OnScript

Jeff McSwain - Simul Sanctification

Episode: Chris Tilling chats with Jeff McSwain about his new book Simul Sanctification: Barth's Hidden Vision for Human Transformation (Wipf & Stock, 2018).

Guest: Jeff McSwain is Founder and Director of Ministry formation at Reality Ministries, a community-based non-profit that offers a variety of opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities to work, play, learn and grow together.

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase McSwain's book (or others, while you’re browsing Amazon), and OnScript gets a whopping 2% or so at no loss to you. Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don’t let us stop you from doing both. 

 

Jon Levenson - Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel

Episode: Jon Levenson's Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel (Yale, 2006) is one of the books I (Matt) most recommend to my students and colleagues. It models biblical scholarship that is exegetically adept, holds the big picture, understands the history of interpretation, and is genuinely creative and convincing. Dru and I had the privilege of sitting down with Jon Levenson--a favorite on the show--to talk through this topic of vital importance to Jews and Christians.

Guest: Jon Levenson is Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard Divinity School. He’s well known in the world of Biblical studies, but just in case you’re not familiar or have been living under a rock, he’s the author of numerous influential works, including Sinai and Zion, Creation and the Persistence of Evil, The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son, The Love of God and others. Read him!

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase one of Levenson’s books (or others, while you’re browsing Amazon), and OnScript gets a whopping 2% or so at no loss to you. Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don’t let us stop you from doing both. 

 

(Theology) Michael Bruner - A Subversive Gospel

Episode: In our latest Theology Stream episode, Amy Hughes talks with practical theologian Michael Bruner about Flannery O'Connor, a "theology of the grotesque," and why literature and art in church isn't elitist. Michael has some great stories to tell and is one of probably a very few theologians who can talk about what it's like to write a screenplay.  The conversation stems from discuss his latest book A Subversive Gospel: Flannery O'Connor and the Reimagining of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth.

Guest & Book: The Reverend Dr. Michael Bruner is Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Azusa Pacific University in California. Born and raised in the Philippines as the son of missionary parents, he received his Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington, a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Seminary, and his Ph.D. in Theology from Fuller Seminary. Michael is the author, most recently, of A Subversive Gospel: Flannery O’Connor and the Reimagining of Beauty, Truth, and Goodness (IVP Academic Press, 2017). He is currently writing a commentary on the four gospels with his father, Dale Bruner. Michael is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Lily Fellow, and a resident scholar at the Huntington Library in San Marino. He lives in Pasadena with his wife Jenna and their two children.

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase a book (or others, while you’re in there), and OnScript gets a whopping 2% or so (at no loss to you). Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don’t let us stop you from doing both.

Michael Carasik - Jewish Commentary

 

Episode: I (Dru) remember my first encounter with ancient Jewish scholarship on the Torah. I’m embarrassed to say I was in my 30s doing a PhD when I got a paper accepted at a conference in Jerusalem. Going to Israel for the first time, I was surrounded by Jewish scholars discussing the philosophical notions in the Hebrew Bible, Mishnah, and Talmud. The Hebrew Bible I knew, but the Talmud and the likes were alien landscapes to me. At that moment, as if I didn’t already feel like an imposter scholar, I realized that there was a whole other world of understanding. I think it’s fair to say that Michael Carasik’s new translations of the medieval Jewish commentaries will go a long way towards exposing scholars to this whole other world. In this episode, Michael Carasik (pronounced like "Jurassic") and I discuss the wonderful world of Jewish commentary and his translation of the medieval Jewish commentators.

 

Guest: Dr. Michael Carasik teaches Hebrew at the University of Pennsylvania. He also hosts a weekly podcast called Torah Talk, where he comments on the weekly Torah portion. He is the author of several books including Theologies of the Mind in Biblical Israel (Peter Lang, 2005); The Bible’s Many Voices (JPS, 2014), and the volume series we are discussing today: The Commentators’ Bible: Genesis: The Rubin JPS Miqra'ot Gedalot.

If you want to see PDF sample pages from Exodus, click HERE. This photo is from the Genesis commentary provided for this interview.

 

 

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase a book (or others, while you’re in there), and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5% or so (at no loss to you). Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don’t let us stop you from doing both.

 

Matthew Thomas - Paul's 'Works of the Law'

Episode: New Perspective on Paul versus Old Perspective. The debate rages because a proper understanding of Christian salvation is at stake. Matthew Thomas has a novel angle that brings fresh evidence--the earliest reception history of Paul's phrase "works of the law." Also, you get to discover if you should believe in aliens. Or, embrace or avoid camping. Hosted by Matthew W. Bates.

Guest: Matthew J. Thomas is the author of Paul's 'Works of the Law' in the Perspective of Second Century Reception (Mohr Siebeck, 2018), and holds a D.Phil in Theology (New Testament and Patristics) from the University of Oxford. He has served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick's Seminary, and is currently a visiting scholar at Franciscan University and a distance instructor in theology with Regent College. Matthew and his wife Leeanne met as MCS students at Regent, and have two children. Prior to coming to Regent, Matthew studied at Pepperdine University and worked at Harbor House Ministries, an after-school program for youth in Oakland.

The Book:  Matthew J. Thomas, Paul's 'Works of the Law' in the Perspective of Second Century Reception (WUNT 468; Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018).  Paul writes that we are justified by faith apart from 'works of the law', a disputed term that represents a fault line between 'old' and 'new' perspectives on Paul. Was the Apostle reacting against the Jews' good works done to earn salvation, or the Mosaic Law's practices that identified the Jewish people? Matthew J. Thomas examines how Paul's second century readers understood these points in conflict, how they relate to 'old' and 'new' perspectives, and what their collective witness suggests about the Apostle's own meaning. Surprisingly, these early witnesses align closely with the 'new' perspective, though their reasoning often differs from both viewpoints. They suggest that Paul opposes these works neither due to moralism, nor primarily for experiential or social reasons, but because the promised new law and covenant, which are transformative and universal in scope, have come in Christ. (Publisher's description).

 

The OnScript Quip (our review): Debates on the Old Perspective and New Perspective on Paul are log-jammed. Or, they were. Matthew Thomas shows that the earliest interpreters do not regard "works (of the law)" in Paul as good deeds or inappropriate moral efforts in general. The New Perspective on works is shown to be not new after all, but rather to recovery earliest Christian teachings. This outstanding study promises to break a major impasse in Pauline theology. -- Matthew W. Bates, Quincy University, OnScript

 

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase a book (or others, while you're in there), and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5% or so (at no loss to you). Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don't let us stop you from doing both.

 

Natalie Carnes - Image and Presence

Episode: Welcome to the inaugural episode of OnScript's new Theology Stream. OnScript's newest co-host Amy Brown Hughes talks with Natalie Carnes of Baylor University about icons, iconophilia, iconophobia, and iconoclasm. This topic has loomed large in church history, and carries important theological implications.

Guest: Natalie Carnes is a constructive theologian who is interested how Christian doctrine can speak to modern life in the world. She draws on literary and visual works to interpret traditional theological ideas through somewhat less traditional themes, like childhood, beauty, art, iconoclasm, and gender. She trained at Harvard, the University of Chicago, and Duke before coming to Baylor, where she is currently an Associate Professor of Theology. In addition to a number of articles, she has published two books, Beauty: A Theological Engagement with Gregory of Nyssa, and Image and Presence: A Christological Reflection on Iconoclasm and Iconophilia. 

Give to OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase one of Natalie's books (or others, while you're browsing Amazon), and OnScript gets a whopping 2% or so at no loss to you. Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don't let us stop you from doing both. 

John Barclay - Paul and the Gift (Rebroadcast)

Episode: Happy New Year! Enjoy this rebroadcast of our 2016 interview with John Barclay about his monumental book Paul and the Gift (Eerdmans). Apologies for the sound quality here. This was one of our earlier episodes.

OnScript is working hard to bridge the divide between biblical studies and theology. Keep your eyes and ears out for our new OnScript Theology Stream in the coming year. 

Help Support OnScript: Click through the link above to purchase John Barclay's book (or others, while you’re browsing Amazon), and OnScript gets a whopping 2% or so at no loss to you. Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don’t let us stop you from doing both. 

Thanks for listening!

Sandra Richter - Ecology and the Bible

Episode: Comin’ to you live from the annual Society of Biblical Literature conference in Denver! Sandra Richter sits down with Matt Lynch to discuss her work on ecology and the Bible, the legacy of Meredith Kline, women in academia, & lots more that you need to tune in to hear. Also, we have a very exciting announcement in this episode! Amy Brown Hughes is joining as a co-host for OnScript’s new Theology Stream, starting 2019! Stay tuned for more information in the new year.

Guest: Sandra Richter is the Robert H. Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. She received her doctorate from Harvard University, and is the author of several books, including The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament (IVP, 2010), The Deuteronomistic History and the Name Theology (de Gruyter, 2002). Her current research involves a forthcoming book on environmental theology (Hendrickson Publishers) and a commentary on Deuteronomy with Eerdmans. She has also written a series of Bible studies, with accompanying DVD’s) for church groups with Seedbed. (edited from the Westmont website).  

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase one of Sandra Richter’s books (or others, while you’re browsing Amazon), and OnScript gets a whopping 2% or so at no loss to you. Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don’t let us stop you from doing both. 

Lucy Peppiatt - Gender and Hermeneutics in Paul (Pt 2)

Episode: This episode covers Paul, gender, hermeneutics, theology, and all the things. Lucy Peppiatt helps us think through the challenging issues at play in 1 Corinthians 11, territory we covered last week with Michael Lakey, but this time from a different angle. Lucy has thought long and hard about this passage, and talks with Matt L. about some of her groundbreaking work.  

Guest: Lucy Peppiatt is Principal of Westminster Theological Centre, where she also lectures in Systematic Theology. She's the author of Unveiling Paul’s Women: Making Sense of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (Wipf and Stock, 2018), 
Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians (Wipf and Stock, 2015), and The Disciple: On Becoming Truly Human (Wipf and Stock, 2012). She has a forthcoming book on women in scripture with IVP Academic. Lucy co-leads Crossnet Church in Bristol with her husband Nick. 

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase one of Lucy's books (or others, while you're in there), and OnScript gets a whopping 2% or so (at no loss to you). Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don't let us stop you from doing both. 

 

Gender & Hermeneutics in Paul (Pt 1) - Michael Lakey

Episode: This is the first of a two part episode on gender and hermeneutics in the letters of Paul. Our focus text is 1 Cor 11, a text that poses several interpretive and theological challenges that cannot be easily resolved. Michael Lakey talks with Matt L about his book Image and Glory: 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 as a Case Study in Bible, Gender and Hermeneutics (T&T Clark, 2010). They discuss gender, cosmology, hermeneutics, Paul, the church, and everything in between. Next week we'll here a different take on the same issue. 

Guest: Michael is Lecturer in New Testament at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. He divides his time between teaching NT at Cuddesdon and being a parish priest of three parishes in South Oxfordshire. He teaches across the NT curriculum. His ongoing research interests include St Paul, sex and gender in Antiquity, and the hermeneutical relationship between Scripture, doctrine, and liturgy. Michael is author of three books, his thesis monograph on gender and cosmology in 1 Corinthians, entitled Image and Glory of God (T. & T. Clark, 2010), an edited volume on being a priest and an academic, entitled Academic Vocation in the Church and Academy Today (Ashgate/Routledge, 2016) and a new book on baptism and the Lord’s Supper in the writings of Paul, entitled The Ritual World of Paul the Apostle(Bloomsbury, 2018).  He is a regular book reviewer for Modern Believing and Journal for the Study of the New Testament. (from his faculty website)

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase one of the books (or others, while you're in there), and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5% or so (at no loss to you). Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don't let us stop you from doing both.