JESUS De/Constructed
Rediscover the Freaking Awesome Jesus this Lent
An Online Pop-Up Learning Community with Dr. Diana Butler Bass & Dr. Tripp Fuller
A 6 Week Lenten Encounter with Jesus
Launching Lent, 2022
6 Feature Sessions
Diana & Tripp will facilitate our feature sessions that include a mini-lecture, conversation, and QnA
Curated Readings
Each week we will have readings from both Diana and Tripp's books on Jesus & an additional live QnA on each.
Online Community
Everyone will be invited to join the private online group to connect with other nerds and have access to everything in Audio/Video on the class resource page
Jesus De/Constructed
What do we do with Jesus today?
This is a simple question with tons of baggage.
Drawing on both of their "Jesus books," Diana and Tripp are looking to facilitate an extended conversation this Lent about the surprising and lingering significance of Jesus.
The 6 Feature Sessons
SESSION 1: De/Constructing Jesus & the Lenten Journey What does it mean to take up the Lenten journey when Jesus may come with more baggage than blessings and occasions bigger questions than confidence? As we kick off this class we want to get honest about the baggage and the questions Jesus brings and explore what Lent looks like when they aren't silenced or erased.
SESSION 2: The Consequences of C.S. Lewis' Worst Idea In this session we will explore the why 'Lord, Liar, or Lunatic' is neither Biblical, historical, good theology, or even helpful for framing the call of discipleship.
SESSION 3: From Executed Prophet to Cosmic Christ The history of the church is full of people and communities attempting to testify to their encounter with God in Christ. By surveying the diversity of voices we can find allies and inspiration as we wrestle the question Jesus asked, "who do you say I am?"
SESSION 4: Freeing Jesus from Christendom Capture There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all Jesus and yet many of us have left (or been pushed) out of the church because we couldn't in good conscience stay in the JC-box we were handed. In this session we will explore just what to do with Jesus on the other side of the religion industrial complex.
SESSION 5: Jesus Christ the same Yesterday, Today, and For Ever? Many of us click the 'it's complicated' button when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. While there was one Jesus in history, we end up meeting many more along our way - each with its own character and style. In this session we will reckon with the many-sided prism of Jesus we have encountered and what it could mean to embrace the multitude of Jesuses woven in our story.
SESSION 6: De/constructed Jesus & the Journey of Holy Week For this last week, we will explore the movement of Holy Week and the invitation it gives to meet Jesus and encounter the Christ again. Too often this story is retold to silence our questions and rebuff our doubts, but it is so much more and we want to unpack it together.
Meet The Hosts
Diana Butler Bass
Public Scholar of American Religion
Dr. Bass is an award-winning author, popular speaker, inspiring preacher, and one of America’s most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality. She is the author of ten books, including her most recent, Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence. Diana’s passion is sharing great ideas to change lives and the world – a passion that ranges from informing the public about spiritual trends, challenging conventional narratives about religious practice, entering the fray of social media with spiritual wisdom and smart theology, and writing books to help readers see themselves, their place in history, and God differently. You can connect with her on Twitter or by subscribing to her popular newsletter, The Cottage.
Tripp Fuller
University of Edinburgh
Dr. Fuller is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Theology & Science at the University of Edinburgh. He recently released Divine Self-Investment: a Constructive Open and Relational Christology, the first book in the Studies in Open and Relational Theology series. For over 13 years Tripp has been doing the Homebrewed Christianity podcast (think on-demand internet radio) where he interviews different scholars about their work so you can get nerdy in traffic, on the treadmill, or doing the dishes. Last year it had over 3.5 million downloads. It also inspired a book series with Fortress Press called the Homebrewed Christianity Guides to... topics like God, Jesus, Spirit, Church History, etc. Tripp is a very committed and (some of his friends think overly ) engaged Lakers fan and takes Star Wars and Lord of the Rings very seriously.
Special Webinar.
We are thrilled to have the authors of `After Jesus Before Christianity joining us for a special bonus session. We will explore their groundbreaking new book which comes from the many archaeological and textual discoveries over the last twenty years. We are excited to have them providing fresh insights into the history behind the Jesus movement becoming Christianity.
FAQs
When does the class meet?
The class is asynchronous and you can participate fully without being present at any specific time. The weekly streaming session will take place on Thursdays at 5pm ET.
How do I get access to the class content?
The complete class content collection will be available on the password protected resource page. The downloadable audio and video of each session will be uploaded there and available for at least a year.
What happens after I sign up?
The email you enter when signing up will receive an email from tripp[at]homebrewedchristianity[dot]com. The email will include access to the resource page, details on how to join the class Facebook group, and more.
Do I have to have Facebook?
No. Facebook is not required to participate, but an additional way to connect with other class members and interact throughout the class.