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What is Love? Baby, Don’t Confuse Me… No More!

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I think about love nearly every day. As a love scholar and professor, I talk about love so much some students call me “Dr. Love.” But when Valentine’s Day arrives each year, I can get annoyed. The language of love I hear can be confusing! Sex and Romance I hear the word “love” used in one of two […]

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Gender Inclusive Language

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It has become acceptable in some circles to ridicule attempts to be "politically correct." One prime example of such political correctness, say some, is use of gender-inclusive language. Communication Communication is a two-way street. It involves the communicator’s choice of language and a […]

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Free EBook: The Science of Love (Templeton Press)

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Madonna, Perry Como, and the Powerpuff Girls sing songs titled, “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round.” The phrase represents wishful thinking, starry-eyed romance, and sappiness. To some, it conjures visions of Don Quixote chasing windmills. But that phrase means something else to me. A few theologians […]

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Perfect Love, Fear, and the U.S. Elections

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Thanks primarily to Donald Trump’s rhetoric, some Christians have been quoting the Apostle John lately: “perfect love casts out fear.” I’m no Trump supporter, but I think these words have been misinterpreted. What they actually mean can help us during this election season! To be clear, I think love […]

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When Jesus Fails

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Many Christians believe Jesus never fails. But that’s not what scripture says. Our acknowledging that Jesus sometimes failed can help us make sense of life and live more abundantly. Jesus Cannot Heal All One my favorite examples (among others) of Jesus failing is his attempt to do miracles in his […]

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Theological and Scientific Research on Love

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The well-being of the world depends, in part, upon our decisions to promote overall well-being. That's just a fancy way of saying: we need to love! Many people know that love, altruism, and compassion plays central roles for making sense of life and living life well. For centuries, various religious […]

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My Response to Christianity Today Review

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I thank Derek Rishmawy for his Christianity Today review of my new book, The Uncontrolling Love of God. I offer this response as a way to clarify and note differences between Derek’s views and my own. Derek begins his review (click here) with a concise summary of the general drift of my book. This […]

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Revenge is in God’s Hands? – The Revenant

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The Revenant is in my opinion and the opinions of many, this year’s best picture. Revenge, a common plotline of action movies, drives the main character. But The Revenant’s storylines and conclusion raise questions about who properly takes revenge. The movie is based on the true struggle for […]

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Evil is Random, Even for God

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We all want to make sense of life. The stakes for Christians in the endeavor to make sense of life are as high as stakes can be. I’ve been thinking for some time about two major questions in my quest to make sense of life. The first is familiar to just about everyone, at least in some form. Here’s […]

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For God so Loved the World (not just humans)

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The way we interpret the Bible makes a difference. I've been reflecting on my past biblical interpretation in light of environmental concerns and animal care. One of the best loved verses of Scripture -- and one many Christians memorized at an early age -- is John 3:16. Here is the version I learned […]

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About

Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. He is the author or editor of more than twenty books and professor at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho.

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