The Bible as Literature

This week, Richard and Fr. Marc interview Fr. Timothy Lowe about his paper, The Gospel of Matthew and the Law Interpreted for Jew and Gentile, one of several excellent papers presented in Phoenix, AZ at the 2015 Symposium of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies. Fr. Timothy explains how the gospel of Matthew was written, not just to carry but to impose the Torah on both Isra...

The BBC recently reported that "the share of the world's wealth owned by the richest 1% increased from 44% in 2009 to 48%" in 2015 and that "on current trends, Oxfam...expects the wealthiest 1% to own more than 50% of the world's wealth by 2016." What must we hear from the biblical prophets in the face of this staggering trend? How should the rich and the poor relate to each other? How does script...

What is the purpose of St. Paul’s discussion of gender and marriage in 1 Corinthians? Why is he seemingly ambivalent about the status of Roman slaves? On what basis does he chastise his disciples for airing their grievances in the Roman court system? How does his critique of 'speaking in tongues’ or his discussion of idolatry and Roman religion (summarized in his excursus on infidelity) relate to...

Dr. Mary Youssef is Associate Professor of Arabic Literature in the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies at Binghamton University. Her research areas include Modern and Contemporary Arabic Literature, Postcolonial Studies, World Literature, Genre Studies, Migration Studies, Gender Studies, Arab Women's Writing and African Literature. She is currently working on a new book: Rethinking D...

Is each generation an improvement on the previous one? Are people living today the apex of human progress? In practical terms, most of us intuit the problems of western idealism. Even so, we continue to cling to assumptions about human progress that cripple our ability to hear the wisdom handed down to us in the Bible. Nowhere is this more keenly felt than in Hebrews chapters 11 and 12. Some might...

When people think of meaningful passages in the Bible, the many lengthy genealogies found in Genesis and elsewhere rarely, if ever, come to mind. Yet, it is exactly one such passage--the genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew--that holds significant meaning for the Christmas season. Who are the people listed in the opening verses of Matthew's gospel, and why do they matter? What is the purpose of Matt...

In this week's episode, Richard explores the Lord's counter-intuitive stance in Ezekiel, in which judgement falls on all sides and no human being finds favor in God's sight. Why would the story present God as the one who brings evil against Israel? Why would he use Israel's enemies only to bring more evil against them, after the fact? The podcast explores these questions as we discuss the very pas...

Does it matter which book of the Bible you read or which testament it comes from? Where should beginners start? Are some books more important than others? What is the purpose of the New Testament? Is the concept of grace a new idea, or was it part of the story all along? How do the books of the Bible interact with each other within the context of the Bible's storyline? Richard and Fr. Marc reflect...

This week, Richard talks about his presentation at the Society of Biblical Literature gathering in San Diego, where he explored the various ways in which the study of language and poetry can enhance our understanding of the biblical text. The conversation sheds light on the broader goal of this podcast series: to hear, read and reflect on the content of the Bible as literature. (Episode 46) ★ Supp...

Preachers often adapt themes from popular books and movies to make their sermons seem relevant for children and teens. But what happens when the content of the Bible is so nuanced that even C.S. Lewis can't capture it in a popular story? What happens when popular Christian themes are out of step with biblical meaning? Is the Bible still relevant? Can it still capture the attention of young adults?...

Richard interviews Fr. Marc about his new book, Torah to the Gentiles. The letter to the Galatians offers a brief but demanding exposition of the teaching of the Older Testament for a gentile audience. Highlighting the Bible's struggle against idolatry, power, and human identity, St. Paul's letter exposes Jerusalem's fatal misreading of biblical circumcision: a practice given to remove social barr...

In a culture that thrives on positive messages and expects praise from everyone for just about everything, it is easy to assume that St. Paul's use of praise in his letters is a gesture of kindness. Unfortunately for Philemon, a word of praise isn't always praise; kindness is not always kind; and useful blessings come in ways that you least expect and may not appreciate--but when they come from Pa...

Richard and Fr. Marc continue their discussion of the biblical functions "shepherd" and "sheep," exploring these roles in context of Ezekiel 34. Ezekiel's critique exposes the corruption of Israel's shepherds, but also undermines common assumptions about the role sheep play in the life of the flock. Do sheep have a career path? I'll give you a hint. Go with the obvious answer. We are talking about...

Do our good deeds count for anything? Is there a difference between a wicked person and a person who behaves correctly most of the time? What does it mean to be a child of Abraham? Who get's what inheritance? What is the inheritance of those who do not keep the Law? No, you guessed wrong. This week's episode is not about Paul's letter to the Galatians; it's about Ezekiel chapter 33. If only people...

In this week's episode, Richard and Fr. Marc discuss the parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 and the importance of hearing the Bible in its proper historical context. Where modern disciples tend to impose a Hellenistic worldview on the story, this podcast invites listeners to consider the mentality of the ancient shepherd. Where Hellenism emphasizes the importance of individuals, in the Ancient N...

Time travel, alien tyrants, world domination, epic battles, post-apocalyptic cities, sudden drought, unnatural trees reaching above the clouds...despite what you are thinking, this week's podcast is not about Dr. Who or an old episode of Stargate SG1; it's about Ezekiel 31. Who knew the Bible could be so much fun? (Episode 39) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The book of Lamentations offers a series of poetic reflections on the destruction of Jerusalem. Abandoned by God, hungry, homeless, and bereft of hope, once a queen among the provinces, Jerusalem had become a slave. Ridiculed by enemies, cast aside by lovers and betrayed by elders and priests, the city of sacred stones had itself become unclean. Despite this misery, Jerusalem continued to place he...

What is the purpose of campus ministry? What do we hope for our youth? What do we expect of them as they enter adulthood? In a contemporary setting, where campus ministry tends to emphasize social issues, religious identity, and topical theology, how can teachers engage college students with the serious study of the Bible? In this week's episode, Richard talks about a recent experience he had work...

A parable, like a short story, has a beginning, a plot, a set of characters, a complete thought, and an ending. With such a clear, simple structure, its tempting to take these stories on their own, outside the context of the broader story. To help illustrate this point, in this week's podcast, Richard and Fr. Marc explore how their understanding of the parable of the wedding feast (from last week'...

In this week's episode, Richard and Fr. Marc reflect on the parable of the wedding feast in the gospel of Matthew. When the host's invitations are rejected by his would be guests--some of whom went so far as to mistreat and then murder his servants--it seems obvious why some are chosen and others are cast out. You'd think the host would be happy to call those who come to the feast his friends. You...

What does the nation Egypt represent in the Bible? When Scripture mentions Egypt, Assyria, or any country, is it talking about historical empires, or is something more going on? What happens when we understand the nations mentioned in the Bible as characters in a story? Is Egypt a good or a bad character? What is the significance of Hosea's proclamation, "Out of Egypt have I called my son"? (Hosea...

This week, Fr. Marc and Richard reflect on the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19. Why was it wrong for the young man to call Jesus "good?" Beyond the obvious problem of greed, what does the young man's wealth reveal about the aims of false religion? Why wasn't Jesus pleased to hear that the young followed the commandments? Can the story's admonition against wealth be applied to everyone, i...

In this week's episode, Fr. Marc and Richard discuss the way in which St. Paul uses the categories "weak" and "strong" to undermine human judgment in 1 Corinthians. This sets the stage for God to shame the church in Roman Corinth with the foolishness of Paul's weakness. It also set the stage for a lecture Fr. Marc presented later that evening on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. This week's podcast...

What is the biblical response to poverty, violence and suffering in the world? How does the biblical commandment to love the neighbor differ from progressive ideas of social justice? In this week's episode, Fr. Marc and Richard explore St. Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 4 and the way in which the Bible undermines human paradigms of "right and wrong," "good and evil," and "victim and oppressor."...

In this week’s episode, Fr. Marc and Richard discuss the painful but critical role that slavery and hierarchy play in St. Paul’s epistles. Reflecting on the same teaching in Older Testament, they explore how the freedom proposed by the Pauline articulation of the Cross differs from popular concepts of social freedom. While the gospel seeks to aggressively undermine human tyranny, it does so in a w...