Author Archives: skepticsbelieve

Life does, indeed, at times, suck a whole lot. Like when you’ve spent six months preparing to help host 50 participants at a conference––planning, communicating, devising, etc.––only to be forced to leave less than a day into the conference by the very sudden onset of significant symptoms that test positive for COVID! Two and halfContinue reading “Life Does Suck – At Times”

The two basic tenets of Open and Relational Theology (ORT) fit with my experience and how I’ve attempted to live out my faith over the last 45 years. However, while my interpretation of some scripture often is supportive of the two basic tenets of ORT, my interpretation of other scripture often is in conflict withContinue reading “Various & Conflicting Portraits of God”

Title: The Pluriform and Polyphonic Nature of Τὰ Βιβλία and the Implications of, and for, Open and Relational Theology Treatise Academic Abstract – Draft The earliest Christian theologians and apologists––i.e., the creators of the New Testament texts and the apostolic fathers––were thoroughly aware that their “holy writings” (ἱερὰ γράμματα) were pluriform in nature. They ingeniouslyContinue reading “My Doctoral Dissertation — A Draft Outline”

April 27, 2022 Over the last four years, I have read numerous articles and large portions of books on this subject that have been written in the last 50 years. Those authors who state that the biblical texts support a traditional, patriarchal perspective are certainly on the decline, yet they still have a voice andContinue reading “Shooting Ourselves in the Heart: The Impact of Gender-Specific Roles and Responsibilities in Faith Communities”

Since God is love and love always seeks the best interests of its object, then God would never consider, commit, command or condone violence as part of God’s modus operandi. Once I came to a place where I embraced open and relational theology and that God’s love is non-coercive, one of the main issues thatContinue reading “The Cross Through Love’s Lens”

In order to “deal with” the very problematic passages in the biblical texts that portray God as one who considers, commits, commands and/or condone violence (physical, emotional and spiritual), most Christian interpreters take what they call a “Christocentric” approach to reading the Bible. I think a Christocentric hermeneutic, however, doesn’t go far enough. Basically, theContinue reading “If Love is the Lens…”

My theology is a rather simple one: God is love. To me that means that God cannot not love because love is who God is. Love is God’s essence. Every other attribute or quality of God emanates from, is motivated by, and is saturated with love. Therefore, God cannot ever consider, commit, command and/or condoneContinue reading “If God Cannot Not Love…”

“Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son toContinue reading “If God is Love…”