The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood is a Catholic Priest (Old Catholic). Nationally recognized as both an activist and theologian, especially in his work with persons across the nation facing execution, Dr. Hood presently resides in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Dr. Hood is a graduate of Auburn University (BA), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv), Emory University’s Candler School of Theology (ThM), University of Alabama (MA), Creighton University (MS) and Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University (DMin). Dr. Hood has traveled worldwide and studied theology at various formal and informal centers of meditation and theological practice. His primary interest has always been the power of spirituality to bring about liberation. In addition to his formal studies, Dr. Hood completed multiple units of Clinical Pastoral Education at a Level I trauma center in Fort Worth, Texas.
In 2006, Dr. Hood was ordained to the ministry at the Rock Baptist Church in Rex, Georgia.
In 2022, Dr. Hood was incardinated into the priesthood of the Catholic Church (Old Catholic) at Saint Miriam Parish and Friary in Flourtown, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Hood is the author of over 100 books, including his infamous The Courage to Be Queer (which was named the third-best religion book of 2016 at the Independent Publishers Book Awards), and countless significant articles. He regularly partners with guys he works with on death rows to jointly produce original works of theology. In addition to writing books and articles, Dr. Hood is a poet, who finds tremendous comfort in the beauty of words.
Dr. Hood’s work and activism have appeared extensively in the national and international media, including in the New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Huffington Post, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Los Angeles Times, WIRED magazine, Slate, Rolling Stone and on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR, NewsNation amongst a whole host of other outlets.
Dr. Hood has served in the governing leadership of multiple organizations, including the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Fellowship of Reconciliation USA. The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Hood received PFLAG Fort Worth’s Equality Award (activism on behalf of the LGBTQ community), Hope for Peace and Justice’s Ambassador of Justice (general activism), the Next Generation Action Network’s Person of the Year Award (for leadership during the Black Lives Matter Movement) and recognition from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty for his tireless work to abolish the death penalty.
Currently, Dr. Hood serves on the Board of Advisers of Death Penalty Action (the most consequential national grassroots protest organization dedicated specifically to abolishing the death penalty).
A participant in history, Dr. Hood organized and led the July 7, 2016, Dallas, Texas rally against police brutality that tragically ended in the shooting deaths of 5 police officers. Dr. Hood saved countless lives by using the cross he was carrying to force people away from the shooting. For multiple days, Dr. Hood did countless interviews and appearances while he and his family were under constant threat. To commemorate Dr. Hood’s role in the shooting and his wider work, the archives at the Dallas Public Library opened, “The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood Collection.”
In his primary work as a national death row spiritual advisor, Dr. Hood regularly accompanies men that he works with to their executions and comforts them as they are executed. There is no other spiritual advisor in the country who has been present in the execution chamber to provide comfort during as many executions as Dr. Hood.
A participant in history, Dr. Hood was the first spiritual advisor to be present in the execution chamber for a nitrogen hypoxia execution in January of 2024. Amid the international media firestorm that followed, Dr. Hood kept the memory of Kenneth Smith while demanding that such an execution never happen again. As both advocate and priest, Dr. Hood ensures that the guys he serves are at the center of the abolition conversation.
With a deep belief that traditional theological education is dying, Dr. Hood has sought many unorthodox educational experiences, including completing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the American Institute of Metaphysics with a focus on futuristic concepts of God. Not satisfied with stopping there, Dr. Hood founded his own experimental space of theological education aptly named The New Theology School, where he presently serves as both Dean and The Rev. Charles Moore Professor of Prophetic Theology.
With many arrests, various assaults, countless threats and thousands of miles marched, Dr. Hood is not afraid to give his body over to the struggle for justice.
In addition to being the husband of Emily and father of Jeff III, Phillip, Quinley Mandela, Lucas & Madeleine, Dr. Hood considers close friends on death rows around the nation to be an extended part of his family.
Lastly, Dr. Hood has absolutely no patience for those who believe institutions are more important than people.
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