Practicing Love Without Being Naive About Power with Marvin Wickware

Practicing Love Without Being Naive About Power with Marvin Wickware

Author: Dr. Tripp Fuller January 15, 2026 Duration: 1:08:21
Marvin Wickware came on to talk about his lecture from the Democracy in Tension summit and his book Loving Through Enmity, and we got into some really beautiful and difficult territory. Marvin's story is powerful - raised by an interracial couple in 1980s Indiana who were treated terribly by churches, converted through evangelical campus ministry, ended up at Union studying with James Cone, and that's where his faith, his values, and his intellectual work all clicked together. We talked about need-based love as an ethical framework, how both democracy and Christianity are aspirational projects that we're always falling short of, and how to navigate the gap between ideals and reality without either abandoning the dream or using it to mask our failures. Marvin shared about being a black theologian in predominantly white mainline spaces, the importance of having people on your side who can tell you you're not crazy, and how to practice love toward enemies without being naive about power and harm. It's the kind of conversation that makes you think differently about what love actually requires of us in this political moment. ⁠You can get access to Dr. Wickware's lecture and the entire Democracy in Tension series here. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube ⁠Join us at Theology Beer Camp, October 8-10, in Kansas City!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ONLINE CLASS: The Rise of the Nones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ One-third of Americans now claim no religious affiliation. That's 100 million people. Ryan Burge & Tony Jones have conducted the first large-scale survey of American "Nones", which reveals 4 distinct categories—each requiring a different approach. Understanding the difference could transform everything from your ministry to your own spiritual quest. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get info & join the donation-based class (including 0) 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 75,000 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

Ever wondered how the big ideas from theology and philosophy might actually connect to the life you're living right now? That's the space where Homebrewed Christianity does its work. Hosted by Dr. Tripp Fuller, this podcast operates like a lively, accessible conversation at the intersection of deep thought and everyday curiosity. Instead of dry lectures, you'll find engaging dialogues with a wide range of scholars, theologians, and philosophers, each bringing their unique perspective to the table. The aim is to make the often-intimidating wisdom from academic circles feel tangible and useful, providing what you might call raw materials for your own reflection. Consider each episode an invitation to process, question, and synthesize ideas on your own terms. You'll hear discussions that span historical context, contemporary ethical dilemmas, and the evolving nature of spiritual experience, all with a tone that's more thoughtful coffee shop chat than formal classroom. This isn't about handing down answers; it's about equipping you with diverse ingredients from across the Christian tradition and beyond, so you can actively engage in brewing a faith that is intellectually robust and personally meaningful. Tuning in regularly offers a consistent source of stimulation for anyone who believes that serious inquiry and a sense of wonder can, and should, go hand in hand.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Homebrewed Christianity
Podcast Episodes
Myron Penner: Five Ways Science Can Help Your Faith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:33
My friend Dr. Myron Penner - everyone's favorite Canadian Mennonite philosopher of science & religion - offers up five compelling ways that science can actually enrich rather than threaten faith. We move beyond the tired…
Elesha Coffman: The Christian Century and Mainline Legacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:27
So I had the chance to sit down with Elesha Coffman, who's written what might be the only book entirely devoted to the Christian Century magazine, and we ended up diving deep into the whole messy question of what "mainli…
Christian Witness in Catastrophic Times with Cornel West [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:07
I had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Cornel West, one of America's most distinguished public intellectuals and philosophers, to discuss his historic Gifford Lectures, which marked a watershed moment in the series…
Mark Vernon: Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:22
In this episode, we turn to the radical vision of William Blake with brilliant scholar and psychotherapist Mark Vernon. Mark argues that Blake isn't just a historical curiosity—he's a guide for rewilding our humanity in…
Nichole Torbitzky: Student Beliefs & The Evolution of Faith on Campus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:28:53
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 a…
When the Church Forgets Christ with Tim Whitaker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:17
In this episode, Tim Whitaker from the New Evangelical joined me for one of those sprawling conversations that somehow manages to connect Christian nationalism, the Democratic Party's moral cowardice, process theology, a…
Randall Balmer: Myth Busting Evangelical Activism & Its Origins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:46
What if everything you thought you knew about why evangelical Christians became politically active was completely wrong? Today I sit down with one of America's greatest historians of religion, Randall Balmer, to do some…