OnScript

(Theology) Fr John Behr - Origen and the Early Church, Pt 2

Theology Track Episode: Live from Nashotah House, WI (3rd year running), here's part 2 of our interview with Fr John Behr. Amy Brown Hughes talks with Fr John Behr about Origen and all things Patristic. In addition to more of the interview, we've got some Q&A in this episode. If you missed Part 1, visit HERE.

Guest:  The Very Reverend Dr John Behr is a British Eastern Orthodox priest and theologian.  He is the former Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he is currently the Director of the Master of Theology Program and the Father Georges Florovsky Distinguished Professor of Patristics. He was ordained to the diaconate on September 8, 2001 and the priesthood on September 14, 2001. He is the editor of the Patristic Series released by St. Vladimir's Press. He was elected dean of the seminary on November 18, 2006, and served as dean from 2007 until 2017, when he was named Father Georges Florovsky Distinguished Professor of Patristics. He's the author of numerous books, including translation works, e.g., Origen: On First Principles (Oxford), Irenaeus: On the Apostolic Teaching (St Vladimir's Press), The Way to Nicaea, Vol. 1 (St. Vladimir's Press), and Formation of Christian Theology, Vol. 2: The Nicene Faith (St. Vladimir's Press). (adapted from Wikipedia, no less) 

Give: Help support OnScript as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

If you like this: Check out our episode with Amy Brown Hughes and Lynn Cohick on their book Christian Women in the Patristic World, as well as our episode with Meghan Henning on her book Educating Early Christians Through the Rhetoric of Hell, and our episode with Matthew Thomas on his book Paul’s ‘Works of the Law’ in the Perspective of Second Century Reception.

 

 

(Theology) Fr John Behr - Origen and the Early Church, Pt 1

Theology Track Episode: Live from Nashotah House, WI (3rd year running), we've got a two-part interview. Amy Brown Hughes talks with Fr John Behr about Origen and all things Patristic. This episode requires theological safety gear, helmet, orange cones, ... everything. Enjoy part 1! More next week. 

Guest:  The Very Reverend Dr John Behr is a British Eastern Orthodox priest and theologian.  He is the former Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he is currently the Director of the Master of Theology Program and the Father Georges Florovsky Distinguished Professor of Patristics. He was ordained to the diaconate on September 8, 2001 and the priesthood on September 14, 2001. He is the editor of the Patristic Series released by St. Vladimir's Press. He was elected dean of the seminary on November 18, 2006, and served as dean from 2007 until 2017, when he was named Father Georges Florovsky Distinguished Professor of Patristics. He's the author of numerous books, including translation works, e.g., Origen: On First Principles (Oxford), Irenaeus: On the Apostolic Teaching (St Vladimir's Press), The Way to Nicaea, Vol. 1 (St. Vladimir's Press), and Formation of Christian Theology, Vol. 2: The Nicene Faith (St. Vladimir's Press). (adapted from Wikipedia, no less) 

Give: Help support OnScript as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

If you like this: Check out our episode with Amy Brown Hughes and Lynn Cohick on their book Christian Women in the Patristic World, as well as our episode with Meghan Henning on her book Educating Early Christians Through the Rhetoric of Hell, and our episode with Matthew Thomas on his book Paul’s ‘Works of the Law’ in the Perspective of Second Century Reception.

 

 

Darren Sarisky - Reading the Bible Theologically

Episode: Erin Heim and Chris Tilling interview Darren Sarisky about his recent book Reading the Bible Theologically (Cambridge).

Guest: Darren Sarisky is Departmental Lecturer in Modern Theology at the University of Oxford (Trinity College). He works in the area of Christian doctrine or systematic theology.  His primary research specialization is theological hermeneutics of the Bible, that is, the interconnection between biblical reading and Christian doctrine.  In this work, Dr Sarisky brings theological insights from early Christian theologians into conversation with voices from our own day.  He has also written on theologies of retrieval, which are approaches to theology that make significant recourse to classic texts from within the Christian tradition.

Dr Sarisky has recently completed his second monograph, Reading the Bible Theologically, which is part of the Current Issues series from Cambridge University Press in its.  The subject of the book is the nature of theological interpretation.  The ongoing discussion of theological exegesis is one of the most significant discussions taking place today in Theology and Religious Studies.  Though a great deal of energy is being directed at present into this debate, there is nevertheless a lack of clarity regarding the defining characteristics of the enterprise itself.  Dr Sarisky aims to make a contribution there.

This new book builds on Dr Sarisky’s first work, Scriptural Interpretation: A Theological Exploration, which was published in 2013 by Wiley-Blackwell within its Challenges in Contemporary Theology series.  The book brings an important fourth-century theologian, Basil of Caesarea, into dialogue with two leading lights in contemporary theology, Stanley Hauerwas and Rowan Williams.  The question on which the book focuses is what is happening, in specifically theological terms, when the Bible is read by the church.  The text culminates with a constructive contribution to the discussion that presents a thoroughly theological account of reading, including analyses of the identity of the reader, the nature of text being read, the practice of reading itself, and the social context of interpretation.

Prior to coming to Oxford, Dr Sarisky held academic appointments in Cambridge (as a Teaching Associate and a Junior Research Fellow) and at King’s College London (as a Lecturer in Systematic Theology). (From the Trinity College website).

Give: Help support OnScript as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

If you like this: Check  out our interview with Fred Sanders on his book The Triune God.

Dru Johnson - Human Rites

Episode: This week's ep features a public talk from OnScript's Dru Johnson on his recent book Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments  (Eerdmans, 2018). Special thanks to Christ Church Jerusalem who recorded this event, and let us re-post it here. Enjoy!

Guest:  Dru Johnson (Ph.D., University of St Andrews) is Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at The King’s Collegein New York City and a Research Fellow at the Logos Institute (University of St Andrews, Scotland). His main area of research has focused on the philosophical and intellectual world of biblical literature.

His most recent books include a forthcoming trade book titled Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments (Eerdmans, 2018); The Universal Story: Genesis 1–11 (Lexham, 2018); Epistemology and Biblical Theology: From the Pentateuch to Mark’s Gospel (Routledge, 2017); and  Knowledge by Ritual: A Biblical Prolegomenon to Sacramental Theology(Eisenbrauns, 2016). See all of his books at Amazon. He is an editor for the Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biblical Criticism monograph series, so you can also send him proposals for monographs!

More at his website: drujohnson.com.

Give: Help support OnScript as we grow and develop. Click HERE.

If you like this episode: Check out our original episode with Dru (before he was a host) on his book Knowledge by Ritual, and Dru's interview with Jonathan Pennington.

Jonathan Greer - Behind the Scenes of the OT

Episode: Jonathan Greer joins the show to talk about a big project he just co-edited on the history, context, archaeology, culture, and world of the Old Testament. Jonathan shares from his own work digging at Tel Dan, a very significant site for understanding the Jerusalem Temple and worship in ancient Israel. They discuss major archaeologists, the historicity of events in the Bible, the interaction of faith and critical study, and much more.

Guest: Jonathan Greer is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Director of the Hesse Memorial Archaeological Laboratory at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He has written extensively on the history and context of the Bible. He's the author of Dinner at Dan: Biblical and Archaeological Evidence for Sacred Feasts at Iron Age II Tel Dan and Their Significance  (Brill, 2013) and the co-editor with John Hilber and John Walton of Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts (Baker Academic, 2019).

If you like this episode: Check out our episodes on the Isaiah Seal Impression, and The Ancient World of the Bible.

Ellen Davis - Opening Israel's Scriptures

Episode: Matt Lynch has been eagerly awaiting this book (Opening Israel's Scriptures), and the chance to talk with one of his favorite OT scholars. That day has come! Matt speaks with Ellen Davis about the intersection of critical and theological biblical interpretation, the manna economy in Exodus, ecology and the Bible, Wendell Berry, violence in the Old Testament, lament, & more!

Guest: Professor Ellen Davis. Prof. Davis is Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School. She’s the author of 11 books and many articles. Her books include Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible, Biblical Prophecy: Perspectives for Christian Theology, Discipleship, and Ministry, and Wondrous Depth: Old Testament Preaching. Today we’re discussing her book Opening Israel’s Scriptures (OUP, 2019), which is a comprehensive theological reading of the HB/OT. 

Upcoming Event! Join us on Tues, July 23rd, 6:30pm, at Nashotah House Theological Seminary for a free live event (okay, bring a few $$ for drinks) with the Very Rev Dr John Behr and Dr Amy Brown Hughes. Register for free HERE.

Give: Visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Otherwise, give us a review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

Ryan O'Dowd - Wisdom Literature and Commentaries

Episode: Ryan O'Dowd is the rare combination of Anglican Priest and scholar of the wisdom literature (though he agrees with Will Kynes's critique of the wisdom genre). In this episode, Dru and Ryan talk about his recent commentary on Proverbs in the Story of God series, his life as a pastor-scholar, and how being an academic is like being a model.

Guest: Ryan O'Dowd is a pastor of Bread of Life Anglican Church of Ithaca, New York, and senior fellow at Chesterton House, Cornell University. His teaching and research interests include biblical law, wisdom, and poetry, as well as Christian theological approaches to ethics, work, and vocation. Ryan holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve with 30 years of combined service in Active Duty and Reserve status. His books include The Wisdom of Torah: Epistemology in Deuteronomy and the Wisdom Literature (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2009); Old Testament Wisdom Literature: A Theological Introduction, with Craig Bartholomew (Apollos, 2011); and Proverbs (The Story of God Bible Commentary; Zondervan 2017).

Give: Help support OnScript as we grow and develop. Click HERE. 

Kelly Murphy - Rewriting Masculinity

Episode: Kelly Murphy joins OnScript to talk about about Gideon in scripture and tradition, and about how various biblical and post-biblical writers portray the Tuba Warrior as a 'real man' or not. This episode features discussion about editing the Bible, the book of Judges, Gideon, Zombies, and more.

Guest: Kelly is associate professor in the department of philosophy and religion at Central Michigan University. She completed her Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Emory University. She’s the co-editor of Apocalypses in Context: Apocalyptic Currents Through History (Fortress) and the author of Rewriting Masculinity: Gideon, Men, and Might (OUP, 2019).

 

Ivan Satyavrata - Holy Spirit

Episode: The Pentecostals are taking over OnScript! Amy talks to Dr. Ivan Satyavrata, pastor and theologian about the necessity of the "traditioning" of Pentecostalism, the incongruence of Pentecostalism not being completely on board with women in ministry or engaging extensively with the poor, and a discussion of the transformation of the Holy Spirit.

Guest: Ivan holds a Ph.D from Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, UK, and ThM from Regent College, Vancouver. Dr. Ivan Satyavrata serves as the Senior Pastor of one of the largest churches in North India—a multilingual congregation of 8 languages and about 5,000 people in Kolkata, India—and as the executive director of multiple social justice and outreach ministries operated under the church’s auspices. The schools operated by the church provide education and basic health care for over 10,000 children, while the feeding stations of the church provide the only food source available to approximately 10,000 people per day. Additionally, Pastor Ivan oversees ministries of rescue from the sex trafficking industry, jobs training for the “untouchables” of Indian society, church planting throughout northeastern India, and teaching at the Buntain Theological College—a leading Christian undergraduate college in Northern India. His interests include Christian witness to people of other faiths and the Christian response to social issues.  He has authored two books: Holy Spirit, Lord and Life Giver (Langham), God Has Not Left Himself Without Witness (Wipf & Stock), and most recently, Pentecostals and the Poor: Reflections from the Indian Context (Asia Pacific Theological Seminary Press). Ivan’s wife Sheila [Elizabeth], and sons, Rahul and Rohan, are the pride and joy of his life.

 

Raphael Rodríguez - Jesus Darkly

 

Episode: We see but a poor reflection, dimly. How does social-memory theory change how we think about the New Testament? In Rafael Rodríguez's Jesus Darkly, the Jesus that emerges from the shadows is surprisingly bright and relevant. Yet even when he remains mysterious, the darkness helps us anticipate the ultimate face-to-face encounter. Rodriguez talks candidly about how a foot-washing ceremony--which should not be confused with foot-licking--changed his life, while offering reflections on Jesus's significance for the church today. Hosted by Matthew W. Bates.

 

Guest: Rafael Rodríguez is a professor of the New Testament at Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee. He grew up in Colorado Springs. Dr.
Rodríguez holds a B.A. from Cincinnati Bible College and an M.A. from Cincinnati Bible Seminary. He received a Ph.D. from The University of Sheffield, in the United Kingdom for his dissertation that was subsequently published as Structuring Early Christian Memory (Bloomsbury T&T Clark). Beyond that he has penned or edited four additional books: Oral Tradition and the New Testament (Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2014); ​If You Call Yourself a Jew (co-edited with Matthew Thiessen; Cascade, 2014); The So-Called Jew in Paul's Letter to the Romans (Fortress, 2016); and the book we are discussing today, Jesus Darkly.

 

The Book: Rafael Rodriguez, Jesus Darkly: Remembering Jesus with the New Testament (Nashville: Abingdon, 2018).  New Testament students have not always been well served by study of the historical Jesus, which tends to segregate Jesus from his significance vis-à-vis Israel’s scriptures and God’s agenda as this is developed among the New Testament writers in the living context of a faith community’s memory.  The witness of scripture does in fact help us remember Jesus well. From beginning to end, the Bible tells the story of God putting God’s family back together. Its plot develops in multiple, sometimes competing, ways. It exhibits the full range of human emotions and, perhaps surprisingly, it claims that these are also God’s emotions. But on every page, we hear the call of a God whose family has chosen an early inheritance instead of an intimate relationship. That God – pictured as a parent, often a father – beckons God’s children, inviting them to return and to sit at the table, clothed by mercy and affirmed as God’s very family. (Publisher’s description).

 

The OnScript Quip (our review): In Jesus Darkly, Rafael Rodríguez paints using the rich, earthy hues of social-memory theory. Jesus remains shrouded in deep mystery. Yet there is fresh light amidst the darkness. Readers will discover that Jesus shines brighter due to the starkness of the contrast. — Matthew W. Bates, Quincy University, OnScript