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​​TheoSpark

A Theological Board Game
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can be played in parks, restaurants, churches,
living rooms, ​and (coming soon) online
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​This page offers the starter deck for TheoSpark, an imaginary board game built around an imaginary deck of cards—each one carrying a theological question. Players are encouraged to make their own cards. The questions are meant to spark lively, meaningful conversation inspired by open and relational theology, with a special emphasis on process theology. The goal of the game is not to arrive at definitive answers, but to spark questions and leave the game with fresh possibilities for further thought. An online version is also in the works. Also imaginary.

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​TheoSpark

Starter Deck (50 Questions)

1. If reality is always becoming, how does this change the way we think about God’s role in the world?
2. How do images of God as Mother, Sister, or Friend change the way we relate to the divine?
3. Whitehead said “beauty is the aim of the universe.” What might it mean to live as if beauty were more central than power?
4. If God does not know the future exhaustively, does that make human freedom more real?
5. In process thought, God is deeply relational and feels the world’s joys and sufferings. How might this vision of God shape how we respond to suffering ourselves?
6. If “God’s preferential option is for the poor,” what does this mean for how churches live in the world?
7. Creativity is described as the ultimate reality in process philosophy. Do you see creativity at work in your own life — and in the life of the world?
8. What role do silence and stillness play in hearing God’s lure?
9. If every moment has intrinsic value for itself, not just for what comes later, how might this shape how we treat ordinary daily experiences?
10. How does listening to women’s voices reshape theology itself?
11. Whitehead speaks of “tragic beauty,” where suffering is woven into a larger harmony. Does this resonate with your own experiences of finding meaning in pain?
12. If God changes God’s mind in response to prayer, does this deepen or weaken faith?
13. Process thought emphasizes the withness of the body — that we experience the world bodily first. How does this deepen (or complicate) our spirituality?
14. Where do you see God most alive today—in the centers of power, or on the margins?
15. In process theology, God is not omnipotent but works through persuasion and lure. Is persuasive love more powerful than controlling power?
16. How might “unknowing” be as important to faith as “knowing”?
17. Whitehead once described God as “the poet of the world.” What might it mean to imagine God as a poet rather than a king or ruler?
18. Can contemplation be a form of activism?
19. If the universe is an ongoing improvisation, how do we best play our part in the cosmic “jam session”?
20. Can love be liberating if it does not also seek justice?
21. Process thinkers often say God is finite in power but infinite in love. Does that make God more trustworthy to you — or less?
22. Is it comforting or unsettling to think of God learning and adapting in relationship with us?
23. Whitehead speaks of the “many becoming one, and being increased by one.” How might this idea shape how we understand community?
24. What does it mean to say “God is in the struggle” of those who have been marginalized?
25. In process thought, even atoms and cells have a kind of experience. What difference would it make if the whole universe were alive with feeling?
26. How do movements for justice (racial, economic, ecological) show us something about God’s character?
27. If God lures us toward the best possible future without coercion, how do we discern the “lures” in our daily lives?
28. How might union with God be described — intimacy, or mystery beyond intimacy?
29. Process theology affirms that novelty is essential to existence. Do you think faith traditions should preserve the old, embrace the new — or both at once?
30. If God takes risks with creation, how does this change our understanding of trust in God?
31. If God receives the world into God’s own life — nothing lost, all remembered — what kind of hope does this offer in the face of mortality?
32. If classical theists, non-theists, and open and relational thinkers all sat at the same table, what might surprise them about one another?
33. Whitehead said religion is about “world-loyalty.” What might loyalty to the Earth look like in practice today?
34. Is salvation mainly about life after death, or about liberation here and now?
35. In process thought, love is not static but dynamic — always becoming. How does that change how we think about human relationships?
36. If you could invent one new metaphor for God that breaks old molds, what would it be?
37. If God is in process too, evolving in relationship with the world, what does that do to the idea of divine perfection?
38. Does theology need to be playful in order to stay alive?
39. Hybrid prehensions suggest we can feel the feelings of others directly. Does this resonate with deep empathy or mystical experience?
40. What’s the most surprising place you’ve ever encountered the sacred?
41. What would theology look like if it began with children’s questions instead of scholars’?
42. How do indigenous spiritualities deepen the open and relational vision?
43. Can eco-theology and open and relational thought together offer a new path for climate hope?
44. If love of neighbor includes love of non-human creatures, how does this change religious practice?
45. What happens to theology when we center disabled voices and experiences?
46. Could open and relational theology provide a bridge between science and faith?
47. Is laughter a spiritual practice?
48. How do art, music, and poetry reveal truths theology sometimes misses?
49. What might interfaith dialogue look like if everyone started from an open and relational stance?
50. If God is relational, does God also enjoy surprise?

How to Play TheoSpark
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TheoSpark is a game of questions, wonder, and conversation. No quizzes, no final answers—just sparks of insight, curiosity, and community across the many wings of open and relational thought - and with a special but not exclusive focus on process theology.

You will pick a question, and if it’s not suited to you, pick another—and still another—until you find one that feels right. Bring your questions. Leave with fresh possibilities.


How to Play in a Group.
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1. Gather Players
2. 
   – TheoSpark works best with 4–10 people, though it can be adapted for larger groups.​
   
3. – Players can come from any background—open theist, process thinker, contemplative, post-evangelical, classical theist, non-theist, or simply curious.


4. Prepare the Sparks
5. 
   – The “sparks” are question cards drawn from the open and relational theology Question Deck (or created by players themselves).
   – Shuffle the deck and place it in the middle of the board.


6. Draw a Spark
7. 
   – On each turn, a player draws a card and reads the question aloud.
   – Everyone at the table has a chance to respond, reflect, or build on what others say.


8. Conversation Phase
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   – Players talk together for 3–5 minutes.
   – The aim is not to “win” by having the best answer but to generate novelty, insight, or fresh connections through conversation.


10. Spark Tokens
11. 
    – After each round, players give “spark tokens” (small chips, stones, or cards) to anyone whose contribution sparked something new for them.
    – Tokens can be given freely—sometimes to multiple people, sometimes to none.


12. End of Play
13. 
    – The game can go for a set number of rounds (say, 10 questions) or a set time (30–60 minutes).
    – The “winner” is simply the group itself: the novelty, insight, and connection created along the way.

Remember - The goal is ot to arrive at final answers, but to spark creativity, curiosity, and relational conversation across the different wings and currents of open and relational thought. Everyone should leave saying: "I'll think more about that."

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​Variations

​Fast Sparks (Quick Play)

– Instead of 8 minutes, set the timer for 3 minutes per question.
– Great for large groups, retreats, or classrooms where you want to cover many sparks in a short time.

Deep Sparks (Contemplative Play)

– Give each question 15 minutes of slow conversation.
– Encourage silence between responses, or invite people to journal for a few minutes before speaking.

Pair Sparks

– Each player draws a card and discusses it with one other person for 8 minutes.
– Afterward, pairs share one insight or new question with the larger group.

Silent Spark

– A player reads a question aloud, then the group spends 2 minutes in silence before beginning the 8-minute conversation.
– Helps deepen listening and contemplation.

Wild Card Sparks

– Add blank cards for players to write their own questions during the game.
– These can be drawn at random like any other spark.

Story Sparks

– Instead of analysis, players must respond with a story from their own life (personal, community, or spiritual).
– Brings out lived experience alongside ideas.

Token Sparks

– Give each player 3–5 “spark tokens” at the start.
– Players can spend a token to ask the group for one more round on the same question if they feel it’s too rich to move on.

TheoFest Mode
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– Perfect for conferences or festivals. All questions go into a giant bucket in the center of the room. A moderator (like Thomas Jay Oord!) invites random participants to pull questions, read them aloud, and launch the discussion.