Theology Nerd Throwdown

This was a live homebrewed happy hour with two friends of the pod delivered now for your enjoyment! We discuss their co-authored book Intersectional Theology and then answer questions live from the stream. Susan M. Shaw is professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University. She is author of God Speaks to Us, Too: Southern Baptist Women on Church, Home, and Society and Intersectional Theology: An Introductory Guide. Grace Ji-Sun Kim is Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion. She received her M.Div. from Knox College and her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. She is the author or editor of 19 books most recently, Keeping Hope Alive; Intersectional Theology co-written with Susan Shaw and Embracing the Other. Kim is a Series Editor for Palgrave Macmillan Series, “Asian Christianity in the Diaspora”. Eerdmans included her in their list of Five Great Women Scholars, and the Englewood Review of Books named her in their list of Ten Important Women Theologians You Should Be Reading You can check out Susan Shaw’s previous visit where we talk a bit about the book here: Susan Shaw: the story of a Process Southern Baptist Feminist   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we observe a tension between Jesus and Caesar, we acknowledge that a fundamental tension remains at the heart of Christianity. The tension is not between religion and atheism or secularism. Nor is it between organized religion and personal spirituality or between Christianity and other religions. The tension is located within the heart of Christianity itself because it is a radical conflict between faith that is life-giving for all and faith that is damaging and destructive of people and the earth. In our conversation and his book Jesus vs Caesar, Rieger powerfully guides us into this tension. Joerg and I are joining the Christ Among the Disciplines Online Conference and you can too! Joerg Rieger is Distinguished Professor of Theology and the Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair of Wesleyan Studies. He is also the founding director of the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice. For more than two decades he has worked to bring together theology and the struggles for justice and liberation that mark our age. His work addresses the relation of theology and public life, reflecting on the misuse of power in religion, politics, and economics. His main interest is in developments and movements that bring about change and in the positive contributions of religion and theology. His constructive work in theology draws on a wide range of historical and contemporary traditions, with a concern for manifestations of the divine in the pressures of everyday life. Wendland-Cook Religion and Justice Program … is an interdisciplinary program located at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. We focus on issues of justice that arise at the intersection of religion, economics, and ecology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a Homebrewed Happy Hour in which I am joined by my friends Dan Koch & Dr. Sarah Lane Ritchie. This is an adult conversation with friends. Don’t listen with kids. Don’t listen if you don’t like potty language and bad jokes. Ohh and I said the phrase “5 shart Barthian.” To get invites to future happy hours check the HBC FB page. To get the second half of the conversation in your private podcast feed join the Homebrewed Community.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holidays are here and you know what that means? Awkward conversations about religion and politics with family, friends, and coworkers. Today on the podcast I am bringing you some wisdom… rules even… from two friends who work at the intersection of religion and the psychological sciences. Sarah Lane Ritchie and Kutter Callaway were part of the live podcast last week in San Diego and after hearing these ‘rules’ for the holidays, I knew I needed to share them ASAP. The live event included a bunch of other segments that engaged an upcoming film J.E.S.U.A.  The rest of the podcast will come out near the release of the film. I moved the rules from the end of the conversation to the beginning, so after that segment you will go back in time to the beginning of my chat with Sarah and Kutter. Here are the 7 rules. You are NOT your ideas Prioritize Sleep Make Yourself Start (or keep) Meditating (here’s the Examen app I mentioned) Be a Documentarian – talk by listening Acknowledge Their Trauma… including being in a family with you and your deconstructive path Remember Everyone You See and Love Will Die Criticism is a Form of Pursuit   This episode was sponsored by the upcoming documentary film J.E.S.U.S.A.  J.E.S.U.S.A. is an in-depth exploration of the relationship between Christianity and American nationalism and the violence that can often emerge from it. Far from a new phenomenon, this documentary traces the co-opting of Christianity by the state all the way back to when the Christian faith became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Through interviews with a diverse group of scholars, pastors, historians, and activists, this film shows how specific readings of the Bible have led many Christians to confuse their devotion to Jesus with their dedication to the state. The film helps viewers rediscover and restore long-held Christian beliefs regarding nonviolence, inspiring Christians to become purveyors of peace rather than enablers of conflict and violence. The documentary will be released for general viewing on February 25, 2020, and will be available on many streaming platforms for rental or purchase. If you wish to help organize a showing for your church or organization, please contact the production team here. The film includes some amazing people like David Bentley Hart, Suzanne Ross, Brian Zahnd, Osheta Moore, Diana Butler Bass, Greg Boyd, and many more.     Dr. Sarah Lane Ritchie is Lecturer in Theology and Science at the University of Edinburgh. She has a PhD in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh, where her doctoral work focused on the question of divine action in the human mind. A Michigander by birth, Sarah also holds a BA in Philosophy and Religion from Spring Arbor University, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an MSc in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh. Her published work focuses on questions arising from the intersection of theology, philosophy, and the various brain-related sciences. Sarah’s research interests include divine action, philosophy of mind, naturalism, cognitive science of religion, and the psychology of belief formation. Dr. Kutter Callaway  is associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and Co-Director of Reel Spirituality. He is the author of The Aesthetics of Atheism: Theology and Imagination in Contemporary Culture, Deep Focus: Film and Theology in Dialogue, Watching TV Religiously: Television and Theology in Dialogue, Scoring Transcendence: Contemporary Film Music as Religious Experience, and Breaking the Marriage Idol: Reconstructing Our Cultural and Spiritual Norms. Prior to teaching at Fuller, Callaway served in pastoral ministry for nearly a decade, focusing primarily on young and emerging adults. He frequently hosts or participates in public conversations about religion, spirituality, and culture with artists, filmmakers, and industry leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is time to NERD OUT with your GEEK OUT! In this episode I am joined by my colleague and friend Dr. Sarah lane Ritchie. She was on the podcast this past summer and since moving to Edinburgh we’ve been planning to record again, so here it is. At the beginning of the episode Sarah answers a question a number of you sent in about the different Religion and Science degrees offered here at the University of Edinburgh. Here’s info for the online Philosophy, Science and Religion Masters, the on campus taught Masters, and research based Masters and PhD Degrees. From there we end up discussing a number of different topics, largely based off questions I received including…   Dr. Sarah Lane Ritchie is Lecturer in Theology and Science at the University of Edinburgh. She has a PhD in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh, where her doctoral work focused on the question of divine action in the human mind. A Michigander by birth, Sarah also holds a BA in Philosophy and Religion from Spring Arbor University, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an MSc in Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh. Her published work focuses on questions arising from the intersection of theology, philosophy, and the various brain-related sciences. Sarah’s research interests include divine action, philosophy of mind, naturalism, cognitive science of religion, and the psychology of belief formation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guess what theology nerds? This is a special announcement. I have just accepted a position as Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. There I will be part of a John Templeton Foundation project, God and the Book of Nature: Building a Science-Engaged Theology of Nature. It is hard to exaggerate how excited I am about this position and the opportunity to work in theological education. On top of that I will be able to interact and connect with a host of new voices for the podcast, across the pond. It really is a dream come true for this theology nerd. Here’s where I would absolutely love your help. Taking an entry level academic position at a prestigious university will open doors in the long run, so we want to take the venture as a family. The transition over seas will have a pretty significant hit in our monthly income, but being frugal isn’t the biggest concern, it is the rather daunting costs of moving over seas. That’s why we setup a GoFundMe where you can make a tax-deductible donation to the process. For over 11 years Homebrewed Christianity has been bringing you online theological resources. With 70k regular listeners and having crossed over 3 million downloads already this year, I know many of you enjoy it almost as much as I do. Your support not only makes the podcast possible, but has enabled me to continue to pursue my dream. I am asking for those who are able to help out. Here’s two ways you can. Donate to the GoFundMe to help us cover the moving costs. This donation is tax-deductible because of our partnership with ReWilder. Join the Homebrewed Community and support the podcast with a monthly donation. You will also get access to a bunch of goodies including a year-long introduction to contemporary theology. If you’re strapped for funds, don’t worry about it. Please, keep enjoying the podcast! But if you’re able to help out, either one-time via GoFundMe or recurring via the Homebrewed Community, it would mean alot to me. Either way, I look forward to bringing you all-new zestiness from across the pond. Thanks for considering! Tripp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elgin, my oldest son, just turned 11 and he has managed to talk himself into a podcast appearance. Personally I had a blast. It may be a completely new parenting tactic – get your 11 year old Son to record a podcast and they will talk to you about something other than Fortnite for 30 minutes!! Elgin is a pretty big fan of the National Geographic show MARS and we are currently rocking the second season. It is about an international team of scientists who go on a mission to colonize the red planet. The cool thing about the show is they go back and forth with a not-too-far-ahead future narrative of the first Mars team and cut-ins with info from contemporary scientists or current research connected to the mission. This leads to Elgin asking all sorts of fun questions…some of which we attempt to discuss in the episode. If you haven’t seen Mars and have a science or Sci-Fi nerd in the house check it out. For those that are going to watch with a very inquisitive offspring, just DVR it so you can pause and discuss as you go through the episode. For more Mars excitement you can also check out the book the show is based on, How We’ll Live on Mars. It’s extremely readable and quite fun. There is a certain individual in our house who may or may not find the book in a stocking this Christmas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do Progressive Christians Want to Make Disciples? We got a call from Deacon Luke Allison and he has a topic that makes the progressive Christian wiggle – discipleship. Jesus called them and told us to do it, but has that time passed? What does disciple-making look like in our pluralistic world? How does the relationship of Jesus to his disciples in the New Testament impact our contemporary vision? Can the call to make disciples ultimately be divorced from the imperial legacy of the church? I am sure you are thinking of more questions this one topic brings up. Well once I heard the question I knew we needed to talk about it. Here’s my contribution to the conversation. Let me know what you think and any other questions that pop up.   You can be cool like Luke and submit your question via the SpeakPipe RIGHT HERE.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Tripp is joined by Scott Paeth, professor and ethicist at DePaul University, to help answer your questions, including: how would your theological picture of the world change if there was a verified encounter with a sentient extraterrestrial? Scott and Tripp discuss what that would mean for Christian theology, if God created life on other planets, how we should relate to that other life, and how this would change cosmological arguments. Plus, could it change our treatment of non-human minds on this planet? what obligations do we have to other sentient creatures? There are lots of ways you can submit a question for Tripp to answer: go to trippfuller.com and click the “send voicemail” button on the right (near the scroll bar); you can also leave us a 5-star review on iTunes with your question as the review; you can tweet @trippfuller; or you can send an email with your question to mediaguru@homebrewedchristianity.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Tripp is joined by Scott Paeth, professor and ethicist at DePaul University, to help answer your questions, including: what is gained by engaging with Karl Marx if you’re a Christian? Scott and Tripp discuss the affinities between Marxism and Christianity, how capitalism is contrary to Christian values, how Marxism and Christianity draw upon each other, how money and possessions determine a lot about our relationships, and the Marxist critique of religion. Plus, how our unquestioned ideology sustains our economic systems, and what Marx really has to say about religion. There are lots of ways you can submit a question for Tripp to answer: go to trippfuller.com and click the “send voicemail” button on the right (near the scroll bar); you can also leave us a 5-star review on iTunes with your question as the review; you can tweet @trippfuller; or you can send an email with your question to mediaguru@homebrewedchristianity.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices