Bill Leonard - The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to Church History: Flaming Heretics and Heavy Drinkers

To the students and graduates of the School of Divinity,
Wake Forest University, 19992018, ever a shelter
for those distressed of conscience. Homebrewed
Christianity extraordinaire.

You are about to read a guidebook. Not only is the book the sweet guide book size, shaped perfectly to take a ride in your back pocket, but the book itself was crafted with care by a real-deal theology nerd. Heres the thing. The Homebrewed Christianity Guide series has one real goal: we want to think with you, not for you.

The whole homebrew metaphor grows from my passion for helping anyone who wants to geek out about theology to do so with the best ingredients around. Thats why I started the Homebrewed Christianity podcast in 2008, and thats why I am thrilled to partner with Fortress Presss Theology for the People team to produce this series. I am confident that the church has plenty of intelligent and passionate people who want a more robust conversation about their faith.

A podcast, in case youre wondering, is like talk radio on demand without the commercials. You download a file and listen when, if, where, and how long you want. I love the podcast medium. Short of talking one-on-one, theres hardly a more intimate presence than speaking to someone in their earbuds as theyre stuck in traffic, on the treadmill, or washing dishes. When I started the podcast, I wanted to give anyone the option of listening to some of the best thinkers from the church and the academy.

Originally, the podcast was for friends, family, and my local pub theology group. I figured people in the group were more likely to listen to a podcast than read a giant book. So as the resident theology nerd, I read the books and then interviewed the authors. Soon, thousands of people were listening. Since then the audience has grown to over fifty thousand unique listeners each month and over a million downloads. A community of listeners, whom we call Deacons, grew, and weve got a cast of co-hosts and regular guests.

Over the better part of a decade, I have talked to scores of theologians and engaged with the Deacons about these conversations. It has been a real joy. Every time I hear from a listener, I do the happy dance in my soul.

And heres the deal: I love theology, but I love the church more. I am convinced that the church can really make a difference in the world. But in order to do that, it needs to face reality rather than run from it. The church must use its brain, live its faith, and join God in working for the salvation of the world. And thats what these books are all about.

We often open and close the podcast by reminding listeners that we are providing the ingredients so that they can brew their own faith. Thats the same with these books. Each author is an expert theological brewer, and theyve been asked to write from their own point of view. These guidebooks are not boringly neutral; instead, they are zestily provocative, meant to get you thinking and brewing.

I look forward to hearing from you on the Speakpipe at HomebrewedChristianity.com and meeting you at an HBC 3D event. We can drink a pint and talk about this book, how you agree and disagree with it. Because if were talking about theology, the world is a better place.

And remember: Share the Brew!

Tripp Fuller

Whether its the podcast, the blog, or live events, Homebrewed Christianity has always been a conversation, and these books are no different. So inside of this and every volume in the HBC book, youll be hearing from four members of the Homebrewed community. They are:

The Bishop: Kindly, pastoral, encouraging. Shes been around the block a few times, and nothing ruffles her feathers. She wants everyone to succeed, and shes an optimist, so she knows they will.

The Elder: Scolding, arrogant, know-it-all. Hes old and disgruntled, the father figure you can never please. He loves quoting doctrine; hes the kind of guy who controls every church meeting because he knows Roberts Rules of Order better than anyone else.

The Deacon: Earnest, excited, energetic. Hes a guy who has just discovered HBC, and he cant get enough of it. Hes a cheerleader, a shouter, an encourager. Hes still in his first navet.

The Acolyte: Smart, inquisitive, skeptical. Shes the smartest student in your confirmation class. Shes bound to be a biologist or a physicist, and shes skeptical of all the hocus pocus of Christianity. But she hasnt given up on it yet, so her questions come from the heart. She really wants to know if all this stuff works.

We look forward to continuing the conversation with you, online and in-person!