It Means What It Means

Episode 11: Brent A Strawn - Divine Doppelgängers III

In this conversation, Brent A. Strawn discusses the significance of Yahweh's lookalikes in the ancient world and the challenges of differentiating Yahweh from other gods. He explores the extremes of over-differentiation and over-similarity and the limitations of historical analysis in understanding the ancient Near East pantheon. Strawn also examines inadequate responses to Yahweh's lookalikes and the relative significance of historical data. He highlights the importance of engaging with the ancient context of the texts and offers insights into the representation of gods in ancient Near Eastern literature. Finally, he discusses the ways to read the Bible faithfully, considering the full sense of Scripture and canonical readings. In this conversation, Brent Strawn discusses the challenge of reading the Old Testament as Christian scripture and the historical struggle within the Christian church to recognize its authority. He emphasizes the importance of community in reading and interpretation, highlighting that even individual readers are never truly alone as they are influenced by the interpretive traditions and decisions of others. Strawn also explores the role of translation and the interpretive community in shaping our understanding of the text. He introduces the concept of the rule of faith, a condensed outline of the faith that interacts with scripture and informs the practice of faith. Strawn include Billy Collins, Robert Bly, Linda Pastan, Marie Howe, Mark S Smith, Karel van der Toorn, Othmar Keel, Christoph Uehlinger, Sylvia Schroer. Click here to find out where you can follow the podcast. 

Episode 10: Jon D Levenson - Divine Doppelgängers II

In this episode, Jared talks to Jon D Levenson about his essay “Is There a Counterpart in the Hebrew Bible to New Testament Anti-Semitism” from the book Divine Doppelgängers: YHWH’s Ancient Look-Alikes. Recommendations made include novelist Ben McIntyre and Jared throws in Kurt Vonnegut and Terry Pratchett for good measure. Click here to find out where you can follow the podcast.

Episode 9: Collin Cornell - Divine Doppelgängers I

In this episode Jared talks to Collin Cornell about his chapter in Divine Doppelgängers: YHWH’s Ancient Look-Alikes, which he edited. The title of his chapter is Theological Approaches to the Problem of God’s Ancient Look-Alikes. Collin’s recommendations are Paula Fredriksen, Matthew V Novenson, Matthew Thiessen, A Companion to the Hellenistic and Roman Near East, Matt Chalmers, and Gard Granerød. Additionally, Collin is the author of Divine Aggression in Psalms and Inscriptions: Vengeful Gods and Loyal Kings and co-translator of Biblical ABCs: The Basics of Christian Resistance. Click here to find out where you can follow the podcast.

Episode 8: Daniel Rodriguez - Hospitality in Biblical Translation

On this special Thanksgiving episode, Jared talks with Daniel Rodriguez about his article “Reframing Hospitality: Cognition, Social Binding, and Mimetic Criticism” from The Bible Translator. Daniel mentioned and recommended René Girard, Jacques Derrida, Jacques Lacan, Ryan Stokes, Michele Foucault, language as a function of relationship, Reinier de Blois, Eugene Nida, Kenneth Lee Pike, Chris Tilling, Robert Alter, Eugene Peterson, James Maxey, Chip Hardy, Phil Towner, Paul Ricoeur, Douglas Campbell, Chris Brady, Wila Gafney, Phil King, Rabbi Dr David Stein, Jacob Milgrom, Roy Gane, David Moffit, Christo van der Merwe, Jackie Naude, Ninja Turtles: Last Ronin, Teen Titans, Spider Man, Dale Watson, Ryan Bingham, Whiskey Myers, Tim McGraw, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, DJ Screw, Big Pokey, Wu Tang Clan and Nate Dog. Click here to find out where you can follow the podcast. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

AARSBL 2023

On this episode, Jared talks about his experience at the 2023 American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature combined annual meeting. He attended presentations by the following scholars: David A Burnett, Jeremy Williams, Jason Staples, Ryan C Chester, and Hindy Najman. Click here to find out where you can follow and support the podcast.

Episode 7: Alexiana Fry - Trauma as Biblical Hermeneutic

On this episode, Jared talks with Alexiana Fry about her book Trauma Talks in the Hebrew Bible: Speech Act Theory and Trauma Hermeneutics. Alexiana references or recommends Precarious Life, Esther Brownsmith, Appalling Bodies, Rape Culture in the House of David, Feminist Trauma, Texts after Terror, Good Book, Does Scripture Speak for Itself?, Living a Feminist Life, Abusing Religion, Babel, Atalanta, Lilith, The Book of Eve, God’s Monsters, Donna Tartt, Pachinko, and make sure to check out Jenny Matheny’s OnScript interview. Click here to find out where you can follow and support the podcast.

Episode 6: Chris Tilling - Perspectives on the Apostle Paul

In this episode Jared Talks to Chris Tilling about the book Beyond Old and New Perspectives on Paul: Reflections on the Work of Douglas Campbell.  Books mentioned in the podcast: Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul;  Commentary on Galatians; The Letter to the Romans: Paul Among the Ecologists; The Letter to the Romans (New International Commentary on the New Testament); The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary Volume IX: Acts, Introduction to Epistolary Literature, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians; and Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part One. Chris recommended that listeners check out OnScript and Apocalypse Here. Click here to find out where you can follow the podcast.

Episode 5: Heather Macumber - Monsters in Revelation

On this special Halloween episode, Jared talks with Heather Macumber about here book Recovering the Monstrous in Revelation, which is part of the series Horror and Scripture. Heather recommends Apocalypse against Empire, The Conflict Myth and the Biblical Tradition, Humor, Resistance, and Jewish Cultural Persistence in the Book of Revelation, “The Haunting of Jesus: Reading Mark through the Gothic Mode”, The Mountain in the Sea, Hamnet, The Sparrow, and The Count of Monte Cristo. Click here to find out where you can follow the podcast. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Episode 4: Jodi Magness - Toilets and Toilet Humor in Antiquity

In this Episode Jared talks to Jodi Magness about her article “Toilets and Toilet Humor in the Story of Eglon’s Murder by Ehud” from the March 2023 issue of the Journal of Biblical Literature. Professor Magness also recommended her book The Archaeology of the Holy Land: From the Destruction of Solomon’s Temple to the Muslim Conquest; the work of archaeologist Eric H Cline;  and Great Courses by her, Bart Ehrman, and Joseph Lam. Listeners can learn more about Professor Magness at her website.

Episode 3: Stanley Hauerwas - Story-Formed Communities for Humans and Rabbits

In this episode Jared talks to Stanley Hauerwas about his essay “A Story-Formed Community: Notes on Watership Down” from The Hauerwas Reader. Professor Hauerwas also recommended Richard B. Hayes' work on the Old Testament in the New Testament, his commentary on Matthew for the Brazos Commentary Series, Alasdair MacIntyre's philosophy, and Hannah's Child: A Theologian's Memoir. The book that Jared would recommend from this conversation is Samuel Wells' Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics. Please reach out on Facebook and Twitter. Please consider supporting the podcast on Pateon if you're able.