking on this issue been shaped?
- Has it changed over time?
- What do you see as the issues of most “practical relevance” related to our understanding of God’s sovereignty?
Workshop Description:
Calvinism is undergoing a resurgence of interest among evangelicals. The “young, restless, Reformed” movement is sweeping through evangelical churches and institutions. But Calvinism has no monopoly on the concept of God’s sovereignty and it’s important for non-Calvinist Christians to understand and articulate sovereignty, including the doctrines of providence and predestination, in ways that are biblically faithful, reasonable and winsome. “Relational theism” is one alternative to Calvinism that has potential for this task. Might it be helpful to distinguish between being “in charge” and being “in control?” Sovereignty without manipulation or domination is a well-known human experience. A non-Calvinist model of sovereignty can and should be the goal of progressive, postconservative evangelical Christians.
The audio download of this workshop is available HERE and is available for free all day today, 11/18/13 (discount automatically applied when you add the workshop to your cart).
**If you find resources like this helpful, there are many more available here. You might even want to grab a bundle all at the same time.**
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