Who am I?
My name is Christ (rhymes with “wrist”) John Otto and I am an author, independent scholar, and the spiritual leader of Belonging House, an international fellowship of artists and creative people. My primary mission is to raise up an army of artists who will build Jesus a throne in the earth.
I hold degrees in Bible and Christian Education from Houghton College, and completed my Master of Divinity degree at Asbury Theological Seminary. At Asbury, I sat under the teaching and tutelage of some of the greatest teachers and thinkers at that time including: Robert Webber, Richard John Neuhaus, N.T. Wright, Dennis Kinlaw, Steve Seamands, Robert Tuttle, Charles Kraft, Eugene Peterson, and Leonard Sweet. Through the mentorship of Jerry Mercer, I frequently visited the Abbey of Gethsemani and was influenced by many of the monks who knew and were taught by Thomas Merton. These experiences inform my writing and my thoughts about living in a world that is tribal, global, and post-denominational. In everything I do, I attempt to answer three questions: who am I, do I have value, and where do I belong?
I also worked for many years as an applied artist in the design trade. My background is in decorative painting, murals, Trompe I’oiel, restoring damaged stencil work, fine decoupage, and also painting icons in my spare time. I traveled extensively in a gospel singing group, have experience as vocal coach, and led worship in the prayer movement for over a decade.
Since 2006 I have lived a life of radical faith, and I live a simple life teaching artists and creative people how to listen to God and do what he tells you.
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This publication takes the place of what was once my blog. I intend to flesh out ideas and thoughts that will be used in future books, teaching, and my Friday email. We also have an international fellowship of artists and creative people. Check it out at https://belonging.house.
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