From Pit Elders to Political Theology: Making Sense of Democratic Breakdown

Homebrewed Christianity

Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6 • 612 Ratings

🗓️ 14 July 2025

⏱️ 93 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Just got back from three and a half weeks in Europe (still not sure what time zone I'm in), and Aaron Simmons and I dove straight into the deep end of why democracy feels like it's falling apart. We're wrestling with this massive question: what do you do when reason-giving just seems to fail completely - when people either dismiss everyone who disagrees as morally bankrupt, or assume their own views are so obviously correct that any pushback must be irrational? We wandered through everything from whether I should keep eating at this barbecue place covered in MAGA signs (still haven't decided), to how 81% of white evangelicals support the least Christian president we've ever had, to whether Western civilization can survive without its Christian roots, with a delightful detour into heavy metal pit ethics because apparently that's how we process political theory now. The whole conversation convinced us we need more voices thinking about these tensions together, which is why we're launching this Democracy in Tension summit where a bunch of our philosopher and theologian friends will tackle these questions from different angles - because honestly, Aaron and I don't have answers, but we're pretty sure the questions matter enough to keep wrestling with them, even if it makes us uncomfortable about where we get our barbecue. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube ONLINE SUMMIT:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Democracy in Tension - NAVIGATING THE INTERLOCKING CRISES OF DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Democracy today faces profound challenges – polarization, inequality, populist authoritarianism, and widespread cynicism are eroding the foundations of democratic life. Yet, what if democracy's greatest strength lies not in eliminating these tensions, but in productively embracing them?The summit will navigate the complex terrain between political equality and social justice, liberal freedom and democratic sovereignty, and ethical demands and political action. As always, the class is donation-based, including 0. INFO & Sign-Up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.HomebrewedClasses.com⁠⁠ Dr. Simmons is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Furman University. You can follow his Substack ‘Philosophy in the Wild.‘ Previous Episodes with Aaron The Paradox of Democracy & What Comes Next A Philosopher & Ethicist Process This Election The Courage to Be 15 w/ Elgin Fuller & Aaron Simmons Aaron Simmons: Camping with Kierkegaard Faith After Deconstruction Philosophy & the Experience of God Do I Have a Soul? & other cultural preferences in bold. Off-Road Religion & Pandemic Philosophizing ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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. _____________________ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	All right. What is up Theology Nerds? This is Tripp and my buddy, Aaron Simmons, philosopher extraordinaire, right here.
0:13.1	First podcast being recorded after three and a half weeks running around Europe with the family.
0:20.3	So I don't know what time zone I'm in. I don't
0:22.3	even know if I remember how to use a microphone, Aaron. So I should tell everybody that yesterday,
0:27.7	when we were setting this up, and I was like, dude, I could do it today. And Tripp's response was,
0:32.7	well, since I'm not quite sure what day it is, how about tomorrow? So that seemed entirely appropriate. Also, I've got to compliment you, Tripp, your start lead-in bumper video, it's almost like that you have aged into your 40s, and it's moved away from like 90s hip hop meets, you know, stadium.
0:56.6	Beob, beo, be, you kind of sounds.
0:58.4	And now it's this like mystical aura setting stuff.
1:02.3	So welcome to maturity, my friend.
1:04.1	Hadley, it's just because I didn't have all my stuff uploaded.
1:08.7	Because I hadn't turned the computer on it so long so I had to use a pre-level.
1:12.6	So the only time that you are mature is when laziness has overridden, the immaturity. Thank you.
1:18.6	I'm going to brush that off. I'm glad that we are on the same page then going into this. As I wear my alien ant farm t-shirt in death metal script
1:29.0	so yes clearly we are rocking at the level people need to access at 11 a.m.
1:34.5	i really hope that's the font on a death metal script that's right you could just start uh you should
1:43.7	just start writing love poems, but in death metal,
1:46.7	clear.
1:49.0	Think about how different, like, the romantic poets, you know, Shelley and Keats and all of them,
1:55.4	had they written their stuff, but yes, in like, death metal models. I think that would have been
1:59.1	fantastic. Oh, yeah.
2:01.7	Well, the, so what we're going to do today is we're going to talk about just the collective failure of the church and the state.
2:13.0	And the reason is Aaron and I were talking about this on the podcast.
	...

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