OnScript

Between Doubt and Dogmatism - Joshua McNall

Episode: Tired of gurus that have all the answers? Or those so zealous for deconstruction that the have none? We need a recalibrated theological imagination that can fuel faithful loyalty. In this wide-ranging interview featuring his new book Perhaps, Joshua McNall shows us that when Scripture and great literature are allowed to resonate, we are able to move beyond rigid dogmatism and endless doubt. Co-hosted by Matt Bates.

The Book: Joshua M. McNall, Perhaps: Reclaiming the Space between Doubt and Dogmatism (IVP Academic, 2021). The Christian life requires faith. That means that believers are sometimes faced with uncertainty. But is all uncertainty bad? Theologian Joshua McNall encourages readers to reclaim the little word "perhaps" as a sacred space between the warring extremes of unchecked doubt and zealous dogmatism. To say "perhaps" on certain contested topics means exercising a hopeful imagination, asking hard questions, returning once again to Scripture, and reclaiming the place of holy speculation as we cling to a faith that stands distinct from both pervasive skepticism and abrasive certainty. In this day especially, it's time Christians learned to say "perhaps." (publisher's description).

Guest: Joshua McNall is Ambassador of Church Relations and Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, where he directs the honors program. After planting a Wesleyan church near Grand Rapids, Michigan, Josh completed his PhD at the University of Manchester (UK). Since then, he has published several books, including A Free Corrector: Colin Gunton and the Legacy of Augustine (Fortress, 2015), the popular-level, Long Story Short: The Bible in Six Simple Movements (Seedbed, 2018), and The Mosaic of Atonement: An Integrated Approach to Christ's Work (Zondervan Academic, 2019). He and his wife Brianna have four small children and he blogs regularly on issues of theology and culture at www.joshuamcnall.com.

OnScript's Review: "Perhaps a meadow exists between dogmatism and skepticism, a fruitful space for cultivating beautiful truth. Perhaps Origen, Augustine, and Edwards can converse there with Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy. Perhaps instead of rehearsing or debunking information, we can foster theological imagination. Perhaps Joshua McNall's wit and wisdom has pointed the church toward a better future. Perhaps we should listen." -- Matthew W. Bates, author of Gospel Allegiance and associate professor of theology at Quincy University

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Caryn Reeder - Family Violence in the Bible

Episode: The prospect of stoning a rebellious son or adulterer, or turning over an unorthodox brother or sister for execution is revolting. But how should a Jewish or Christian believer respond to such ideas when found in their own scripture? While resisting easy answers, Caryn Reeder offers a nuanced approach to books like Deuteronomy, where many of the harshest laws appear. Deuteronomy is the epicenter of legal admonitions to 'show no pity' to one's own family if they prove disloyal to the covenant. Matt L. discusses with Caryn her journey into the world of 'constructive family violence,' how the harshest of laws might have made sense in the ancient world, and how interpreters through history have re-framed violent laws in new ways. *This is a republished episode*

Guest: Caryn Reeder is Associate Professor of New Testament at Westmont College in California. She grew up on a farm in central Illinois, and then did her B.A. at Augustana College, M.A. and M.Phil at Wheaton College, and her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. She is the author of The Enemy in the Household: Family Violence in Deuteronomy and Beyond (Baker Academic, 2012), and several other articles and essays on war and violence in the Old and New Testaments. Her current research focuses on the experience of women and children in war in the New Testament and its cultural environment.

Book: The Enemy in the Household: Family Violence in Deuteronomy and Beyond (Baker Academic, 2012) (From the Baker Academic Website) 'Three laws in Deuteronomy command violence against a family member--the enemy in the household - who leads others away from covenantal obligations to God. Several biblical and post-biblical narratives make use of such violence. In this fresh approach to troubling biblical texts, Caryn Reeder explores the "family violence" passages in Deuteronomy, tracing their ancient interpretation and assessing their contemporary significance. The Enemy in the Household examines such "constructive" violence carried out to protect the covenant community by investigating the reading practices of ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters of Scripture and their applications of these passages. It also provides modern readers with a model for the ethical interpretation of these difficult texts.'

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Navigating Biblical Languages - Kevin Grasso

Episode: Kevin Grasso and Nick Messmer have pioneered a unique online platform for learning biblical languages, namely Biblingo. It incorporates methods and tools from second-language application theory, pedagogy and more besides. In this episode, Chris Tilling chats with Kevin, who has been on OnScript before to talk about his essay on the so-called πίστις Χριστοῦ debate (you can listen to that here). Among other things we discuss biblical language acquisition, the helpful influence of contemporary linguistics, what Biblingo offers, various pedagogical issues, and how Biblingo compares with related courses.

Guest: Kevin Grasso is about to obtain his PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Hebrew as well as an MA in Comparative Religion. He was previously awarded an MA in Linguistics at Dallas International University. His work focuses on applying theoretical linguistics, particularly syntax and semantics, to the biblical languages for the purpose of exegesis. Within biblical studies, he is interested in faith, law, and messiahship and how Second Temple Judaism conceived of each of these categories. He lives just outside of Atlanta with his wife Rachel and son Emmett and will soon be joined by Rhoda and Olivia, two daughters he is adopting from Liberia in a few weeks.

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Matthew Lynch - Portraying Violence in the Hebrew Bible

Episode: Dru Johnson discusses Matt's recent book Portraying Violence in the Hebrew Bible. Matt discusses ways that the Old Testament depicts the problem of violence, some of the surprising ways that biblical writers portray violence, and ways that the Old Testament challenges modern ideas about violence. Also listen to Matt fail miserably in the speed round.

Guest: Matt is Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Regent College, Vancouver. He's also a co-founder and host of this podcast (though this interview was Dru's idea). He is the author of First Isaiah and the Disappearance of the Gods (Eisenbrauns), Portraying Violence in the Hebrew Bible: A Literary and Cultural Study (Cambridge, 2020), and Monotheism and Institutions in the Book of Chronicles: Temple, Priesthood, and Kingship in Post-Exilic Perspective (Mohr Siebeck, 2014). He also has a forthcoming volume entitled Flood and Fury: Engaging Old Testament Violence (IVP).

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Special Announcement! On Verse

***We're changing our new poetry podcast's name to On Verse*** Episode: OnScript is launching a new podcast! Welcome to On Verse, a podcast that explores the intersections of biblical and contemporary poetry. This podcast is hosted by Brent Strawn of Duke Divinity School, and is produced by Keith Willis. Season 1 launches soon!

Check our other podcasts: OnScript and Biblical World
Check out the podcasts mentioned in the Trailer: Inverse podcast and Poetry Unbound
Logo design by Mim Ward

To help support On Verse, consider giving HERE.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Scot McKnight and Hans Boersma - Things I Wish You Knew

Episode: Scot McKnight and Hans Boersma have a spirited exchange in their Five Things books - and it becomes even more lively as they extend the conversation for OnScript. After a drink or two, where would the theologian Boersma still want to press the biblical scholar McKnight? A wide-ranging dialogue on the proper interfacing of Scripture, tradition, and philosophical framework, co-hosted by Matthew Bates and Erin Heim - that is, when they could get a word in edgewise.

Guests: Scot McKnight is Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He has written more than fifty books and also blogs regularly on his highly influential blog Jesus Creed. Scot is a much sought-after conference speaker and a renowned expert on early Christianity. He has written both academic and popular titles, including The Jesus Creed (Christianity Today’s book of the year in 2004); The Blue Parakeet, Open to the Spirit, and The King Jesus Gospel. McKnight has also written many books for a scholarly audience, including several excellent commentaries in the NICNT series (Eerdmans).

Hans Boersma is Order of St. Benedict Servants of Christ Endowed Professorship in Ascetical Theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous books, including Seeing God (Eerdmans); Scripture as Real Presence (Baker Academic); and Heavenly Participation (Eerdmans).

Our books for discussion today are:

Scot McKnight, Five Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew (IVP Academic, 2021).

Hans Boersma, Five Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew (IVP Academic, 2021).

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Robert Chao Romero - The Brown Church

Episode: Kicking off National Hispanic Heritage month (in the U.S.), Jules sits down with Robert Chao Romero to discuss his unique approach to history, the influence of Lauryn Hill, the importance of the exodus, the 500-year history of Christian social justice, colonization, the first racial justice sermon in the history of the Americas, the beginning of the Brown Church and its development, and much more!  

Guest: Robert Chao Romero is an Associate Professor in the UCLA departments of Chicana/o Studies and Central America Studies, and Asian American Studies.  He received his Ph.D. from UCLA in Latin American History and his Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley, and is also an attorney. Romero is the author of several books, including, The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940 (Univ of Arizona Press, 2012) and Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity (IVP Academic, 2020). “The Chinese in Mexico” received the Latina/o Studies book award from the Latin American Studies Association and “The Brown Church” received the InterVarsity Press Readers’ Choice Award for best academic title. Romero is also an ordained minister and faith rooted community organizer.

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Willie Jennings - After Whiteness

Episode: Willie James Jennings joins Erin for a challenging conversation on theological education. Jennings brings a wealth of experience to the topic, drawing from his expertise as a theologian and the wisdom he gained during his years of service as Academic Dean at Duke Divinity School. Jennings has penned his valuable insights in his new book, After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging (Eerdmans, 2020), which is the inaugural book of Eerdmans' new series: Theological Education between the Times. If you are now, or have ever been, a student, a teacher, or an administrator, you won't want to miss this episode.

Guest (from the publisher's website): Willie James Jennings is associate professor of systematic theology and Africana studies at Yale University Divinity School. His book The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race won both the American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion and the Grawemeyer Award in Religion.
Willie is also an OnScript veteran, and you can listen to his interview on The Christian Imagination here.

Book (from the publisher's website): After Whiteness - Theological education has always been about formation: first of people, then of communities, then of the world. If we continue to promote whiteness and its related ideas of masculinity and individualism in our educational work, it will remain diseased and thwart our efforts to heal the church and the world. But if theological education aims to form people who can gather others together through border-crossing pluralism and God-drenched communion, we can begin to cultivate the radical belonging that is at the heart of God’s transformative work.

In this inaugural volume of the Theological Education between the Times series, Willie James Jennings shares the insights gained from his extensive experience in theological education, most notably as the dean of a major university’s divinity school—where he remains one of the only African Americans to have ever served in that role. He reflects on the distortions hidden in plain sight within the world of education but holds onto abundant hope for what theological education can be and how it can position itself at the front of a massive cultural shift away from white, Western cultural hegemony. This must happen through the formation of what Jennings calls erotic souls within ourselves—erotic in the sense that denotes the power and energy of authentic connection with God and our fellow human beings.

After Whiteness is for anyone who has ever questioned why theological education still matters. It is a call for Christian intellectuals to exchange isolation for intimacy and embrace their place in the crowd—just like the crowd that followed Jesus and experienced his miracles. It is part memoir, part decolonial analysis, and part poetry—a multimodal discourse that deliberately transgresses boundaries, as Jennings hopes theological education will do, too.

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Beverly Gaventa - Pauline Theology

 

Episode: In this episode, Erin interviews Beverly Roberts Gaventa on Pauline theology, her thoughts on pedagogy, and on why Matt Bates is wrong about Karl Barth. This is a republished episode, but well worth a listen!

 

Guest:  Beverly Roberts Gaventa is Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Baylor University. She previously taught at Princeton Theological Seminary, Columbia Seminary, and Colgate Rochester Divinity School. Her specializations include theological and historical interpretation of the letters of Paul, and the letter of Romans in particular. She was the president of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2016, and she has received numerous awards and honorary degrees for her exceptional teaching and research. She is the author of numerous books, including When in Romans, Our Mother Saint Paul, and Apocalyptic Paul: Cosmos and Anthropos in Romans 5-8.

 

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Dru Johnson - Biblical Philosophy

Episode: We're back with our 5th annual "Live at Nashotah House" episode! Hosts Matt Lynch and Dru Johnson discussed Dru's book Biblical Philosophy: A Hebraic Approach to the Old and New Testaments (Cambridge, 2021). Topics covered include the distinctiveness of biblical thought, Sukkot, the Gospel of Mark's emphasis on knowing, the importance of ritual and embodiment, and much more. We even have a surprise (and first-ever-on-this-podcast) display of Dru's musical talent!

Guest/Host: Dr. Dru Johnson is associate professor of biblical and theological studies at The King’s College in New York City, director of theCenter for Hebraic Thought, and host of The Biblical Mind podcast. He’s written 8 books including Knowledge by Ritual (Eisenbrauns/Penn State University), Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments (Eerdmans, 2019), and Biblical Philosophy: A Hebraic Approach to the Old and New Testaments (Cambridge, 2021). Before that, he was a high-school dropout, skinhead, punk rock drummer, combat veteran, IT supervisor, and pastor.

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Special thanks to Nashotah House Theological Seminary for hosting this event, and to Rebecca Terhune for organizing it.

Did you know, OnScript has another podcast - Biblical World? Check it out!