Hi, I'm Tripp, and I am glad you are here.
I started blogging (remember that) my questions, reading, and wrestling as an undergrad philosophy and theater major. Then, I started the Homebrewed Christianity podcast in 2008 while working on my master's degree at Wake Forest University. I went on to get a PhD in Philosophy & Religion in LA and a Post-Doc in Religion & Science at the University of Edinburgh. Since then, I have released over 1500 episodes with scholars who work at the intersection of theology, philosophy, and religion. I am still curious, carry a bunch of questions, and my answers (the tentative ones I've managed) are in process.
Here at my SubStack, Process This, I will continue hosting and thinking out loud with all interested people.
Recently, I was on a plane next to a very talkative new friend, and they asked one of those questions that, depending on the answer, could dramatically change the flight…
So what do you do?
"I am a professional podcaster who talks about God."
"I recently finished a three-year research project on the science of consciousness and how it can shape a new philosophy of mind."
"I'm a Visiting Professor of Theology at a Liberal Protestant Seminary."
"I say and write things about religion, philosophy, culture, and politics so I don't annoy my family by bringing it up at dinner."
"I am uncomfortable defining myself by my labor, but I am currently reading The Lord of the Rings with my teenager and just finished The Hobbit with my younger kids, so you could say winning."
or... if I just want to take a nap, "I am a traveling Baptist evangelist!"
None of these answers are technically wrong, but being a progressive Christian theologian and philosopher isn't easily computable. People often assume I have clear, confident, and final answers, but I am too curious and familiar with changing my mind to hold any conviction tightly. Nevertheless, here I am. A Baptist preacher's kid who started reading dead thinkers in middle school hasn't stopped asking questions or finding the life of Jesus deeply compelling. The rest of it is in process.
How does Process This work?
Process This: The central Process This feed will feature posts, often including video and audio, of my own curated intellectual journey, touching on different intellectual interests of mine. They will tend to hover around the intersection of religion, philosophy, science, and culture since that's where my research, writing, and teaching end up.
Podcasts: There are also channels for two different podcasts. Homebrewed Christianity is the podcast I started in 2008 and features interviews with scholars across the disciplines. The goal is to bring the wisdom out of the ivory tower so more people can reflect, wrestle, and work through their questions of faith with deeper resources. The Theology Nerd Throwdown is a show I do with one of my best friends, Rev. Bo Sanders, and in it, we have fun nerdy conversations about something God-ish.
Process This Guides: As things get going, an important intention for Process This will be developing resource guides on the more engaging topics. Think of these as digital bibliographies that curate books, articles, interviews, videos, and framing questions to help the interested reader understand the conversation in the academy. A perk of having such a nerdy community will be bringing together what I have found with what y'all bring.
Process This Themes: I have conversations with scholars in different disciplines with various research interests, so we will intentionally help you connect the dots by having a series on specific themes. Each series will have a unique community member episode at the beginning and end, with opportunities to engage and contribute. At the end of a series, we hope those on the journey have a more integrated exploration than individual episodes alone can provide. Join our first conversation on Artificial Intelligence!
Community Hangs: I am excited to utilize Substack's platform to engage directly with the Process This community. We will have regular community hangs and rotate the format and times to what brings the most energy. We already do monthly Ruining Dinner live streams with Diana Butler Bass at the Cottage where we discuss current faith, politics, and the public square. Community members have suggested several fun formats, so let's see where the experimenting takes us.
Why become a paid subscriber?
While some of the content will be available to those who subscribe for free, here are a few perks if you’d like to support my work.
Free Subscribers
Access to some of the newsletters / posts.
For Monthly and Annual Subscribers Only
Subscriber-only newsletters and full archive.
Post comments on newsletters.
Engage with Tripp in the Chat.
Monthly Zoom call with Tripp and special guests.
Ad-free podcast feed with extra episodes (coming soon).
Founding Members
You’ll receive all the perks of being a paid subscriber PLUS you’ll get one entry pass into ALL Homebrewed live events including Theology Beer Camp (with active membership).
I’m excited to process this with you!
Tripp