The 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto was a positive experience for me! I spent much of my time working with the Institute for Ecological Civilization (EcoCiv), for which I am a senior partner. The Institute organized a major track exploring issues of religion and justice. My colleagues and I worked for more than a year […]

On a cold February evening, I pulled up to my fiancé Cheryl’s apartment with plans to take her to dinner. As Cheryl got into the car, I turned and slowly shared with her something I had only recently admitted to myself. “I just can’t believe in God anymore,” I said. Cheryl and I were both […]

What should we do with the email folders of our deceased friends? I’ve been thinking about this question for more than a decade! And I’ve come to an All Saints Day answer. It somehow felt wrong to delete immediately the email folders of friends and acquaintances who have died. But as the years have passed, the […]

Christians around the world are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Not just Protestants, even many Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians are celebrating! Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther nailed 95 theses on Castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Most Christians today who read the document Luther posted would find his theses bewildering. […]

We often consider the lone theologian our standard of theological excellence. In some ways, that’s understandable. In other ways, our standard should be different. Often overlooked are the collaborators, cooperators, and team players. Instead of standing alone, they form communities and together address issues, solve problems, and confront negativity. There’s something powerful about collaboration for […]

Social media is changing contemporary culture. And its changing scholarship in religion and philosophy. Some of the leading voices in these fields are using social media and technology in interesting ways. I recently asked more than 90 theologians, philosophers, biblical scholars, and religious leaders to write essays on social media. The result is a 460-page […]

Good books change our perspective on God, the world, or ourselves. Good books have changed my perspective in 2015.

The new movie, Spotlight, tells the ugly story of clergy sexual abuse of children. But what the movie says about institutional complicity reveals the ugly side of church leadership.

With the recent Northwest Nazarene University announcements from the Board of Trustees and the report from the team assigned to review recent layoffs, I thought it would be wise to make a statement in response. I made a video response. Click the black rectangle “Statement from Thomas Jay Oord” to access it. The text in […]

I’m excited to announce that my nature photography book, Through Both Creations Shine, is now available! This is a project many have pushed me to pursue, and it’s gratifying to see it come to fruition. I’m really happy with the result. The title of my book, Through Both Creations Shine, will puzzle most who encounter […]