ORT Shorts

In this episode, Dr. Oord discusses the theme of divine hiddenness in conversation with a new book by Tim Miller entitled The Silence of the Lamb: Exploring the Hiddenness of Christ and GodIn the book, Tim Miller highlights a variety of explanations over the centuries for why a God of love might exist yet seem so silent and hidden, giving particular attention to Process and Open and Relational ideas as well as proposing novel ideas for reconciling a God of love with the divine hiddenness so many experience.

Dr. Oord dives into Chris Baker's new book, exploring how Open and Relational Theology reshapes the understanding of vocation and atonement. The discussion highlights the relational connection between Jesus's death and humanity, promoting a fresh perspective. Traditional atonement views are contrasted with a model that emphasizes love and divine participation, offering a thought-provoking take on theological concepts.

In this episode Dr. Oord engages with the book written by Tripp Fuller entitled, Divine Self Investment: An Open and Relational Constructive Christology.In the book, Fuller offers a robust constructive Christology that engages three theological registers - historical, existential, and metaphysical.  Beginning Christology not from above or below but from within the Disciple’s confession of Jesus as the Christ, Fuller constructs a powerful Open and Relational Christology

In this episode Dr. Oord discusses an essay from Michael Rose entitled, A Beautiful Hope.  This essay is one of many compiled in volume 1 of a 2 volume work which interacts further with the ideas of amipotence in Dr. Oord's book, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence.

In this episode, Dr. Oord discusses an essay from Andre Rabe entitled, The Miraculous Nature of Our World in which he discusses and nuances an Open and Relational understanding of miracles. This essay is one of many compiled in volume 2 of a 2 volume work interacting further with the ideas of amipotence in Dr. Oord's book, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence.

In this episode, Dr. Oord re-engages with a new book from C.S. Pearce and Philip Clayton entitled, Science and the Sacred: Beyond the Gods in Our Image.In this beautifully written book, an atheist (Pearce) and a theist (Clayton) explore the intersection points of science and the Sacred. Despite their differences, both authors find themselves in agreement that believing in a God who is both good and all-powerful is problematic.

In this episode Dr. Oord engages with a new book from C.S. Pearce and Philip Clayton entitled, Science and the Sacred: Beyond the Gods in Our Image.In this beautifully written book, an atheist (Pearce) and a theist (Clayton) explore the intersection points of science and the Sacred. Honestly acknowledging their differences, they discover unexpected common ground across every branch of science and many of the most urgent ethical and spiritual questions humanity now faces.

Dr. Oord dives into a thought-provoking exploration of God through the lens of pandemics and historical suffering. He discusses how traditional views of divine love may fall short in times of crisis. The conversation challenges listeners to rethink the nature of God, advocating for a perspective that embraces both joy and sorrow in human experience. It's a compelling examination of faith and its relevance during challenging times.

In this episode, Dr. Oord discusses an essay from Josh Patterson entitled, Amipotence (Perhaps) in which he engages with the work of John Caputo. This essay is one of many compiled in volume 2 of a 2 volume work interacting further with the ideas of amipotence in Dr. Oord's book, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence.Josh will also be a speaker at the annual Open and Relational Conference (ORTCON25) will take place from June 30 - July 4 at the beautiful Grand Targhee Resort in the Grand Teton mountains of Wyoming.ORTCON25 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.A number of Open and Relational speakers will be present at the conference including Anna Case-Winters and Brian McLaren.To register for the conference visit:  https://c4ort.com/ortcon/

What drives some people to embrace high handed leaders and Christian Nationalism while other people don't?  This is the question explored in this episode where Dr. Oord shares an excerpt from the book he co-authored with Tripp Fuller entitled God After Deconstruction.  In a chapter on Christian Nationalism Oord and Fuller engage with the work of Dr. John Sanders who, in his book Embracing Prodigals, distinguishes between three cognitive models social scientists identify as reasons for different parenting styles, political allegiances and views of God--authoritative, nurturant and permissive.To explore these important ideas further, pick up a copy of God After Deconstruction and Embracing Prodigals.