Educational Background
Degrees earned
B.A. (Classics),
University
of Cincinnati
M.Div., Candler School of
Theology,
Emory University,
1971
Ph.D. (Religion, with a
concentration
in Historical Studies
in Christianity,
i.e., Church History and Historical
Theology), Emory University, 1975 (Dissertation: The
Brightness of Moses' Face: Law and Gospel, Covenant
Theology, and Hermeneutics in the Theology of William
Tyndale)
Fellowships Held
President's
Fellowship, Univ.
of Cincinnati, 1964-65
Louise Taft Semple
Fellowship in Classics,
1964-68
Emory University Alumni
Fellowship,
1968-71
Emory University Doctoral
Fellowship,
1971-74
Dempster Graduate
Fellowship, 1974-75
Scholastic Society
Awards/Memberships
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Eta Sigma (National
Freshman Honorary)
Theta Phi (National
Theological Honorary)
Other Academic Awards
Graduated from the University of Cincinnati
with
"Very High Honors,"
1968
Who's Who in American
Colleges and Universities,
1971
Candler Award for Academic
Excellence
(conferred upon the graduating senior with the highest academic
average),
1971
Graduated from the Candler
School of
Theology, Emory
University, "Magna cum Laude,"
1971,
with highest academic average in class
Teaching Experience (Full-time)
Professor of Religion
and Philosophy (since 1993) and
former
Chairperson (1990-2001),
Department of Religion and
Philosophy, Otterbein College
Associate Professor of
Religion and
Philosophy, Otterbein College,
1987-93
Assistant Professor of
Religion and
Philosophy, Otterbein College,
1979-87
Teaching Experience (Part-time)
Visiting Professor of
Liturgics,
Methodist Theological School of Ohio,
1982
Instructor in Religion,
Northern Kentucky
University, 1977-79
Instructor in Theology, Emory
University,
1975-76
Teaching Assistant, Candler
School of
Theology, 1972-74
Ecclesiastical Experience and
Status
Ordained Unity
Minister, 1995-present
Ordained Elder in the United
Methodist
Church (1969-94)
Pastor, Salem U. Meth. Church,
Newport
Kentucky, 1976-79
U. Meth. Campus Minister,
Northern Ky.
Univ., 1976-79
Publications (Books)
Getting
Oriented: What Every Christian Should Know about
Eastern Religions, but Probably Doesn't. Santa Rosa, CA:
Polebridge Press, 2005
Remedial
Christianity: What
Every Believer Should Know about
the
Faith, but Probably Doesn’t.
Santa Rosa, CA: Polebridge
Press,
2000 (in collaboration with Glenna S. Jackson)
Lectionary Worship Aids,
Series II,
3 vols. Lima, Ohio: C.S.S.
Publishing, 1987-89.
Publications (Articles)
"Putting the Historical Jesus in His Place, Part 2: A
Spiral Dynamics
Perspective," The
Fourth R 19:3 (May-June 2006): 9-15, 20.
"Putting the Historical Jesus in His Place, Part 1: A New
Thought
Christian Perspective," The
Fourth R 19:1 (January-February
2006): 11-13, 17-18.
"The Once and Future Christ
of Fath: Promising Options Beyond
the History-Faith Dichotomy, The Fourth R 18:2 (March-April
2005):
2-7, 18; reprinted by permission in Zion's
Herald (July-
August 2005).
"The Gospel of John as Myth,
Metaphor, Mondo, and More: A
Key to the
Future of Metaphysical Interpretation," Journal of the Society
for the
Study of Metaphysical Religion 9:1 (Spring 2003), 1-29.
"Seicho no
Ie," in Melton, J. Gordon and Marin Baumann,
eds. Religions of the
World: A
Comprehensive Encyclopedia of
Beliefs and Practices. 4 vols.
Santa Barbara, CA:
ABC-Clio, 2002.
"A Renaissance for New Thought: Looking
Backward to Move Forward,"
New Thought 25.2 (Summer
2001), 22, 50-51.
"But Jesus Didn't Have a Degree!" New Thought 85:1 (Spring 2001),
16-17,
41.
"Scripture,
Inspiration, and the Proff in the Pudding," New Thought 84:4
(Winter 2001), 12-13, 19.
"The Hidden Christianity." Pattern
Pieces (October-December 2000),
20-21.
"But Which Metaphysics?: The Nagging and Debilitating Assumption that
New Thought is Fundamentally Idealistic" Journal
of the Society for
the Study of Metaphysical Religion 6:2
(Fall 2000), 131-151.
"Two Faces of God," New Thought 83:4 (Winter 2000), 8-9,
41.
"Of Circus Bear and
Bicycles, Metaphysics and Healing: The East
Knows Best – A Response to Arthur Preston Smith’s The Power of
Thought to Heal." Journal of the Society for the Study of
Metaphysical Religion 5:2 (Fall 1999), 139-151.
"A New Thought Lord’s Prayer,"
New
Thought 83:2 (Summer
1999), 12-13.
"Traveling in Sacred Circles," New
Thought 83:1
(Spring 1999), 8-9, 42.
"If Jesus Met the Buddha on the
Road...." New
Thought 82:3 (Autumn
1998), 30-31, 43.
"Hindu Philosophy and the Future
of
New Thought Revisited," Journal
of
the Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion 4:1
(Spring 1998),
75-111.
"The Dao of New Thought," New Thought 82:1 (Spring 1998),
12-13, 39.
"The Yoga of Jesus," New Thought 81:3 (Autumn 1997),
12-13, 38.
"Re-turning East: Watering the
Withered
Oriental Roots of New Thought,"
Journal of the Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion 3:2
(Autumn 1997), 25-48.
"Constant Prayer and New
Thought," New
Thought 81:2
(Summer 1997),
2, 18.
"James A. Pike," in
Charles H. Lippy,
ed. Twentieth-Century
Shapers of
American Popular Religion. New York/Westport/London: Greenwood
Press, 1989.
"The Fundamentals," "Journal of
Religious
Studies," "Oberlin
Evangelist," and "The Telescope-Messenger" (four articles) in
Religious Periodicals of the United States: Academic and Scholarly
Journals, ed. Charles H. Lippy. New York/Westport/London:
Greenwood Press, 1986.
Publications (Book Reviews)
Jim Bedard, Lotus in the Fire: The Healing Power of Zen (Boston/
London: Shambhala, 1999) in Journal of the Society for the Study
of Metaphysical Religion 5:2 (Fall 1999), 205-208.
Bernard Faure, The Red Thread:
Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality
(Princeton
University Press, 1998) in Publisher’s Weekly
23:43(October 26, 1998), 60
Thich Nhat Hanh, Fragrant Palm Leaves: Journals
1962-1966
(Parallax, 1998) in Publisher’s
Weekly 245:39(September
28,
1998), 93.
Papers Read and Presentations
Made at National
and Regional Meetings
"Putting the
Historical Jesus in His Place," a featured presentation
at the Fall Meeting of the Westar
Institute, October 2005, Santa
Rosa, California
"Getting
Oriented to Enlighten the Faith," a featured presentation
at the Spring Meeting of the Westar
Institute, March 2005, Santa Rosa,
California
"Communicating
and Participating in a Diverse World: Christianity and
Eastern Religions in Dialogue," a two-day workshop for the West Ohio
Conference (United Methodist) Lay Academy, February 2005 and 2006.
"How to Think
Theologically in a Global
Context," the keynote workshop
for the Associates of the Westar
Institute/Jesus Seminar, Santa
Barbera, California, October, 2002.
"The
Bucke that Never Stops: Cosmic
Consciousness after 100 Years,"
Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religions Annual Meeting, Las
Vegas,
Nevada, July, 2001.
"Not
all
Sweetness and Light: The Controversy over Sukyo Mahikari in
Australia,” New Religious
Movements Group of the American Academy
of Religion Annual Meeting, Denver,
Colorado, November, 2001.
"Cultivating
Cosmic Consciousness: Mystical
Theology for the Third
Millennium,” Universal Foundation for Better Living,
Miami, Florida,
July, 2001.
"Food
for New Thought: A Lively Seminar on Academics, Theology, and
Faith," National Covocation, Universal Foundation for
Better Living,
Miami, Florida, March 29-30, 2001.
"The
Gospel of John as Myth, Metaphor, Mondo
and More: A Key to the
Future of Mystical-Metaphysical Interpretation, " Southeast Regional
Meeting, The Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion, Tampa,
Florida, October 28, 2000.
"Remedial
Christianity and Religious Literacy: Understanding Where
Your Faith Fits," Southeast Regional Meeting, Universal Foundation for
Better Living, Miami, Florida, September, 2000.
"Education as Transformation: The Spirit of Academics," Joint Annual
Meeting of the Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion and the
International New Thought Alliance, SanAntonio, Texas, July 2000.
.
"But Which
Metaphysics? The Nagging and Debilitating Myth That
New Thought is Fundamentally Idealistic,” presented at the annual
Southeastern regional meeting of the Society for the Study of
Metaphysical Religion, Clearwater Florida, October, 1999.
"Of Circus Bears
and Bicycles,
Metaphysicians and Healing, The
East
Knows Best: A Response to Arthur Preston Smith’s Process
Panentheistic
Ontology of Personal Faith from an Oriental
Mystical-Philosophical
Perspective," presented at the joint annual
meeting
of the Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion and
the
International New Thought Alliance, Clearwater, FL, July, 1999
" 'It’s the Music,
Stupid!' Church Growth
and Development Through
Sight
and Sound," presented at the joint annual meeting of the
Society
for the Study of Metaphysical Religion and the
International
New Thought Alliance, Clearwater, FL, July, 1999
"Re-turning East:
Watering the Withered
Oriental Roots of New
Thought,"
presented at the joint annual meeting of the Society for
the Study of Metaphysical Religion and the International New
Thought Alliance, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, July, 1997
"Exploring Alternative
Paths: Using
Typologies in the Introductory
Religion Course," presented to the Academic Teaching and
Study of Religion Section of the American Academy of
Religion/Society of Biblical Literature National Meeting, Chicago,
IL, Fall, 1994
"Screwed-Up Priests and
Half-Assed Physicians:
Existential
Malaise in the Novels of Walker Percy," (paper), Ohio Academy
of Religion, 1980
Works in Progress
A Handbook of the World's
Religions (projected
completion, 2009)
Enlightened Christianity: What Every Believer Should Know about
Rejuvenating the Faith, but Probably
Doesn't (projected
publication by Polebridge
Press,
2007)
The Tao of Christianity: The
Wisdom of Lao-Tzu for the Followers
of Jesus (projected
completion, 2008)