I’m writing a systematic theology. As a small part of the task, I’m comparing and contrasting my view of God with other systematic theologies. Most theologies prioritize a different list of divine attributes than what I prioritize. A common way to prioritize one or some divine attributes identifies those the theologian thinks are essential to […]

My friend and fellow schemer Gloria Coffin died unexpectedly a few days ago. She was one of the most energetic and quickest thinkers I’ve ever known. She could also be feisty, which I especially liked! Since hearing of her death, I’ve been scanning hundreds and hundreds of notes we’ve sent to one another over the […]

My heart sank when I heard that John B. Cobb, Jr. died on December 26, 2024. I’m told that he died peacefully, surrounded by family. John was one of the greatest theologians of our time, and his influence upon me is immeasurable. His death made me realize how much I looked forward to sharing with […]

“Be it unto me,” says the Mary, the mother of Jesus. Or “let it be,” as some translations of Luke 1:38 put it. (Cue the Beatles.) Mary is responding to the angel Gabriel’s announcement of her impending pregnancy. I believe the story of Mary’s willingness to conceive has great theological import. It portrays God as […]

For his “Learning to See” podcast, Brian McLaren of the Center for Action and Contemplation interviewed photographers Thomas Jay Oord and Christy Lubbers Berghoef. Here’s a link to the interview. Much of the conversation revolved around Christy and Tom talking about experiences in nature as photographers. They told stories, discussed the effects of climate change, […]

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. After being found guilty at my queer church trial, I have been talking with news sources, radio (BBC), podcasts, and more. And there are more developments in the works. I’m writing this while in Britain. I’m living out of a backpack for a month as I travel […]

On July 25, 2024, I underwent a church trial for being LGBTQ+ affirming. I was charged with teaching contrary to the Church of the Nazarene’s stance on human sexuality (I’m queer affirming). And I was charged with conduct unbecoming a minister for the various things I did to advocate for change in the denomination’s stance […]

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 […]

I’ve been working on an essay about what it might mean to imitate God. My argument will be that open and relational theology provides a helpful framework to make sense of this idea. The classical theism of Augustine and others does not help. Here’s an excerpt of my argument for why Thomas à Kempis is […]

I’m writing an essay for a book on hell. Mine is among more than a dozen essays from various contributors. The book’s overall thread is a rejection of the traditional idea of hell. I’m arguing that relentless love is God’s glory. This stands in stark contrast to a widespread view that hell glorifies God. A […]