Thomas C. Oden
| Thomas C. Oden | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Thomas Clark Oden October 21, 1931 Altus, Oklahoma |
| Died | December 8, 2016 (aged 85) |
| Title | Retired Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University |
| Academic background | |
| Education | University of Oklahoma, Southern Methodist University |
| Alma mater | Yale University (Ph.D.) |
| Thesis year | 1960 |
| Academic work | |
| Notable works | John Wesley's Teachings (2012-2014) |
Thomas Clark Oden (October 21, 1931 – December 8, 2016) was an American United Methodist theologian and religious author. He was Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey from 1980 until his retirement in 2004. He remained faculty emeritus until his death.
Oden is best known as a proponent of paleo-orthodoxy, an approach to theology that often relies on patristic sources. He has published a series of books that he says are tools for promoting "classical Christianity." Oden suggests that Christians need to rely upon the wisdom of the historical Church, particularly the early Church, rather than on modern scholarship and theology, which is often, in his view, tainted by political agendas.
Oden was born in Altus, Oklahoma, the son of an attorney and music teacher. As a youth, he considered two vocations: lawyer or Methodist minister. At age ten, Oden’s family moved to Oklahoma City. After the Second World War, Oden returned to Altus and high school where he began his vocation of writing and speaking. Oden earned a B.A. degree from the University of Oklahoma (1953), a B.D from Southern Methodist University (1956), and his M.A. (1958) and Ph.D. from Yale University (1960). He married Edrita Pokorny on August 10, 1952. They had three children: Clark, Edward, and Laura.
Oden says his mission is "to begin to prepare the postmodern Christian community for its third millennium by returning again to the careful study and respectful following of the central tradition of classical Christianity."
Oden has been active in the Confessing Movement in America, particularly within the United Methodist Church, and he has served on the board of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Dean Timothy George of the Beeson Divinity School calls Oden “one of the most remarkable Christians of our time [who] has lived through, contributed to and helped overthrow several revolutions.”
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