Engaging Conversations on Bible and Theology
Episodes
Monday Oct 16, 2017
Monday Oct 16, 2017
Episode: If Jesus said, “pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin” shouldn’t all Christian men be cyclopsed? If he literally said, “Do not swear an oath,” can Christians no longer testify in court? The steep ethical teaching of the Sermon on the Mount forces more questions than it answers. Dr. Jonathan T. Pennington of Southern Seminary talks with Dru Johnson about how we should read the Sermon on the Mount and what it teaches.
In this episode of OnScript, Pennington shares insights from his new book on the Sermon, portraying a new-and-very-old vision of its teaching that engages the Jewish and Hellenistic worlds of virtue.
About the book: (From the publisher's website) "The Sermon on the Mount, one of the most influential portions of the Bible, is the most studied and commented upon portion of the Christian Scriptures. Every Christian generation turns to it for insight and guidance.
In this volume, a recognized expert on the Gospels shows that the Sermon on the Mount offers a clear window into understanding God's work in Christ. Jonathan Pennington provides a historical, theological, and literary commentary on the Sermon and explains how this text offers insight into God's plan for human flourishing. As Pennington explores the literary dimensions and theological themes of this famous passage, he situates the Sermon in dialogue with the Jewish and Greek virtue traditions and the philosophical-theological question of human flourishing. He also relates the Sermon's theological themes to contemporary issues such as ethics, philosophy, and economics."
About the author: Jonathan T. Pennington is currently Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky (USA). He attained a B.A. in History from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Chicago), and a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, where he wrote a thesis entitled “Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew” under the supervision of Professors Richard Bauckham and Philip Esler. During his time at TEDS he also served for five years as the Associate Pastor at the Evangelical Free Church of Mt. Morris in northern Illinois. (adapted from jonathanpennington.com/about/)
He has written and contributed to several books on the New Testament, including Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew (Baker Academic, 2009) and his widely used Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction (Baker Academic, 2012).
OnScript Quip: By considering the Torah's instruction that aims at Israel's flourishing, Pennington offers a refreshing vista of the Sermon, which is neither individualistic, nor merely Hebraic in nature. Pennington gets us to look again at well-worn passages and consider how the Sermon, particularly situated in Matthew, means to call Israel and Gentiles to something beyond "rules to follow." There's plenty to chew on here, technically and personally.
Help Support OnScript: Click through The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing to purchase Pennington's 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.
["Blind Love Dub" from this episode by Jeris © 2017, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/55416 Ft: Kara Square (mindmapthat)]
Monday Oct 02, 2017
Monday Oct 02, 2017
Episode: With its messianic associations, pouring or smearing oil on the head is both foundational and divisive in Judaism and Christianity. Language about oil is—well, sorry—slippery. This is true in ancient contexts as well as modern. For instance, Trypho, a second-century Jew, is reported to have said: “The messiah, if he has indeed come and is somewhere, is incognito; he does not even know himself yet nor does he have any power until Elijah comes and anoints him and makes him manifest to everyone” (Dial. 8.4). Justin Martyr vociferously disagreed.
In this episode, Matt Novenson helps us see that past analysis of "messiah" language has frequently contributed to the slipperiness, so new questions are needed.
Listen in as OnScript host Matthew Bates and Matt Novenson work toward a more firm grip on messianic discourse.
Guest: Matthew V. Novenson is Senior Lecturer in New Testament and Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh. He has also been visiting professor at Dartmouth College and Duke University Divinity School and visiting research fellow at Durham University. He is the author of the critically acclaimed monograph Christ among the Messiahs (Oxford University Press, 2012), as well as the book that we are highlighting today, The Grammar of Messianism (Oxford University Press, 2017).The Book: Matthew V. Novenson,The Grammar of Messianism: An Ancient Jewish Political Idiom and Its Users (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017). Publisher's description (abridged): What did it mean to talk about "messiahs" in the ancient world, before the idea of messianism became a philosophical juggernaut, dictating the terms for all subsequent discussion of the topic? In this book, Matthew V. Novenson offers a revisionist account of messianism in antiquity. He shows that, for the ancient Jews and Christians who used the term, a messiah was not an article of faith but a manner of speaking. It was a scriptural figure of speech, one among numerous others, useful for thinking about kinds of political order: present or future, real or ideal, monarchic or theocratic, dynastic or charismatic, and other variations besides.
The OnScript Quip (our review): Oil is slippery. Language about oil in Judaism and Christianity is foundational but even harder to grasp: anointing, unction, messiah, Christ. By asking fresh questions, Matthew Novenson has managed to fasten numerous new grips and handles onto our ancient texts. Lucid and authoritative, The Grammar of Messianism is an important study that provides scholars with a more secure purchase on messiah language. -- Matthew W. Bates, Quincy University, OnScript
Help Support OnScript: Click on The Grammar of Messianism to purchase and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5% or so (at no loss to you). Or visit our Donate Page if you want to support our ongoing operations regularly. Thanks!
Monday Sep 18, 2017
Monday Sep 18, 2017
Episode: When people say, “Well, that’s only a metaphor,” what exactly do they mean? A new book on metaphors in the NT takes on the literal versus metaphorical dichotomy, claiming that it is a false dichotomy. Metaphors in Paul, are not merely illustrative, but creatively evoke true meaning in a way that so-called "literal" cannot. Considering that Paul’s use of the term “righteousness” (δικαιωσυνη) itself is a metaphor, so is “redemption” and “enslaved,” which means that “freedom” might also be a metaphor.
In this episode of OnScript, Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Erin Heim, assistant professor of NT at Denver Seminary about her book: Adoption in Galatians and Romans: Contemporary Metaphor Theories and the Pauline HUIOTHESIA Metaphors (Brill, 2017).
About the book: (From the publisher's website) In a new study on the Pauline adoption metaphors, Erin Heim applies a wide array of contemporary theories of metaphor in a fresh exegesis of the four instances of adoption (huiothesia) metaphors in Galatians and Romans. Though many investigations into biblical metaphors treat only their historical background, Heim argues that the meaning of a metaphor lies in the interanimation of a metaphor and the range of possible backgrounds it draws upon. Using insights from contemporary theories, Heim convincingly demonstrates that the Pauline adoption metaphors are instrumental in shaping the perceptions, emotions, and identity of Paul’s first-century audiences.
About the author: Dr. Erin Heim earned a Ph.D. from the University of Otago (NZ), an M.A. from Denver Seminary, and a B.Mus. from the University of Minnesota. Her doctoral thesis on the Pauline adoption metaphors was named an exceptional thesis in the division of the humanities at the University of Otago and became the book discussed in this podcast. Dr. Heim regularly presents academic papers at professional conferences on biblical literature, hermeneutics, and New Testament backgrounds. She speaks and writes on issues surrounding contemporary practices of adoption, and the need for responsible theological dialogue surrounding the adoption of children.
OnScript Hot Take: Though a monograph, Adoption in Galatians and Romans is a readable book that keeps a wide audience in mind. Heim does the work of carefully bringing the reader into the wide world of metaphor theory and the historical backgrounds to adoption in Roman and Jewish contexts. It's fair to say that you'll probably not be able to see adoption the same in Pauline theology after this book, and the same goes for metaphor. Listen to the end for some very prescient personal wisdom from Dr. Heim on the impacts of her study for contemporary adoption and how to speak of it in the church today!
["Blind Love Dub" from this episode by J
Monday Sep 04, 2017
Monday Sep 04, 2017
Episode: It's a wide-ranging coffee-shop style conversation featuring Thomas Jay Oord and host Matthew W. Bates. Truly, since Tom was at his favorite local coffee shop in Idaho and Matt was drinking copious quantities of coffee at his desk in Illinois. What topics were brewed up? Chaos, the problem of evil, the limits of scientific materialism, the nature of the miraculous--and how all of this could plausibly be explained by a model of divine providence in which God never coerces creation. Tom Oord's book, The Uncontrolling Love of God, compels all who encounter his ideas to grapple with the very foundation of Christian thought anew. Grab your mug of coffee and join in.
Guest: Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. Tom Oord is an award-winning author, and he has written or edited more than twenty books. His sole-authored titles include Defining Love: A Philosophical, Scientific, and Theological Engagement (Brazos, 2010) and The Nature of Love: A Theology (Chalice, 2010) His edited volumes frequently engage matters of science and theology: e.g., God in an Open Universe: Science, Metaphysics, and Open Theism (edited with William Hasker and Dean Zimmerman; Wipf & Stock, 2011). Oord has also won the Outstanding Faculty Award twelve times as professor at Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho. He is known for his contributions to research on love, relational theology, science and religion, and Wesleyan thought. Oord is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene.
Book: Thomas Jay Oord, The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2015). Publisher's description: Rarely does a new theological position emerge to account well for life in the world, including not only goodness and beauty but also tragedy and randomness. Drawing from Scripture, science, philosophy and various theological traditions, Thomas Jay Oord offers a novel theology of providence―essential kenosis―that emphasizes God's inherently noncoercive love in relation to creation. The Uncontrolling Love of God provides a clear and powerful answer to the problem of evil, the problem of chance, and how God acts providentially in the world..
The OnScript Quip (our review): Chaos, ugliness, evil. Order, beauty, good. Too many theologies can explain one side, but not the other. Thomas Jay Oord's The Uncontrolling Love of God determinedly holds fast to both poles, offering a fresh model for how God's essentially loving nature can provide systematic integration. Prepare to rethink fundamental theology. -- Matthew W. Bates, Quincy University, OnScript.
Help Support OnScript: Click on The Uncontrolling Love of God to purchase Anderson's 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.
Tuesday Aug 22, 2017
Tuesday Aug 22, 2017
Episode: Grab a PBR (or craft beer) & get ready for a new perspective as Matt Lynch grills Gar Anderson (Professor of NT at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin) on his new book Paul’s New Perspective (IVP). The basic argument of the book is that Paul’s old perspective is actually what is commonly referred to today as the “New Perspective on Paul” (NPP), and Paul’s new perspective is somewhat closer to the “Old / Traditional Perspective on Paul” (TPP).
Then what was the theological aim in the Pauline Corpus? What language/metaphors/images did he adopt in some of his earliest letters, and which portrayals did he altogether drop and replace in his latter writings? What was Paul’s aim in expounding on Israel and Torah in Romans or the law-grace relations in Galatians? All of these topics and more are thoughtfully and carefully discussed (no expenses spared) in this week’s episode. (-J. Soto)
Guest: Gar Anderson is Professor of New Testament and Acting Dean/President at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin. Previously, Gar was on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (1984-2001), and was was on the faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary (Orlando, FL campus) from 2002-2007. In addition to his major study on Pauline soteriology, Paul's New Perspective: Charting a Soteriological Journey (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016), he has also published articles in numerous scholarly journals, dictionaries, and edited volumes. Additionally, Dr. Anderson is a regular contributor to the Covenant blog and writes articles and reviews regularly for The Living Churchmagazine. (adapted from the Nashotah House faculty page).
Book: 'The debate between proponents of the old and new perspectives on Paul has been followed closely over the years, consolidating allegiances on either side. But the debate has now reached a stalemate, with defectors turning to apocalyptic and other solutions. in Paul's New Perspective: Charting a Soteriological Journey (IVP 2016) Garwood Anderson recounts the issues and concludes that "both 'camps' are right, but not all the time." And with that teaser, he rolls up his exegetical sleeves and proceeds to unfold a new proposal for overcoming the deadlock.
But in a field crowded with opinions, could anything new emerge? Anderson's interaction with Paul and his interpreters is at the highest level, and his penetrating and energetic analysis captures attention. What if Paul's own theological perspective was contextually formed and coherently developed over time? Have we asked justification to carry a burden it was never meant to bear? Would fresh eyes and a proper sequencing of Paul's letters reveal Paul's ownnew perspective? Might we turn a corner and find a bold and invigorating panorama of Pauline soteriology? This is a Pauline study worthy of its great theme, and one that will infuse new energy into the quest for understanding Paul's mind and letters.' (adapted from the IVP Academic website)
Help Support OnScript: Click through Paul's New Perspective to purchase Anderson's 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.
Monday Aug 07, 2017
Monday Aug 07, 2017
Episode: What causes our sin? At some point, a first century Jewish teacher stumbles out of the Galilee saying things like, “If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire” (Matthew 18:9). Unbeknownst to many modern Christians, the New Testament's teaching on sin's causes and solutions enters the fray of a lively literary and sectarian discussion. Jewish communities had lots of ideas about how demons influence us to sin, how the Torah can heal us from sin, and the role of closed communities in solving sin. How can we understand this raucous panoply of evil-talk in Second Temple Judaism? Dru Johnson talks with Dr. Miryam Brand about her research on sin and evil in Second Temple Judaism texts (that is: Jewish texts from 400 BCE–100 CE), which is also featured in her highly accessible podcast and blog.
Guest: Dr. Brand holds a Ph.D. in Bible and Late Antiquity (specialty in Dead Sea Scrolls) from New York University and an Associate Fellowship at the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research. She also has an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She currently works in both fields: teaching and research in Second Temple literature while working as a marketing manager for a hi-tech company. She has written scholarly articles for collected writings (“1 Enoch: Introduction and Commentary” in Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture, ed. Louis Feldman, James Kugel, and Lawrence Schiffman) and her monograph Evil Within and Without: The Source of Sin and Its Nature as Portrayed in Second Temple Literature (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2013).
Most importantly, she runs a podcast and website: understandingsin.com where you can find her writing and speaking on the topic of this interview and well beyond. In those podcasts, which I highly recommend, she teaches winsomely and invites normal people outside academia into the world of Second Temple Judaism.
Book (from the publisher): "Miryam T. Brand explores how texts of the Second Temple period address the theological problem of the existence of sin and describe the source of human sin. . . . The analysis is divided into two parts; the first explores texts that reflect a conviction that the source of sin is an innate human inclination, and the second analyzes texts that depict sin as caused by demons. The author demonstrates that the genre or purpose of a text is frequently a determining factor in its representation of sin, particularly influencing the text’s portrayal of sin as the result of human inclination versus demonic influence and sin as a free choice or as predetermined fact."
Help Support OnScript:
Click through Evil Within and Without to purchase Brand's book (or others, while you're in there) and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5%. 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.
Tuesday Jul 25, 2017
Tuesday Jul 25, 2017
Episode: Grab a beer & lawn chair as Matt Lynch & Dru Johnson discuss your questions at this sizzlin' summer theology barbecue. Matt & Dru talk about Dru's imaginary friend(s), signing books, Christians and the law, David's failures, God's holiness, the ideas we think need to die, and other stuff. We also have an unplanned, and altogether impressive, call-in with Chris Tilling. Chris was grilling sausage when we spontaneously called him to answer questions about Paul, turning an otherwise officey conversation into a rollicking theological barbecue. Pardon Matt's poor sound quality in this episode. A driver problem ... blah, blah, blah, meant he ended up recording with his laptop mic. Also, there's some serious crackling when we Skype in Chris for a few minutes.
Chris Tilling Theologizing at the Grill: In this episode, Chris Tilling attempts to turn the grill into a lectern (or is it the other way around?).
Books: During the discussion on the 'Paul within Judaism' movement, Tilling refers to Mark Nanos, co-editor of a recent volume, Paul within Judaism (Fortress, 2015). Nanos' book comes recommended, but he meant to refer to Daniel Boyarin, who has written books on Paul and Judaism, like A Radical Jew (Univ California Press, 1997). Check 'em both out and let us know what you think!
Help us Out: OnScript is looking for volunteers to help edit episodes (even just a few). We may be able to get you some books in exchange for help, if that's your love language. Also, if you're able to partner with us at just $2 or $5 per month, we'd be truly grateful. Click HERE to donate.
Tuesday Jul 11, 2017
Tuesday Jul 11, 2017
Episode: J Richard Middleton discusses biblical eschatology, creation, heaven, hell, Elijah's escape of death, theology in Jamaica, whether our pets go to heaven, and much more in The Boston Tea Party, Cheltenham, during Richard's tour through the UK.
Guest: J. Richard Middleton is Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary, on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY. He also serves as adjunct Professor of Theology at Roberts Wesleyan College and adjunct Professor of Old Testament at the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology in Kingston, Jamaica. He has been President of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association, 2011-2014.
While in Canada he coauthored (with Brian Walsh) The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian Worldview (IVP Academic 1984) and Truth is Stranger Than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (IVP Academic/SPCK, 1995). The former book has been published in Korean, French, Indonesian, Spanish, and Portuguese. The latter book received a Book-of-the-Year award (1996) from Christianity Today magazine and has been published in Korean.
He has authored The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 (Brazos Press, 2005), which is translated into Korean, and has co-edited a volume of essays, A Kairos Moment for Caribbean Theology (Pickwick, 2013). Both are available as e-books.
His most recent book on eschatology, entitled A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (Baker Academic, 2014), is published in paperback and e-book formats and won the 2014 Word Guild Award — Biblical Studies Category. It has been translated into Korean.
He is currently working on a new book, entitled The Silence of Abraham, The Passion of Job: Explorations in the Theology of Lament (to be published by Baker Academic). His next project after that is a short volume, tentatively called Portrait of a Disgruntled Prophet: Samuel’s Resistance to God and the Undoing of Saul (to be published by Eerdmans). (from Richard's Blog Site)
The OnScript Quip (Our Review): In his A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (Baker Academic, 2014) Middleton leads an expert tour of the Bible's creation theology. He presents the facets and implications of a this-worldly biblical eschatology. Middleton shows that this worldly eschatology derives from a ground-ed biblical protology, or story of first things in Genesis 1-2 (all creation) and the exodus (the people of Israel). Along the way, the reader meets none less than the creation-loving, matter-embracing, world-liberating God of Scripture. Middleton doesn't shy away from texts that pose potential challenges to his thesis, and offers convincing evidence that humans, and yes, this world, are destined for physical renewal. - Matt Lynch (The OnScript Podcast)
Monday Jun 26, 2017
Monday Jun 26, 2017
Episode: Matt & Matt talk violence in the OT with Greg Boyd, who has devoted the last 10 years to researching and writing about this vexed topic. Our discussion ranges from the relationship between the cross and the conquest, Greg's theory of 'literary crucifixes' in the OT, how to relate the two Testaments, and more from Greg's monumental new book The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: Interpreting The Old Testament's Violent Portraits of God in Light of the Cross. And brace yourself ... there are two speed rounds in this episode.
Guest: (from the reknew.org website) 'Greg Boyd is an internationally recognized theologian, preacher, teacher, apologist and author. He has been featured on the front page of The New York Times, The Charlie Rose Show, CNN, National Public Radio, the BBC and numerous other television and radio venues.
Greg received his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary (summa cum laude 1988), his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School (cum laude 1982), and his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota (1979). He was a professor of theology for 16 years at Bethel University (St. Paul, MN) where he received the Teaching Excellence Award and Campus Leadership Award.
Greg is the co-founder of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota where he serves as Senior Pastor, speaking to thousands each week.
Greg has authored or co-authored 20 books and numerous academic articles, including his best-selling and award-winning Letters From a Skeptic and his recent books Repenting of Religion and The Myth of a Christian Nation. His apologetic writings and public debates on the historical Jesus and the problem of evil have helped many skeptics embrace faith, and his writings and seminars on spiritual transformation have had a revolutionary, freeing impact on thousands of believers.' (For more about Greg, go HERE)
Book: In The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: Interpreting The Old Testament's Violent Portraits of God in Light of the Cross (Fortress Press, 2017), Greg Boyd advances a thesis that the Old Testament's violent texts should be re-interpreted to reflect the enemy embracing, forgiving, love of Christ shown most fully on the Cross. Greg positions this thesis in a long line of Christian interpretation that reaches back to the early Church theologian Origin. Greg outlines a crucicentric (cross-centered) hermeneutic in the first of his two volume, 1,400-page book, and proceeds to (re-)examine violent OT texts through the lens of the cross in volume 2.
**Greg is hosting a special three day conference at Woodland Hills Church, St. Paul, MN, on Sept 21-23, 2017 to discuss the problem of violence in Scripture and the possibilities of a cross-shaped interpretive lens. Information HERE.
Monday Jun 12, 2017
Monday Jun 12, 2017
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.
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.'