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So you're saying that "new light" requires a heavy burden of proof.

Well, yes. For example, God's impassibility was strongly advocated by the church well into the 19th century. And when we got to the 20th century, theologians began to jettison that doctrine because of new concerns over the problem of evil. I'm not sure that was a good move. I think it may be possible to hold on to impassibility and still believe in a really strong, loving, compassionate God responding to evil.

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Earlier this week, Roger Olson warned about giving tradition too much authority.

A new monthly CT column, the Ancient Christian Commentary on Current Events, debuted this week with a discussion on what the church fathers said about war..

Earlier Christianity Today articles by Chris Hall articles include:

Does God Know Your Next Move? | Does God change his mind? Will God ever change his plans in response to our prayers? If God knows it all, are we truly free? What does God know—and when does he know it? Christopher A. Hall and John Sanders debate openness theology (May 11, 2001, ff.)

What Hal Lindsey Taught Me About the Second Coming | At UCLA, amid war protests and police helicopters, teachings on an imminent end made a lot of sense (October 25, 1999)

Adding Up the Trinity | What is stimulating the renewed interest in what many consider the most enigmatic Christian doctrine? (April 28, 1997)

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November 2003, Vol. 47, No. 11