Theology

Although I have offered multiple arguments against exhaustive divine determinism (EDD), one of the best ways to see the absurdity of EDD -- a view advanced by Calvinist scholars -- is to simply read the Bible carefully. That is to say, if one intentionally reads the Bible through deterministic lenses, one will quickly see that determinism opposes biblical Christianity. Indeed, a careful reading of Scripture might provide the most powerful reason to reject determinism.  A par

Question Dear Dr. Stratton, Why do you spend so much time arguing with other Christians about free will? Why do you spend so much time arguing against Calvinism? We are all on the same team. We all worship the same God. We all share the same gospel.  While these topics are very interesting and fun to think about, do they really make that much difference at the end of the day?  - Jared Dr. Tim's Response Thank you for the question, Jared. I fear that answering it will make som

The holiest month of our culture’s liturgical calendar is upon us. June, when pride is linked to sexual identity and the eschewing of the historical norms of sex and gender. A month when nearly all corporations will virtue signal their fealty to the secular religion of Sexual Gnosticism under the guise of the misguided notion of self-actualization. Every year, in June, we are hit in the face with a barrage of rainbow flags, pride-progress flags, parades, and logo changes. Pa

An outspoken proponent of Calvinism, exhaustive divine determinism, and compatibilism, recently objected to my claim that the Held Hostage Objection was a silly reason to be a compatibilist (see, What If Science Proves Determinism ). In summary, my response to this so-called "hostage crisis" is threefold: Science is the wrong tool for the job. The Free-Thinking Argument and the Arguments from Reason provide  reasons  to reject potential ignorant claims of scientists. If one i

How often have you gone to the movies with high expectations, only to be let down? On the other hand, you might end up being pleasantly surprised when you go into the theater with low expectations. This past weekend, I had a rather unique experience. After a two-hour drive to Lincoln, Nebraska, I finally found a rare movie theater showing the film Nefarious . Nefarious, based on the 2016 novel A Nefarious Plot by Steve Deace, was written and directed by Chuck Konzelman and

Question:   Hi Dr. Stratton, I’ve been struggling with doubting my salvation. Do I have to know for certain I am saved in order to know I’m saved? Thank you, Lindsay Dr. Tim's Response:  Hi Lindsay, The easy answer I give to someone who is worried about whether they are saved or not is that if someone is worried that they aren’t saved – and they want to be – then they don't have much to worry about. This is because, at the end of the day, those who don’t want to be in an eter

If you are active on Twitter (Give us a follow: @freethinkmin ,  @JoshRKlein ), or social media in general, you might notice that every so often the story of David and Bathsheba bubbles to the surface.  It is an interesting debate, seemingly between liberal (in the technical sense) and conservative theologians, about whether David’s actions with Bathsheba constitute, not only adultery and murder, but rape as well. The "conservative" theologians saying that there is no eviden

The Grammy’s have long been a cultural symbol of transgression. The goal of the Grammy’s used to be to celebrate the best music artists in the world. It was an awards night. Or, at least, it used to be. They have always been edgy and culturally progressive. For instance, in 1973 Helen Reddy thanked God for her award but referred to God as “she” while doing so. The secular entertainment industry lends itself to this sort of subversive rhetoric. But recently the Grammy’s hav

When a Christian grasps the maximal greatness of God that is both implied in Scripture and deductively concluded via the Ontological Argument , everything seems to become clear and life gets better (even during times of suffering).  One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis is the following: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Similarly, now that I grasp the utter perfection of G

With tears welling up in my eyes, I read the Facebook post written by Dr. Michael Heiser; the effects of stage 4 pancreatic cancer were getting worse. This was heart-breaking news. Many of us had been prayerfully hopeful for Dr. Heiser’s healing over the past few months. Our prayers are still with him and his family as he, by all indications, seems to be finishing his race. But what a race this has been. What a blessing it has been to follow this man’s ministry. It’s not poss

It is important to note that I unabashedly approach my theology from a Protestant-Reformed perspective. After all, I have been a Protestant pastor in the Evangelical Free Church of America for nearly a decade. Although I left the pastorate to pursue analytic theology and apologetics (I am no longer employed as a pastor), I am still active in the denomination. Although I affirm Mere Molinism (based upon a couple ideas advanced by a Spanish Jesuit), I am not a Jesuit. I am Ref

Language is complex. Language provides the building blocks for communication in society.  What certain words or phrases mean within a given context helps to shape the understanding of the culture at large. Words, and their definitions, are what organize society. Words that define a culture’s foundational institutions most of all. Concise language provides clarity and direction for communities, cultures, and countries. Language matters. It is important to define what I mean

Are you a Christian Nationalist? The midterm elections are upon us. People will go out in mass to vote on Tuesday (many have already voted in early voting states) and the national rhetoric around how we ought to run the country has reached a fever pitch.  It always does.  Relentless attack ads, mudslinging, misrepresenting an opponent’s platform, or, flat out lying about it.  This has been the way of American politics for as long as I can remember. I wish it weren't so, but

The Church of Satan was started by Anton Lavey in 1966 as an atheistic religious organization focused on hedonism and lawful citizenry. Adherents to the Church of Satan claim not to believe in Satan or worship him but to strive for what they call “ethical egoism.”  Ironically, Satan’s most effective tool against humanity is not convincing people to worship him, but to worship themselves in leu of the Almighty God. Whether Lavey knew it or not, in effect, he did establish a

Scott Clifton is a Hollywood actor who has gained fame as a soap opera star ( One Life to Live, General Hospital, and The Bold and the Beautiful ). He has also gained the respect of both sides of the aisle in the "God vs. atheism" debate. Clifton is an ardent, but philosophically inclined atheist who goes by the moniker "Theoretical BS" (TBS). He recently tweeted out an argument against Christianity that left the Church scrambling. Indeed, many Christians did not know how to

The Four Horsemen of atheism stormed the cultural, philosophical, and spiritual scene in the early 21 st Century. Their dogmatic atheistic positions (or even anti-theist depending on who you talked to) were immediately popularized.  The late Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Sam Harris comprised the crew.  They rode their vitriol for religious thought smack into the mainstream, seeking, for what felt like the first time, to proselytize religious folk

Question Tim, I’m sure you know that Wayne Grudem is no fan of William Lane Craig’s teaching on Molinism. In his popular theology textbook, Grudem mentions middle knowledge dozens of times and in Chapter 16, he gets down to business and presents four reasons why (he thinks) the Molinist position is not tenable. I’m going to copy and paste a rather sizable amount of text from Grudem’s book (Chapter 16) below, but I’m only doing this much in case you need some context. What I’m

June 24 th , 2022 In history it will live next to dates such as: January 1 st , 1863 June 19 th , 1865 July 2 nd , 1964 The day that Roe was overturned and the federalization of the systematic slaughter of millions of preborn babies was ended (see: Moloch ). Since Dobbs was handed down much ink has been spilled and many articles written in celebration, and lament, of the decision. The end of Roe was never the goal of the pro-life movement, regardless of what Phil Vische

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before the fall. Proverbs 16:18 It is June and that means it is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Oh, you didn’t know? Perhaps that is because June is also known as PRIDE month. Though one might be a more noble cause than the other. All over the nation, and world, corporations put on rainbow flags and put out statements of support for those in the LGBTQ+ community. Even the Marines are getting in on the action: https://twitte

Recently, my boss at Trinity Theological Seminary, Dr. Braxton Hunter, made a guest appearance on Cameron Bertuzzi’s Capturing Christianity YouTube channel. Hunter offered what he takes to be the greatest argument against Calvinism. Hunter provided an impressive case – basically off the cuff – as to why the Calvinistic view of exhaustive divine determinism (EDD) cannot make sense of God’s inspired Word. The gist of Hunter’s case was an appeal to The Book of Romans to exhibi