Bonhoeffer’s Religionless Christianity with Jeffrey C. Pugh: Homebrewed Christianity 49
By Chad Crawford • Apr 9th, 2009 • Category: podcast
Dr. Jeffrey C. Pugh is Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Elon University. His new book is called Religionless Christianity: Dietrich Bonhoeffer In Troubled Times. Dr. Pugh talks with Tripp about the life of Bonhoeffer, shares some of the famous words from his Letters & Papers from Prison, and leaves us with how Bonhoeffer can inspire us today. He even inspires Tripp to consider, for about 30 seconds, joining the Hauerwasian Mafia.
This is a longer one. Make sure you download it to your favorite digital audio file playback device or home computer, so you can listen to it while working on those term papers or sermons or on your commute.
Red Oak should send us a keg…or at least some gift certificates. RedOakBrewery.com
Thanks to our callers this week: Tony Jones and Rev. Obi Wan. Obi Wan took some time off from battling Tusken Raiders to give us a shout out. We’re always excited to hear from listeners (a.k.a. “deacons”) and sci-fi heroes. The Homebrewed Christianity call-in number is 210-787-1057.
Find out about the 2009 Emergent Village Theological Conversation with Jürgen Moltmann, September 9-11, 2009: MoltmannConversation.com
Find out about Christianity 21: Faith in the 21st Century October 9-11, 2009: Christianity21.com
Chad Crawford is a graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wake Forest University Divinity School. He is originally from Austin, Texas and now lives in San Francisco, where he is the online communications manager for Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit organization mobilizing a religious response to global warming. He's a long distance hiker and minister sharing thoughts on ecology, politics, culture, and faith.
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Great show this week. I’ve been watching iTunes closely for the show to appear ever since you mentioned Bonhoeffer would be your next topic. And some great calls also. Too bad that one guy messed up and had to leave 3 messages before he could get it right……
Dear Homebrewed,
I am a bit of an amateur Bonhoeffer scholar myself, and I have to say that I was very impressed with this interview. I thought his introductory summary of B’s life and thought was excellent. I also think he makes a very good point about how Bonhoeffer’s involvement in the plot against Hitler – as well as his writings during this time – can only be understood in the context of his alienation from, yet also continual faith in, the Christian community. With this in mind, the supposed gap between the “early” and the “later” B becomes much smaller. I only wish Pugh had discussed B’s Ethics, which seems to have its “Constantinian” moments. It is also here that B mentions four scripture-ordained “mandates”: church, government, work, and marriage/family – and yes, it’s a quite traditional conception of marriage and family.
However, I do have some comments to make:
1. When I attended Duke, it was the “Mennonite Mafia,” not the “Hauerwasian Mafia.” True, most of his students/followers are not probably not Mennonite, but it just sounds better, containing not only more irony but alliteration as well.
2. “Fighting Christians” is pretty amusing in my opinion, almost as much as “Deamon Deacons.” Frankly, I think it’s awesome and want to buy a ballcap with that maskot on it. Hopefully I can still find one! Perhaps it is a bit blasphemous, but who doesn’t enjoy South Park or “The Life of Brian”? You theologians need to chill out sometimes.
In any case, I am going to buy a copy of Pugh’s book for myself and also get one for the theology library at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. Looking forward to reading it!
Studious Steve!!!!! Any thing that gets you to appear and write on the HBC webpage is good for me. Demon Deacons might be too close to reality for it to be funny.
[...] Bonhoeffer’s Religionless Christianity, podcast Posted on April 13, 2009 by Brittian Bullock I’ve referenced Bonhoeffer’s “Letter’s and Paper’s From Prison”. It has, no doubt, been extremely influential on me of late. There is a new book that has just come out dealing with this topic, hopefully I can review it soon. However, Tripp Fuller of Homebrewed Christianity interviews the author. This is such a brilliant interview. Jeffrey Pugh is articulate and articulates the times and events, as well as the heart of Bonhoeffer in this conversation. If you’d like to learn more about this subject and important theologian, who did much to change the face of Christianity for the good, listen to this podcast [...]
Thanks for this interview – I’m listening to it right now.
If anyone is interested, I put together a a collection of all the excerpts related to “religionless Christianity” in “Letters and Papers.” You can find it at my blog:
http://adammoore.us/post/96163730/interview-with-bonhoeffer-scholar
Okay, what have you done with my wookie?
That’s what she said.
[...] What I’ve Been Listening to – I’m back on my Kings of Leon kick – Only By the Night is fantastic. Like everyone, I get tired of the hype which hasn’t stopped me from loving U2, Coldplay, certain blockbuster movies, etc. but when the Kings were on the covers of Rolling Stone and Relevant (click on the pic to read their digital edition), I was bugged for some reason. In reality, they couldn’t have had a better band on there. 2. Loved the Homebrewed Christianity podcast on Dietrich Bonhoeffer “Religionless Christianity” with author/professor Jeffrey Pugh which you can listen to here. [...]