Patrik Olterman
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…
Subverting the norm
Read more: Subverting the normThe last couple of days I have spent at Subverting the norm II, a conference about radical theology, postmodernism and the church. It has been three days of deconstruction, radical thought and repentance. It has been such a privilege and honour to spend three days with some of the greatest theologians involved in this ongoing…
Being alive is my daily spiritual practice
Read more: Being alive is my daily spiritual practiceWhat is a spiritual practice, or a spiritual discipline? Most people I know would place a spiritual practice within the confines of what you do on a Sunday in church or possibly in your daily prayer session at home. A subset of my friends would also extend it to their activities in feeding the hungry…
Life is my religion
Read more: Life is my religionIt is a grand statement: Life is my religion! But what does it mean? Let’s start with the end, religion, what is religion? The word religion comes from latin and means to re/connect (ligare is the same root word that gives us the english word ligament). What is it we need to re/connect? Naturally this…
Theopoetics
Read more: TheopoeticsAfter a long hiatus in blogging I have decided to warm up the keyboard and start blogging again. Any long term reader will immediately notice that the name of the blog has changed and with that maybe the direction of the blog as well. Personally I think the new name “Theopoetics” better reflect the direction…
Steve Chalke breaks the silence
Read more: Steve Chalke breaks the silenceSteve Chalke, theologian, author and leader of Oasis Church has decided to break the silence and believe out loud. It is encouraging to see that more and more evangelical leaders are stepping up to the plate, ready to take a stand for christlike inclusion and justice. If you want to read the longer (and annotated…
In my name ….
Read more: In my name ….This week has been full of questions and reflection. And as I was reading “The idolatry of God” I was reflecting on Jesus asking us to pray in his name. I think in our traditional thinking we connect this with John 4.6 (No one comes to the father but through me) or we possibly se…
Repent!
Read more: Repent!It’s a whole new year, we need to learn how to write 2013 instead of 2012, Oh and the world ended so here we are in the aftermath of the end of the world or at least the end of the year. New years eve is a traditional time of repentance, maybe not in the…
We believe …
Read more: We believe …The conversation goes on and on, and we toss around words that are loaded with presuppositions, the verb “to believe” is not the least of them. I have written extensively about this, but it seems it’s a topic worth another go. What does it mean to believe, to have faith and to be faithful? I…
Truth, Grace & Justice
Read more: Truth, Grace & JusticeThe trinity of love consists, according to Christian Schwartz book “The 3 colors of love”, of truth grace and justice. The scriptures rarely mention truth or grace without mentioning justice, but what if any is the relationship between the three? Grace is the word most often associated with love, when someone is graceful we understand…
Christianity, faith or science?
Read more: Christianity, faith or science?It seems that most people are upset by uncertainty, and more specifically Christians get really upset if one where to say that we cannot know. I was taught when I first came into the church about this “blessed assurance”, to know that you know that you know that god is real/good/loving etc. At the same…
The importance of play and silliness
Read more: The importance of play and sillinessSitting here and mulling over my many impressions and conversations at this weeks conference (Piratkyrkan bibel – 2012). One conversation keep coming back. Saturday night we had a small conversation about Glossolalia, speaking in tongues. It is my belief that everyone can speak in tongues, as I find it hard to believe Paul would express…
Life is my religion
Read more: Life is my religionThere where two trees in the garden. There was the tree that the first eikons (reflections of god) was told not to touch, you know the one with the “apple”. But there was also another tree the tree of life, it is interesting to note that god never told the adama (earthling) and his ezer kenegdo (lifesaver)…
First love
Read more: First loveAn unnamed ancient eastern mystic have penned that you “…should always stay at the beginning”. The beginning of a new relationship is sweet and filled with endorphin induced bliss. Equally when we first meet/fall in love with Jesus we are equally blissed out. All our attention is on this new found love, we breathe it,…
Looking for serious conversation
Read more: Looking for serious conversationI was asked last week, why do I blog? Do I have a need to be heard, seen or is it something else? This has led me to reflect on why I am writing this blog, I have come up with a few answers to the question. I write because I need to see my…
