Reparadigmed Podcast

Jehovah, LORD, Yahweh – what is God’s name and does it matter? Nick and Matt chat about God’s name, whether or not we should use it, and how it got lost (continues to get lost) in translation(s). What about Jesus’ name? The GOAT (greatest of all time) from Galilee certainly was never called “GEEZUS” (Jesus) in his life, so are we wrong for using the English name to refer to him? Wouldn’t it matter...

Sacrifice is a weird practice. If we want to know what’s going on, we must understand the practice within its own setting. Matt leads us down the rabbit hole of sacrificial atonement theology in the Hebrew Bible. Matt and Nick discuss why YHWH told the ancient Hebrews to send their stinky goat to the devil, how animal blood was considered an effective detergent to clean sacred space, and how all t...

The military is an efficient allegiance-forming machine. What does that mean for a Christian in military service? U.S. Air Force veteran Joey Fasulo joins the  Reparadigmed Podcast to talk about his experience finding Jesus while in the US Air Force, how the military uses Christianity for its purposes, and what trying to live by the ethic of Jesus looks like while serving as an airman.  ...

Dr. Greg Boyd sits down with the Reparadigmed Podcast to discuss Christian nationalism, the misinterpretation of faith in political actions, and the urgent need for a genuine Christian witness that transcends violence and political ideology. Our discussion sheds light on the historical misunderstanding of a 'Christian nation,' critiques the fusion of faith with political power, and calls for a ret...

The Reparadigmed Podcast welcomes Dr. George Kalantzis to discuss his book, Caesar and the Lamb: Early Christian Attitudes on War and Military Service. As a patristics scholar, Dr. Kalantzis takes Matt and Nick for a deep dive into the contrasts and comparisons between Christianity's historical stance on military service and contemporary views, spawned primarily from Augustine of Hippo in the 5th...

American politicians have referenced the Bible in support of all sorts of policies. In this episode, Matt and Nick connected with Kaitlyn Schiess to discuss the bizarre ways that scripture has been used and abused in the politics of slavery, the Cold War, civil rights, and how better Bible reading leads to better politics. Resources Referenced: The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used...

What happens to Christianity when it gets blended with another religion that uses violence to solve its problems? Nick and Matt discuss the American civil religion, competing definitions of victory, and how fear drives Christians to compromise. Resources Referenced: Revelation for the Rest of Us by Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett, Losing Our Religion by Russel Moore, American Legion: Preamble to t...

“Follow Jesus” seems like such a simple command, until you remember that Jesus went to the cross. The early church had an uncompromising allegiance to Jesus, unity in a non-violent ethic, and a shocking willingness to obey Jesus’ words, “Follow me.” But how did the church in Rome go from being a non-conforming problem for Rome to asking the Roman military to settle church division within a century...

You can’t give yourself a nickname. Before Jesus came, another man was heralded as the savior of the Jewish people. Judas, nicknamed “The Hammer” Maccabees was a brash, bold warrior who gave the Jewish oppressors more than they could handle. Surely, generations later, under the oppression of Rome, God’s people needed another Hammer, right? Nick and Matt discuss Jesus’s surprising approach to deali...

Christians agree that the gospel is important, we just don't seem to be able to agree on what gospel means. Is it good news, the center of our faith, or a message about forgiveness? In this episode, Nick and Matt chat about the sometimes surprising gospel proclamations in the Old Testament and how they help us understand gospel proclamations in the New Testament. Resources Referenced: Septuagint W...

Why should the caretakers of the land care about it if it's all gonna burn? Matt and Nick chat with Dr. Carmen Imes about her book 'Being God's Image.' She explains the importance of regular spiritual practices and how her work relates to everyday life and our understanding of human identity. Commenting on the connection between the image of God and creation care, Dr. Imes emphasizes that the Chri...

Can a Christian be an environmentalist? Biblical Scholar Sandra Richter joins Nick and Matt to talk about why creation care is an important part of being the image of God. They discuss how divisive politics, the privileges of wealth, and peculiar understandings of the Bible have all contributed to the suspicion many Christians feel toward environmentalism. All this and more as they discuss Sandra...

How does being made in the image of God affect the way we live? Does it have real implications for the jobs we do, the art we create, and the way we care for creation? Nick and Matt dive into some practical questions around living as the image of God in a fallen world, and how Jesus’ humanity lights the way. Resources Referenced: Radical Hope by Jonathan Lear, Earthkeeping and Character by Steven...

In the ancient world, “god’s image” was a title a king took to show his relationship to a god and demonstrate his authority to rule. Idols are also called images of gods, acting as representative mediators between the gods they represent and the people. Genesis uses this 'image of God' language in a new way to demonstrate something remarkable about God’s relationship with humanity and our purpose...

Don't throw in the towel! It's not as difficult as it seems. Matt and Nick discuss several of the questions and concerns we've received from listeners of the How to Read the Bible series. At the end of the day, we hope we can all sing Kumbaya together in a giant circle of affinity, united in our love for the Bible. Resources Referenced: Reading Genesis: ANE Hermeneutic vs. Plain Meaning by Terry M...

Adam and Eve, ancestors of us all? Matt and Nick chat with Dr. Joshua Swamidass, author of “ The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry .” In his book, Dr. Swamidass carefully investigates the findings of genetic science, biblical tradition, and some of the key assumptions that have divided Christians in the human origins debate. His thesis presents not only a surp...

Can Biblical scholarship and the tough questions it forces us to ask actually bring a benefit for pastors and churches?  In this episode, Nick and Matt chat with Raleigh Clay, pastor, Bible enthusiast, and host of the Pistis with Us Podcast about why scholarship matters, how to make it practical, and signing on the dotted line. Resources Referenced: Pistis with Us Podcast by Raleigh Clay, &nb...

Get your Indiana Jones hat on. Matt and Nick chat about recent discoveries that help us better understand the world of the Biblical authors. These discoveries offer both exciting new insight into the meaning of the Biblical texts, and a challenge to some of the long-standing assumptions made by Christians. Theme Music: "Believe" by Posthumorous. More at https://linktr.ee/posthumorous Interlude Mus...

What is Biblical faith? Is it a blind leap, a group of teachings, or an internal conviction? Dr. Teresa Morgan, Biblical scholar and author of Roman Faith and Christian Faith, discusses with Matt and Nick what the word translated "faith" ( pistis ) meant in Greco-Roman culture, how the Biblical authors used it, and how its use changed over time in Christian vocabulary. She addresses questions abou...

Ugh, history. If our goal is to understand the Biblical authors, how much help is church history? Nick and Matt discuss the ways church history can help us understand the Bible, along with some of the things to be careful of. Referenced Resources: Caesar and the Lamb by George Kalantzis, Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley Theme Music: "Believe" by Posthumorous. More at https://linktr.ee/posthum...

John Walton, PhD, contends that we must "mercilessly" purge our interpretations of anything that can not be defended as part of the author's intention. Nick and Matt chat with Dr. Walton about his new book, Wisdom for Faithful Reading , and they discuss some of the most important interpretive principles that Bible readers need to employ every time they open the Bible. They discuss issues of author...

Who are the Nephilim and why does it matter? New Testament authors used stories that were well-known in their time to help communicate important ideas about Jesus. In this episode Nick and Matt chat about the Sons of God, the daughters of men, and how the gospels and Peter use these stories to help show Jesus' supreme authority, and how that should encourage followers. Theme Music: "Believe" by Po...

The Bible wasn’t written in a vacuum. Nick and Matt chat about literature outside that Bible that is full of surprisingly biblical-sounding stories. These help us understand the world in which the Biblical authors lived. The history, culture, language, and sometimes surprising world of the Biblical authors can all be better understood through these texts. Theme Music: "Believe" by Posthumorous. Mo...

Put that thing back where it came from or so help me! Nick and Matt discuss the importance of reading the Bible within its own context and some of the pitfalls that come along with not doing so. They discuss the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, and offer some advice and tools that can help readers see the forest through the trees. Contextual readings, cross-references, and Septuagint...

Does it matter how we read the Bible? Nick and Matt discuss 3 key ideas for reading and studying the Bible, a collection of inspired ancient documents that have amazing power to transform. If we hope to understand what the Bible means, we need to seek to understand what its authors meant. Resources Referenced: Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament by John Walton, Links by BibleProject...