In the searing heart of protest and prayer, fire becomes both destroyer and divine revelation.God in the Flames offers a bold, unflinching exploration of self-immolation as one of the most radical spiritual acts in modern history. From the iconic image of Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burning in Saigon in 1963 to the fiery protest of Rev. Charles Moore in Texas and beyond, theologian and activist Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood traces the sacred threads running through these acts of ultimate sacrifice.Blending theology, history, mysticism, and personal reflection, Hood asks profound questions: Can God be found in the flames? Is self-immolation a form of prayer, martyrdom, or divine encounter? What does it mean when the body itself becomes a burning bush - a living testament to justice, resistance, and transcendent faith?This modern spiritual history challenges readers to confront the uncomfortable intersection of faith and fire, protest and presence, suffering and sanctity. Written with prophetic intensity and deep compassion, God in the Flames invites us to see the divine not only in stillness and light, but also in the consuming blaze of radical love and costly witness. The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood is a Catholic Priest (Old Catholic) and nationally recognized theologian and spiritual advisor to death row inmates nationwide. He has accompanied eleven men to their executions, including the first and eighth nitrogen hypoxia executions. Widely regarded as the leading spiritual voice on the death penalty, his work has been profiled in outlets ranging from the New York Times to a Rolling Stone documentary, The Spiritual Advisor. For his service and scholarship, he was nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.Dr. Hood holds degrees from Auburn University (BA), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv), Emory University's Candler School of Theology (ThM), the University of Alabama (MA), Creighton University (MS), Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University (DMin), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the American Institute of Metaphysics. His primary interest has always been the power of spirituality to bring about liberation.Ordained to ministry in 2006, Dr. Hood was incardinated into the priesthood of the Old Catholic Church in 2022. The author of over 100 books - including The Courage to Be Queer, named one of the best religion books of 2016 at the Independent Publishers Book Awards - he regularly partners with men on death row to co-produce original works of theology.On July 7, 2016, Dr. Hood organized and led a Dallas rally against police brutality that ended in the shooting deaths of five police officers. He saved lives by using the cross he was carrying to force people away from the gunfire. The Dallas Public Library honored his role in that event and his wider work by opening the Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood Collection in its archives.In January 2024, Dr. Hood became the first spiritual advisor present in an execution chamber for a nitrogen hypoxia execution. Amid the international media attention that followed, he kept the memory of Kenneth Smith at the center of the story while demanding that such an execution never be repeated. No other spiritual advisor in the country has been present in the execution chamber for as many executions.Believing that traditional theological education is increasingly inadequate, Dr. Hood founded The New Theology School, where he serves as Dean and as the Rev. Charles Moore Professor of Prophetic Theology. With many arrests and assaults, he is not afraid to give his body to the struggle for justice.
