Character Study: The Bible for Real

The Character Study podcast episode on Judas, hosted by Jon Fortt and David Tieche, examines the infamous betrayer not as a monster beyond humanity but as  a cautionary mirror — someone whose trajectory any of us could follow in smaller ways. The episode opens by situating Judas among history's great betrayers — Benedict Arnold, Shakespeare's Iago — before drawing a critical distinction be...

bible.fortt.com In this episode of Character Study , Jon Fortt and pastor David Tieche take up one of Jesus’ most famous—and most misunderstood—parables: the Good Samaritan. Jon frames the conversation around the word neighbor and why it has such sharp relevance today, especially amid modern debates about law, borders, responsibility, and who deserves care. He’s clear that the goal isn’t political...

In the Season 1 finale of  Character Study , Jon Fortt and David Tieche step back from individual episodes to reflect on what the Genesis story of Abraham and his extended family ultimately reveals about character, faith and human responsibility. Rather than offer tidy moral lessons, the conversation emphasizes complexity: character is revealed not only by personal choices, but by proximity, influ...

In this episode of  Character Study , Jon Fortt and David Tieche turn to one of the most unsettling passages in the Bible: Genesis 22 and the binding of Isaac. While Isaac is often treated as a secondary figure in Abraham’s story, the conversation insists he cannot be ignored. This is a narrative that provokes fear, moral revulsion and deep questions about the character of God – and the hosts resi...

In this episode of  Character Study , Jon Fortt and David Tieche explore  Genesis 19 —the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah—by focusing less on spectacle and more on character, moral drift, and spiritual consequence. Jon frames the chapter as a biblical horror story: temptation, warning signs ignored, catastrophic judgment, and the unsettling truth that escape alone does not guarantee safety. The...

In this episode, Jon and David continue their examination of Lot by contrasting his character with Abraham’s and focusing on Genesis 18–19, the events leading to the destruction of Sodom. Lot is presented not as a clear villain, but as a deeply compromised figure—someone who recognizes God and practices religious gestures, yet is shaped far more by the culture he chose than by the God he claims to...

In this special Advent edition of  Character Study , Jon Fortt and David Tieche pause their Abraham series to reflect on Luke 2 and two often-overlooked figures surrounding Jesus’ infancy:  Simeon and Anna . Coming after a discussion of Herod, the episode intentionally contrasts worldly power with quiet faithfulness. The conversation centers on how Simeon and Anna are, by all conventional measures...

This special episode of Character Study marks a first for the podcast, as Jon Fortt and David Tieche welcome their inaugural guest: Dr. Carlos Campo, CEO of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. Campo, who has led the museum for about a year and a half after previously serving on its board, describes his role not as a career move but as a calling. After decades as a university president and...

Jon and Dave continue their Advent conversation in anticipation of the birth of Jesus. In Episode 7 of Character Study, journalist Jon Fortt and pastor David Tieche unpack the historical facts and Biblical details about Herod, his interactions with the magi, relationship with the Roman Empire, and significance as a political figure.

Jon and Dave continue their Advent conversation in anticipation of the birth of Jesus. For Episode 6 of Character Study, journalist Jon Fortt and pastor David Tieche explore the story of Zacharias, father of John the Baptist, and how he responded to the miraculous news that a baby was on the way.

Dave and Jon take a break from the Abraham cycle in the podcast to begin reflecting on the Christmas moment in scripture. In Episode 5 of Character Study, journalist Jon Fortt and pastor David Tieche look at how different audiences react to the news of the savior's arrival, and what we can learn from them.

Your money or your life? Lot follows his uncle Abraham on an epic journey, but along the way their economic interests collide. As a result, Lot makes a fateful decision to pitch his tent near a city notorious for values that are out of alignment with the God he and Abraham serve. In Episode 4 of Character Study, journalist Jon Fortt and pastor David Tieche look at Lot's choices and Abrahams, t...

This is a tough story. Hagar shows up in Genesis 16, but it's in a context where, as we talked about in the last couple episodes, Abraham and Sarah have been promised a child, an offspring, but they're old. Then there's a delay. And that's the problem. Sarah had an Egyptian slave named Hagar. So she said to Abraham, "The Lord has kept me from having children. Go sleep with my...

Sarah wants children but can't get pregnant. God promises to fix the situation – but isn't in a rush. Her husband has big dreams and a bigger calling, and she sometimes feels like an afterthought. In Episode 2 of Character Study, journalist Jon Fortt and pastor David Tieche explore the story of a woman dealing with extraordinary circumstances and massive disappointment – and what we can le...

Pastor David Tieche and journalist Jon Fortt kick off the Character Study series by breaking down one of the biggest moments in the Bible, and one of the most important people, Abraham. Does Abraham have amazing faith, or is he really gullible? How is God's encounter here different from anything that's happened before? And do you stop for food on a road trip of this magnitude? Beginning in...