Ryan Burge: Gen Z Revival?: The Next Chapter in American Religious Life

Ryan Burge: Gen Z Revival?: The Next Chapter in American Religious Life

Author: Dr. Tripp Fuller August 11, 2025 Duration: 1:18:10
Well, Ryan Burge is back with a bunch of graphs about religion. We covered the supposed "Gen Z revival" (spoiler alert: Ryan's data says it's not happening), dove deep into some philosophical sociology about why people are leaving religion, and I went on my usual tangents about Charles Taylor and Hartmut Rosa, while Ryan kept bringing us back to earth with actual numbers. We also spent way too much time discussing whether teenagers will ever figure out how to ask someone on a date without an app, why Ted Cruz's theology is embarrassingly bad, and how both sides of the political aisle are united in their moral outrage over protecting children - whether that's the Epstein stuff or what's happening in Palestine. Classic Friday afternoon with Ryan. Want the full conversation? This is just a taste of what we covered in over two hours of completely unhinged discussion. If you're a member of either ⁠Graphs About Religion (Ryan's substack)⁠ or ⁠Process This (mine)⁠, you get access to the entire unedited conversation, plus invitations to join us live for future streams. Dr. Ryan Burge is a professor of practice at the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. He is currently working on “Making Meaning in a Post-Religious America” - funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Previous Visits from Ryan Burge The 2024 Election & Religion Post-Mortem ⁠Distrust & Denominations⁠ ⁠Trust, Religion, & a Functioning Democracy⁠ ⁠What it’s like to close a church⁠ ⁠The Future of Christian Education & Ministry in Charts⁠ ⁠The Sky is Falling & the Charts are Popping!⁠ ⁠Graphs about Religion & Politics w/ Spicy Banter⁠ ⁠a Year in Religion (in Graphs)⁠ ⁠Evangelical Jews, Educated Church-Goers, & other bits of dizzying data⁠ ⁠5 Religion Graphs w/ a side of Hot Takes⁠ ⁠Myths about Religion & Politics⁠ UPCOMING ONLINE CLASS - ⁠⁠⁠The God of Justice: Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Contemporary Longing⁠⁠⁠ This transformative online class brings together distinguished scholars from biblical studies, theology, history, and faith leadership to offer exactly what our moment demands: the rich, textured wisdom of multiple academic disciplines speaking into our contemporary quest for justice. Here you'll discover how ancient texts illuminate modern struggles, how theological reflection deepens social action, and how historical understanding opens new possibilities for faithful engagement with our world's brokenness and beauty. Join John Dominic Crossan, Peter Enns, Casey Sigmon, Aizaiah Yong, & Malcolm Foley As always, the class is donation-based, including 0. INFO & Sign-Up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FaithAndPolitics.net⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠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. 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! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get info and tickets 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 70,000 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
Standing Firm: Bonhoeffer's Urgent Wisdom for Our Dangerous Times [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:14
🍺 Bonhoeffer for Dangerous Times | Theology Beer Camp 2025 Preview Are we living in the most dangerous times of our lives? Renowned Bonhoeffer scholar Jeffrey C. Pugh doesn't pull punches in this powerful preview lecture…
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…