The Religious Treehouse

Happy Halloween! Well, it’s not Halloween, but we’re talking about monsters in the Bible: specifically the Leviathan. Jodie and Matthew briefly introduce what a monster is, where they show up in the Bible, and how modern discussions tend to tame them. Then, they get into it with the leviathan and how it’s the biggest and baddest of monsters, but also maybe God’s BFF? Take a listen and let us know...

In honor of the recent passing of Pope Francis, Jodie and Matthew discuss the Oscar award winning movie, Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes. If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should, because we get touch on all the spoilers, following each character and how this movie portrays catholicism in all of its beautiful and problematic forms. Take a list and let us know what you think about Conclav...

Happy Easter to all who celebrate! In honor of this celebration for Christians, this episode looks at the final meal of Jesus before his death and subsequent resurrection as celebrated on Easter. So, Jodie and Matthew talk through the 4 gospel accounts of this final dinner with a focus on the synoptic gospels and a brief discussion on the synoptic problem. Then they talk about how the last supper...

Jodie and Matthew have returned to Exodus to discuss the 10 plagues! Well, the first 9 at least. Well, it depends on who’s counting. Throughout Exodus 7-10, we discuss how the first 9 plagues act as a literary unit and how the plagues may have been intentionally chosen to emulate a reversal of Genesis 1, and how they may have intentionally been chosen as a sort of cosmic war between the God of Mos...

Jodie and Matthew once again investigate the exciting world of alternative religious movements. This time, they talk about The Seekers, a UFO religion from the 1950’s that was convinced the world was going to end on December 21. But what they didn’t know was that a group of Sociologists and Psychologists infiltrated the group to try to understand what happens when their predictions of the end of t...

Apocrypha. Deuterocanon. Those books in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles that Protestants have never heard of... That’s what we’re talking about in this episode! And then we get into Bel and the Dragon, also known as Chapter 14 of the Greek Daniel. So if Bel and the Dragon is part of your Bible, if it’s not part of your Bible, or if you don’t claim a Bible as your own, this episode will introduce...

Moses is one of the most important, if not the most important characters in the Hebrew Bible. It’s time we talk about him. In this episode, Jodie and Matthew discuss the first few chapters of Exodus to talk about famous stories including Moses murdering an Egyptian, the Burning Bush, the name of God, and that one time when God tried to kill Moses. So, there’s a lot. Also, Matthew can’t stop talkin...

Spoilers! Jodie and Matthew are diving into one of their favorite biblical musicals: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. If you haven’t seen it, watch it now, before this episode! Or instead of this episode. We don’t care. It’s that good. Matthew, of course, can’t help rambling about some biblical nerd stuff regarding the Joseph story found in Genesis, but Jodie and Matthew mainly discus...

It’s time for one of the most lively and exciting Jewish holidays: Purim! Jodie and Matthew discuss the biblical origins of Purim by looking closely at Esther 9 and 10 before talking about how Purim is commonly practiced today. Whether you celebrate Purim every year or you’ve never heard of the holiday, this episode is for you! This episode pairs well with wine and Hamantaschen. Let us know what y...

What’s new in the world of Christianity? Lent is coming up! Well, this isn’t new and it is a very old tradition for many Christians, but it’s that time of year again. If you know about Ash Wednesday and Lent, let us know what we missed out on talking about! If you don’t know much about Ash Wednesday and Lent, listen along and learn about what this season means for so many Christians! Works Referen...

Judges is such an underappreciated book of the Bible, but has some of the most classic stories that most people know, like the stories of Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. Jodie and Matthew talk about none of that, though. Instead, they discuss a brief background on the book of Judges and then focus on the story of Ehud - a story of political assassination and potty humor. Works Referenced and Recommen...

Song of Songs is perhaps the most steamy book in the Bible and the perfect reading material for this Valentine’s day! Jodie and Matthew discuss this most unique book of the Bible to try to give it the appreciation that it deserves by delving into the history of the book and dissecting a few passages throughout the song. Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: Chapter 16: Job and Song of Songs i...

Uh oh! We’re dipping our toes into politics, or at least trying to. Recently, President Trump has announced that he is creating a task force to “Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias” and he is instituting a White House Faith Office headed by Paula White. Jodie and Matthew discuss what this may mean from a religious perspective and then we flesh out a few misunderstandings some people may have, especially...

We’ve all heard of Jonestown. But do we all know what actually happened? Do we know the story behind the massacre? And perhaps more importantly, do we know the story about after the massacre? Jodie and Matthew discuss the history behind Jonestown and the events leading up to its infamous last moments, followed by a conversation on how Jonestown has been framed by the media and others, and pontific...

In their first expedition into the world of Hebrew poetry, Jodie and Matthew discuss the Psalms and answer the burning questions regarding this wide collection of poetry. Using Psalm 137 as an example we examine its context, structure, and interpretations. Who wrote the Psalms? When? How are these Psalms organized? Structured? Performed? Stick around until the end to hear a tiny bit about how Psal...

We’re back in the New Testament again! Jodie and Matthew explore Jesus’s parable of The Good Samaritan and attempt to rid ourselves of the common misconceptions we may have when it comes to this passage, and it may be even more shocking than originally believed! Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy Jill Levine Fol...

WARNING. This episode discusses sensitive topics including suicide. Conversations about suicide can be troublesome or difficult for some. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call or text 988 to connect to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to any local resources you may have.  After the First Jewish Revolt and the Destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 CE, the fo...

Happy New Year! In this episode, Jodie and Matthew discuss a variety of terms that they think are worth discussing, including the name of God, pronouns of God, the dating system we use, differentiating people groups, the Difference between the different collections in the Bible, the differences between Religious Studies and Biblical Studies and Theological studies, ending with a conversation on et...

Jonah is a well-known story for kids, but why do people stop talking about it after they’ve grown up? Jodie and Matthew attempt to strip away the Veggietales-ification of this fascinating story to get into the fascinating Biblical satire that is the Book of Jonah. And no, it’s not a whale. It’s a fish. Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: Rhetorical Criticism: Context, Method, and the Book o...

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: The Religious Treehouse has taken a turn from an attempt to be academic to have a nice fun chat about Christmas. After discussing some of the hosts’ favorite things about Christmas, they continue last week's conversation by discussing the movie/musical “Journey to Bethlehem” and Matthew ends the conversation with some introspection for the podcast.  Works...

Jodie and Matthew boldly go where many have gone before and discuss the birth narratives of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke. Sadly, the Biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth don’t exactly line up with nativity scenes and stories told in Sunday School, but they still tell rich and important stories in their own right, with their unique purposes and theological claims. Works Referenced and Recommended R...

We’re back in the Hebrew Bible as we discuss Esther! As Esther is such a rich text with so much to discuss, expect sporadic future episodes on detailed analysis and study of Esther, but for now, we do an in-depth reading of Esther with a focus primarily on the genre and humor so evident in the text. Let us know your thoughts! Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: The Megillah Project Videos —...

No one of sound mind would have one of their first podcast episodes be about something as controversial as Scientology, but here we are. This week, Jodie and Matthew move away from discussions of the Bible and talk about the practices, history, and controversies of Scientology. Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion by Hugh B. Urban Follow...

It may seem like The Religious Treehouse is merely trekking through the Bible in order, but fear not! This is the last time we’ll have an episode dedicated to Genesis for a while. Immediately after last week’s discussion is a second, earlier creation account, which focuses on the creation of the first 2 humans. What mysteries are in store here? Is Eve a feminist icon or a dastardly troublemaker? W...

The first full episode of The Religious Treehouse has arrived! In this episode Jodie and Matthew discuss the first creation story in the Bible, but the 2nd one written? How could that be? Listen along as they discuss Genesis 1:1-2:4 and talk about the 7 days of Creation, what may have influenced the text, and how it has been interpreted. Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: The Formation of...