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Homebrewed Christianity

Grant Wacker: the Defining Moments of Religion in America

Homebrewed Christianity

Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6612 Ratings

🗓️ 22 September 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What's up theology nerds! On this episode, I had the absolute privilege of sitting down with Dr. Grant Wacker, one of America's preeminent historians of religion, and man did he deliver. We dove deep into his fascinating "Bushman test" - the idea that when writing history, you should do so with the understanding that you might someday encounter your subjects in heaven. That framework of being both critical and sympathetic really animated our whole conversation. But here's the kicker - I asked Grant to reflect on the defining moments in American religion as we approach our 250th anniversary, and he came back with 11 (not 10!) pivotal moments that have shaped who we are religiously as a nation. From the expansionist impulse of colonization to the power of renewal movements, from the subjection of Native Americans to the role of reform theology, Grant unpacked these threads with the wisdom that only comes from decades of wrestling with this stuff. We also got into his work on Billy Graham, the birth of Pentecostalism, and how technology has revolutionized religious movements. This is the kind of conversation that helps you understand not just where American religion came from, but where it might be headed. Grab your coffee and settle in - this one’s worth savoring. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube Dr. Grant Wacker is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Christian History at Duke Divinity School and the author of Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture, America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation, and One Soul at a Time: The Story of Billy Graham. He is a former president of the American Society of Church History and has served as a senior editor of the quarterly journal Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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. 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 75,000 other people by joining our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 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

What is up theology nerds today on the podcast?

0:09.6

We're looking at the history of religion in America with one of the preeminent historians, Grant Wacker.

0:17.6

And he gives this proposition that I found fascinating. He calls it the Bushman test

0:22.9

inspired by the historian Richard Bushman. He said when looking back in time trying to capture

0:29.1

the life, times thought, and wrestling of a figure, you want to write the history knowing that

0:34.7

someday you might just be hanging out with them in heaven.

0:38.5

That kind of critical yet sympathetic and understanding framework is something historians work

0:43.9

for. And in this conversation, Grant talks about how that animated his own book, an amazing

0:49.3

book on The Life of Billy Graham. But more than that, more than that, I messaged him and said, hey, I'm wanting to

0:56.0

talk to historians about the story of religion in America as we get near our 250th anniversary.

1:03.7

And he came up with 10 defining moments in American religion. Actually, there were 11.

1:11.7

But you get the point.

1:16.8

This is a legendary historian taking the time to reflect and think about the different movements,

1:21.7

energies and patterns of religion here in America, and he unpacks them and shares us with us.

1:24.1

And man, it is awesome.

1:29.7

So I know all you historian nerds are gonna be pumped to hear this, but,

1:34.4

but any of you thinking about the nature of religion in America, it is a great thing to get to know where we came from and what in knowing our past can shape wherever going. I had a blast

1:39.8

talking with Dr. Wacker and I hope you do too. Remember, remember the best brew, the best brew

1:45.9

is a shared brew. So go, go send this episode to one of your friends who you think will benefit

1:51.2

from it and maybe it will inspire a zesty conversation between you two. Enjoy.

2:08.8

Yeah, I'm Grant Wacker, and I taught at University of North Carolina and then at Duke, and I retired, Duke Divinity School, and retired five years ago, live in Kerry on North Carolina.

2:15.4

And I used to teach American religious history. And that is in

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