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

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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.

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"⁠⁠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. ⁠⁠

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