Grace Ji-Sun Kim: Birth, Breath, & Pentecost Flames
Homebrewed Christianity Podcast with Tripp Fuller
Grace Ji-Sun Kim joined me at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Durham for a fantastic live Pentecost Podcast, and let me tell you, the Spirit was moving! Grace had just preached at Duke’s chapel that morning (complete with a birth story analogy that had people talking), and we dove deep into the connections between creation’s hovering spirit and the fire that made us human as a species. We explored how every culture has words for spirit that sound like breath and why starting theology with the Spirit instead of Christology might just revolutionize how we do church. Grace’s latest book “When God Became White” sparked some serious conversation about how our imagery of God shapes everything from patriarchy to racism, and why the church desperately needs to reckon with these colonial legacies. Plus, I may have gotten a little too fired up connecting Pentecost to evolutionary biology and the role of fire in human development – but hey, that’s what happens when you put theologians in a room together. If you want more conversations like this, come join us at Theology Beer Camp 2025 in Minnesota.
Grace Ji-Sun Kim is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion and host of the Madang podcast.
Get access to her latest course “Rediscovering the Spirit: Hand-Raisers, Han, and the Holy Ghost” on TheologyClass.com!
Previous Episodes with Grace
Intercession at the Intersection: The Gender-Bending History of the Holy Spirit
Before There Was a Bible & the Messy Origins of Spirit Doctrine
If you appreciate the work of Tripp Fuller and Homebrewed Christianity, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to the “Process This” Substack.
Democracy in Tension Online Summit
Democracy today faces profound challenges – polarization, inequality, populist authoritarianism, and widespread cynicism are eroding the foundations of democratic life. Yet, what if democracy's greatest strength lies not in eliminating these tensions, but in productively embracing them?
Reimagine democracy as a space for productive tension—not uniform agreement.
Engage new tools to resist polarization, cynicism, and political despair.
Explore how religion and democracy can coexist in pluralistic societies.
Transform political enemies into adversaries through agonistic engagement.
Confront the forces eroding democratic life with bold, practical insight.
Connect with scholars and citizens committed to revitalizing democratic imagination.
ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS: All lectures will be released on Monday, July 28th. You can participate fully without being present at any specific time. Replays are available on the Class Resource Page.
COST: A course like this is typically offered for $250 or more, but we invite you to contribute whatever you can (including $0) to help make this possible for everyone!
Join Us For Theology Beer Camp!
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. This event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to “nerd out” on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities.
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!
