Jim Burklo in conversation with David Odorisio at Bart’s Books
Drawing on years of ministry at Stanford and USC, author Jim Burklo offers a roadmap to Progressive Christianity towards a deeper, freer faith that welcomes questions and makes room for everyone at the table.
Feeling parched in a spiritual desert? Turned off by rigid dogma and the unholy marriage of faith and reactionary politics? If you've been burned by religion that prioritized rules over love, Water in the Desert is here to help you find your way forward. You'll learn how to reframe the Bible as rich metaphor and myth, not a rigid rulebook, and explore spiritual practices that awaken awe, connection, and inner peace. Along the way, you'll discover a path of progressive Christianity that embraces LGBTQIA+ people, fights for justice, and builds authentic community. You don't have to stay stuck in fear or shame. A more honest, life-giving faith is possible--and it starts here.
Joined in conversation by Merton scholar and Pacifica professor David Odorisio.
Rev. Jim Burklo retired as the Senior Associate Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life at the University of Southern California in 2022 and now serves as pastor of the United Church of Christ of Simi Valley, CA. An ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ, he is the author of eight published books on progressive Christianity. His weekly blog, “Musings,” has a global readership. He is an honorary advisor and frequent content contributor for ProgressiveChristianity.org, and is the co-founder of ZOE: Progressive Christian Life on Campus. Jim and his wife Roberta live in Ojai, CA.
David M. Odorisio, PhD, is associate core faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA. He received his MA in the History of Christian Spirituality from Saint John's University, School of Theology-Seminary, and his PhD in East-West Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. David is author of Thomas Merton in California, editor of Merton and Hinduism: The Yoga of the Heart, and has published in numerous journals in the areas of psychology and religion, and the life and writings of Thomas Merton.