Paul Louis Metzger, Ph.D.
Professor
Multnomah Biblical Seminary
Portland, OR
Biography:
Paul is married with two children, a granddaughter, and a Shiba-Inu. He and his wife Mariko have been engaged in intercultural ministry in the States, England, and Japan. He loves teaching, mentoring, and writing in the spheres of theology, theology of culture, Scripture, ethics, philosophy, and world religions. He is passionate about partnering with Jesus’ kingdom community, the church, in building relational bridges through Jesus in contemporary culture through my work at The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins. In my free time, he enjoys reading and traveling. He also has a keen interest in the art of Katsushika Hokusai, Georges Rouault, and Marc Chagall, the writings of John Steinbeck and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and the music of Johnny Cash, The Doors, and Nirvana.
Education:
PhD in Theology, 1999, King’s College London, University of London
MA in Christian Thought, 1992, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Master of Divinity, 1992, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
BA in Biblical Studies, 1987, Northwestern College
Publications:
More Than Things: A Personalist Ethics for a Throwaway Culture (IVP Academic, 2023).
Setting the Spiritual Clock: Sacred Time Breaking Through the Secular Eclipse (Worship & Witness series, Cascade Books, 2020).
Beatitudes, Not Platitudes: Jesus’ Invitation to the Good Life (Cascade Books, 2018).
Evangelical Zen: A Christian’s Spiritual Travels with a Buddhist Friend, with responses by Abbott Kyogen Carlson (Patheos, 2015).
Connecting Christ: How to Discuss Jesus in a World of Diverse Paths (Thomas Nelson, 2012).
A World for All? Global Civil Society in Political Theory and Trinitarian Theology, co-edited with William F. Storrar and Peter J. Casarella (Eerdmans, 2011).
New Wine Tastings: Theological Essays of Cultural Engagement (Cascade Books, 2011).
The Gospel of John: When Love Comes to Town, Resonate series (InterVarsity Press, 2010).
Resonate series, executive editor (InterVarsity Press).
Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical and Ecumenical Introduction, co-authored with Brad Harper (Brazos/Baker, 2009).
Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church (Eerdmans, 2007).
Trinitarian Soundings in Systematic Theology, editor (T. & T. Clark International, 2005).
The Word of Christ and the World of Culture: Sacred and Secular through the Theology of Karl Barth (Eerdmans, 2003).
Presently completing the second edition of Evangelical Zen: A Christian’s Spiritual Journey with a Buddhist Friend (due out in 2024 with Cascade Books).
Preparing a contracted volume titled A Resilient People for Traumatic Times: Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus (Worship & Witness series, Cascade Books, TBD)
Writing a contracted volume on re-envisioning the concept and engagement of world religions (IVP Academic).
In the process of crafting a book series based on the journal I edit, Cultural Encounters: A Journal for the Theology of Culture (https://www.culturalencountersjournal.com/).
Reflecting at length on my son and family’s journey with TBI. The essays will be edited and collated, published as a book in due course.
Have published a vast assortment of journal, magazine, and newspaper articles as well as write regularly at my Patheos blog column, “Uncommon God, Common Good.”
Work:
Professor of Christian Theology & Theology of Culture, Multnomah Campus, Jessup University (2024-)
Professor of Christian Theology & Theology of Culture, Multnomah University and Biblical Seminary (1999-2024).
Dean of Integration & Cultural Engagement, Multnomah University (2021-2024).
Founder and Director of The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins (2000-present) (http://www.new-wineskins.org/).
Theologian in Residence, Tigard Covenant Church; Cascade View Covenant Church (2023-present).
Member, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton New Jersey (2004-present).
Advisor, Peaceful Science.
Senior Research Fellow, Foundation for Religious Diplomacy (as well as Charter Member of its Evangelical Chapter).
Advisory Board Member, The National Museum of American Religion.
Theological Advisor, American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science for Seminaries program overseen by AAAS’s Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (2018-2022).
Steering Committee Member, Ecclesiology Consultation, Evangelical Theological Society (2015-2022).
Steering Committee Member, Board, Evangelical Studies Group, American Academy of Religion (2015-2020).
Collaborative Inquiry Team Member for Louisville Institute grant initiatives: “Evangelicals Engaging a Multifaith World” (first phase-2014-2017); “Multi-Faith Matters: Evangelical Multi-faith Engagement, Purity Concerns, and Persuasive Storytelling” (second phase-2017-2019).
Senior Mission Scholar in Residence, Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut (Spring 2018).
Project Leader at Multnomah Biblical Seminary through The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins for Science for Seminaries, a project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program funded by the John Templeton
Foundation in consultation with the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) (Fall 2014-Spring 2017).
Project Leader at Multnomah Biblical Seminary through The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins in partnership with Dharma Rain Zen Center for The Association of Theological Schools’ grant project titled “ATS Christian Hospitality and Pastoral Practices in a Multifaith Society” funded by the Henry Luce Foundation (2011-2012).
Participant at The Association of Theological Schools’ Christian Hospitality and Pastoral Practices in a Multifaith Society: An ATS Project, 2010–2012.
Theologian in Residence, First Covenant Church (2003-2006)
Resident Member of Center of Theological Inquiry (Spring and Summer, 2004).
