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Homebrewed Christianity

Conrad Kanagy: a Church Dismantled

Homebrewed Christianity

Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 613 Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2022

⏱️ 59 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Dr. Conrad Kanagy taught Sociology at Elizabethtown College since 1993 and is an established scholar in the study of American and Global Christianity. He is also an ordained Mennonite minister. You can check out his podcast, YouTube channel, and the upcoming webinar – “Jesus in the Mainline: Why is Progressive Christianity Embracing A Church Dismantled?.” Wherever you look, the metrics of the institutional church spell doom. Amid this forecast, Conrad Kanagy—long-time pastor and sociologist of religion—offers a vision of hope in what he calls the “Spirit’s dismantling of the church.” Five years ago, Kanagy learned that he had Parkinson’s disease. This devastating experience of “dismantling” gave him the courage to strip off his masks and to say things that, according to one reader, “Pastors and professors are not supposed to say!” When Covid-19 emerged two years ago, Kanagy produced a popular podcast that he has turned into a series of books receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews. Donald Kraybill, author of The Upside Down Kingdom, writes: “Conrad’s essays mingle the voice of a prophet, the eye of a sociologist, the heart of a pastor, the wisdom of an educator, and above all the candid confessions of a child of God. He may stir your ire or light your fire, annoy you or compel you to compassion. Prophetic voices do that. But you will keep on reading. I promise!” Professor Walter Brueggemann notes: “Conrad is able to cross many boundaries…he is able to juxtapose odd partners, push the extremities of exposure, and do a broad sweep of scripture. The subtext of his writing is the scriptural account wherein the biblical community of faith, in its distortion and obduracy, was dismantled in order to make way for an authentic community of mission.” Dr. Kanagy is currently writing an authorized biography of Professor Brueggemann. The author includes stories of his growing up in a strict Amish/Mennonite community, his life-long struggle with OCD and constant fear of God’s wrath and damnation, his crises in ministry, battles with cancer, and his recent diagnosis of PD. Don’t forget to join Tripp & Diana this Lent for an open online class – Jesus De/constructed! Details here.  Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Oh, yeah. What is up theology nerds? This is Tripp. And you're listening to Homebrewed Christianity. And today on the podcast, we get a visit from sociologist, a professor at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Conrad, Kangy.

0:27.1

And we talk about a project he's been working on called A Church Dismantled, The Kingdom Restored.

0:33.7

Not only is he a sociologist, but he also said yes when his local Mennonite congregation

0:39.4

asked him to step into some leadership roles.

0:43.1

I don't want to ruin the conversation because you're about to hear it.

0:46.4

But listen to it.

0:47.4

Check it out.

0:48.1

If you're listening to the week, this comes out on Friday.

0:50.5

He has a webinar for mainline Protestants looking at the future of a church dismantled.

0:55.2

And what if that dismantling is actually the work of God and not something we work against?

1:00.6

Anyway, all the links on the post. Check it out. We had fun.

1:04.6

Now, before we jump in, I just want to remind everyone that right now we are in the midst of what?

1:10.2

Lent. And you can always come join the Lent

1:12.2

group at Jesus Deconstructed.com. Oh yeah. But if you want, if you want to know, if you want to know

1:20.0

what the next homebrewd reading group is going to be, what class is on the horizon, then go

1:25.5

check out our social media pages.

1:32.7

Today, there's a whole host of different logos that are potential options for the upcoming class when you see them.

1:34.2

I imagine you will be able to guess just what's coming up next.

1:38.0

Yeah, so check them out.

1:39.0

Maybe on the Instagram, the Twitter, the Facebook, check them out.

1:44.0

Make sure you're on the homebrewd email list.

1:46.0

Just go to tripfooler.com, Trip with 2P's.

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