Join Dr. John Dominic Crossan for a Lenten Online Class starting in February!
A Five-Week Online Lenten Class
In the beginning is the Question, because for any other beginning, why is always possible and inevitable.
For this series of four image-based classes, that question is not the theological, but the evolutionary challenge of Jesus.
The series brackets theism versus atheism or monotheism versus polytheism to insist that the challenge of Jesus, the Mediterranean Jewish peasant, is to the evolutionary future of humanity with the world as Titanic and we its iceberg.
5 Video Lectures
Each pre-recorded video lecture will feature Dr. Crossan and powerful visual teaching from his many archeological visits across the Holy Land.
5 Livestream QnAs
Each livestream session will feature a QnA with Dr. Crossan, Dr. Tripp Fuller, and a special guest (see below).
Online Group
Everyone will be invited to join the private Facebook group to connect with other participants and access all lectures and livetream replays on the Class Resource Page.
ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS: You can participate fully without being present at any specific time. Lectures and livestream replays are available on the Class Resource Page.'
CHURCH GROUPS: You are welcome to use this class for your Sunday School class or small group! More details available below in our FAQs.
COST: A course like this is typically offered for $125 or more, but we invite you to contribute whatever you can to help make this possible for everyone!
This class is presented by...
Five Visual Lectures & QnAs
Watch the pre-recorded video lecture and join Dr. John Dominic Crossan, Dr. Tripp Fuller, and a special guest for the livestream question and answer session each week!
PROLOGUE CLASS
Jesus’ Theater: Potential Anti-Semitism on Stage and Screen
- Livestream QnA - Tuesday, Feb. 20th (11am PT / 2pm ET)
WEEK #1
Jesus’ World: How is Global Peace to be Imagined?
- Livestream QnA - Tuesday, Feb. 27th (11am PT / 2pm ET)
- Special Guest - Brian Zahnd
(Lead Pastor of Word of Life Church - St. Joseph, MO)
WEEK #2
Jesus’ Vision: How did Tradition Become Traction in Galilee?
- Livestream QnA - Tuesday, Mar. 5th (11am PT / 2pm ET)
- Special Guest - Brian McLaren
(author, speaker, activist, public theologian)
WEEK #3
Jesus’ Execution: What Happened That Passover in Jerusalem?
- Livestream QnA - Tuesday, Mar. 12th (11am PT / 2pm ET)
- Special Guest - Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw
(professor, minister, author, and public scholar)
WEEK #4
Jesus’ Vindication: How is that Exaltation to be Imagined?
- Livestream QnA - Tuesday, Mar. 19th (11am PT / 2pm ET)
- Special Guest - Dr. Diana Butler Bass
(public scholar of religion)
Meet Our Hosts
Dr. John Dominic Crossan
John Dominic Crossan is an Irish-American biblical scholar with two-year post-doctoral diplomas in exegesis from Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute and in archeology from Jerusalem’s École Biblique. He has been a mendicant friar and a catholic priest, a Co-Chair of the Jesus Seminar, and a President of the Society of Biblical Literature. His focus, whether scholarly or popular, whether in books, videos, or lectures, is on the historical Jesus as the norm and criterion for the entire Christian Bible. His reconstructed Jesus incarnates nonviolent resistance to the Romanization of his Jewish homeland and the Herodian commercialization of his Galilean lake as present program and future hope of a transformed world and transfigured earth. Crossan’s method is to situate biblical texts within the reconstructed matrix of their own their own genre and purpose, their own time and place, and to hear them accurately for then before accepting or rejecting them for now.
Dr. Tripp Fuller
Luther Theological Seminary
Tripp recently moved back to North Carolina and started as Visiting Professor of Theology at Luther Theological Seminary after three years as 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 15 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 4 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.
Meet Our Livestream Guests
Brian Zahnd
Livestream Guest - Tuesday, February 27th
Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian and his wife, Peri, founded the church in 1981. Brian is also the author of several books, including, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Water to Wine, A Farewell To Mars, Beauty Will Save the World, and Unconditional?: The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness.
Brian McLaren
Livestream Guest - Tuesday, March 5th
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a core faculty member and Dean of Faculty for the Center for Action and Contemplation. and a podcaster with Learning How to See. He is also an Auburn Senior Fellow and is a co-host of Southern Lights. His newest books are Faith After Doubt (January 2021), and Do I Stay Christian? (May 2022). His next release, Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart, is available for pre-order now and will release in May 2024. Born in 1956, he graduated from University of Maryland with degrees in English (BA, 1978, and MA, 1981). His academic interests included Medieval drama, Romantic poets, modern philosophical literature, and the novels of Dr. Walker Percy. In 2004, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree (honoris causa) from Carey Theological Seminary in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and in 2010, he received a second honorary doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal).
Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw
Livestream Guest - Tuesday, March 12th
Jennifer Garcia Bashaw (Ph.D., Fuller Seminary) is Associate Professor of New Testament and Christian Ministry at Campbell University in North Carolina. She is an ordained American Baptist minister and in addition to periodically preaching, she enjoys training and resourcing pastors. Dr. Bashaw has a passion for teaching the Bible on a lay level and contributes social media content to outlets such as The Bible for Normal People and Baptist News Global. She is the author of Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims and John for Normal People: A Guide through the Depth and Drama of the Fourth Gospel.
Dr. Diana Butler Bass
Livestream Guest - Tuesday, March 19th
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.
What People Are Saying
"As a minister these classes and conversations have enriched how I read and engage with our sacred texts, as well as for the community I help shepherd. As an individual person of faith I'm always amazed at the resources and friends Tripp helps curate and connect with on a deeper and authentic level."
Will Rose - Parish Pastor, Holy Trinity Lutheran and Lutheran Campus Ministry (Chapel Hill, NC)
“Grad-school level classes with incredible teachers in a fun, accessible and engaging online experience for even an exhausted working pastor/parent to participate in and enjoy!”
Rachel Haxtema - Associate Pastor, Keystone UCC (Seattle, WA)
“I’ve taken several Homebrewed classes over the years, from a couple of Black theology classes, to Kierkegaard to Bonhoeffer, to Tolkien and many others I’ve heard episodes from. From the episodes and the readings I’ve learned things I wouldn’t have otherwise had access to, from some of my favorite scholars or about some of my favorite topics. From some of the readings I’ve bought books I wouldn’t have otherwise read, and further deepened what I was able to think with. It’s been a treasure to be part of them.”
Jonathan Stegall - faith-rooted organizer, abolitionist, designer, and coder
“Homebrewed Christianity is, in my opinion, the best open and interactive community I’ve ever been apart of. I’ve learned so much from people who are not only brilliant but kind and fun."
Ednaldo Elme - the drummer who doesn’t tell his minister what he’s really thinking
“HBC classes have been an absolute lifeline for allowing me to have continuing education outside of the adult Sunday School setting. Many people have limited exposure to the entire spectrum of Christianity as well as other world religions in the church setting, and these classes are a wonderful resource in that regard. Also, as someone who is getting a theology degree, the HBC classes have provided a super helpful avenue for learning."
John Pohl, MD - Pediatric Surgeon (University of Utah)
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the class meet?
The class is asynchronous and you can participate fully without being present at any specific time. You can watch the pre-recorded lectures, livestream QnAs, and replays will be available on the Class Resource Page.
LIVESTREAM QnA SESSIONS:
Tuesdays, February 20th - March 19th (11am PT / 2pm ET) - available to watch via the Class Resource Page and YouTube.
How do I get access to the class content?
The complete class content collection will be available on the password protected Class 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 classinfo[at]homebrewedchristianity[dot]com. The email will include access to the Class 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.
How can we use this with our church group?
We would love for you to use this online class for your Sunday School class or small group! If people will be watching the lectures (approximately 50 minutes) and livestreams (approximately 70 minutes) on their own, we encourage every person to sign up and receive access to the Class Resource Page and Facebook group. Each person is welcome to make a donation on their own, or the church can designate one person to make a donation on behalf of the group. If the church is making the donation, feel free to make a donation in the amount of whatever you have budgeted for a curriculum of this quality. If you have further questions, please email classinfo[at]homebrewedchristianity[dot]com.