Patrik Olterman
Why authentic Christianity must fail
Read more: Why authentic Christianity must failA depressing title I know, but please bear with me and hear me out. After four years in a church plant where we desperately are trying to model and live out an authentic Christianity at the same time as we are trying to build a church community, I have come to realise that authentic christianity…
The charism of the founder
Read more: The charism of the founderI have been asked over and over again why I joined TSA (the Salvation Army) and why I insist on remaining in TSA. I remember sitting at WBC (William Booth College in London) at a lecture given by the leader of the methodists of England, he said that the only thing that gives a religious…
The truth of the slippery slope
Read more: The truth of the slippery slopeDuring the last couple of years many friends and people I do not yet know have told me to beware the slippery slope. They have in no uncertain terms let me know that if I start questioning the tradition bound given truths of the church that I would eventually loose my faith. Today having wandered,…
Where do we go from here?
Read more: Where do we go from here?So, here we are. Many words have been written and countless comments have been made on and off site. Many topics have been discussed and now I find myself a bit lost. where do we go from here? So dear reader, what do you think. If you read this blog, what would you like to…
What’s in a name?
Read more: What’s in a name?The last week I have been contemplating this question: What does it mean to be a Salvationist? A Salvationist (for those of you who are not in the Salvation Army), is a soldier in the Salvation Army, but what does that mean? Is being a Salvationist believing certain things or doing certain things? Let me…
Sexuality in the Song of Songs – Part 5: Conclusion and bibliography
Read more: Sexuality in the Song of Songs – Part 5: Conclusion and bibliographyThe primary focus of the Song is the passion and the desire between the two lovers yet there seem to be something deeper underneath the surface. Rob Bell astutely asserts that: “You can’t talk about sexuality without talking about how we are made. And that will inevitably lead you to who made us. At some…
Before you “come out” as a LGBTQ ally in church…
Read more: Before you “come out” as a LGBTQ ally in church…I am watching a fellow Salvationist lament on the LGBTQ oppressive teaching they are getting at a Salvation Army event. I grieve with here and cringe inwardly at the damage being done in yet another Bible study where no consideration is being given to the possibility of HBTQ people in the room. At the same…
Sexuality in the Song of Songs – Part 4: Sexual Ethics
Read more: Sexuality in the Song of Songs – Part 4: Sexual EthicsIt should be very clear at this point that the Song is unashamedly and explicitly sexual. Describing the growing love and passion between two individuals. While It remains uncertain if they are married (what the Song has to say about marriage will be considered later in this essay) the Song clearly describes a passionate love…
Sexuality in the Song of Songs – Part 3: Symbols
Read more: Sexuality in the Song of Songs – Part 3: SymbolsBefore looking at the Song’s message and theology, some of the Song’s symbols and images must be decoded. It is important to not get carried away in doing this. While the Song is rife with sensual images appealing to all five senses, it is easy to take this decoding too far and end up with…
All living things are my teacher
Read more: All living things are my teacherIn John 3.16 we read that god so loved the world (kosmos) that he gave his only begotten son…. And it seems to me that all through scripture we are reminded again and again that kosmos, that is all of creation, is longing for redemption. When god creates the world, as we read in Gen…
Sexuality and the Song of Songs – part 2: Interpretation
Read more: Sexuality and the Song of Songs – part 2: InterpretationSong of Songs have been read and interpreted in several different ways, the predominant interpretation is some form of allegorical interpretation (Estes, 2005: 396). Most scholars throughout history have approached the Song this way. Starting with Theogenes who interpreted the Song to be about the relationship between Yahweh and Israel. In this tradition great Christian…
My deepest feelings are my guide
Read more: My deepest feelings are my guideThe Church is in trouble every time it instructs us to disregards our hearts or tell us that our hearts are evil/wicked. If Life is to be our religion and being alive is our spiritual practice; If the church is build by authentic relationships and if becoming and being all that I am is my…
Sexuality and the Song of Songs – part 1: Background
Read more: Sexuality and the Song of Songs – part 1: BackgroundThe Song of songs is a much debated and unique book in the Old Testament. It is near impossible to find consensus on any statement about the book except that it is unique. The book has no parallel in the rest of the Jewish or Christian Canon. It becomes difficult to assert anything about authorship,…
Helping you become and be all that you are is my ministry
Read more: Helping you become and be all that you are is my ministryIf my calling is becoming and being all that I am then it falls naturally that my ministry, my service to god is to, within the scope of an authentic relationship, help you to become and be all that you are. This is not first and foremost a call to spiritual leadership, with one spiritual…
Becoming and being all that I am is my calling
Read more: Becoming and being all that I am is my callingHoliness and calling are two central points of a Salvationist theology. Many books have been written on holiness, most of them describing holiness as a tool to get rid of/become sin free and while many of these books describe holiness as an internal process the result becomes an external system of sin management. As if…
Jesus is my brother
Read more: Jesus is my brotherIt may seem like an obvious thing to say, if god is our father then Jesus is our brother. There are some people (in the past myself included) who may have a problem thinking of themselves on the same level as Jesus. It seems disrespectful towards the son of god and almost blasphemous. Jesus himself…
Philosophy + Theology = True!
Read more: Philosophy + Theology = True!I was approached last week by a Soldier that was concerned about my reading and quoting philosophical works in my blogs and my sermons. He quoted the oft quoted: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what…
The kingdom of God runs through my veins
Read more: The kingdom of God runs through my veinsJesus main message, according to most bible scholars, was that of the kingdom of god, or life eternal (aionos zoe). In most churches this has degenerated into an oversimplified message of “pie in the sky when you die”. When Jesus very clearly describes the kingdom as an event, as something that is about to happen and…
This is my voice
Read more: This is my voiceRecently at “Subverting the norm II” I was challenged by Katherine Sara Moody who took the platform together with some heavy hitters in radical theology and opened up with “as a woman and a theologian I am still looking to find my voice”. She made me reflect, and I think I have been reflecting on,…
Authentic friendships is my church
Read more: Authentic friendships is my churchIf life is the religion what are we then to make of church? The English word for church comes from the greek kurios which is best translated as the Lord’s or those that belong to the Lord. In the context of this then maybe the simplest way to express this is that the cosmos, all of…
Humankind is my family
Read more: Humankind is my family“Who are my mother and my brothers?” Jesus asks in Mark 3.33. It is a poignant question, one worthy to ponder as we face this turbulent life. It seems to me that while the biblical narrative in some cases puts an emphasis on family, it also deconstructs the very idea of family. Archbishop Desmond Tutu…
Love is my rule!
Read more: Love is my rule!It may seem to some the most logical place to start: God is love! This it is what I was taught as I took my first stumbling steps as a Christian. I was also taught that the bible is a love letter from god. This, however, struck me as a bit odd given the strangeness…
What about Radical Salvationism?
Read more: What about Radical Salvationism?Since I attended the conference on Radical Theology – Subvert the norm II, I have been asking myself what would a Radical Salvationism look like? Then I stumbled across the following quote by Cadet Christopher Footer in JAC Issue #45: There is only one God, and there is only one Salvation Army. That army however…
Oh My Ego!
Read more: Oh My Ego!I am sittning at the Salvation Army leadership conference in Örebro, listening to Tommy Hellsten talking about finding your true self and how the ego must be crucified, taken apart, gotten rid of. I think of Eddie Izzard that stated last night during his “Force Majeure” show that he had an overgrown ego, he tells…
Deconstruction
Read more: DeconstructionI often end up in conversations about deconstruction. Is it wise, they ask to deconstruct doctrinal and creedal statements, bible texts and above all is it wise to deconstruct god? In the question, I find, there is a fear that deconstruction will somhow damage or break the idea or concept that is being deconstructed. There…
