You’ll Lose Some Things, But You’ll Find a New Home | EP 12
In this episode, Jonathan Foster is joined by Rev. Dr. Shaleen Kendrick, Tori Owens, and Thomas J. Oord for a live conversation at the 2026 Open and Relational Theology Conference. Together, they explore what happens when a faith community no longer feels like a safe place to be fully yourself, and what it can look like to find wholeness, belonging, and a new spiritual home.
Drawing from open and relational theology, neuro-relational theology, and therapy, the conversation considers theological coherence, God's love, human flourishing, and the relational cost of leaving religious communities that once shaped us. They also explore how Curian offers a different kind of spiritual community, one where faith leaders can hold their questions, live with integrity, and belong without sacrificing who they are.
If you've ever wondered whether there is a place for you after leaving the church or a religious community that no longer feels like home, this conversation is for you.
About The Curian Network
- The Curian Network (formerly opentable.network) is a denominational space credentialing and resourcing pastors, chaplains, spiritual directors, and counselors in this wild day and age we live in, which is as extremely irreligious as it is hyper-religious.
- We believe that what works out on the extreme edges and all the spaces in between is love. Not love that simply makes space for people within the terms set by existing structures, but love that allows difference to enhance the entirety of who we are.
- Top-down religion is no longer viable in a world shaped by algorithms, micro-communities, and interconnected networks. What’s needed is something relational and rhizomatic—a way of being that sends out roots in all directions, grows horizontally, and has no fixed beginning or end.
- The Curian Network connects faith leaders and communities without demanding conformity to specific creed or covenant. We are networked rather than hierarchical, woven together by relationship across digital and physical space—an ecosystem emphasizing the one thing that matters: faith expressing itself through love (Gal 5:6).
- We are a 501(c)(3) organization and a recognized endorser with The Board of Chaplaincy Certification and The Association of Professional Chaplains.
Learn More
- Learn how the Curian Network serves and credentials pastors, chaplains, spiritual directors, theologians, professors, and other faith leaders seeking a spiritual home.
- Visit thecurian.network and follow @thecurian.network on Facebook and Instagram.
Credits
- Produced and original music by Ruthie Santiago Productions
Creators and Guests
Guest
Thomas Oord
Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. Oord is a best-selling and award-winning author, having written or edited more than forty books. Academic Influence ranks him among the most influential theologians in the 21st century. Oord directs doctoral programs at Northwind Theological Seminary and directs the Center for Open and Relational Theology. He is known for his research and writing on love, open and relational theology, science and religion, evil and power, and the implications of freedom and relationships for transformation.
