Shows
Homebrewed ChristianityBrian McLaren & Jacob Erickson: Ecological Crises & LamentWhat's up Theology Nerds! We're diving deep into one of the most powerful sessions from last year's Theology Beer Camp in Denver - a conversation that honestly left me speechless. Brian McLaren kicks us off with a gut-punch keynote on ecological crisis and the power of lament that'll challenge everything you think you know about faith in our current moment. Then Jacob Erickson responds with some brilliant eco-theological insights that had the room scribbling notes like crazy. We're talking about overshoot, oligarchy, the impotence of religion, and what it looks like to let nature save us instead of the...2025-08-041h 15
Theology Nerd ThrowdownFrom Epstein to Palestine: The Common Thread of Basic DecencyWow, what a wild ride this turned out to be! Bo and I got into the religious landscape after I shared this crazy sticky note revelation I had at the cigar lounge - connecting Jeffrey Epstein conspiracies and Palestine through the lens of basic human decency and institutional trust. We ended up unpacking everything from why young people are abandoning religion (spoiler: it's not just youthful rebellion) to the difference between being "spiritual but not religious" versus actual consumer spirituality. Bo dropped some brilliant insights about how we're hardwired for religious behavior but living in a post-religious age where...2025-08-012h 03
Homebrewed ChristianityJosh Scott: Parables - Putting Jesus's Stories in Their PlaceIn this episode, I am joined by Josh Scott, a minister at GracePointe Church in Nashville and author of the new book Parables: Putting Jesus Stories in Their Place. We discuss the book's exploration of Jesus' parables, focusing on their historical context and contemporary relevance. Josh shares insights into how these parables challenge both ancient and modern assumptions about power, empire, and community. We also talk about the unique nature of GracePointe Church, its mission to be a safe space for those questioning their faith, and the importance of community in navigating theological and existential questions. Additionally, they highlight...2025-07-2855 min
Theology Nerd ThrowdownBible Bonanza: What Verses Should Actually Be Read in SchoolsWhat's up Theology Nerds! We're back from vacation and home renovations with a special Bible bonanza episode that's equal parts hilarious and thought-provoking. Bo and I are tackling the issue of mandatory Bible reading in schools by collecting suggestions from listeners about which verses should be read if we're going down this road. We got calls from Finland to Britain with everything from Jesus's upside-down teachings about greatness through service, to some truly awkward Old Testament passages that definitely won't make it past the school board. Along the way we dive into why pulling random Bible verses out of...2025-07-181h 32
The Wonder Dome#166 The Power of Ritual (with Casper ter Kuile)“Ritual makes the invisible visible.” — Casper ter KuileCasper ter Kuile shares insight and inspiration on the future of community, ritual, and spirituality. His work explores how we’ll make meaning, deepen our relationships, and experience beauty in the 21st century. He’s the author of The Power of Ritual and co-founder of The Nearness, a digital community of people exploring life’s big questions through deep conversations. Casper joins Andy under the Dome to explore how modern life has left many of us with an "ambient absence" — a yearning for depth, connection, and meaning in...2025-07-161h 04
Homebrewed ChristianityPeter Harrison: The Evolution of Belief: Science, Religion & ModernityIn this episode, I am joined by the eminent historian of science and religion, Peter Harrison. We examine how we've inherited a distorted narrative about the relationship between science and religion. Rather than the conflict narrative we're accustomed to, Harrison reveals that science and religion are not historical foes, and that modern Western sciences are actually built on theological assumptions. The real game-changer comes from tracing how Protestant reforms—notably the attack on allegorical readings of scripture and the demand for each individual to justify their belief— fundamentally transformed how we read both Scripture and nature, eventually leading to our...2025-06-301h 53
Homebrewed ChristianityOn The Edge: Identity, Freedom and Adulthood (Getting Trippy with Josh)In this episode, I am joined by the podcast Producer, Josh Gilbert, for our second tutorial edition. This time, we tackle some heavy stuff - Josh opens up about his modern existential crisis of living untethered from traditional institutions, which gets us into William James' "Will to Believe" and the whole mess of making momentous decisions in a culture that's allergic to commitment. Then I get nerdy about Andreas Reckwitz's fascinating analysis of late modernity - how we've split into two warring tribes: the hyper-culture individualists seeking singular authenticity and the cultural essentialists clinging to collective identity. It's a...2025-06-1650 min
Theology Nerd ThrowdownThe Great Untethering: Why Everything Feels FakeBo comes back from an epic 22-year tradition canoe trip in the Adirondacks - complete with black flies, hypothermia, and some serious Type 2 fun - and drops maybe his most intense opening riff ever. We're talking democracy, pornography, evangelicalism, the economy, and a whole bunch of other stuff that doesn't mean what it used to mean anymore. Bo's got this theory about "floating signifiers" - basically things that have become untethered from their original meaning and are just floating around causing confusion and cultural chaos. From Methodists who don't do the methods to evangelicals who've been unmasked, from the...2025-05-301h 43
Homebrewed ChristianityThe Future of Religious Identity: Live From Theology Beer CampIn 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 an...2025-05-151h 16
Homebrewed ChristianityKelly Brown Douglas: Faith at the CrossroadsWhat 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...2025-05-131h 09
Theology Nerd ThrowdownTending to Questions: A More Hopeful Future for Liberal FaithWhat's up Theology Nerds! This week on TNT, Bo and I kick things off with the breaking news about the new American Pope from Chicago (perfect timing for a Bear's Super Bowl win?) before diving into a deep theological conversation about the future of liberal Christianity. Following last week's rather pessimistic outlook, we explore more hopeful possibilities for revitalizing liberal theology. We discuss the potential of engaging the cultural desire for re-enchantment, reclaiming myth, and adopting what Gary Dorrien calls "metaphysical courage" - making strong theological claims while maintaining intellectual humility. Bo and I nerd out HARD on Paul...2025-05-102h 06
The Rise of BonhoefferA Christianity Without Boundaries: Bonhoeffer's Christ-Centered Revolution with Lori Brandt HaleWhat's up Theology Nerds! Today on the podcast I'm joined by Lori Brandt Hale, Bonhoeffer scholar and president of the International Bonhoeffer Society, for a mind-expanding exploration of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theological journey. Rather than just rehashing the heroic end of Bonhoeffer's story, we dive deep into the continuous threads that run through his work - from his early dissertation on community to his prison writings. Lori unpacks how Bonhoeffer's encounters with others - from Jean Lasserre at Union Seminary to his experiences in the ecumenical movement - kept "changing the lenses" through which he viewed Christianity and the world...2025-05-091h 07
Homebrewed ChristianityThe Future of Religion: Live From Theology Beer CampIn 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 part...2025-05-081h 10
Book GangA Friendly Goodreads ChallengeMy secret weapon to reading more books is a friendly annual Goodreads competition with my childhood friend Todd Greer. Todd is joining the podcast today to share about motivating each other to read more books. We have discovered how we read is very different from one another, but we usually end up almost at the same amount of books every year. We will dive into that more and learn about a few books I haven't gotten to read yet this year. Books Mentioned in Today’s EpisodeJoin the Patreon Community For the Bon...2021-10-0855 min
Harry Potter and the Sacred TextDefiance: The Beetle at Bay (Book 5, Chapter 25)Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Defiance in chapter twenty-five of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They discuss Hermione’s manipulation of Rita, Neville’s embrace of the DA, and Cho’s disappointment in Harry. Throughout the episode they consider the question: Is defiance always personal?Thanks to Andy Phillips for this week's voicemail! Next week we’ll be reading chapter twenty-six, Seen and Unforeseen, through the theme of obligation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2019-03-1441 min
Harry Potter and the Sacred TextDefiance: The Beetle at Bay (Book 5, Chapter 25)Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Defiance in chapter twenty-five of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They discuss Hermione’s manipulation of Rita, Neville’s embrace of the DA, and Cho’s disappointment in Harry. Throughout the episode they consider the question: Is defiance always personal?
Thanks to Andy Phillips for this week's voicemail! Next week we’ll be reading chapter twenty-six, Seen and Unforeseen, through the theme of obligation.
For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy2019-03-1442 min
Harry Potter and the Sacred TextDefiance: The Beetle at Bay (Book 5, Chapter 25)Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Defiance in chapter twenty-five of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They discuss Hermione’s manipulation of Rita, Neville’s embrace of the DA, and Cho’s disappointment in Harry. Throughout the episode they consider the question: Is defiance always personal?
Thanks to Andy Phillips for this week's voicemail! Next week we’ll be reading chapter twenty-six, Seen and Unforeseen, through the theme of obligation.2019-03-1441 min