The New Evangelicals Podcast 17. I'd Rather Be an Atheist than a Calvinist with Tripp Fuller
Jun 14, 2021
Tripp Fuller, theologian and author known for open and relational theology, reflects on why questioning tradition shaped his work. He discusses the four Gospels as differing testimonies that still belong together. He explains leaving Calvinism, explores co-creative divine love, and champions faith as communal engagement and embodied practice.
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Fifth-Grade Gospel Confusion
- Tripp as a fifth-grader charted the Gospels and thought his Bible was broken because details didn't line up.
- His parents explained the differences as varied testimonies, which launched his lifelong theological inquiry.
Gospels As Varied Testimonies
- The four Gospels are divergent testimonies, not a single forensic report, and reflect different communities' encounters with Jesus.
- Reading them as theological narratives frees readers from expecting rigid factual uniformity and honors their existential testimony.
Canon Embraces Theological Diversity
- Canonizing four distinct Gospels gives the church multiple lenses to name who Jesus is across cultures and questions.
- Those different focuses (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) together support a broader, more resilient Christian identity.
