Homebrewed Christianity Podcast

Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Theology Nerd Podcast with the Dr. Tripp Fuller. This is a shorter Q&A episode, where your friendly, local internet theologian answers questions submitted by you. Today's question: did the early Christians believe the Bible was inerrant? The short answer is no. But it's a little more complicated than that. Tripp explains what is even meant by inerrancy, how inerrancy is a product of the Enlightenment, the fights the early church had about the authority of scripture, the challenges the early church faced in interpreting scripture, and the tension between the limited Hebrew response and the Gnostic tendency to decontextualize Jesus. Plus, three rules for interpreting scripture from some early church fathers. If you're interested in learning more, check out this book. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going back to the summer of '17 for the first night of #TheologyBeerCamp in Denver. Peter Rollins and Tripp will give you the 3 essential rules for Theology Beer Camp, tell the story of how they became friends, and what it was like living together. Pete explains why he thinks pastors have superpowers and gets honest about what he thinks about Tripp's beliefs. Then, they welcome Iliff School of Theology professor Ted Vial to the stage for Tripp and Ted's Excellent 19th Century German Philosophical Adventures. Tripp, Pete and Ted talk about their shared love for 19th Century German philosophers, how most of the way we frame our identity comes from 19th century German philosophy, and what 19th century German philosophy has to say about some contemporary questions, like: "I'm interested in social justice, but Germans are Nazis, so why should I pay attention to them?" and "at the end of the day, aren't all religions just the same?" Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a mem

Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Theology Nerd Podcast with the Dr. Tripp Fuller. This is a shorter Q&A episode, where your friendly, local internet theologian answers questions submitted by you. This week's question: What do I do with 4 different, contradictory, gospel stories? In answering, Tripp wants to convince you that you should be glad the gospels don't line up. He shares about that time he discovered his bible was broken, the gifts that allowing the gospels to be different brings, the heresy of Tatian and where it creeps up today, and why it is significant that we have canonized four different gospels. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Travis McMaken, Associate Professor of Religion at Lindenwood University, is on the podcast not just to talk about Theology Beer Camp, but also his new book, Our God Loves Justice. It's a book he wish he would have read when he was an MDiv student, and wants to show people that the current connection between Protestant theology and politics in North America is not the only possible connection. The book is also an introduction to the theology of Helmut Gollwitzer, his fight for justice, his relationship to Karl Barth, and his democratic socialism. why does our current political and theological context in North America need another option? what are the questions we should be taking seriously? should the church be involved in politics? how should we understand instances of violence in politics? what is the role of confessional communities? Tripp and Travis talk about the connection between conservative Protestant theology and political outcomes, the spirituality of the church as America's original here

The Pope of podcasting, Ira Glass, is on the podcast to talk about his new film, Come Sunday, available to stream on Netflix. From IMDB: Come Sunday is based on an episode of the public radio series This American Life, the film centers on Bishop Carlton Pearson, a rising star among evangelicals until he was ostracized by his own church and declared a heretic after he started preaching that there is no Hell. Hear why Ira thinks one of the groups that gets the worst coverage is Christians, the disconnect between the way devout Christians are portrayed in the Media and his experience with devout Christians in his own life, questions about the reality of hell, heaven, and the afterlife, and the nature of individual courage as it relates to faith. how a culturally Jewish atheist ends up telling a story of an African American Pentecostal preacher? what is a question completely worth asking that you don't know the answer to? what is your biggest hope for people who watch the film? Plus, Ira shares some of wh

Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Theology Nerd Podcast with the Dr. Tripp Fuller. This is a shorter Q&A episode, where your friendly, local internet theologian answers questions submitted by you. In this episode Tripp tries to tackle two questions: How did the early church see the relationship between religion/faith and reason/science? How has contemporary science impacted the way Christians read scripture? Learn about Augustine's 4 rules for negotiating faith and reason, the multiple layers of meaning in scripture, and how this battle between faith and reason has been internalized. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Thatamanil, from Union Theological Seminary, is back on the podcast to talk about multiple religious identities and practices, trans-religious theology, and theology without walls. He shares a little about what type of questions are driving his theological reflection these days, when religious diversity becomes a challenge again for Christianity, the shift from multiplicity globally to locally and internally, the sampling of different religions today, and why 1965 is such an important year. Tripp and John also talk about: How syncretism fails to describe the complexities of our current situation How the notion of singular religious belonging came to be and why it isn't true How even the concept of 'religion' is problematic What the tasks or challenges are for someone doing theology without walls, the gift this vision gives to those who identify with different religious traditions, how the affirming multiple religious traditions change the way we see the God of history in the history of other relig

Dan Koch, musician-turned-podcaster and host of the Reconstruct podcast, is on to talk about the second season of the Depolarize! podcast. After throwing shade at former CCM bands who also have their own podcast, they talk about the silent partner behind the Depolarize podcast - The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt, his ambitions to stop the Trump event, why the continued support of Trump is arguably much more dangerous than a one-time election, and what has changed between season 1 and season 2 of Depolarize. Is there a sickness in white evangelicalism today that has to do with: political power? eroded confidence in institutions that deserve confidence? a persecution complex that ignores the actual suffering of persecuted people? Plus, what lessons Dan hopes the Depolarize! project will teach, the best ways to resist Trump, why cultivating mindfulness practices is vital, why you can't just rely on those who already agree with you to affect political change, and the burden of individually interpretin

Alexis Waggoner, Director of Marketing and Digital Education at the Westar Institute, is on to talk about raising the intellectual bar in the church (while lowering it in the academy). First, you'll hear about how her academic interests impacted her coming back to Christianity, how growing up in a more conservative setting she was told what to believe rather than how to believe, the experience of growing up in a military family and how that affected her faith, being a chaplain in the military and how that shapes her understanding of herself and her faith, and the questions and thinkers the church needs to wrestle with. Plus, Alexis shares some of the more annoying things her progressive friends say and believe about the military, and the questions and doubts about the faith she received. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Karris, ordained minister and therapist, is on to talk about his new book, Divine Echoes: Reconciling Prayer with the Uncontrolling Love of God. In this book about prayer, inspired by the open and relational work of Tom Oord, Mark looks at the role of trauma in his life and how that led to his work as a minister, therapist, and theologian; the specter of the failure of prayer; his experience of God as love amidst the trauma; the theological underpinnings for petitionary prayer. what is the role of prayer? do petitionary prayers make a difference? is God really in control? Many theologians are embarrassed by the theological implications of intercessory prayer and try to dismiss it, but Mark spends time reflecting on the nature of the God-World relationship, the nature of divine love, and really wrestles with what petitionary prayer could look like in an open and relational context. Tripp and Mark also talk about the struggle to find meaning, purpose, and value within suffering and how that can le

In the final episode of HBC's 10th birthday week, Tripp talks with film pioneer Hannah Leader. Hannah worked as a lawyer in the independent film world, but realized the need for high-quality Christian films. Hannah and Tripp talk about how she got into the film industry and found her way talking about Christianity, the struggle to find videos that didn't depict Jesus as a white guy, why all other forms of art (music, art, architecture) are done to the highest level for the church, except for film, the sanitation of our lives inside and outside of the church, the challenges of bringing scripture to the screen, and what, as a person of faith, this project helped her discover about the gospels that she hadn't noticed before. Plus, Hannah gives some suggestions for using the films in your community. Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Or, get the whole collection here. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices.

Today is the last day to get the cheapest tickets for Theology Beer Camp! Don't let the birthday celebrations die - join us for Theology Beer Camp this August in Asheville, NC. There are only 99 spots, so get 'em while they're hot. JC (Just Catherine) Keller is back on the podcast to talk about her book, Intercarnations: Exercises in Theological Possibility. Catherine and Tripp talk about: The possibilities for theology today What is Christ Inc. and how has christology been short-circuited from its intercarnational possibilities? How does theopoetics reframe the christological quest? How do we make theopoetics inviting to the non-specialist? What would a process-relational liturgy look like? Plus, hear Catherine talk about issues of exceptionalism - religious, political, racial, species - in our theology, the christological problem, liberating incarnation from corporations, the role of substance metaphysics in christology and where it falls short, and the ways unexamined interpretations impose thems

And now for something completely different. Sean McDowell, Associate Professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University, and son of Josh McDowell, is on to talk about the newly revised and updated Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Sean and Tripp talk about a lot things, including: What it's like being the son of someone everyone knows, and to be a part of the new edition of Evidence that Demands a Verdict What the biggest doubts in his own life were and what made him question his father's work The difference between an intellectual assent and gut-level response to faith The experience of God and the role that evidence plays in talking about that What are the main reasons not everyone finds Christianity as obviously true? How do you differentiate what was part of the historical setting of the Bible from our current cultural context? Plus, Sean talks about role-playing an atheist, the confrontational tone of the title, the cultural shifts that have taken place between the first editio

This is Homebrewed Christianity's birthday week! We are celebrating by releasing 5 new episodes every day. Up first, activist theologian Robyn Henderson-Espinoza is back to talk about all sorts of things, including inviting everyone to Theology Beer Camp in Asheville, NC whit August 16-18 (tickets go on sale tomorrow so head over to theologybeercamp.com to get notified when they're available). Robyn answers some questions from their last visit: how has their relationship to their own identity and their relationship to scripture changed over time? how to form a framework with which to view the Bible in a way that makes heternormitivity relevant for LGBTQ persons? how do you understand typical American theology and its connection to racist whiteness? how might our own inner life mobilize us to address pressing social concerns Plus, Tripp and Robyn talk about the need for progressive Christians to have fun, to be playful with theology and not always so serious, joyful resistance, the truth, beauty, and g

Today is the day! HBC turns 10!  Jack Caputo is back and gives us 5 reasons to go Derrida: 1. Derrida give you the best argument against fundamentalism 2. It also is the best argument against modernism, including the new atheists, and reductionism 3. The undeconstructable, or unconditional, which is not a Platonic ideal, but a hope, an expectation. 4. Binary oppositions are deconstructable 5. The pervasive presence of biblical motifs in Derrida's work Jack also explains his relationship to Derrida and his work, how Derrida's atheism was not the end of theology but the beginning of a new, more interesting post-theistic theology, whether Derrida is to blame for post-modernism, why absolutists are much scarier than relativists, and why post-modernism is neither absolutism nor relativism, Plus, he tackles fundamentalism, the new atheists, Trump, and the distinction between beliefs and a deeper faith. Books mentioned: Hoping Against Hope, The Folly of God, On Religion, Deconstruction in a Nutshell Follow

These are the highlights from a live podcast in Atlanta with faculty from the McAfee School of Theology. Up first, Graham Walker and Tripp talk about their mutual friendship with "cowboy theologian" Frank Tupper (and share some great stories), that moment when the struggles of faith and life animated the tradition he inherited, living in the Philippines, and how his Baptist identity has changed. Then, biblical scholar Dr. Garber, talks about his geek conversion story, the lack of one cultural meta-narrative, the power of story and myth, re-imagining the world using geek culture, and how the religious questions of the past are being asked not by the church, but by popular culture. Plus questions for biblical scholars Dr. Slater and Dr. Holmes: how does the text become sacred again after encountering academic criticism? at what point in your life did scripture become something worth studying? what questions do you hope linger with your students? Dr. Nash and Nikki Hardeman help us think about making sense o

Keith Ward is back on the podcast to talk a little about his new book, Love Is His Meaning: Understanding The Teaching Of Jesus. In the book, Keith wrestles with the teachings of Jesus in a non-literal way, and looks to interpret the teachings of Jesus consistently throughout. In this episode he talks about his relationship with scripture and how it's changed over the years, his unusual route from philosophy to Christianity, which teachings of Jesus we should take seriously but not literally, the relationship between the bible as a historical text and as a sacred text, and the canonized diversity of Christianity. He also tackles: * What does a reductive, materialistic, scientific account miss when talking about creation? * How did the biblical prophets change biblical religion? * How are we supposed to understand the Kingdom of God that Jesus teaches? * What would it mean to be priests of the earth? * What is scripture's role when discussing contemporary issues of ethics and morality? * How much are

John Dominic Crossan - the fifth guest ever on the podcast - is back for his sixth visit to talk about his new book Resurrecting Easter.  Hear about the genesis of a book about the resurrection, or rather, how a curiosity about an image of Jesus turned into this book, and how Eastern Christianity's image of Easter differs radically from the Western tradition of Easter. Individual Resurrection vs. Universal Resurrection: which of these images is in greater continuity with the New Testament? and what is the meaning of it? how does a universal resurrection impact understandings of God's relationship to the person of Jesus and the world? Hear how his approach to questions about the resurrection has changed over time - whether the resurrection was literal or metaphorical - and how that blocked questions of meaning, the difference between ascension and resurrection in Judaism, Paul's re-reading of the resurrection of the dead, the political implications of resurrection, and why Christians should take evolu

Rev. Ryan Eller, master storyteller and executive director at Define American is on to talk about politics, religion, and immigration. Define American is a non-profit working for immigrant rights. They have a lot of local chapters all over the country, organize on college campuses against alt-right groups, and have a film festival that highlights how we all intersect with one another. Ryan talks about his experience as a baptist in Appalachia, how he ended up working for political campaigns, and finally ended up with Define American. He gives advice for those who want to figure out how to take action around an issue or passion, talks about the difference between letting your faith direct your political action and letting your political beliefs shape your faith, the radical Baptist heritage, the hypocrisy of conservative Christians, the fatalism of Appalachia and how growing up there has informed his faith, and why rural white poverty is not a real concern in the political landscape. Tripp and Ryan also talk

Will Rose, mega nerd and Lutheran minister at Holy Trinity Lutheran in Chapel Hill stopped by the Homebrewed Studio to talk about theology, culture, and geekdom. Plus, the whole second half of the interview is an in-depth look at the latest Star Wars films (spoiler alert). Will talks a little bit about a grant his church has to help model healthy conversations about religion and science, his first love in the geek world, the connections between being a minister and geek culture, why he started the "God Loves Geeks" bookclub and the questions driving it, officiating a cosplay wedding, and larping... Why are we better at exegeting comic books and movies than scripture? Why can't we approach scripture the same way we approach comics? Plus, how he is helping people practice good conversations around graphic novels, comics, and movies, and carrying that over to scripture, the reason we are so drawn to stories, and the importance of shared narratives. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questio