Latest Blog Entries

I face a church trial near the end of July. I’m charged with teaching against the Church of the Nazarene’s statement on Human Sexuality. I’m queer affirming; the denomination is not. I’m also charged with conduct unbecoming of a minister for arguing the denomination should be fully inclusive. I fully affirm queer people; I want […]

I face a church trial in late July 2024 for being queer affirming. To prepare, I’ve written a lengthy defense. And I’ve decided to publish it before the trial to make my arguments available to the public and not just the jurors. My arguments are published in My Defense. The eBook version can be purchased […]

I want to bring you up to date on the charges and pending trial I face for advocating for my LGBTQ+ friends and their allies. CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO ABOUT ME First, a bit about me for those who may not know me. I am Thomas Jay Oord, professor of theology at […]

In our book God After Deconstruction, Tripp Fuller and I explore the good reasons people deconstruct and offer an open and relational theological response. We think this theology makes better sense than traditional theologies, and we believe it’s better than atheism. To conclude God After Deconstruction, we offer an overview of this theological perspective to […]

In God After Deconstruction, Tripp Fuller and I explore the problems scripture presents. We show that the Bible has errors, discrepancies, mistakes, and internal inconsistencies. It is not the sure and certain foundation so many people expect, and deconstructors are right to rethink scripture. But if the Bible can’t always be trusted, then what should […]

In our book God After Deconstruction, Tripp Fuller and I explore the problems of both certainty and absolute mystery. The loss of certainty is common among most deconstruction stories. But the alternative — absolute mystery — makes almost as little sense. Our experience and the experiences of others—in multifarious forms—provide reasons to believe in God. […]

The book Tripp Fuller and I have written, God After Deconstruction, will be available to purchase in early April. The class of the same name will also begin in April, so sign up here to be part of the conversation. Below are the opening paragraphs to the book. In the chapters that follow, we look […]

In our forthcoming book, God After Deconstruction, Tripp Fuller and I address nine reasons many are deconstructing. One reason is Christian Nationalism. We then offer an open and relational theology alternative. The sections below come from the book’s chapter on Christian Nationalism. We start by pointing to the election of Donald Trump as the tipping […]

In our forthcoming book, God After Deconstruction, Tripp Fuller and I address nine reasons many are deconstructing. One reason is Christian Nationalism. We then offer an open and relational alternative. The sections below come from the book’s chapter on Christian Nationalism. We start by pointing to the election of Donald Trump as the tipping point […]

Tripp Fuller and I have written a book called God After Deconstruction. It will be available in April 2024. Among the issues we discuss is how to think about purpose after the traditional God is deconstructed. Here’s an excerpt from the book, which builds on the Barbie movie. What Was I Made For? In the […]