Can We Talk About Death? An Open and Relational Vision - available on Amazon !
Upcoming Events & Recommended Resources
"Can We Talk About Death? An Open and Relational Vision"
"Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery"
"Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery"
This is my first attempt at writing a book. Essentially, my dissertation has been tweaked into a more interesting format.
The language of life reflects one's thoughts and convictions, as does the language of death. It is important that we pay careful attention to how we speak when talking about more painful matters such as death. We must also allow room for new systems of thought, visions, or ideas for expressing and experiencing our pain. But so often, new thinking is met with resistance and even malice. Orthodoxy, in any context, resists new thinking, and that is never truer than in conversations about death within a religious context. Can We Talk About Death? An Open and Relational Vision takes us down these paths and, as such, is a valuable resource for engaging in this discussion.
"Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery"
"Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery"
"Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery"
In this prophetic blend of history, theology, and cultural commentary, Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah reveal the far-reaching, damaging effects of the "Doctrine of Discovery." In the fifteenth century, official church edicts gave Christian explorers the right to claim territories they "discovered." This was institutionalized as an implicit national framework that justifies American triumphalism, white supremacy, and ongoing injustices. The result is that the dominant culture idealizes a history of discovery, opportunity, expansion, and equality, while minority communities have been traumatized by colonization, slavery, segregation, and dehumanization.
Healing begins when deeply entrenched beliefs are unsettled. As other nations have instituted truth and reconciliation commissions, so do the authors call our nation and churches to a truth-telling that will expose past injustices and open the door to reconciliation and true community.
"The Last Voyage"
"Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery"
"A Systematic Theology of Love; Vol 1 - God and Creation"
It's 2056 and international oligarchs have pushed the world to the precipice of ecological, economic, and nuclear catastrophe. But two philanthropists have teamed up to establish a long-term colony on Mars.
Could this daring outpost be the next chapter in the story of the human race?
Assembling a crack team of experts including scientists, engineers and ecologists, the colony begins to establish a viable outpost on our nearest planet. But the team quickly run into problems as they bear the responsibility of creating a new humanity. Can they work out what has gone wrong before it's too late? And will the passengers of the last voyage from Earth bring what's needed for this fledging community to flourish?
This first volume in a thrilling new trilogy from Brian McLaren, explores what it means to be human and what would we choose to bring with us or leave behind, if we were to start all over again.
"A Systematic Theology of Love; Vol 1 - God and Creation"
"A Systematic Theology of Love; Vol 1 - God and Creation"
Coming Soon!!!
March 2026
"Flourish: An Open and Relational Queer Theology"
My Friend Michael Brennan just released this honest and respectful resource that challenges much of what the traditional church has promoted about the LGBTQ+ community. I am so proud of Michael for his scholarship and courage. I hope that many in the traditionalist camp will have the courage to read it with an open heart.
ORT Shorts
Are you interested in brief theological snippets about theological concerns or resources? Thomas Jay Oord offers 2-3 minute statements on matters that are relevant to life, from a commitment to love. Some clips are book reviews or responses to current issues. Others are weightier summaries of specific theological concerns. Look for Thomas Jay Oord's "ORT Shorts" wherever you access podcasts.
"indigo - the color of grief"
"The Wounded Heart of God: The Asian Concept of Han and the Christian Doctrine of Sin"
"The Wounded Heart of God: The Asian Concept of Han and the Christian Doctrine of Sin"
I'm sure there is no positive way to color the grief of a parent who has lost a son or daughter in tragedy. My friend Jonathan Foster has written this compelling book in a poetic style. Find it on Amazon, and anticipate finding your own heart colored as you experience it firsthand.
"The Wounded Heart of God: The Asian Concept of Han and the Christian Doctrine of Sin"
"The Wounded Heart of God: The Asian Concept of Han and the Christian Doctrine of Sin"
"The Wounded Heart of God: The Asian Concept of Han and the Christian Doctrine of Sin"
"Han is an Asian, particularly Korean, term used to describe the depths of human suffering." So writes the author of this wonderfully written work. Andrew Sung Park profiles the link between the traditional Christian understanding of sin and the Asian recognition of the impact of that sin. Whereas sin might be "confessed and forgiven" the impact of that sin is often forgotten or ignored, leaving behind a trail of pain. Park urges the Church to reconsider the path of restoration to include addressing the carnage that often remains.
"The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence"
"The Wounded Heart of God: The Asian Concept of Han and the Christian Doctrine of Sin"
Authored by Thomas Jay Oord, this was my first read on open and relational theology (ORT). After reading this book and then Oord's "God Can't," I realized I had found the elusive language that finally made sense of my deepest intuitions about God and God's vision for me and the rest of the universe. I became a life-long student and advocate of ORT, which fit seamlessly with my role as a hospice chaplain. If I had only one resource to recommend for serious students of the Christian and even non-Christian faiths, it would be this one.
"ORTCON 26"
JUNE 29 – JULY 3, 2026
Held at the beautiful Grand Targhee Resort in the Grand Teton mountains of Wyoming, ORTCON26 is an in-person conference exploring topics in Open and Relational Theology.
ORTCON26 brings together scholars, leaders, pastors, and activists. The conference provides workshops, lectures, and social activities to deepen relationships and present new ways of imagining God and the universe.
"Theology of Consent: Mimetic Theory in an Open and Relational Universe"
"Theology of Consent: Mimetic Theory in an Open and Relational Universe"
My friend Jonathan Foster has hit another home run. This was actually an earlier publication of his, but I just recently got around to reading it. This book helped me focus on how I think about my personal failures and the "sins that beset." It also helped me to finally begin (it is only a beginning) to grasp Rene Girard's teachings on Mimetic Theory.