The final podcast of our spring season features a conversation with Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and the author of Taking Back the United Methodist Church (Bristol House, 2010).
To listen (7 min.), click the arrow on the audio player below — or download an mp3 file (6.7 MB).
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For previous MethodistThinker Podcasts, click the “podcasts” tab at the top of this page. To subscribe, use the “Subscribe to Podcasts” link near the top of the right column.
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Mark Tooley, a native of Arlington, Va., is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.. After college, Tooley went to work as an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency.
In 1994, he joined Institute on Religion and Democracy and led the organization’s United Methodist committee (UMAction). IRD, founded in 1981 by United Methodists Ed Robb and David Jessup, describes itself as “an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches’ social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.” Tooley was named president of IRD in 2009.
A prolific writer, Tooley’s work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, The American Spectator, The Weekly Standard, Touchstone, and The Washington Times.
His second book, Methodism and Politics in the 20th Century (Bristol House), is scheduled for release later this year.
Related posts |
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| • | Mark Tooley profiled in WORLD magazine |
| • | Renewal & Reform Coalition responds to retired bishops’ call to alter UMC’s sexuality standards |
| • | Renewal & Reform Coalition releases letter to Council of Bishops |
| • | Podcast: Rob Renfroe on ‘The Deeper Issues of Methodist Renewal’ |
| • | Podcast: Charles Keysor – ‘How then should UM evangelicals fight?’ |
Related articles and information |
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| • | Same-Sex Marriage for United Methodists? | Mark Tooley, The American Spectator (June 27, 2011) |
| • | Mark Tooley discusses the Wisconsin Conference church trial of Amy DeLong | Issues Etc., Lutheran Public Radio (June 24, 2011)
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| • | Mere-O Interview: Mark Tooley | Mere Orthodoxy (March 14, 2011) |
| • | United Methodist ‘Call to Action’ finds 15% of UM churches highly ‘vital’ | Mark Tooley, UMAction—IRD (July 17, 2010) |
| • | Wesleyan surge: A review of Taking Back the United Methodist Church | William Murchison, Touchstone (May/June, 2010) |
| • | From CIA to IRD: Advocate Mark Tooley knows that ‘God often has surprises for us’ | WORLD (Oct. 10, 2009) |
| • | A conversation with Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy | The King’s College (New York City) Distinguished Visitor Series (Sept. 9, 2009)
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| • | Review: Taking Back The United Methodist Church (2008 ed.) | Ray Nothstine, Acton Institute Power Blog (April 10, 2008) |
| • | United Methodism in crisis: Scriptural renewal through the Good News Movement | Chapter 4 of Public Pulpits: Methodists and Mainline Churches in the Moral Argument of Public Life by Steven M. Tipton (University of Chicago Press, 2008 — via Google Books) |
| • | Turning Around the Mainline: How Renewal Movements Are Changing the Church (ordering info) | Thomas C. Oden, Baker Books (2006) |
| • | 40 years of vision for United Methodist Renewal (PDF) | James V. Heidinger II, Good News (November/December 2007) |
| • | The Junaluska Affirmation: Scriptural Christianity for United Methodists (PDF) | Forum for Scriptural Christianity (Good News) (July 20, 1975) |
Mark Tooley seems only to be asking for laity awakening and participation in one direction. He is not really seeking freedom or liberty but control, and ridged dogma. We Methodists must each task the church for the vision we each see without malice to those who see other visions.
My church should be my partner, not my constant protagonist in that seeking.
Grace us, the church laity, with robust official on-line forum space to help usher in the new paradigm; enable off-site linking ability, “html,” pictures, video, perhaps even for free expression and discussion of all matters including spirituality, religion, health, poverty, politics, programs, church missions, trends, management, life, prayer, sexuality, marriage, youth, drugs, gangs, community life, gripes, humor, entheogens, enlightenment, dogma, Biblical teachings, mythology, music, ethics, movies, books, poetry, war, current events, science news, cosmology, exopolitics, discovery, sports, kid’s section, medicine, homeopathy, science news, good links of sub-topics of interest to other sites, all in an atmosphere of very relaxed and unrestrictive settings.
We are moving and evolving from faith to experience and knowing. This changes everything. Let us allow ourselves the tolerance to even investigate the definition of God without condemnation when our experiences and personal revelations might take us in directions of seeing God within ourselves yet not necessarily personal but communal and open to all materializations in its nature. In short, let laity create the demand for the topics of interest and the corporate church remain the facilitator within bounds of common decency.
My vision is my little vision. When the church can learn to accommodate it, Wesley and I will likely become good friends.
I’d love to hear more about the content of the book.
I’ve always been put off by the overt political maneuvering and rhetoric of IRD publications. Even here, he seems to focus more on vote-counting than anything else. Like his liberal foes, Tooley always strikes me as more political activist than church man.
I understand what John means. But, when you become more aware of the things Tooley is responding to, it’s clearer why he takes the course he takes. Often reading (or hearing) Tooley is like seeing only the second punch.