Thomas C. Oden

Thomas Clark Oden ( born October 21, 1931 in Altus, Oklahoma) is an American Methodist theologian. He is often regarded as the father of the paleo - orthodox movement, and is considered one of the most influential theologians of the late 20th and early 21st century, both in the ecumenical movement as well among evangelicals.

Thomas Oden in 1953 completed at the University of Oklahoma cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts, three years later, magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Divinity at Southern Methodist University. In 1958 he graduated as a Master of Arts from Yale University and received his doctorate there in 1960. Besides he has a Doctor of Literature from Asbury College.

In 1952 he married Edrita Pokorny, with whom he has three children.

Thomas Oden is an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church. Inside and outside the Methodist Church, he is one of the leaders of the Confessional Movement, an interdenominational evangelical movement within the mainline Churches.

Oden lectured, among others at Yale University, Southern Methodist University, the Ruprecht -Karls- University of Heidelberg, Drew University, Princeton Theological Seminary, the Lomonosov University and the Pontifical Gregorian University. He recently retired as Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University.

Originally politically and theologically liberal, he turned in the early 1970s under the influence of a Jewish colleagues the patristic writings and discovered what he called " ecumenical orthodoxy ": the interpretation of the New Testament and the apostolic teaching, which has been generally accepted, as he writes in the preface of his Systematic Theology:

" My basic goal is to set an ordered view of the faith of the Christian community in respect of which there has generally been a substantial agreement between the traditions of East and West, including Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy. "

Oden was the initiator of the project "Ancient Christian Commentary of Scripture " ( ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture ), which has to Katenen but far more extensive the associated comments Christian Church Fathers, collected analogue for each Bible verse. On this project ten years were involved over 400 translators, theologians and historians, and the results were published in 29 volumes. This resulted, again on the initiative and under the direction of Oden, two direct result of projects planned for 2009 five-volume series "Ancient Christian Doctrine " (ancient Christian doctrine ) and published in 2007 series "Ancient Christian Devotional " in the provided weekly readings from the lectionary be edited with comments by the Church Fathers.

The intensive study of the church fathers a special interest in early African Christianity, which includes odes for Early Christianity in North Africa from Egypt to the Maghreb, as well as in Ethiopia and Nubia arose in Oden. Oden argues that the intellectual history of African Christianity, represented for example by Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius and Augustine of Hippo that was up to the middle of the fourth century, far superior to that of Asia and Europe, and that the major lessons that the Ecumenical Councils underlie, are largely originated in Africa. Based on this conviction, he initiated the project " Early African Christianity", by the particular contemporary African Christianity to rediscover its rich African roots. The project is designed to support Internet -based international cooperation enabling, in particular African theologians employees and wants to make the results for African churches and lay reachable ..

Works (selection)

• Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series, Which pieces together Biblical commentary from the Church 's first millennium
• Classical Pastoral Care:

• Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition ( ISBN 0-310-75240- X)
• The Rebirth of Orthodoxy: Signs of New Life in Christianity (ISBN 0-06-009785- X)
• Systematic Theology:

• The Transforming Power of Grace (ISBN 0-687-42260-4 )
• Ancient & Postmodern Christianity: Paleo - Orthodoxy in the 21st Century ( Essays in Honor of Thomas C. Oden ), edited by Christopher Hall and Kenneth Tanner ( ISBN 0-8308-2654-8 )