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Interview with Author Tom Norris
By: Monica Vera
Tom Norris is a dynamic, interesting author with new ideas that he is eager to share with his readers.
I was fortunate to speak with author Tom Norris and ask him about his latest book, A Fresh Cup of Tolerance.
It outlines ideas and ideals from the Universalism movement to help inform and educate his readers. Here in this interview, you’ll learn what the Universalism movement is, why it’s relevant, and why you should read his book.
Norris has written a captivating and insightful book. The following is an exclusive interview with an insightful, thought-provoking author.
Tell me a little bit about you and your background.
From young idealistic social worker protecting abused and neglected children to social activist and pastoral/spiritual counselor, it has been quite a journey over these past fifty-three years.
I didn’t realize that first job would define the rest of my career as an advocate, where as a psychotherapist and spiritual counselor I specialize in working with victims of child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, sexual abuse and assault, in addition to those suffering from PTSD and trauma-based addictions.
In 1997, I received an unexpected and strong spiritual call to the ministry and over the next nine years earned a Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry. This coincided with the growth of Medicine Signs Spiritual Center, a Universalist Church I founded in 1992 that has served people throughout the United States and six continents.
Counselor and minister, I have also taught at the university level for the past thirty years, currently World Religions and other courses in the Religious Studies Department of Florida International University.
Finally, I am a proud husband, dad, and grandpa.
What is the universalism movement and what does your book have to do with it?
The Universalism Movement is based upon ancient teachings that behind all religions there is still One Source. Universalists find beauty and truth in all the great spiritual teachers, books, and traditions.
In this country some of the more Universalist institutions are the Quaker Society, the Unity Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Church, although they originally derived from a Christian base.
Our Universalist church has Judeo-Christian and Islamic elements in its theology, but is also close to Native American, Asian, and Neo Pagan teachings.
There really is nothing on the market defining a Universalist theology. It was originally my doctoral dissertation, which I revised and turned into a book so we will finally have a starting point to debate and define Universalism.
Where did you get the inspiration for the title of your book?
One of my mottos is that just about anything standing between two people can be settled over a good cup of coffee. Cate, my wife and editor, knows this, hence her suggestion to call our first book, A Fresh Cup of Tolerance.
From this evolved the Fresh Cup Series, a series of books with similar titles on various spiritual themes—hence, the title of my second book, A Fresh Cup of Counseling.
Both books are a pioneering “fresh cup” because the first presents a theology for the emerging Universalism Movement, and the second delineates the developing field of spiritual counseling.
Who would benefit from reading your book?
One reader is the person who is tired of the current “culture” wars where those we used to simply disagree with are now demonized as enemies.
A second group of more spiritually minded folks will enjoy the underlying message of hope and unity. They will see that all the great teachers and traditions—Jesus, Muhammad, Moses, Buddha, White Buffalo Calf Woman, Krishna, the Goddess, and so on—provided similar messages.
Love the Creator. Love Creation. Love each other. Love yourself. They will appreciate the Universalist message that we have the gospel (good news) also. We are all brothers and sisters!
What is the biggest message or takeaway from your book?
Universalism is pragmatic and straightforward, addressing the most pressing issues of our time: environment, globalization, feminism and gender concerns, religious strife, oppression, poverty, war, and prejudice.
It systematically explores our many views of God/Goddess; good, evil, sin and suffering; revelation; spirituality in the digital age; love and community; and so on.
However, it is not a pleasant treatise on love, but a living, faith-in-action theology free of rigid words (scriptures), beliefs (dogma), or practices (rituals).
With eight billion people on the planet, and a lot more to come, cooperating and living (loving) together is essential to our survival. In a crisis, our best nature surfaces, but we seem unable to sustain a sense of true community and compassion for more than a few CNN weeks at a time.
It is a spiritual priority to seek a means to sustain a loving community for longer periods whether within our family, community, society, or world. A theology of universalism offers a pathway of hope.
Do you have any plans for a sequel? If not, what's your next creative project?
I am beginning the next book in the Fresh Cup Series, A Fresh Cup of Living, subtitled 52 Ways in 52 Weeks to Transform Your Life.
Essentially, I am going to take the principles from A Fresh Cup of Tolerance and turn them into a teaching workbook. The book will use the major teachings of the great spiritual teachers and traditions to provide weekly lessons and practices throughout the year.
Each week will be a new teaching with various exercises (meditation, prayer, visualization, affirmations, journaling) to be practiced during that week.
Related books and movies will also be recommended. For example, one week might take one of the eight principles of the Buddha Eightfold Noble Path, such as Right Speech, and practice loving, truthful, and non harmful speech all week. Easier said than done.
Another week might focus on the Four Directions of the Native American Medicine Wheel, for example, the West, which will be a week of introspection and quiet.
Not only will the reader learn about a lot of other religious traditions, there is no way they will not be touched, even changed if they follow the teachings and exercises.
After that, I am starting A Fresh Cup of Liberation: 21st Century Liberation Theology.
Is there anything you would want future visionaries/writers to know about writing a book?
So many of the people I work with feel they have a book inside them, and oftentimes, I can see it inside them. These books were inside me for a long time, too, but until I actually sat down and put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard, that was where they were going to stay.
Even if you lack confidence in your writing or your message, it is your vision and you need to believe in it. There are so many aids to help writers today improve their skills, stop the excuses and start typing.
As a new author, I could not find a publisher. It took several years and a lot of persistence, but I finally found an excellent publisher, Wipf and Stock, who gave me a chance.
Message: write a lot, hone your skills, and don’t give up.
Any closing thoughts for readers?
I’m a Trekkie, so the Vulcan IDIC acronym, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, with its Buddhist and Taoist foundations, is a pretty good Universalist message.
Our diversity is what makes our world and each other interesting, but I don’t think we have to fight about it. What a world this would be if we could respect our differences and find unity within diversity.
Thank you for reading this prolific author’s interview! I hope you enjoyed it.
To get Tom Norris’ book, follow this link: www.AFreshCupSeries.com.
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