Robert Flaherty

Robert Flaherty is an interfaith Christian. He was born into a Christian family and devoted his professional life to Christian ministry. Throughout his academic and professional career wisdom from other religious traditions spoke to him and nurtured his faith. His writings reflect this interest and influence.

Twenty-five of his thirty-four-year career of ordained ministry was spent in the Army chaplaincy. Nine of those twenty-five years were active duty. The ministry of a chaplain takes place in a multifaith context. Always a representative of the Christian faith, specifically the United Methodist Church who endorsed him for chaplaincy, he was also the advocate for the free exercise of religion of all soldiers under his care. At different times and for different lengths of time, he was the chaplain advisor/sponsor of the Jewish community, the Muslim community, and the Wiccans.

Bob is a retired elder of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. His appointments included four pastoral appointments in Oregon, Union/North Powder, Dallas, Roseburg, and Newberg and a four-year appointment as superintendent for the Eastern District of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. In addition, he served as an intermittent chaplain at the Roseburg VA Medical Center.

Bob earned degrees at Claremont School of Theology, Concordia Seminary, and Central Bible College and has done graduate and post-graduate work at the University of Oregon, Western Oregon University, University of Notre Dame, and Claremont Graduate School.

Bob's hobbies include international travel, reading, writing, jogging, swimming, and pickleball. His travels in pursuit of interreligious conversation have taken him literally around the world with highlights in India, Thailand, Japan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Ireland, and England.

Bob is married to Sandy Flaherty. Bob and Sandy have two children and five grandchildren.

You can contact Bob at drbobflaherty@gmail.com or find him on Facebook.