The Future of Religion: A Four-Week Online Class with Dr. Ilia Delio & Dr. Tripp Fuller
The Future of Religion
A Four-Week Online Class with Dr. Ilia Delio & Dr. Tripp Fuller – Link
You haven’t lost your faith. You’ve outgrown its container.
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You’ve read the books. Asked the questions. Maybe deconstructed, maybe just drifted. The faith you inherited doesn’t fit anymore—but you’re not ready to throw it all away.
You’re not alone. And, you’re not broken.
What if the restlessness you feel isn’t a loss of faith but the growing pains of faith evolving? What if religion itself is going through exactly what you’re going through—and there’s a map for what comes next?
Dr. Ilia Delio (Franciscan sister, Villanova theologian, author of The Not-Yet God) and Dr. Tripp Fuller (founder of Homebrewed Christianity, process theologian, host of 1,500+ conversations with leading scholars) have spent decades on this question. Now they’re joining forces to trace religion’s evolutionary arc—and to invite you into what’s emerging.
Live Q&A sessions begin in May. Sign up now to join the conversation in real time—or watch the replays at your own pace.
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Who This Is For?
This class is for you if…
You’re tired of choosing between intellectual honesty and spiritual depth
You’ve “deconstructed” but don’t want to throw out everything
Church feels like a foreign country, but “spiritual but not religious” doesn’t quite fit either
You sense that something new is trying to be born—and you want language for it
You’ve heard of Teilhard de Chardin or Alfred North Whitehead and want to actually understand them
You’re a pastor, teacher, or spiritual director trying to help others navigate this terrain
You want to feel less alone in asking these questions
“Homebrewed Christianity is, in my opinion, the best open and interactive community I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve learned so much from people who are not only brilliant but kind and fun.”
— Ednaldo Elme
“Wait—is this going to trash my tradition?”
No. This class takes evolution seriously, but it does so from within the Christian tradition—not against it.
Ilia is a Franciscan sister and Catholic theologian. Tripp is a Baptist minister who teaches at a Lutheran seminary. Both are committed to carrying inherited wisdom forward, not abandoning it.
The question isn’t whether Christianity has a future. It’s what kind of Christianity can meet the demands of an evolving cosmos.
If you’re looking for someone to tell you religion is dead, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for someone to pretend nothing needs to change, this isn’t it either.
This is for people who want to go deeper, not just out.
The Four Sessions
Religion’s evolutionary arc
Tripp and Ilia take turns guiding you through religion’s evolutionary arc. Tripp traces the embodied, pre-Axial roots and diagnoses the current crisis through Whitehead’s process lens. Ilia illuminates the Axial turn and casts the vision for Second Axial religion through Teilhard’s evolutionary mysticism. Together, they model the integration the course describes.
PREVIEW LIVESTREAM
Faith After Belief: What If You’re Not Losing Religion — You’re Outgrowing It?
WITH DR. ILIA DELIO AND Dr. Tripp Fuller
Preview Livestream: Friday, May 29th — 10am PT / 1pm ET
- Join Dr. Ilia Delio and Dr. Tripp Fuller for a preview of the class. Don’t miss it!
01
Week One
Before Belief: The Embodied Roots of Religion
Lecture by Dr. Tripp Fuller
Livestream Q&A: Monday, June 1st — 8am PT / 11am ET
What was religion before it became about believing the right things?
- A framework for understanding why “belief” feels so central to religion today—and why it wasn’t always
- Language for the parts of your spirituality that don’t fit in doctrinal boxes
- Permission to trust your body, your community, and the earth as sources of the sacred
- Whitehead’s four-stage model: ritual → emotion → belief → rationalization
02
Week Two
The Axial Turn: When Religion Became About Belief
Lecture by Dr. Ilia Delio
Livestream Q&A: Monday, June 8th — 10am PT / 1pm ET
What was gained—and lost—when religion centered on belief, individual salvation, and transcendence?
- Understanding of the “Axial Age” (800–200 BCE) and why it still shapes everything about how we do religion
- Clarity on why your tradition emphasizes doctrine, individual salvation, and transcendence
- A framework for what the First Axial turn gave us—and what it cost us (earth, body, collective, feminine)
- How Christianity got tied to an ancient cosmology—and why that’s now a problem
03
Week Three
The Crisis: Why the Old Maps Don’t Work
Lecture by Dr. Tripp Fuller
Livestream Q&A: Monday, June 22nd — 10am PT / 1pm ET
Why are our inherited religious forms struggling—and what does this have to do with evolution?
- A diagnosis that doesn’t blame you (or “the culture”) for why faith feels harder now
- Understanding of why belief-centered religion is losing traction—especially among people who think deeply
- Clarity on why “going back” isn’t an option, even if it’s tempting
- Language for the spiritual hunger that technology and AI are now trying to fill
04
Week Four
Second Axial Religion: Toward an Evolutionary Faith
Lecture by Dr. Ilia Delio
Livestream Q&A: Monday, June 29th — 10am PT / 1pm ET
What would religion look like if it integrated evolution, recovered its embodied roots, and transcended belief-bounded expressions?
- A vision for faith that doesn’t require you to leave your brain at the door
- Teilhard’s shift from God “above” to God “ahead”—and what that changes about everything
- Understanding of “Second Axial consciousness”: collective and individual, transcendent and immanent
- Hope that something real is emerging—not just critique of what’s dying
“Grad-school level classes with incredible teachers in a fun, accessible, and engaging online experience for even an exhausted working pastor/parent to participate in and enjoy!”
— Rachel Haxtema, Associate Pastor, Keystone UCC (Seattle, WA)
What’s Included?
Everything you need to go deep
4 Visual Lectures
Pre-recorded video lectures you can watch on your own schedule—approximately 50 minutes each.
4 Live Q&A Sessions
Ask Ilia and Tripp your questions in real time. Can’t make it live? Replays are posted within 24 hours.
Private Online Community
Connect with fellow travelers in the class Facebook group. Share questions, resources, and aha moments throughout the four weeks.
Lifetime Access
All lectures and replays available on the Class Resource Page for at least one year. Learn at your own pace, revisit anytime.
Join the Class — Pay What You Can
The Instructors
Two decades of questions,
one conversation
Dr. Ilia Delio, OSF
Franciscan Sister & Villanova Theologian
Ilia holds doctorates in both pharmacology and historical theology—a rare combination that lets her bridge science and faith with unusual rigor. Author of over twenty books including The Unbearable Wholeness of Being and The Not-Yet God, and founder of the Center for Christogenesis. She wants to do theology “with people in the malls, in the parks, and on Facebook”—not just in the academy.
Dr. Tripp Fuller
Theologian, Podcaster & Luther Seminary Faculty
Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University, postdoc at the University of Edinburgh. Founder of Homebrewed Christianity, host of one of the world’s most popular theology podcasts (2 million+ downloads last year), and author of Divine Self-Investment. His Process This newsletter has 75,000+ subscribers. He takes the Lakers and Lord of the Rings way too seriously.
Pricing
Pay What
You Can
$0If that’s what you have
$50Most common
$250Full value
A course like this is typically offered for $250 or more. But we believe this conversation is too important to put behind a paywall.
Your contribution helps make this possible for everyone—including pastors on tight budgets, students, and people in parts of the world where $250 is a month’s salary.
Not sure if this is for you? Sign up and watch the first lecture.
Join the Class — Pay What You Can
All are equally welcome. Contribute what feels right.
“HBC classes have been an absolute lifeline for allowing me to have continuing education outside of the adult Sunday School setting. Many people have limited exposure to the entire spectrum of Christianity as well as other world religions in the church setting, and these classes are a wonderful resource in that regard.”
— John Pohl, MD, Pediatric Surgeon (University of Utah)
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the class meet?
The class is asynchronous—you can participate fully without being present at any specific time. Watch the lectures and Q&A replays whenever it works for you.
What if I can’t make the live sessions?
No problem. All lectures and Q&A replays are available on the password-protected Class Resource Page within 24 hours. You can watch on your own schedule.
How do I get access?
After you sign up, you’ll receive an email with access to the Class Resource Page, details on joining the Facebook group, and everything you need to get started.
Do I need Facebook?
No. Facebook is optional—just an additional way to connect with other participants. All the core content is on the Class Resource Page.
What if I’m “spiritual but not religious”?
Welcome. One of the things we’ll explore is why that category has grown—and what it might suggest about the Second Axial emergence. Whether you’re deconstructing, reconstructing, or constructing for the first time, this class offers resources for the journey.
What if I’m still pretty traditional in my faith?
Also welcome. This class isn’t about tearing down tradition—it’s about understanding where tradition came from and how it might evolve. Many participants are pastors and church leaders trying to help their communities navigate this terrain. You don’t have to agree with everything to get something valuable from the conversation.
Can our church or small group use this?
Yes! You’re welcome to use this class for Sunday School or small groups. If watching together, we encourage each person to sign up for access to the Resource Page and Facebook group. Each person can contribute individually, or the church can designate someone to make a donation on behalf of the group. Questions? Email classinfo@homebrewedchristianity.com.
Who produces this course?
Homebrewed Christianity — making academic theology accessible since 2008.
Join the Class — Pay What You Can
“I’ve taken several Homebrewed classes over the years, from Black theology to Kierkegaard to Bonhoeffer to Tolkien. From the episodes and the readings I’ve learned things I wouldn’t have otherwise had access to, from some of my favorite scholars or about some of my favorite topics. It’s been a treasure to be part of them.”
— Jonathan Stegall, faith-rooted organizer, abolitionist, designer, and coder
Ready?
Live Q&A sessions
begin May 29th!
Yes — I’m Ready to Explore This
P.S. — If you’ve ever felt like you’re “too much” for church but not ready to give up on faith, this class is for you. Ilia and Tripp have been where you are. So have thousands of others in this community. You don’t have to figure this out alone. And you don’t have to choose between your mind and your soul.
Something new is being born. Come find out what it is.
“The path forward requires nothing less than a complete reimagining of Christianity—not as a rescue operation from the world but as conscious participation in the world’s transformation.”— Ilia Delio
“God is the great companion—the fellow-sufferer who understands.”— Alfred North Whitehead