Homebrewed Christianity Podcast

We've lost a giant in biblical scholarship with the passing of Walter Brueggemann, whose profound insights into the Hebrew Bible transformed how countless people understand scripture and faith. In this special tribute episode, we revisit three memorable conversations with Walter from across the years of Homebrewed Christianity, showcasing his remarkable ability to make ancient texts come alive with contemporary relevance. From his groundbreaking work on the prophetic imagination to his incisive analysis of money and possessions in scripture, Walter consistently challenged us to see God not as a distant, unchanging deity, but as a passionate, covenant-making partner deeply invested in justice and human flourishing. His gift was revealing how the Bible's narratives of liberation, resistance, and hope speak directly to our modern struggles with empire, inequality, and the search for authentic community. Walter's legacy lives on in every preacher who dares to let scripture speak its radical truth, every scholar w

This is an audio essay from my SubStack, Process This. You can head over here to read or watch the entire essay. I've been tracking the peculiar contradictions of American religious life for years now, and there's one puzzle that keeps me up at night: Why does liberal theology keep producing brilliant scholarship while liberal churches empty out? It's not just a marketing problem or bad leadership—it's what my friend Bo Sanders calls a "perfect storm." In this episode, I dig into the fundamental incompatibility between liberalism's love affair with individual choice, Christianity's call to communal formation, and consumer capitalism's corrosive effects on both. We've got a faith tradition that's too secular for believers, too religious for secularists, and too academic for everyone else. Meanwhile, 55% of mainline Protestants voted for Trump, so we can't even claim the "liberal" label fits the folks in our pews. I walk through five predicaments killing liberal Christianity—from what Henry Nelson Wieman cal

This week's Q&A dives deep into expanding our pneumatological horizons with Grace Ji-Sun Kim as we gear up for Pentecost Sunday. We tackle some fantastic questions about the Hebrew "ruach" versus Greek "pneuma," unpack how Greco-Roman philosophy (thanks, Plato!) shaped early Trinitarian debates, and explore the fascinating gender fluidity of Spirit language throughout church history - spoiler alert: the Spirit was feminine in early Syriac and Hebrew texts before patriarchal translations masculinized everything. Grace brilliantly connects the Asian concept of chi to global understandings of life-giving spirit found everywhere from Africa to indigenous Hawaiian traditions, making the case that syncretism isn't scary when you realize Easter and Christmas are already pagan mashups. We discuss how starting with pneumatology instead of Christology opens up interfaith dialogue, since everyone from Muslims to Buddhists has some concept of divine breath or energy. Plus, we get into the nitty-gritty of how embodied Spi

Here's another fantastic conversation with Justin Barrett, cognitive scientist extraordinaire, who spends his time at the intersection of science and religion. We dove deep into why developmental psychology is such a powerful lens for understanding human nature - turns out you can't figure out if a zebra is white with black stripes or black with white stripes just by looking at adult zebras, you've got to watch how they develop. Justin walked us through the fascinating story of human evolution and our hyper-sociality, from our massive brains (five to seven times bigger than expected for mammals our size!) to our unique ability to think about each other's thoughts about our thoughts. We explored how kids naturally develop agency detection, theory of mind, and teleological reasoning - basically why three-year-olds spontaneously ask "what's that mountain for?" and start wondering about invisible agents. Then we got into the weeds about how our Stone Age minds are navigating modern technologies like social media

This week Grace and I dove deep into the messy, fascinating history of how the early church wrestled with the Holy Spirit - and let me tell you, it's way more complicated than most of us realize. We're talking about a time when there was no canonized New Testament, no creeds, just a bunch of monotheistic folks trying to figure out what to do with the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead and they were experiencing God through the Spirit. Grace brilliantly walks us through why it took centuries to develop clear doctrine about the Trinity (spoiler: the word isn't even in the Bible!), how Roman imperial politics shaped these theological debates, and why context absolutely matters when we're doing theology. We tackle some killer questions from our class participants about everything from explaining the Trinity to Muslims and Jews, to how we discern when the Holy Spirit is actually working versus our own emotions and desires. Plus, we discuss how theology is always a second-order discourse from the actual life

If you've ever read the Bible and felt tension between different passages, or found yourself in conversation with another Christian only to realize there are unresolvable differences at play, then Bill Brown's new book "acred Tension"is going to be right up your alley. Bill argues that this tension isn't a bug in the system—it's exactly what the Bible is supposed to do. In our conversation, we explore how the diversity of Scripture isn't a liability but rather an invitation to dialogue. From the multiple creation stories in Genesis to the competing voices in wisdom literature, Bill shows us how the biblical editors intentionally preserved these different perspectives to foster conversation among readers. We explore what it means to read Scripture as Scripture—with expectant reverence and critical engagement—and how this approach transforms both our understanding of biblical authority and our practice of faith. This is a conversation about learning to sit with sacred tension rather than trying to resolve it, a

Well nerds, buckle up for this one. My buddy Ryan Burge has returned with his latest graphs about religion and the 2024 election, and let me tell you - it was zesty. We started talking about minor league baseball, chicken raising, and somehow ended up dissecting why 83% of white evangelicals voted for Trump (spoiler: it's not shocking). Ryan breaks down the real story of the 2024 election - how non-white evangelicals are now 50/50, why mainline Protestants aren't actually that liberal, and the fascinating shifts happening in the Catholic vote. We dive into the data that shows education and church attendance create some pretty stark political divides, and why Democrats might want to rethink their approach to people of faith. But this is us, so we also talked about LeBron's hair transplants, whether 100 men could take down a silverback gorilla, why online gambling is destroying America, and Ryan's ongoing campaign to get academics to eat at steakhouses instead of Sweet Green. Plus, Ryan explains why Mark Dris

In this kickoff live session for our new class on the Holy Spirit, I'm joined by Grace Ji-Sun Kim—author of the Homebrewed Christianity Guide to the Holy Spirit (and about 24 other spirit-focused books by her count!). We dive into some fascinating early questions about the nature of the spirit: Is it a person, principle, or energy? Grace reminds us that confusion is actually a good starting place, since certainty is where problems arise. We explore how her unique background—growing up Korean Presbyterian but exposed to Baptist, Pentecostal, and many other traditions—gave her a perspective that transcends denominational boundaries. Grace shares incredible stories about her unexpected adventure in Rome during the papal conclave (including jumping barriers to chase Pope Leo XIV!), reflecting on how the Spirit moves in ways that challenge patriarchal structures while still working within them. We discuss embodied spirituality, vibrations as divine creation, and how studying the Spirit has transformed Grace's own

In this episode, I am joined by your favorite theological troublemaker, Dr. Pete Enns, for a wide-ranging Q&A session where we tackle your burning questions from our SubStack communities (Odds & Enns and Process This). We delve into everything from understanding eternal punishment in Matthew 25, to the various ways divine presence is portrayed in Genesis, to what makes deconstruction a healthy or nihilistic approach, and whether Christianity can adapt to modern existential needs. We bring a blend of biblical scholarship, philosophical musings, and irreverent humor as we engage with your questions, delivering what we hope are at least "above average" answers. To get access to the entire conversation, submit your questions, and join live next time, join their SubStack communities, Odds & Enns⁠ and ⁠Process This. Want to hang with Pete & Tripp? Come to Theology Beer Camp, Oct 16-18 in St. Paul for some seriously nerdy fun. Peter Enns (Ph.D., Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of biblical stud

Holy smokes, theology nerds – buckle up for a prophetic ride through Black Christology that'll completely recalibrate your understanding of Jesus and faith in times of empire. I am joined by Dr. Adam Clark as he traces the revolutionary lineage from Howard Thurman's mystical Jesus who refuses the "hounds of hell" (after being called a traitor to dark peoples for following Christianity), through Albert Cleage's literal Black Messiah who'd be riding in the colored section of Jim Crow buses, to James Cone's God who shows up at the lynching tree. At a moment when Christian nationalism weaponizes the gospel to enforce xenophobic authoritarianism, this prophetic tradition reminds us that authentic Christian witness is found in loving solidarity with the crucified of today. This isn't polite reflection, friends – it's resistance theology that exposes how God deliberately identifies with the oppressed, choosing foolishness to shame the wise and weakness to shame the strong. This episode might flip your theological wo

In this plenary session from Theology Beer Camp 2024, John Thatamanil explores the future of religious identity in an increasingly pluralistic America, arguing that multiple religious participation will be the defining feature of North American religious life. Drawing from his personal journey as an Indian Christian immigrant who also practices Hinduism, and Wilfred Cantwell Smith's provocative question about how Christians explain the existence of other scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Thatamanil challenges "Christian supremacy" and its colonial legacy. He distinguishes between harmful forms of religious mixing (particularly the worship of both God and capitalism) and life-giving forms that promote justice and liberation, proposing that the real theological problem isn't practicing Buddhism alongside Christianity, but trying to serve both God and mammon in a capitalist society. The talk culminates in a call for "fluid and dynamic integrity" rather than impossible homogeneity, suggesting that being "spiritu

What happens when you stand at the crossroads where the sacred meets the secular, where your identity refuses to fit into neat binaries, and where faith seeks understanding in the midst of doubt? In this deeply personal conversation, Episcopal priest and pioneering womanist theologian Kelly Brown Douglas returns to the podcast to explore theology as a lived experience, not abstract speculation. We dive into her powerful concept of "crossroads theology" – that stable, definite space where the blues singer performs both pain and praise, where Black and Episcopalian identity refuse to be bifurcated, and where God meets us in our full complexity. Kelly unpacks how the dangerous narratives of respectability and white supremacy create false binaries that diminish our humanity, and how Jesus's own crossroads moment challenges our comfortable Christianity. From her nightly prayers on her knees to calling the names of deported families, from finding God in resistance movements to wrestling with faith after Trayvon M

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim's to discuss Feminist Christology. We explore the importance of retrieving feminine imagery of God and Jesus through the biblical wisdom figure Sophia. She argues that despite Jesus's historical maleness, a feminist Christological approach is essential for contemporary Christianity because it challenges 2000 years of patriarchal interpretations and creates more inclusive understandings of the divine. The conversation traces Sophia's development across Hebrew Scripture, demonstrating how early Christians identified Jesus with this feminine divine figure, particularly in Paul's letters, Matthew, and John. Kim connects Sophia with Asian religious concepts like prajna, suggesting that this wisdom Christology offers liberating possibilities for Korean North American women navigating bicultural identities. She points out that feminist theologians are not inventing new concepts but reclaiming a significant biblical tradition that portrays God's presence in feminin

In this thought-provoking episode, former neuroscientist-turned-Franciscan sister Ilia Delio offers a radical vision for the future of religion at Theology Beer Camp. Speaking to a community of spiritual seekers, Delio places humanity within our cosmic context—mere seconds in the universe's 13.8 billion-year story—while arguing that we are the universe becoming conscious of itself. She challenges institutional religion's static cosmologies, drawing on Teilhard de Chardin's integration of evolution and faith to advocate for a "religion of the Earth" that recognizes God as "in love with matter." With urgency, Delio warns that if religion doesn't evolve beyond dogma into creative participation with cosmic processes, technology will replace it as humanity's guiding force. The conversation, complemented by responses from biblical scholar Pete Enns, exemplifies the kind of boundary-pushing theological dialogue that makes Theology Beer Camp a unique gathering for those reimagining faith at the intersection of scienc

What's up Theology Nerds! Today I'm thrilled to share my conversation with the brilliant Philip Clayton on his new book Science and the Sacred: Beyond the Gods in Our Own Image. This isn't your typical science vs. religion debate - it's something way more interesting! Philip co-authored this book with Claudia Pierce, an atheist religion journalist, creating a beautiful dialogue between theistic and non-theistic perspectives that finds surprising common ground. We explore how their five-year collaboration revealed shared values even as they maintained different views on God. Phil walks us through how modern scientific understanding can coexist with spiritual meaning, challenging both religious fundamentalism and reductive scientism. We dive into questions from both conservative Christians and skeptical atheists who read the book in advance, creating a lively three-way conversation about doubt, faith, and what it means to approach mystery with openness rather than certainty. If you're tired of culture war takes

What's up Theology Nerds! Today on the podcast I'm joined by my brilliant friend Diana Butler Bass for another edition of "Ruining Dinner" as we mark the first 100 days of Trump's second administration. We dive into some fascinating new data on religion and politics in America that just dropped, examining everything from unexpected consensus on religious liberty (a rare bright spot!) to disturbing trends in support for political violence among Christian nationalist adherents. Diana shares her recent adventures lighting the Old North Church green for Bill McKibben's "Sunday" climate initiative, while I update her on my site visit to St. Paul (not Minneapolis!) for Theology Beer Camp and my new life as a chicken dad. We explore how competing narratives of discrimination reveal deep divides in American Christianity, unpack the dangers of executive overreach, and discuss what Lindsey Graham's papal nomination trolling reveals about our political moment. This conversation was originally for our Substack members, b

In this session, we are joined by historical theologian, Dr. Paul Capetz. Dr. Capetz, a minister in the United Methodist Church and former theology professor at various Protestant seminaries, discusses liberal Christology and its limitations. While identifying as a liberal theologian who seeks to reconcile Protestant heritage with Enlightenment thinking, Capetz argues that traditional liberal Christology is fundamentally flawed. He explains that liberal theologians like Friedrich Schleiermacher attempted to reconstruct the historical Jesus using modern historical analysis, but this approach faces insurmountable challenges. Following Rudolf Bultmann, whom Capetz considers the greatest New Testament scholar of the 20th century, he contends that a biography of Jesus cannot be written due to limited reliable historical sources. More importantly, Capetz argues that Christology shouldn't be based on speculations about Jesus's relationship with God, but rather on the apostles' witness to Jesus as the decisive revela

In this episode, Dr. Jason Storm returns to explore the relationship between science, religion, and meaning in the modern world. Starting with Storm's work on The Myth of Disenchantment, they discuss how the conventional narrative of modernity leading to widespread secularization and loss of magical/spiritual thinking is largely inaccurate. Storm explains how this narrative emerged in the 19th century while spiritualism and occult movements were actually flourishing. They examine the fragmentation of belief systems, the historical transformation of faith and epistemology, and how various "meaning crises" arise in contemporary society. The conversation touches on capitalism's relationship with environmental degradation, our connection to nature as a source of meaning, and the limitations of postmodernism. Storm advocates for a metamodern approach that encourages epistemic humility, community engagement, and brave spaces for meaningful dialogue to address complex social problems. You can read more about it in M

In this session, Dr. Ruben Rosario Rodriguez provides an overview of Reformed Christology, focusing on the theological contributions of two key 20th century Reformed theologians: Karl Barth and Jürgen Moltmann. He begins by introducing the Reformed tradition's historical roots in 16th century Calvinism and its emphasis on social responsibility. It then examines Barth's Christocentric theology, which emphasizes God's transcendence and self-revelation in Christ as the only source of knowledge about God. Barth rejected liberal Protestantism's subjective approach and insisted on Christ as the center of all theology. He then transitions to Moltmann, whose theology developed in the shadow of the Holocaust. Moltmann rejected the doctrine of divine impassibility, arguing that God suffers with humanity, particularly through Christ on the cross. His Trinitarian theology emphasizes God as a community of equals and has political implications, including the church's responsibility to critique society and work toward justi

Sarah Heath, and Kristen Tideman joined me to unveil the exciting details for Theology Beer Camp 2025 in this lively promotional episode filled with laughter, nostalgia, and anticipation. The hosts reminisce about past camps while revealing this year's Monty Python-inspired theme, "Quest for the Holy Stein," coming to St. Paul, Minnesota this October. With an impressive lineup of theologians, free-flowing beer, and a community-focused approach, this episode captures the unique blend of intellectual engagement and genuine fun that makes Theology Beer Camp a must-attend event for theology nerds and craft beer enthusiasts alike. You can WATCH this conversation on YouTube Key Announcements for Theology Beer Camp 2025: Dates and Location: October 16-18, 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota Theme: "Theology Beer Camp and the Quest for the Holy Stein"  Early Bird Tickets: Available until May 15th at theologybeercamp2025.com Impressive Speaker Lineup: Including John Dominic Crossan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Reggie Will