American United Methodist theologian and religious author; Buttz Professor (retired) of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey. He was born in Altus, Oklahoma, and holds a Doctor of Literature from Asbury College. 

Oden is best known as a proponent of paleo-orthodoxy , an approach to theology that often relies on patristic sources. He has published a series of books that he says are tools for promoting "classical Christianity." Oden suggests that Christians need to rely upon the wisdom of the historical Church, particularly the early Church, rather than on modern scholarship and theology, which is often, in his view, tainted by political agendas. Oden is also the general editor of the pioneering series The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. He has held positions at Yale University, Texas Medical School, Princeton Theological Seminary, School of Theology at Claremont, and many other universities.

▪ Agenda for Theology, later re-published as After Modernity...What?

▪ Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series, which pieces together Biblical commentary from the Church's first millennium

▪ Care of Souls in the Classic Tradition

▪ Classical Pastoral Care series

Vol. 1: Becoming A Minister

Vol. 2: Ministry through Word and Sacrament

Vol. 3: Pastoral Counsel

Vol. 4: Crisis Ministries

▪ Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition

▪ John Wesley's Scriptural Christianity: A Plain Exposition of His Teaching on Christian Doctrine

▪ One Faith: The Evangelical Consensus (written with J. I. Packer) Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry

▪ The Rebirth of Orthodoxy: Signs of New Life in Christianity Requiem: A Lament in Three Movements

▪ The Structure of Awareness

▪ Systematic Theology (a three volume series)

Vol. 1: The Living God

Vol. 2: The Word of Life

Vol. 3: Life in the Spirit

▪ The Transforming Power of Grace Ancient & Postmodern Christianity: Paleo-Orthodoxy in the 21st Century (Essays In Honor of Thomas C. Oden), edited by Christopher Hall and Kenneth Tanner