Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Marvin Wickware came on to talk about his lecture from the Democracy in Tension summit and his book 'Loving Through Enmity,' and we got into some really beautiful and difficult territory. Marvin's story is powerful - raised by an interracial couple in 1980s Indiana who were treated terribly by churches, converted through evangelical campus ministry, ended up at Union studying with James Cone, and that's where his faith, his values, and his intellectual work all clicked together. We talked about need-based love as an ethical framework, how both democracy and Christianity are aspirational projects that we're always falling short of, and how to navigate the gap between ideals and reality without either abandoning the dream or using it to mask our failures. Marvin shared about being a black theologian in predominantly white mainline spaces, the importance of having people on your side who can tell you you're not crazy, and how to practice love toward enemies without being naive about power and harm. It's the kind of conversation that makes you think differently about what love actually requires of us in this political moment.
You can get access to Dr. Wickware's lecture and the entire Democracy in Tension series here. homebrewedchristianity.lpages.co/democracy-in-tension-summit-info-page
I hope you enjoy it and consider supporting my work by joining 75k+ other people on Process This. processthis.substack.com
Support the podcast: HomebrewedCommunity.com
Marvin Wickware came on to talk about his lecture from the Democracy in Tension summit and his book 'Loving Through Enmity,' and we got into some really beautiful and difficult territory. Marvin's story is powerful - raised by an interracial couple in 1980s Indiana who were treated terribly by churches, converted through evangelical campus ministry, ended up at Union studying with James Cone, and that's where his faith, his values, and his intellectual work all clicked together. We talked about need-based love as an ethical framework, how both democracy and Christianity are aspirational projects that we're always falling short of, and how to navigate the gap between ideals and reality without either abandoning the dream or using it to mask our failures. Marvin shared about being a black theologian in predominantly white mainline spaces, the importance of having people on your side who can tell you you're not crazy, and how to practice love toward enemies without being naive about power and harm. It's the kind of conversation that makes you think differently about what love actually requires of us in this political moment.
You can get access to Dr. Wickware's lecture and the entire Democracy in Tension series here. homebrewedchristianity.lpages.co/democracy-in-tension-summit-info-page
I hope you enjoy it and consider supporting my work by joining 75k+ other people on Process This. processthis.substack.com
Support the podcast: HomebrewedCommunity.com
