We live in a consumer culture. Everything is packaged and sold to us as a commodity — or, at best, a “program.”
But humans don’t grow by acquiring more things, consuming more information, or running programs.
We grow by taking new ideas and experiences and integrating them with existing ones.
And we grow with intention when we apply critical thinking to those new ideas and experiences so we can discern what is good, true, and beautiful.
Human Training
Learning to think critically about our world and how to adapt thoughtfully to new ideas is what I call human training. Because when don’t just outright accept — or reject — everything we don’t understand, we instead have to make other conceptual moves that entail things like:
- Investigating the truth of a claim
- Humbly considering we could be wrong
- Appreciating nuance and complexity
- and, sometimes, Hearing out others with empathy
Join The Conversation to get beyond bad models and to open yourself up to a vibrant world of ideas.
Upcoming Sessions
 | Who Was Bonhoeffer? | An expertly guided conversation for people who want to talk more about Homebrewed Christianity’s “Rise of Bonhoeffer” series | Starts Wed, Oct 30, 8 pm CT |
| TBA | Stay tuned for groups following The Bible for Normal People classes |
FAQ
Is this group affiliated with any of the podcasts or courses we’ll follow?
At the present time, this is my own project, independent of anyone we may be following. In future, I hope to build partnerships to more fruitfully align content and schedules.
Why does it cost so much when many of the courses are pay-what-you-want?
I do not operate as a nonprofit, so I cannot simply accept donations. Instead, I have to arrive at a fair rate for the value I provide. I hold a PhD in English and have over 20 years experience as a teacher, tutor, discussion guide, and group facilitator. This isn’t about me opening a Zoom room and letting you talk. I will come to each session as if I planned to give a lecture on the topic, but I will use that preparation to keep the conversation rooted in the source materials and following good logical reasoning. I will also establish ground rules and moderate the discussion to keep us moving deeper and deeper into the topics.
Moreover, these kinds of groups work best when there is buy-in. It’s hard to gel as a group when people casually pop in and out. If I priced things right, you’ll feel financially committed to the group — as will everyone else — and so our conversations will improve over time as we grow as a group.