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Theology Nerd Throwdown

Theology Nerd Throwdown

By: Dr. Tripp Fuller & Rev. Bo Sanders
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 Tripp & Bo get nerdy talking about theology, faith, life, and other things.2024 and Beyond Christianity Spirituality
Episodes
  • The Great Untethering: Why Everything Feels Fake

    The Great Untethering: Why Everything Feels Fake
    May 30 2025
    Bo 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 gold standard to the stock market that may or may not actually exist, we dive deep into why nothing feels real anymore and why everyone's either retreating into romanticized nostalgia or getting lost in word policing. Plus: Ninja Turtle personality tests, the nine-by-nine-by-nine baseball challenge, and why Trip thinks we need to focus on basic material reality instead of fighting endless identity battles. It's a wild ride that somehow ends with a constructive Triple-A framework for moving forward. You can WATCH the conversation (&30 extra minutes) on YouTube Don't forget we want YOU to send us audio recordings making the case for which Bible verses should be mandatory reading if schools start requiring it. The more interesting your take, the more likely we'll feature it! ⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE⁠ ⁠Join us at Theology Beer Camp this October 16-18 in St. Paul, MN.⁠ ⁠Theology Beer Camp ⁠⁠is a unique three-day conference that brings together of theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun. This event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to "nerd out" on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities. Guests this year include John Dominic Crossan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Philip Clayton, Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Jeffery Pugh, Juan Floyd-Thomas, Andy Root, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Noreen Herzfeld, Reggie Williams, Casper ter Kuile, and more! ⁠⁠Get info and tickets here⁠⁠. Upcoming Online Class:⁠⁠⁠ Rediscovering the Spirit: Hand-Raisers, Han, & the Holy Ghost⁠⁠⁠ "⁠⁠⁠Rediscovering the Spirit: Hand-Raisers, Han, and the Holy Ghost⁠⁠⁠" is an open-online course exploring the dynamic, often overlooked third person of the Trinity. Based on Grace Ji-Sun Kim's groundbreaking work on the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), this class takes participants on a journey through biblical foundations, historical developments, diverse cultural perspectives, and practical applications of Spirit theology. Whether you've felt the Spirit was missing from your faith journey or are simply curious to deepen your understanding, this class creates space for thoughtful discussion, personal reflection, and spiritual growth. ⁠⁠⁠As always, this class is donation-based, including 0. To get class info and sign up, head over here. ⁠⁠⁠ _____________________ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hang with 40+ Scholars & Podcasts and 600 people at Theology Beer Camp 2025 (Oct. 16-18) in St. Paul, MN. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 45 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Beer Camp | St. Paul, MN | October 16-18, 2025⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 44 mins
  • Tending to Questions: A More Hopeful Future for Liberal Faith

    Tending to Questions: A More Hopeful Future for Liberal Faith
    May 10 2025
    What'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 Ricœur's approach to reading sacred texts, discussing how he calls us to be hermeneutical interpreters, phenomenologists who bracket assumptions, and theological thinkers who allow ourselves to be appropriated by the text. We explore how religious truth functions more as a "porous knowledge" than propositional certainty, and why tending to questions might be more important than providing answers. This episode gets into some legit philosophical territory (with special shoutouts to David Tracy, who passed away this week). If you've been feeling a bit hopeless about the state of liberal Christianity, this conversation might just offer some theological fuel for your journey. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube Don't forget we want YOU to send us audio recordings making the case for which Bible verses should be mandatory reading if schools start requiring it. The more interesting your take, the more likely we'll feature it! ⁠⁠CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE Join us at Theology Beer Camp this October 16-18 in St. Paul, MN. Theology Beer Camp ⁠is a unique three-day conference that brings together of theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun. This event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to "nerd out" on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities. Guests this year include John Dominic Crossan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Philip Clayton, Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Jeffery Pugh, Juan Floyd-Thomas, Andy Root, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Noreen Herzfeld, Reggie Williams, Casper ter Kuile, and more! ⁠Get info and tickets here⁠. Upcoming Online Class:⁠⁠ Rediscovering the Spirit: Hand-Raisers, Han, & the Holy Ghost⁠⁠ "⁠⁠Rediscovering the Spirit: Hand-Raisers, Han, and the Holy Ghost⁠⁠" is an open-online course exploring the dynamic, often overlooked third person of the Trinity. Based on Grace Ji-Sun Kim's groundbreaking work on the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), this class takes participants on a journey through biblical foundations, historical developments, diverse cultural perspectives, and practical applications of Spirit theology. Whether you've felt the Spirit was missing from your faith journey or are simply curious to deepen your understanding, this class creates space for thoughtful discussion, personal reflection, and spiritual growth. ⁠⁠As always, this class is donation-based, including 0. To get class info and sign up, head over here. ⁠⁠ _____________________ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hang with 40+ Scholars & Podcasts and 600 people at Theology Beer Camp 2025 (Oct. 16-18) in St. Paul, MN. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠ production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 45 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Beer Camp | St. Paul, MN | October 16-18, 2025⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 6 mins
  • Does Liberal Christianity Have a Future?

    Does Liberal Christianity Have a Future?
    May 1 2025
    What's up, Theology Nerds! In this episode, Bo and I tackle the existential question: "Does Liberal Christianity Have a Future?" Spoiler alert: Bo doesn't think it does, and his explanation involves both elevators and human eardrums! We dive into the fascinating history and predicaments of liberal theology, exploring why churches with endowed organs might be spiritually starving. I share five theological predicaments identified by scholars like Catherine Keller and Steven Webb (who inspired Bo to drop a mic with his observation that liberal theology is "too secular for believers, too religious for secularists, and too academic for non-theologians"). Bo confessed his own struggles with Bible literacy and shared some pushback from his congregation about a sermon suggesting people shouldn't read the Bible alone. We unpack the cultural shifts making mainline Protestantism increasingly obsolete - from the sociology of Sundays to the commodification of identity. Bo introduces his "perfect storm" theory about why liberalism's prioritization of the individual creates an irreconcilable tension with Christianity's commitment to community in our consumer capitalist context. This episode gets nerdy, punchy, and occasionally brutal in our assessment, but we're saving our potential solutions for next time! Don't forget we want YOU to send us audio recordings making the case for which Bible verses should be mandatory reading if schools start requiring it. The more interesting your take, the more likely we'll feature it! ⁠CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE⁠ You can WATCH this conversation on YouTube Don't forget - ⁠Theology Beer Camp ⁠is coming up! Get your tickets at theologybeercamp.com. For our Christology series, check out ⁠ManyFacesOfChrist.com⁠ . Until next time, keep thinking deeply and drinking good beer! ⁠You can WATCH the conversation on YOUTUBE⁠ 3 Days of Craft Nerdiness with 50+ Theologians & God-Pods and 600 new friends. ONLINE CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT: The Many Faces of Christ Today The question Jesus asked his disciples still resonates today: "Who do you say that I am?" Join our transformative 5-week online learning community as we explore a rich tapestry of contemporary Christologies. Experience how diverse theological voices create a compelling vision of Jesus Christ for today's world. Expand your spiritual horizons. Challenge your assumptions. Enrich your faith. As always, the class is donation-based (including 0), so head over to ⁠ManyFacesOfChrist.com⁠ for more details and to sign up! _____________________ ⁠Hang with 40+ Scholars & Podcasts and 600 people at Theology Beer Camp 2025 (Oct. 16-18) in St. Paul, MN. ⁠ This podcast is a ⁠Homebrewed Christianity⁠ production. Follow ⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠, ⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠, & ⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our⁠ Substack - Process This!⁠ Get instant access to over 45 classes at ⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠ ⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠, send ⁠feedback/questions⁠ or become a ⁠member of the HBC Community⁠. ⁠Theology Beer Camp | St. Paul, MN | October 16-18, 2025⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 hrs and 10 mins
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