2021 ORT shORTs Nos. 1 - 46

What Is Open and Relational Theology?

by the Center for Open & Relational Theology

Open and Relational Essays

Bibliographies, Podcasts, & Videos

Web Essays & Sites

Featuring 3-Minute Episodes NEW OPEN AND RELATIONAL THEOLOGY PODCAST       This new podcast offers 3-minute episodes -- "shorts" -- on open and relational perspectives on God.  Each episodes offer insights, inspiration, and information, and a few are posted each week. Thomas Jay Oord hosts this podcast. Find ORT Shorts on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcasts. Listen, and if you like what you hear, subscribe and review! Click a podcast icon below... Spotify ORT ShORTs Apple ORT ShORTs ORT  SHORTS  TITLES No. 1- 46 ~~   TO PLAY, CLICK ON TITLE not "Play" icon  ~ ~ by Thomas Jay Oord Religion & Spirituality Listen on Apple Podcasts  Continue to 2022 ORT shORT's  No. 47-82 DEC 24, 2021 Ep. 46: Is God's Will Settled? Ep. 46: Is God's Will Settled? Is the future foreknown and predetermined? Do our decisions matter? Or, is the future open? 2 min DEC 21, 2021 Ep. 45: Anna Case-Winters on Incarnation Ep. 45: Anna Case-Winters on Incarnation Dr. Oord shares an Open and Relational perspective on God's incarnation. 2 min DEC 17, 2021 Ep. 44: Two ORT Conferences Ep. 44: Two ORT Conferences Information about two Open and Relational Conferences planned for February and July 2022: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ortline-tickets-219336089147 https://c4ort.com/ortcon/ 2 min DEC 14, 2021 Ep. 43: Theologies of Love Ep. 43: Theologies of Love Dr. Oord is writing a book tentatively called Pluriform Love. He shares some thoughts about God's love from his research/writing. 3 min DEC 10, 2021 Ep. 42: Conspiring Prayer Ep. 42: Conspiring Prayer Dr. Oord shares from Divine Echoes, Mark G. Karris' concept of conspiring prayer. 3 min DEC 7, 2021 Ep. 41: Writing with God Ep. 41: Writing with God Dr. Oord reflects on Bruce Epperly's article regarding how we are called to co-create with the Creator. 2 min DEC 3, 2021 Ep. 40: Do All Good Christians Go to Church? Ep. 40: Do All Good Christians Go to Church? Dr. Oord shares from Amanda Oster's essay regarding how "the dones" can partner with God. 2 min NOV 30, 2021 Ep. 39: Open for Discovery Ep. 39: Open for Discovery Dr. Oord discusses the idea that God is always learning and that God leaves some things open for us to discover. 3 min NOV 26, 2021 Ep. 38: A Feminist Theory of Atonement Ep. 38: A Feminist Theory of Atonement Dr. Oord shares Elizabeth Johnson's feminist theory of atonement which resonates with most open and relational thinkers. 3 min NOV 23, 2021 Ep. 37: The Mechanics of Omniscience Ep. 37: The Mechanics of Omniscience Dr. Oord discusses Charles Hartshorne's explanation of God's omniscience. 2 min NOV 19, 2021 Ep. 36: Boundless Love Ep. 36: Boundless Love Dr. Oord shares from his reading of Andrew Ray Williams' latest book on Clark Pinnock, titled, Boundless Love. 3 min NOV 16, 2021 Ep. 35: Openness of the Future Ep. 35: Openness of the Future Dr. Oord discusses Alan Rhoda's ideas regarding the Openness of the Future. 2 min NOV 12, 2021 Ep. 34: Islamic Open and Relational Theology Ep. 34: Islamic Open and Relational Theology Dr. Oord reflects on the Open and Relation thinking of Farhan Shah and Muhammad Iqbal. 2 min NOV 9, 2021 Ep. 33: The Best Box Ep. 33: The Best Box Dr. Oord shares from his book, Open and Relational Theology about "putting God in a box." 2 min NOV 5, 2021 Ep. 32: Dancing with God Ep. 32: Dancing with God Dr. Oord shares Karen Baker Fletcher's perspective on growing up in the black church from her book, "Dancing with God." 3 min NOV 2, 2021 Ep. 31: Relational Love as the Image of God Ep. 31: Relational Love as the Image of God Dr. Oord shares an Open and Relational perspective on Imago Dei. 2 min OCT 29, 2021 Ep. 30: Charles Wesley's Hymn 28 Ep. 30: Charles Wesley's Hymn 28 Dr. Oord reads the lyrics of Charles Wesley's Hymn 28, written in 1746. 3 min OCT 26, 2021 Ep. 29: The Limitation of God's Power Ep. 29: The Limitation of God's Power Dr. Oord comments on Georgia Harkness' thoughts regarding the limitation of God's Power in "The Abyss and the Given." 3 min OCT 22, 2021 Ep. 28: Embracing a Beautiful God Ep. 28: Embracing a Beautiful God Dr. Oord endorses Patricia Adams Farmer's devotional book, "Embracing a Beautiful God." 2 min OCT 19, 2021 Ep. 27: Providence Ep. 27: Providence Dr. Oord highlights John Polkinghorne as he discusses God's providence and God's foreknowledge. He references "The Polkinghorne Reader." See https://www.amazon.com/Polkinghorne-Reader-Science-Search-Meaning/dp/1599473151/ 2 min OCT 15, 2021 Ep. 26: God's Power Ep. 26: God's Power Dr. Oord discusses Alfred North Whitehead's often misunderstood statement about God's power. 4 min OCT 12, 2021 Ep. 25: Circling the Elephant Ep. 25: Circling the Elephant Dr. Oord shares his ORT thoughts on John Thatamanil's book, "Circling the Elephant" 2 min OCT 8, 2021 Ep. 24 - Is God an Entity Ep. 24 - Is God an Entity? Dr. Oord discusses how the concepts of 'immanence' and 'transcendence' co-exist in Open and Relational Theology. 3 min OCT 5, 2021 Ep. 23 - Pentecostalism and ORT Ep. 23 - Pentecostalism and ORT Dr. Oord discusses Rory Randall's new book, "An Open Theist Renewal Theology" and the relationship between Pentecostalism and Open and Relational Theology. 2 min OCT 1, 2021 Ep. 22 Going Deeper in ORT - Upcoming Class Ep. 22 Going Deeper in ORT - Upcoming Class Dr. Oord explains an upcoming class starting in November. Only 24 students can register: https://c4ort.com/product/going-deeper-in-ort-course/ 2 min OCT 1, 2021 Ep. 21 Sexuality, An Interesting Conference Ep. 21 Sexuality, An Interesting Conference Dr. Oord explains the upcoming conference on Sexuality: https://www.aninterestingconference.com/ 4 min SEP 17, 2021 Ep. 20 - Process? Open? Relational? Ep. 20 - Process? Open? Relational? Dr. Oord explains why he chose the term "Open and Relational Theology" and describes what/who that encompasses. 3 min SEP 17, 2021 Ep. 19 - Prevenient Grace Ep. 19 - Prevenient Grace Dr. Oord discusses the Wesleyan concept of prevenient grace and how it applies to Open and Relational Theology. 3 min SEP 17, 2021 Ep. 18 - Open and Relational Christology Ep. 18 - Open and Relational Christology Dr. Oord discusses Tripp Fuller's book and the concept of Open and Relational Christology. 3 min SEP 17, 2021 Ep. 17 - The Power of Love Ep. 17 - The Power of Love Dr. Oord shares that the very essence of God and thus the very heart of Open and Relational Theology is Love. 3 min SEP 17, 2021 Ep. 16 - Amipotent Ep. 16 - Amipotent Dr. Oord explains why he created the term Amipotence to replace the use of Omnipotence when he speaks about God's power. 3 min SEP 17, 2021 Ep. 15 - Foreknowledge and Ice Cream Ep. 15 - Foreknowledge and Ice Cream Dr. Oord explains God's foreknowledge using an illustration about chocolate ice cream. 3 min SEP 17, 2021 Ep. 14 - A Personal Testimony Ep. 14 - A Personal Testimony Dr. Oord shares about his faith journey to Open and Relational Theology. 2 min SEP 16, 2021 Ep. 13 - "Introduction to Open and Relational Theology" Ep. 13 - "Introduction to Open and Relational Theology" Dr. Oord shares about his recently published book, "Open and Relational Theology: An Introduction to Life-Changing Ideas." 2 min SEP 16, 2021 Ep. 12 - God's Partnership is Yeasty Ep. 12 - God's Partnership is Yeasty Dr. Oord shares insights from Libby Tedder Hugus' essay found in the newly published book, "Partnership with God." 2 min SEP 16, 2021 Ep. 11 - God Has No Hands Ep. 11 - God Has No Hands Dr. Oord shares John Cobb's idea that God has not hands and feet but our hands and feet. 3 min SEP 16, 2021 Ep. 10 - Partnering with God Ep. 10 - Partnering with God Dr.  Oord discusses the rationale and meaning behind a new publication titled, "Partnering with God." 3 min SEP 16, 2021 Ep. 9 - Transcendence Ep. 9 - Transcendence Dr. Oord shares about Abraham Joshua Heschel and Shai Held, two Jewish open theologians. 3 min AUG 31, 2021 Ep. 8: "In your book were written the days" Ep. 8: "In your book were written the days" Dr. Oord discusses how in Open and Relational Theology the future is open. 4 min AUG 31, 2021 Ep. 7: Inerrancy Ep. 7: Inerrancy Dr. Oord challenges the doctrine of "biblical inerrancy". 3 min AUG 31, 2021 Ep. 6: Apocalypse Ep. 6: Apocalypse Dr. Oord discusses "the Apocalypse" and Open and Relational Theology. 3 min AUG 31, 2021 Ep. 5: Parenting Ep. 5: Parenting Dr. Oord responds to the question, "Does what we think about God influence what we think counts as good parenting?" 3 min AUG 31, 2021 Ep 4: The Elect Ep 4: The Elect Dr. Oord discusses the concept of "divine election" from an Open and Relational perspective. 2 min AUG 25, 2021 Ep. 3: The Openness of God Ep. 3: The Openness of God Dr. Oord briefly shares the history and main point of the two books titled, "The Openness of God". 2 min AUG 25, 2021 Ep. 1: God Trusts Ep. 1: God Trusts Dr. Oord answers the question, "Does God trust us?" 3 min AUG 25, 2021 Ep. 2: Divine Enjoyment Ep. 2: Divine Enjoyment 3 min © 2021 ORT Shorts       This four-week, deep-dive course explores the ins-and-outs of Open and Relational Theology. To allow for ample participation among members, this course is limited to 24 participants. Register soon! Dates: November 1-29, 2021 Format: A recorded video from Dr. Oord will go live on the group’s private Facebook page each Monday. Discussions ensue on Facebook through Thursday. A live Zoom chat with group members takes place every Thursday and is subsequently posted on Facebook for those unable to attend. The Thursday discussion features live Q and A between group members and Dr. Oord. Topics covered: Panentheism, Eschatology and the Afterlife, Prayer, Miracles, Biblical inspiration, God's action, Worship, and more Course Instructor: Thomas Jay Oord; Course Administrator: Eric Hughes Course Cost: $99  or  Course Cost + CEU: $149      Course registration closes after the first 24 people. So register now!     New Book in Academic Series     Kwang-Hee Park STORIES OF SPIRITUAL HEALING This book tells forty-one stories of ordinary people and how Divine guidance and their own inner wisdom helped them towards healing in their lives. Each story concludes with questions and a prayer that will take you further on your own journey towards healing. You will find wisdom within yourself. You will feel at peace, connected with God, whole and holy. God is understood as being involved, present in every person and being, living, suffering, and rejoicing with creation, and with whom we co-create.       Joanna Leidenhag MINDING CREATION Joanna Leidenhag develops a theological panpsychism based on an exceptionally wide range of scholarship. Minding Creation draws on various figures to create a critical and constructive conversation with contemporary analytic philosophers of mind. Leidenhag discusses emergence theory, divine action, and ecology. She concludes that God created a universe from nothing which is filled with indwelling powers, sacramental value, and intrinsic experience. This is a creation in which the Holy Spirit is internally present, that worships God, and human beings must protect and lead in praise.       Tim Reddish, Bonnie Rambob, Fran Stedman, Thomas Jay Oord, editors PARTNERING WITH GOD Can creatures actually can partner with God? This book answers that question... in the affirmative. The responses vary and the proposals provoke new insights. Along the way, the ideas break new ground. It turns out “partnering with God” has various meanings and dimensions. Seventy-seven contributors explore this rich diversity in accessible language, deep insight, and multiple stories. Their explorations inspire, elucidate, and motivate. Get a copy of the book!     October 2021 - News & Blogs     Send your news to Brian Felushko brian.felushko@gmail.com J. Aaron Simmons, “It Sucks to Grow Up” Chris Baker, “Starships and the Calling of Humanity” Daniel J. Ott, “Means and Ends When the Future is Open” Mark Karris Records Song and Video, “I’m Not Your Heretic” Keith DeRose Argues for Universalism Fidel Arnecillo and Symposia Church on Open and Relational Theology TC Moore Uses Hollywood Movies to Explain Open and Relational Theology – Video Stephen Redmond Promotes Terence Fretheim’s Work – Video Andrew Ray Williams and Clark Pinnock Rethink Hell Bruce G. Epperly, “Writing with God,” essay Tim Reddish, “A Practical Exploration of a Revolutionary Partnership,” essay William Yarchin: “How Scripture is a Partnership with God” Fat Soul Cafe on Facebook Limited Participant, November Course, “Going Deeper” in Open and Relational Theology Claremont Process Nexus to Launch Oct 2 Sheri Kling Launches “Transforming Women” Program Monica Coleman, Jonathan Foster, Thomas Jay Oord, and Elaine Padilla Speaking at “An Interesting Conference about Sexuality” Online: Oct. 7-8 Tim Burnette, Alexis Lillie, Bonnie Tarwater, and More share about Church from a Process Perspective Bruce Tallman in London Free Press, “New Theologies Reconcile Modern Qualms” Claremount Process Network – Kickoff Celebration Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, “The Transformational Death of a Son” Danny Prada, “Improvising with God” Michael M. Rose,”A Cosmic Love Story” Radio personality and Pastor Bob Enyart Dies Jonathan Foster Publishes “The hope and Melvin of Humanity“ Matt Segall and Tripp Fuller, “Cosmology, Consciousness, and Whitehead’s God” Gabriel Gordon: “What is Inspiration?” Nicholas Bundock, “A Long Obedience in the Wrong Direction”  Wm. Curtis Holtzen, “Friends with Benefits”  Andre Rabe, “Beauty Desires You” Gabriel Gordon Hosts Misfits Theology Conference Tripp Fuller, Brian McLaren, and Diana Butler Bass on Theology after 9/11 – Discussion Series Pamela King, Tripp Fuller, and others on Evolutionary Psychology Catherine Keller, “The Im/Possibility of Global Solidarity” Cobb Institute Class: The Rebirthing of God Ryan Mullins Joins William Lane Craig to Criticize Divine Simplicity Emma Pavey, “Our Gut Reigns” Open and Relational Theologians Among Most Influential in Recent Decades Jonathan Foster, “Uncontrolling God?” Mark Davies, “Searching for Beloved Community “Alan Rhoda, “A Refutation of Simple Foreknowledge Revisited” Thom Powell, “God Learns” “Partnering with God” – Newly published book Jared Byas, “The Making of the Modern Mindset”       Possibilities       Academic Book Series Studies in Open and Relational Theology is a book series that promotes academic research and discourse on open, relational, and process perspectives in theology and religion (including those of open theism, process theology, neoclassical, and other relational and personalist traditions). This series is devoted to constructive and critical studies, especially those involving theological and philosophical speculation about the nature of Ultimates, freedom, power, relationality, evil, love, religious belonging, and more.    Add Your Voice to the Center's Website The Center is expanding its "Voices" page. If you consider yourself a voice promoting for Open and Relational Theology, consider adding your photo and info. Here's a link to follow with instructions. Join the movement!   Got an Idea? The Center for Open and Relational Theology is exploring ideas for how to promote its core ideas. Got an idea you'd like to explore with us? Something you'd like to do with others? Other ideas? Send us a note: c4ort@gmail.com