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Homebrewed Christianity

Nichole Torbitzky: Student Beliefs & The Evolution of Faith on Campus

Homebrewed Christianity

Dr. Tripp Fuller | Theologian, Philosopher, Minister

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6612 Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2025

⏱️ 86 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

I got an email from a retired university chaplain who'd hit a wall - after decades of ministry, he felt so culturally alienated from undergrad students that he didn't think he could do the job anymore. It made me think about my friend Nicole Torbitzky, who serves as both philosophy professor and university chaplain at Lindenwood University in Missouri. We dove into how she navigates the shifting religious landscape on campus, from students deconstructing their faith to the rise of the "nones," and what it looks like to facilitate interfaith dialogue when half your student body reports no religious affiliation. Nicole shares how she brings together student leaders from different faith traditions, handles the tension between Christian nationalism and Jesus's actual teachings, and creates spaces where people can find common ground across difference. We also explored how the burden of meaning-making has shifted from tradition to the individual in late modernity, and what that means for campus ministry in an increasingly fragmented culture. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube Nichole Torbitzky is an Associate Professor in the Religion Department and University Chaplain at Lindenwood University. As a theologian, philosopher, and chaplain, she works to bridge religion, ethics, and process thought across the University. She teaches a diverse range of courses spanning religious studies and philosophy, including World Religions, African American Religions, Christian Theology, Philosophy of Religion, and Introducing Judaism. UPCOMING ONLINE CLASS - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The God of Justice: Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Contemporary Longing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This transformative online class brings together distinguished scholars from biblical studies, theology, history, and faith leadership to offer exactly what our moment demands: the rich, textured wisdom of multiple academic disciplines speaking into our contemporary quest for justice. Here you'll discover how ancient texts illuminate modern struggles, how theological reflection deepens social action, and how historical understanding opens new possibilities for faithful engagement with our world's brokenness and beauty. Join John Dominic Crossan, Peter Enns, Casey Sigmon, Aizaiah Yong, & Malcolm Foley As always, the class is donation-based, including 0. INFO & Sign-Up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FaithAndPolitics.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 70,000 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 nerves?

0:05.0

Today on the podcast, Dr. Nicole Torbitsky is here.

0:10.0

She is a theologian, a philosopher, and a chaplain at a university.

0:16.0

And 10 years ago, she said that when she first started, students would visit Hindu temples as part of

0:22.5

their world religions class and come back saying, wow, they're just people doing their own

0:26.9

thing and, you know, God bless them, they're different. But now those same field trips

0:31.7

increasingly generate papers from students saying it's a shame. Those people, they're just

0:36.9

going to hell. Well, what's changed?

0:39.4

What can we learn about the shift in religious consciousness here in America? Well, I wanted to talk about that.

0:45.1

And my friend Nicole Terbitsky is here, and she's been watching this shift in real time.

0:50.2

And today she shares what it means to be a chaplain when the very nature of religious question

0:55.5

and who gets to ask those questions is rapidly changing.

1:00.0

I hope you dig this conversation as much as I did, and I want to give a special shout out

1:04.2

to a longtime homebrewed Christianity listener and recently retired university chaplain,

1:10.7

whose email sparked this conversation.

1:14.0

I hope you dig it.

1:14.9

I hope you enjoy it.

1:16.3

And if you're having fun, share the brew.

1:19.0

Send this to someone else who might enjoy this conversation.

1:22.4

And if you want to hang out in person, you know, come on over to Theology Beer Camp this October 16th, 18th, and St. Paul, Minnesota. Theology Beer Camp 2025.com. All right. Hello, everyone. This is Tripp and returning to the podcast is Nicole Torbinski.

1:46.6

And who I just discovered is on the precipice of a new semester and a new class this year.

1:55.2

So, you know, there's a lot of preparation running through a brain right now.

...

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