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Thomas Jay Oord (born 1965) is a Wesleyan
Wesleyan

Wesleyan is the adjective form of Wesley, referring either to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism or to another of the Methodist branches within that religious denomination....
 theologian and philosopher who specializes in research related to love
Love (religious views)

Whether religious love can be expressed in similar terms to interpersonal love is a matter for philosophical debate. Religious 'love' might be considered a euphemistic term, more closely describing feelings of deference or acquiescence....
, relational thought
Relational theory

?:This article is about relational theory in physics and philosophy. There is a separate article about the relational model and Relational Philosophy as a category of Philosophical anthropology...
 (including relational theism
Theism

Theism, in its most inclusive usage, is the belief in at least one deity. Less inclusive usages specify that the deity believed in be a distinct identifiable entity, thereby contrasted with pantheism....
), and science and religion.

holds a PhD
PHD

PHD may refer to:* Parisada Hindu Dharma, an Indonesian reform organization* PHD, a track on The Crystal Method album Tweekend* PHD finger, a protein sequence...
 and MA
Master's degree

A master's degree provides a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of profession. Within the area studied, graduates possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theory and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, Critical thinking and/or professional application; and the ability to problem solving a...
 from Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University

Claremont Graduate University is a private graduate-only university. CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges....
, an MDiv from the Nazarene Theological Seminary
Nazarene Theological Seminary

Nazarene Theological Seminary is a Christian seminary affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri, Missouri, which was formerly also the location of the headquarters of the Church of the Nazarene....
 and a BA
Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin language Artium Baccalaureus, is an Undergraduate education bachelor's degree awarded for either a course or a program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
 from Northwest Nazarene University
Northwest Nazarene University

Northwest Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college in Nampa, Idaho, Idaho. It is the home of the Wesley Center for Applied Theology....
 (NNU).

is an ordained minister
Minister of religion

In Christian Church body, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs; performing services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community....
 in the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene

The International Church of the Nazarene, often referred to as the Nazarene Church is an international evangelicalism Christian denomination that began in the Wesleyan tradition of the 19th century Holiness movement....
.

He has taught at Africa Nazarene University
Africa Nazarene University

Africa Nazarene University is a liberal arts university located in Ongata Rongai, Kenya affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. It is the first Nazarene liberal arts university established outside of the United States....
, Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University

Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, Evangelicalism Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California, California....
, Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern Nazarene College

Eastern Nazarene College is a Liberal arts colleges in the United States in Quincy, Massachusetts, Massachusetts. Named Eastern Nazarene College in 1918, the college was founded in 1900 as the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute, in Saratoga Springs, New York, New York....
, Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School

Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States of America....
, and Wesley Theological Seminary
Wesley Theological Seminary

Wesley Theological Seminary is a United Methodist?affiliated theological seminary located in Washington, D.C.. The school was founded in 1882. It is a member of the Washington Theological Consortium and is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools....
. He currently teaches in the School of Theology and Christian Ministries at Northwest Nazarene University
Northwest Nazarene University

Northwest Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college in Nampa, Idaho, Idaho. It is the home of the Wesley Center for Applied Theology....
.

Oord's love studies begin with his own definition: to love is to act intentionally, in sympathetic response to others (including God
God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
), to promote overall well-being.






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Thomas Jay Oord (born 1965) is a Wesleyan
Wesleyan

Wesleyan is the adjective form of Wesley, referring either to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism or to another of the Methodist branches within that religious denomination....
 theologian and philosopher who specializes in research related to love
Love (religious views)

Whether religious love can be expressed in similar terms to interpersonal love is a matter for philosophical debate. Religious 'love' might be considered a euphemistic term, more closely describing feelings of deference or acquiescence....
, relational thought
Relational theory

?:This article is about relational theory in physics and philosophy. There is a separate article about the relational model and Relational Philosophy as a category of Philosophical anthropology...
 (including relational theism
Theism

Theism, in its most inclusive usage, is the belief in at least one deity. Less inclusive usages specify that the deity believed in be a distinct identifiable entity, thereby contrasted with pantheism....
), and science and religion.

Education

Oord holds a PhD
PHD

PHD may refer to:* Parisada Hindu Dharma, an Indonesian reform organization* PHD, a track on The Crystal Method album Tweekend* PHD finger, a protein sequence...
 and MA
Master's degree

A master's degree provides a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of profession. Within the area studied, graduates possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theory and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, Critical thinking and/or professional application; and the ability to problem solving a...
 from Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University

Claremont Graduate University is a private graduate-only university. CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges....
, an MDiv from the Nazarene Theological Seminary
Nazarene Theological Seminary

Nazarene Theological Seminary is a Christian seminary affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri, Missouri, which was formerly also the location of the headquarters of the Church of the Nazarene....
 and a BA
Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin language Artium Baccalaureus, is an Undergraduate education bachelor's degree awarded for either a course or a program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
 from Northwest Nazarene University
Northwest Nazarene University

Northwest Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college in Nampa, Idaho, Idaho. It is the home of the Wesley Center for Applied Theology....
 (NNU).

Career

Oord is an ordained minister
Minister of religion

In Christian Church body, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs; performing services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community....
 in the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene

The International Church of the Nazarene, often referred to as the Nazarene Church is an international evangelicalism Christian denomination that began in the Wesleyan tradition of the 19th century Holiness movement....
.

He has taught at Africa Nazarene University
Africa Nazarene University

Africa Nazarene University is a liberal arts university located in Ongata Rongai, Kenya affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. It is the first Nazarene liberal arts university established outside of the United States....
, Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University

Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, Evangelicalism Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California, California....
, Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern Nazarene College

Eastern Nazarene College is a Liberal arts colleges in the United States in Quincy, Massachusetts, Massachusetts. Named Eastern Nazarene College in 1918, the college was founded in 1900 as the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute, in Saratoga Springs, New York, New York....
, Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School

Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States of America....
, and Wesley Theological Seminary
Wesley Theological Seminary

Wesley Theological Seminary is a United Methodist?affiliated theological seminary located in Washington, D.C.. The school was founded in 1882. It is a member of the Washington Theological Consortium and is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools....
. He currently teaches in the School of Theology and Christian Ministries at Northwest Nazarene University
Northwest Nazarene University

Northwest Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college in Nampa, Idaho, Idaho. It is the home of the Wesley Center for Applied Theology....
.

Oord's love studies begin with his own definition: to love is to act intentionally, in sympathetic response to others (including God
God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
), to promote overall well-being. He proposes this definition with the desire that it might be useful for research in science, religion, and philosophy.

Oord has also posited definitions of the classic love archetypes commonly referred to by philosophers and theologians:
  • agape
    Agape

    Agape , is one of several Greek words for love. The word has been used in different ways by a variety of contemporary and ancient sources, including Bible authors....
    : love that promotes overall well-being when confronted by that which generates ill-feeling (i.e., returning good for ill)
  • eros
    Eros (love)

    Eros is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means " love". The term erotic is derived from eros....
    : love that promotes overall well-being by affirming the valuable or beautiful
  • philia
    Philia

    Philia in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is usually translated as 'friendship', though in fact his use of the term is rather broader than that....
    : love that promotes overall well-being when cooperating with others


As a relational theologian, Oord argues that the fundamental nature of all things existing is relational. What it means to exist is decided by the decisions made in response to the influence of others, including God. Oord says that God is also relational, and God and creatures mutually influence one another. While creatures influence God, God's essence remains constant. But God's influence precedes each moment of creaturely existence. This preceding divine influence is the inspiring and empowering of prevenient grace
Prevenient grace

Prevenient grace is a Christian theology concept rooted in Augustine of Hippo and embraced primarily by Arminianism Christians who are influenced by the theology of John Wesley and who are part of the Methodism....
 (See John Wesley
John Wesley

John Wesley was an Anglican cleric and Christian Christian theologian who founded the Arminianism Methodism. The Wesley Methodist Movement began when Wesley took over open-air preaching started by George Whitefield at Hanham, Kingswood, and Bristol....
).

Oord has been identified (rightly or wrongly) with a number of contemporary theological movements, including Holiness theology, Wesleyan theology, Open theology, Arminian theology, Process theology, Liberation theology, Evangelical, Postmodern, and Feminist theology. The driving force behind his theological interests, however, seems to be his intent to make sense of God as love and the great love commandments given by Jesus.

Oord's contributions to science and religion research are varied. Oord argues that love and altruism
Altruism

Altruism is the deliberate pursuit of the interests or welfare of others or the public interest....
 are important spiritual and scientific categories for contemporary research. He adopts a form of theistic evolution, which requires a necessary place for both divine and creaturely action. Oord argues that the traditional doctrine of creation out of absolutely nothing
Ex nihilo

The Latin phrase ex nihilo means "out of nothing". It often appears in conjunction with the concept of creation, as in creatio ex nihilo, meaning "creation out of nothing"....
 argument does not make scientific, philosophic or biblical sense in light of the problem of evil
Problem of evil

In the philosophy of religion and theology, the problem of evil is the problem of reconciling the existence of evil or suffering in the world with the existence of God....
 and divine love relations.

Thomas Jay Oord is currently a theological consultant for the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, has been academic correspondent and contributing editor to Science & Theology News
Science & Theology News

Science & Theology News was a monthly international newspaper of the Templeton Foundation that focused on science and religion and dialogue between them, specifically the point of view that both are worthwhile and compatible endeavors....
, and is an officer in a variety of scholarly societies. Oord is the president of the Wesleyan Theological Society and past president of the Wesleyan Philosophical Society
Wesleyan Philosophical Society

The Wesleyan Philosophical Society is a Academic society founded in 2001. Its membership is diverse with the majority of its members representing academic institutions that are in the Wesleyan tradition....
. He leads the AAR Open and Relational Theologies group.

Selected bibliography


  • The Many Facets of Love: Philosophical Perspectives. (2007) ISBN 978-1847181237
  • Relational Holiness: Responding to the Call of Love. (with Michael Lodahl
    Michael Lodahl

    Michael Lodahl is a theologian in the Church of the Nazarene. He graduated from Northwest Nazarene College in 1977, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1981, and earned a Ph.D....
    ) (2005) ISBN 978-0834121829
  • Science of Love: The Wisdom of Well-Being. (2004) ISBN 978-1932031706


As editor and contributor:

  • The Altruism Reader: Selections from Writings on Love, Religion, and Science. (2007) ISBN 978-1599471273
  • Philosophy of Religion: Essay Introductions. (2003) ISBN 978-0834119956
  • Thy Name and Thy Nature is Love. (with Bryan P. Stone) (2001) ISBN 978-0687052202
  • Generation Xers Talk about the Church of the Nazarene. (1999) ISBN 978-0834118157


External links