Becoming Christian

the Ancient Creed for an Open World

An Online Pop-Up Learning Community with Dr. Thomas Jay Oord & Dr. Tripp Fuller

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An 8 Week Exploration of Christian Theology

February & March 2021

16 Lectures

Tom & Tripp will tag-team lecture through each line of the Creed from an Open and Relational Theology perspective.

8 Live Sessions

In each live session we will answer questions from the community, lay out multiple ORT perspectives, and discuss how this vision shapes the practice of faith.

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Online Community

Everyone will be invited to join the private online group to connect with other nerds and have access to everything in Audio/Video on the class resource page

What does it mean to be a Christian today?

  • If I can never let go of my doubt?
  • If I have more questions than answers?
  • If I can't shake the God revealed in Jesus?

Then this class is for you. Neither one of us can turn off the brains God gave us or ignore the world we live in. Our faith comes wrapped in questions and yet it is faith none the less. Between the challenge of science, the problem of evil, the history behind the Bible and the beauty of religious pluralism, both of us (Tom and Tripp) found Open and Relational Theology as a plausible and life-giving framework for thinking through our faith. In this class we want to introduce it to you by walking line-by-line through the ancient Christian Creed. We can't promise to agree with everything or avoid crossing our fingers, but we will honor the questions we carry and the faith we've inherited as we consider becoming Christian.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

What is Open & Relational Theology?

Meet The Hosts

Thomas Jay Oord

Center for Open and Relational Theology

Dr. Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. He is an award-winning author and has written or edited more than twenty-five books. Oord directs the Center for Open and Relational Theology and doctoral students at Northwind Theological Seminary. A gifted speaker, Oord lectures at universities, churches, conferences, and institutions. He is known for contributions to research on love, science and religion, open and relational theology, the problem of suffering, and the implications of freedom for transformational relationships. Tom is an avid photographer and naturalist. Website: thomasjayoord.com

Tripp Fuller

University of Edinburgh

Dr. Fuller is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Theology & Science at the University of Edinburgh. He recently released Divine Self-Investment: a Constructive Open and Relational Christology, the first book in the Studies in Open and Relational Theology series. For over 12 years Tripp has been doing the Homebrewed Christianity podcast (think on demand internet radio) where he interviews different scholars about their work so you can get nerdy in traffic, on the treadmill or doing the dishes. Last year it had over 3.5 million downloads. It also inspired a book series with Fortress Press called the Homebrewed Christianity Guides to... topics like God, Jesus, Spirit, Church History etc. Tripp is a very committed and (some of his friends think overly ) engaged Lakers fan and takes Star Wars and Lord of the Rings very seriously.

FAQs

When does the class meet?

The class is asynchronous and you can participate fully without being present at any specific time. The weekly streaming session will take place on Mondays at 5pm eastern.

How do I get access to the class content?

The complete class content collection will be available on the password protected resource page. The downloadable audio and video of each session will be uploaded there and available for at least a year.

What happens after I sign up?

The email you enter when signing up will receive an email from tripp[at]homebrewedchristianity[dot]com. The email will include access to the resource page, details on how to join the class facebook group, and more.

Do I have to have Facebook?

No. Facebook is not required to participate, but an additional way to connect with other class members and interact throughout the class.