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Homebrewed Christianity

Diana Butler Bass: American Saints in a Cynical Age

Homebrewed Christianity

Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6 • 612 Ratings

🗓️ 28 February 2023

⏱️ 125 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This is the first session with me and Diana’s Lenten class Empty Altars: American Saints in a Cynical Age. We hope you enjoy it and consider joining the group. If you enjoy this, check out the upcoming lent group with Diana and me – Empty Altars:American Saints in a Cynical Age. We live in iconoclastic times. All around us, saints and heroes are being knocked off or taken down from public altars. It seems that nearly everyone we once admired or held in esteem has failed us. We’ve stripped the altars of both state and church. America’s spiritual landscape is now marked by empty altars everywhere. Taking down statues is nothing new, especially in Christian history. Cynicism and anger at failed institutions and flawed heroes is nothing new. But human beings rarely leave altars empty very long — there’s almost a pressing need to re-sanctify the geographies we inhabit. People always put statues back up. But of who? And to commemorate what? How do we move ahead with new saints and a less troublesome iconography? What “saints†can inspire us to address the hurts of our hearts, the brokenness of our communities, and the pressing issues of our times? Shouldn’t we just give up on the whole idea of saints anyway? Why bother? Join Diana and Tripp this Lentas they explore “sainthood†for an American — and global — future. We’ll share stories that need to be told of “saints†you know and those you need to know in a quirky learning journey through American religious history. This episode is Sponsored by the Cornerstone Fund. You can earn 3.75% interest on a new 18-month term investment in faith-based and socially responsible investments. Check out the United Church of Christ’s Cornerstone Fund to invest in and build Community across the country. Visit www.cornerstonefund.org or call 888-UCC-FUND to learn more. Their staff is available to assist you on your investment journey. Previous Episodes with Diana & Tripp Ruining Dinner… and Date Nights Welcome to the Post-Christian Century Ruining Christmas Dinner Ruining Election Night Dinner The Over-Rated Genie God Bad Blood, Civil War, and other Soothing Topics Shall the Fundies (Keep) Winning?, Abortion, and Black Holes Theology and Spirituality in a Time of Rupture White Evangelical Theopolitics, John Shelby Spong, & Jesus 20 Years of Religious Decline Jesus After Religion and Beyond Fear Ruining Dinner with Diana Butler Bass and Robyn Henderson-Espinoza Evangelical Decline, the Supreme Court, and the Horizon of Possibility Debating, Praying, and Living with Tyrants Religion, Politics, & the Elephant in the Room 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

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0:33.6

Oh yeah. What is up theology nerds?

0:38.2

This is Tripp, and you're listening to Homebrewed Christianity, where for almost, almost 15 years, almost there, we've been bringing you audiological ingredients.

0:49.4

Let's write interviews with scholars across the disciplines, bringing that wisdom from the ivory tower right into your

0:55.3

earbuds so you can think, reflect, wrestle, brew your own faith. There's no need for that

1:02.0

light beer, tasteless religion. No, you got to get it zesty. And today on the podcast,

1:08.0

returning friend of the pod, public scholar, religion church historian Diana Butler Bass is here.

1:14.4

And this is the first episode of our Linton class, Empty Altars.com.

1:21.4

You can go to Emptyaltors.com and join this fun, exciting experience you will.

1:26.5

Here, the first session right here. And then you say to yourself, whoa, trip, are you going to hang out every Monday throughout Lent? Is there an online group with thousands of people all sharing the saints that they inherit and want to pass on? Yes, it is. So just go to Emptyaltors.com. You can join up. You will be able to join the live streams each week. You can access them and video and audio afterwards. And you can watch them with your friends, share them with your group, or do it all by yourself and engage the online community. Anyway, empty altars.com, it is exciting. It is fun. Coming up soon is the 15th anniversary of Homebrewed Christianity. And we're going to have some fun. All right? All right. Anyway, if you are one of the amazing people who join the homebrewd community and make this podcast possible, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. If you want to go to bed at night saying I help bring exciting, zesty goodness into the world, then go to homebrewd community.com.

2:19.6

All righty?

2:20.3

Before we hop in, I want to give a big shout out to the partner for this episode of

2:25.2

Homebrewed Christianity.

2:26.4

That is the Cornerstone Fund.

2:29.2

How would you like to earn 3.75% interest on a new 18-month-term investment. Well, the Cornerstone Fund is pleased

2:36.6

to offer this special rate and invite you to say hello to faith-based and socially

2:41.5

responsible investments. That's right. You can earn highly competitive interest on your investment

2:47.6

and at the same time join the Cornerstone Fund run by the United Church of Christ,

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