History of The Foundation for Contemporary Theology

The Foundation for Contemporary Theology was founded in 1987 by Wes Seeliger, an Episcopal priest, and Charles “Rebbie” Gregg, a lawyer. They had met in the Faith and Life Community at the University of Texas in Austin, and were inspired by its leader, Joe Mathews. Having had the opportunity to sit down at meals with people like Paul Tillich, Reinhold Neibhur, Edward Hobbs and other prominent progressive theologians, Wes wanted that same kind of close relationship available for lay people in the churches. He also hoped to include theologians from other religions, but soon realized that the Christians needed to understand their own religion/faith before much significant dialogue could be had with other religions. So he concentrated on Christianity, because of the problems he saw there.

The first major theologian sponsored in 1990 by the Foundation was Charles Hartshorn, a Process Theologian. It was held at St. John the Divine Episcopal church in Houston, TX. 1994 brought Bishop John Shelby Spong for the first of what has become eight lecture series. Marcus Borg soon followed, along with Matthew Fox and later John Dominic Crossan, all of whom have had multiple appearances with the Foundation. A host of other theologians, many from the Jesus Seminar, have brought contemporary theology to those having difficulties with the theology of their childhood, those who have left the church and become part of the ‘church alumni association’, and even atheists.

In the mid-1990′s, the Luncheon Lecture Series was initiated. Bill Lawson of the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and Pittman McGehee of Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) in Houston were two of our first speakers. Since then, there have been eight Luncheon Lectures a year featuring prominent theologians and scholars from Houston area colleges, universities and progressive churches, and occasionally from Austin or San Antonio. Speakers from other disciplines who are theologically astute have also offered us provocative lectures on science, psychology and sociology, for instance, and have discussed the interconnection of those disciplines with theology.

The Foundation for Contemporary Theology has made a difference in the community as witnessed by other organizations and churches now sponsoring some of the same theologians that we introduced years ago. Our mailing list has increased from a rousing one hundred to almost two thousand. Our logo is the wedgeblade, signifying our being on the cutting edge of non-literal, non-dogmatic Christian thinking. We are ever alert to new theological perspectives coming from the scholastic world and from those around us. As our founder, Wes Seeliger, said “Onward through the fog!”

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Previous weekend speakers have included:

Armstrong, Karen

• (2002) Fundamentalism: Myths and Methods

Ball, Ben

• (2007) Bending History

“Bonhoeffer”—the film (2004)

Borg, Marcus

• (1997) The God We Never Knew
• (1999) Revisioning Christianity
• (2000) Eyeballing the Bible: Its History, Metaphors, Visions, and the Battle
• (2003) Seeing Christianity Again: The Heart of the Matter
• (2005) Two Visions of Christianity Today
• (2007) Mysticism, Empowerment & Resistance
• (2008) Beyond Atheism, Literalism and Convention
• (2010) “Speaking” Christian with Marcus Borg

Brock, Ann Graham

• (2008) Peter, Paul and Mary, The Early Years

Brock, Rita Nakashima Brock

• (2010) Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of God’s Creation for Crucifixion and How We Can Learn to Love the Paradise of this World

Campbell, Rev. Fred

• (2003) Four Faiths—A Workshop

Capon, Robert

• (2000) The Fingerprints of God: Tracking the Divine Suspect Through a History of Images

Carroll, Jill

• (2005) Religion, Spirituality and Tolerance: Finding a Path to a More Peaceful Planet

Chittister, Joan

• (2007) Mysticism, Empowerment and Resistance

Cobb, John

• (2000) American Empire and Christian Theology
• (2000) Thinking the Faith: Saving our Future
• (2006) American Empire and Christian Theology

Cox, Harvey

• (2005) Frontier Issues in Contemporary Religion & Theology

Crossan, John Dominic

• (2001) The Historical Jesus and Contemporary Theology
• (2003) Victory and Peace or Justice and Peace? *
• (2006) God and Violence
• (2007) Mysticism, Empowerment and Resistance *
• (2008) Jesus and Paul: Continuity or Discontinuity?
• (2011) The Abba-Prayer of Jesus: God as Householder of the World-House

Curran, Charles

• (1998) Role of Religion in American Political Life: Catholic Theology vs. Protestant Theology, American Individualism vs. Christian Communitarianism

Droxler, Andre

• (2008) Global Warming

Fox, Matthew

• (1997) Creation Spirituality
• (1999) Techno-Cosmic Mass *

Funk Robert

• (2000) Jesus Seminar on the Road: The Incredible Creed, The God of Jesus, God Questions

Gnosticism, Esotericism and Mysticism (GEM Weekend)

• (2009) Rice University Dept. of Religious Studies ProfessorsJeff Kripal, April deConick, Claire Fanger, William Parsons

Hall, Douglass John

• (1999) What Time is It? Twenty-First Century Challenges to the Christian Movement

Hartshorne, Charles

• (1990) Process Theology

Haught, John

• (2011) Science, Faith and The Unfinished Universe

Hefner, Philip

• (2001) Faith, Science and the American Reality

Hinnels, John

• (1997) The Magi and Christianity

Hobbs, Edward

• (1998) The Heart of the New Testament
• (1999) Superman is Dead
• (2002) Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?

Hoover, Roy

• (2005) Tradition and Faith in a New Era

Horsley, Richard

• (2000) Jesus and Paul in THEIR World
• (2006) Jesus, Paul and Power

Jensen, Robert

• (2007) How Inclusive is Inclusivity? An Atheist Joins the Church

Knitter, Paul

• (2011) Without Buddha I Could Not Be A Christian

Kunkel, Robbie

• (2001) Revisioning Christianity—workshop

LeBacqz, Karen

• (2002) Ethics and the Human Situation

Levine, Amy-Jill

• (2004) Interfaith Dialogue and Biblical Studies
• (2009) Listen to Jesus’ Parables with First-Century Ears!

Linden, Bill

• (2001) Revisioning Christianity—workshop

Marshall, Gene

• (1996) Workshop
• (1998) Religious Studies 1 (RS1)
• (1999) Religious Studies 1 (RS1)
• (1999) Earth Care 21—workshop
• (2005) Religion and Science: Controversy or Convergence?

Marty, Martin E.

• (1997) Islam & Christianity: Similarities, Differences and Bridge Building

Miller, Keith

• (1998) The Secret Life of the Soul

Miller, Robert

• (2010) Rethinking the Death of Jesus

Mistree, Kojestee

• (1997) The Magi and Christianity

Nelson, James

• (2003) Erotic Theology and the Body of Christ

Patterson, Stephen

• (2000) Jesus Seminar on the Road: The Incredible Creed, the God of Jesus, God Questions
• (2003) The Gospel of Thomas
• (2007) Rethinking the Death and Life of Jesus

Quinn, Daniel

• (1998) Dialogue with Daniel Quinn (Ishmael) Story of B, My Ishmael)

Rigby, James

• (2007) How Inclusive is Inclusivity? An Atheist Joins the Church

Robinson, James M.

• (2009) The Real Jesus Behind the Halo

Rubenstein, Richard

• (2005) Theology, Creativity and Conflict: Sources of Violent Religious Conflict & Prospects for Peace

Schroeder, Gerald

• (2005) Religion and Science: Controversy or Convergence?

Scott, Bernard Brandon

• (2003) Re-Imaging the World in Parables

Segal, Alan

• (2008) “Life After Death and How To Get It” – A Lecture Series on the Intersection of Cultures and Religious Views of Life After Death

Shlain, Leonard

• (1999) The Alphabet vs. The Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image
• (2000) The Alphabet vs. The Goddess—Updated

Sinclair, Don

• (2007) Bending History

Spong, John Shelby

• (1994) Resurrection: Myth or Reality?
• (1998) Why Christianity Must Change or Die
• (1999) The Experience of Christ Separated from the Explanation of Christ
• (2000) Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love and Equality
• (2002) A New Christianity for a New World
• (2002) Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: The Future of Christianity
• (2004) From Tribal Religion into the Limitless Love of God
• (2009) Reordering the Center of Christianity
• (2010) Eternal Life: A New Vision – Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell

Suchocki, Marjorie

• (2001) Christian Salvation in a Pluralistic World

Thistlethwaite, Susan

• (2011) Doing Theology “East of Eden’: Wisdom Lessons from the Biblical ‘Fall” from Innocence

Tucker, Robert

• (2004) On Being Your Own Theologian (“Birth” of Gatherings)
• (2007) Bending History

Vincent, Ken

• (1999) The Magi – From Zoroaster to the Three Wise Men

White, L. Michael

• (2006) The Shaping of Ancient Gospels and How They Shape Our Images of Jesus

Wigglesworth, Cindy

• (2005) Religion, Spirituality and Tolerance: Finding a Path to a More Peaceful Planet

Wink, Walter

• (1999) Understanding the Powers that Be
• (2002) Jesus Before the Church: The Enigma of the Son of Man

Wink, June Keener

• (2002) Jesus Before the Church: The Enigma of the Son of Man

Wren, Brian

• (2004) Convinced That All Are Welcome: A Hymn-Poet’s Exploration