Hope Church Pub Theology is a rich conversational space in which we gather for casual conversation about a theological topic in a public setting. It is a place to wonder and perhaps hear something new about a topic that interests you and to grow in community and belonging with a group of fellow wanderers. We’d love to have you join us.
Here’s what you can expect if you do.
We will have some light food/appetizers to aid our conversation. You are very welcome to order your own drinks and more food of your own, and we encourage folks to treat the establishments that host us well.
An article that connects to the theme and will shake some thoughts loose for those attending will be sent out in the days prior to our meeting. If you’d like to see that article when it comes out, follow us on Facebook or email Pastor Jackson at jnickolay@hopechurchrca.org to be added to the email group.
Pub Theology is a progressive space for those from all walks of life and ideologies to come together and discuss perspectives on God, philosophy, and faith, and what it looks like to integrate our beliefs and values into how we engage daily life.
You can expect that Pub Theology will consistently focus on Christian theological topics but will welcome people of any or no faith background. Pub Theology strives to be a safe space, but it is not group therapy. For more emotionally serious and individualized topics, Pastor Jackson is available to meet one on one or help you find someone safe for you to get support. We are no strangers to profanity, but we refrain from using slurs and hurtful language. Pub Theology is loudly anti-racist, anti-oppression, and pro-love. We celebrate and welcome people of all orientations, gender expressions, ability levels, races, ages, creeds, educations, life experiences, and backgrounds.
For March 2026, we have a good variety of topics and things to switch up our rhythms. Read on to hear more about the upcoming conversations. Unless otherwise noted, we meet from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
March 4 | A Reading of the Book of Esther | Location: Hope Church Youth Room
The Jewish festival of Purim is celebrated during this week. It is a Jewish holiday which notes God’s deliverance of the Hebrew people through the biblical hero Esther. In appreciation of this holiday, we will gather at Hope Church to read through and sometimes act out the entirety of the book of Esther. Expect playful dramatics and shared laughter as we engage this story of one of the Bible’s great heroes.
March 11 | Christianity and Power | Location: Waverly Stone
Ever since its connection to the Empire of Rome during the reign of Emperor Constantine, Christianity has had an “out-in-the-open” connection to power. But the roots of the struggle between faithful relationship with our creator God and our relationship with the power of empire predates even the Roman Empire. This week we’ll welcome a conversation about that struggle, ask questions about when power has served and when it has hindered the message of the Good News, and consider alternate postures the church may adopt in association with power.
March 18 | Celtic Christianity: Symbolism, Saints, and Stories | Location: Waverly Stone
This week, Pastor Jackson will share a little about his connection with and love for Celtic Christianity, the historical importance of the Celtic Church Communities, and how the bardic tradition of the Celts led to centuries of both preservation and faithful witness within the Christian community.
March 25 | CANCELED due to Scheduling Conflicts
We will engage the planned topic, Developmental Psychology and Teaching Children about Faith, later in the season.
We hope to see you there!
Photo by Lutz Stallknecht on Unsplash