About the Author Peter Rollo

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Peter lives, works, and plays in Michigan, with his wife.
He is a pastor, digital artist, outdoor enthusiast, and theologian.


Dear reader,

Around a decade ago a friend asked me a puzzling question: do you think everything happens for a reason? “Yes,” I answered, believing that God sovereignly preordains all things. He then asked me a second question: do you believe that people have free will? “Yes,” I answered, believing that I can make genuine choices that affect my life and the world. Little did I know that my entire belief system, theological presuppositions, and worldview would start falling apart. Because of my friend’s thoughtful prodding, I realized that I held two diametrically opposing views of how the world worked.

I grew up in church, believing every theological position thrown at me. My family switched churches a few times so I picked up a variety of beliefs, all under the larger umbrella of American Evangelicalism. My faith journey had its ups and downs, like anyone else, but I was never really passionate about God or theology until my friend revealed to me that I didn’t really understand what I believed. Thus my journey began to attempt to actually understand and own my beliefs, or else abandon them entirely.

In a few short months, I went from owning maybe three books to owning over a hundred. I was determined to relearn what I thought I already knew. Nearly everything I had previously believed came crashing down around me. A new foundation was being built, one that seemed shocking, thrilling, and radical. But more than anything, things just made sense for the first time. It has been a long and sometimes painful journey, but through the uncomfortable cognitive dissonance, I believe I have discovered a God that is more beautiful than I ever imagined.

Rival Nations started as an outlet for my thoughts about Jesus and the Scriptures. You won’t really find many novel ideas though; I credit nearly everything you’ll read here to the work of dozens of theologians that came before me. No matter where you are in your journey with Jesus, let that be an encouragement to you, that anyone with a passion for truth can study and be lifted up on the backs of every curious Christ-follower to come before you. Don’t settle to just believe what you’ve been told.

— Peter Rollo


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