Curriculum Vitae
Paul Alan
Laughlin
(updated February 20, 2014)
Educational Background
Positions Held
(Full-time)
Professor Emeritus
of
Religion
and Philosophy (2012-present)
Professor of
Religion
and Philosophy (1993-2012) and
former
Chairperson
(1990-2001),
Department of Religion and
Philosophy,
Otterbein College (now University). He retired in
2012 after 33 years of
full-time service.
Associate Professor of
Religion and
Philosophy, Otterbein College,
1987-93
Assistant Professor of
Religion and
Philosophy, Otterbein College,
1979-87
Positions Held
(Part-time/Adjunct)
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
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
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)--the
second
edition,
revised and expanded, is set to be published
in
2012
Lectionary Worship Aids,
Series II,
3 vols. Lima, Ohio: C.S.S.
Publishing, 1987-89.
Books in Progress
A Haiku Tao
Te Ching: Ancient Wisdom for
Modern Ears
(completed,
awaiting
publication)
The Tao
of Christianity: The
Wisdom of Lao-Tzu for the Followers
and Fans of Jesus
(completed, awaiting publication)
A
Child's First
Book of Eastern Religions Series
A Child's
First Book of Dao (completed, awaiting
publication)
A Child's
First Book of Jainism (completed,
awaiting
publication)
A
Child's
First Book of Zen (completed, awaiting publication)
A Child's First Buddha Book
(completed,
awaiting publication)
A Child's First Book of
Hinduism (completed, awaiting publication)
The
Gospel according
to Lao-tze: Being an Eyewitness Account of
the
Early
and Later Life of Zhauzhou, Who Was Called Jesus
(projected
completion:
2013)
Sects Education: A Wordbook of the
World's
Religions (projected
completion, 2015)
Publications (Book Chapters)
"A Mystical Christian Credo" in When
Faith Meets Reason:
Religion Scholars
Reflect on Their
Spiritual Journeys, ed.
Charles W. Hendrick. Santa Rosa, CA: Polebridge Press,
2008.
Publications (Articles)
"Heretics or Heroes? Reclaiming the Heretics for Progressive
Purposes" plus five other short articles in Rex A. E. Hunt
and John W. H. Smith, Why Weren't We Told?: A Handbook
on Progressive Christianity. Santa Rosa,
CA: Polebridge
Press, 2012.
"A Mystical
Christian Credo" in Charles W. Hedrick, ed., When
Faith Meets Reason: Religion Scholars Reflect on Their
Spiritual Journeys. Santa Rosa, CA: Polebridge Press,
2008.
"Seicho
no
Ie," in Melton, J. Gordon and Martin Baumann,
eds. Religions of the
World: A
Comprehensive Encyclopedia
of
Beliefs
and
Practices. 2nd
ed. 6
vols.
Santa Barbara, CA:
ABC-Clio, 2010.
"Pray Without Seeking:
Toward a Truly Mystical Lord's Prayer,
Part
Two," The Fourth R 22-6 (November-December
2009):
20-24.
"Pray Without
Seeking:
Toward a Truly Mystical Lord's Prayer,
Part
One," The Fourth R 22-5 (September-October
2009):
15,
18-20,
28.
"An Aunt Jemima,
Father, a Handyman Son, and a Tinkerbell Holy
Spirit:
A
Theological
Review of William Paul Young's Semi-
Radical
Yet
Best-Selling
Christian Novel, The
Shack," The
Fourth
R
22:2 (March-April 2009): 21-22, 26.
"A Mystical Christian Credo:
From
Experience to Expression."
The
Fourth
R
20-5 (September-October 2007): 3-9, 18. .
"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 Martin 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 Proof 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
Professional Associations
American
Academy
of
Religion
Society for the Study of
Metaphysical
Religion
(Executive
Committee member and Secretary 1999-2002;
Associate Editor, Journal
of the Society for the Study
of
Metaphysical
Religion ,
Associate Editor, 1999-2002)
Westar Institute
(Fellow,
2004-present)