FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you belong to a specific group or denomination?

I grew up in the Pentecostal tradition and in my early adult years I held ministerial credentials and ordination with Pentecostal groups. These days, my friends and students all come from numerous denominations, groups, and theological backgrounds; ranging from Catholic priests to non-denominational believers. In seminary my professors were Anglican, Wesleyan, Pentecostal, Quaker, Baptist, Missionary Baptist and other groups. I attend an independent church.

What is your ministerial experience?  

In the eighties I made several trips to the Philippines and lived in Tacloban Leyte with my family. In Tacloban I taught at a bible school, held meetings that became a church, and travelled across numerous islands teaching and speaking. In the nineties I was a bi-vocational pastor with a church comprised of convicts. In the 2000’s I taught at the Institute for G.O.D. Int’l and conducted short term mission training trips to the Philippines.

Who influenced your theology and thought?

While in seminary, the teachers who influenced me the most in the classroom and through their books were, Dr. John E. Hartley, Dr. John Goldingay, Dr. Gerald H. Wilson, and Dr. Ralph P. Martin. The writers who influenced me the most are, Soren Aabye Kierkegaard, Jacques Ellul, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Rene Girard, Martin Luther King Jr., Jon Sobrino, Ignacio Ellacuria and David Bentley Hart.

Why do you write?

I write because I think, and believe, that I have thoughts, ideas, and scriptural readings that are important for repairing the world. I write to give hope for a better world, to change minds that are captive to encultured thought, and victimized by poor readings of scripture that support violence. I write to expose the perennial idols of nationalism, militarism, and materialism. I write - because I must write what I have not read. I write because I believe God has called me to do so.

What are the key theological interests that inform your writing?

My theological interests are vast. However, nonviolence, informs every aspect of my theology. I am comfortable with ambiguity in theological matters that are not central to the concern of Jesus for establishing the reign of God in the hearts, minds, and lives of his followers. Knowing God, is more than words - knowing God, is relationship and revelation. Yet, what we cannot articulate we do not know; theology requires lots of words and is done well when supported with good interpretive readings and lived experiences.