Fellow inhabitants of earth, For almost two years now, I have served as the Dean of the blossoming, The New Theology School. Our goal is to help people of faith develop platforms to become public theologians in their particular contexts. In the midst of this work, I received an email from a Lutheran pastor in Latvia named, The Rev. Pavel Levushkan. For multiple months, we have had the opportunity to get to know each other. In each of... Read more
The Other Christmas Story: A Vision/Revision of Revelation 12 Deep in meditation, I was transported to another place. In the distance, I saw a family gathered around a table. The earth began to shake. Immediately, the family ran for refuge. Bombs started to explode everywhere. I was terrified…but I couldn’t close my eyes. I was here to watch. Not long after the bombs, I heard bullets slicing through the air. Screams rang out at all of the neighboring... Read more
The Embodiment of Christmas: Broader Lessons from the Text Putting on my suspenders and bowtie…I prepared for my big night…I was only five years old…and I don’t remember much from back then…but I do remember confidently standing up and walking to the microphone at the Christmas program at my school…after clearing my throat…I flawlessly recited Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus…though those words have festered in my soul ever since…there are truths to be embodied that are... Read more
Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” Matthew 21:12-13 (NKJV) Then Jesus went into the local white church and drove out all of those who put... Read more
As the Dean of The New Theology School, I get the pleasure of working with a wide variety of theological students from all over the world. Our first graduate from Zimbabwe was The Rev. Dr. Munorwei Chirovamavi. I’ve learned so much from him. When he asked me to publish his doctoral project for him on my blog, I didn’t hesitate. You will be glad that I didn’t. Below is the foreword that I wrote for his book (and below that is... Read more
*This book is a collection of theological reflections garnered from a recent conversation between two friends, The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood, Dean of the New Theology School & The Rev. Dr. Kyle Sigmon, Associate Pastor of Worship at Faithbridge United Methodist Church (Boone, North Carolina). This excerpt is from the section of the book talking about The Animals at the First Christmas. The Animals. Why were they there? What do they mean? The answers are found in their eyes. Cows. Pigs. ... Read more
*Theological reflections garnered from a recent conversation between two friends, The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood, Dean of the New Theology School & The Rev. Dr. Kyle Sigmon, Associate Pastor of Worship at Faithbridge United Methodist Church (Boone, North Carolina). The Shepherds Shepherds…that have never been anywhere…never seen anything…living on the wrong side of town…poor as dirt…who were working the night shift to make ends meet…get to see the heavens open up…a multitude of heavenly…and have a direct... Read more
On the Assassination of White Folk: The Case of Richard Lee Richards Picture this. Late last Monday night, there was a crusty old white dude in a motorized wheelchair named Richard Lee Richards in a Tucson, Arizona Wal-Mart. The store suspected him of stealing something and notified police. When confronted by an Officer Ryan Remmington, Richards flippantly pulled out a knife, uttered some fleeting threats (that he would have physically been unable to carry out) and kept rolling through... Read more
All the way from Zimbabwe, introducing The Rev. Dr. Cleopas Taguma Neuso! One of my students at/recent graduate of The New Theology School (of which I serve as the Dean). He recently asked me to share his project/dissertation, “Disability as Salvation in Zimbabwe.” So, here is his bio…followed by the text. Blessings. Dr. Hood The Rev. Dr. Cleopas Taguma Neuso is a Baptist pastor in Harare under the Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe. He is married to Georgina Nyaradzo with... Read more
*I came across this article this morning. I wrote it 12 years ago. Though the terms/definitions have changed (and my relation to them/i.e. I don’t hold to all of the specifics of the article any more), the central theme still loudly speaks…CERTAINTY is always the GOD KILLER. “If you will not listen to us, our souls will continue to sob in secret for such pride; and our eyes will bitterly weep and flow down with tears, because the flock... Read more
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