OnScript

Joel Green – Conversion in Luke-Acts

 

Episode Summary:  How does brain relate to mind?  To spirit  or soul?  And what does all of this have to do with conversion and Scripture?  OnScript host Matthew Bates welcomes Joel B. Green as a guest.  Joel’s new book, Conversion in Luke-Acts, explores how our modern stories of “conversion” have been impacted by Cartesian dualism and by psychological studies that construct the individual along interior, subjective lines. Discover Luke’s radically different view of conversion. Along the way hear how Joel’s previous research work helped keep Matt on the path of Christian discipleship in the face of temptation some fifteen years ago.

Guest: Joel B. Green is Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary.  Joel was previously a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary for eleven years.  Joel is the author of more than forty books including Why Salvation? (2013), Practicing Theological Interpretation (2011), Body, Soul, and Human Life (2008), Seized by Truth (2007) and The Gospel of Luke (1997).  Joel is also famous for his editorial work.  He is the editor of the New International Commentary on the New Testament series, the Two Horizons commentary series, Journal of Theological Interpretation, and Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.

Book:  Joel B. Green, Conversion in Luke-Acts: Divine Action, Human Cognition, and the People of God (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2015). Repentance and conversion are key topics in New Testament interpretation and in Christian life. However, the study of conversion in early Christianity has been plagued by psychological assumptions alien to the world of the New Testament. Leading New Testament scholar Joel Green believes that careful attention to the narrative of Luke-Acts calls for significant rethinking about the nature of Christian conversion. Drawing on the cognitive sciences and examining key evidence in Luke-Acts, this book emphasizes the embodied nature of human life as it explores the life transformation signaled by the message of conversion, offering a new reading of a key aspect of New Testament theology.

 

Matthew R. Schlimm – This Strange and Sacred Scripture

Episode Summary

In this interview, Matt L. talks about This Strange and Sacred Scripture with author, Old Testament Scholar, and professor Matthew Schlimm. They discuss Matthew’s relationship with the Hardy Boys novels, why the Old Testament is like a friend, laws about eating locusts, places where the Old Testament gets in a fight with itself, and much more that makes the Old Testament so strange and wonderful.

Guest 

Dr. Matthew R. Schlimm is Associate Professor of Old Testament at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. He completed his Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Duke University. His research interests focus on biblical theology and biblical ethics.  His first book, From Fratricide to Forgiveness: The Language and Ethics of Anger in Genesis, examines the various episodes involving human anger in Genesis, moving from Cain’s murdering Abel in Genesis 4 to Joseph’s forgiving his brothers in Genesis 50.  His most recent book, This Strange and Sacred Scripture: Wrestling with the Old Testament and Its Oddities, examines key questions that the Old Testament raises.  Schlimm has also served as one of the editors for the CEB Study Bible and published in a variety of journals.

Book

Schlimm’s book This Strange and Sacred Scripture (Baker Academic, 2015) combines ‘pastoral insight, biblical scholarship, and a healthy dose of humility, gifted teacher and communicator Matthew Schlimm explores perennial theological questions raised by the Old Testament. He provides strategies for reading and appropriating these sacred texts, showing how the Old Testament can shape the lives of Christians today and helping them appreciate the Old Testament as a friend in faith.’ (from the Baker Academic website)

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Peter Enns – The Sin of Certainty

Guest: Dr. Enns is Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University in Pennsylvania. He teaches and writes on Old Testament, New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and the intersection of biblical studies and contemporary Christian faith. He speaks actively in academic and ecclesiastical venues on topics pertaining the Bible and Christian faith. He has written or edited over a dozen books and many articles and essays. His books include Inspiration and Incarnation, The Evolution of Adam,The Bible Tells Me So, and now, The Sin of Certainty.

Interview Details: Pete and Matt L. discuss the uncertainties of faith, of life, and of life with the Bible. We also talk about how Pete has managed the challenge of losing control of his faith. Matt asks Pete his opinion on the ideal of ‘knowing what you believe’ and on ‘always being prepared to give an answer … about the hope that is in you’ (1 Peter 3:15). Pete also talks about the ‘slippery slope’ of certainty. Finally, Pete addresses three of his favorite OT books for navigating the loss of certainty. And, by the way, Pete was swinging a baseball bat in his study during the interview. I’m glad it wasn’t an in-person interview.

Book: The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires our Trust More Than Our ‘Correct’ Beliefs. In this book, Pete explores the idol of certainty, by which he means the need to know in order to have a robust faith. Pete talks about ways that encounters with the Bible trigger faith crises and uncertainty, but also how that same Bible provides resources for a new kind of faith, one that requires trust. Harper One has a FREE Small Group Study Guide available as well, FYI. I know, it’s almost too good to be true.

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Special thanks to HarperOne for the review copy of Pete’s book!

John M. G. Barclay – Paul and the Gift

Guest:  John M. G. Barclay is Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at Durham University in England, one of the most highly regarded professorships in the theological world. Barclay is the author of an exciting and highly significant new book, Paul and the Gift (2015).  Barclay’s early work on Galatians, Obeying the Truth (1988), remains a classic study.  Barclay’s publications also highlight the diversity of Judaism in antiquity, such as Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora (1996), and a commentary and translation, Flavius Josephus, Against Apion (2007). In his 2011 published essay collection, Pauline Churches and the Diaspora Jews, Barclay brings his research on the social world of first-century Judaism to bear on the formation of Paul’s communities. In addition to this Barclay has contributed numerous articles, edited volumes of essays, and supervised 50+ doctoral students.

Episode Details:  John Barclay undoubtedly can talk a good game about gift-giving–and he goes above and beyond expectations in this podcast.  But what kind of a gift-giver would John be in person?  If you happen to invite him over for a barbeque, expect something marvelous!  In this episode, hosted by Matthew Bates, John covers a broad spectrum of topics related to gifts (and grace) in antiquity and Paul’s letters.  John and Matt discuss how various interpreters, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, perfected different aspects of grace when interpreting Paul, sometimes taking Paul’s concept of grace in different directions than Paul himself took it.  Moreover advocates of the New Perspective on Paul (e.g., E. P. Sanders, James D. G. Dunn, N. T. Wright), have argued that Judaism was not devoid of grace, so Paul’s critique of Judaism could not be that Jews were trying to earn salvation.  Others disagree.  John’s scholarly proposal, which offers a way to move beyond the New Perspective, is probed.  John also speaks about his own personal journey, reflecting on how a formative experience in Pakistan in the 1970s helped pave the way for Paul and the Gift.  Finally, John discusses his future research plans and gives a beautiful vision for how Paul and the Gift might contribute to the life of the church today.

Book Details:  John M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015).  This book presents a strikingly fresh reading of grace in Paul’s theology, studying it in view of ancient notions of “gift” and shining new light on Paul’s relationship to Second Temple Judaism.  Paul and the Gift centers on divine gift-giving, which for Paul, Barclay says, is focused and fulfilled in the gift of Christ. He offers a new appraisal of Paul’s theology of the Christ-event as gift as it comes to expression in Galatians and Romans, and he presents a nuanced and detailed discussion of the history of reception of Paul.

Summary:  Barclay’s Paul and the Gift is a stunningly important new contribution.  You are definitely going to want to check it out!

Intermission music:

DD Groove by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100492

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Meghan Henning – Educating Early Christians Through the Rhetoric of Hell

Guest: Meghan Henning is Assistant Professor of Christian Origins at the University of Dayton. She specializes in New Testament and Early Christianity, and holds an undergraduate degree in Religion and Economics from Denison University, a Masters degree in Biblical Studies from Yale Divinity School, and a doctorate in New Testament from Emory University. Meghan’s book on the pedagogical function of Hell in antiquity is titled Educating Early Christians through the Rhetoric of Hell (Mohr Siebeck).  She has written several articles, essays, and invited papers on Hell, the New Testament, apocalyptic literature, apocryphal literature, and disability studies. In addition to the New Testament she is interested in the theme of suffering in antiquity, women in early Christianity, Petrine literature, historiography, contemporary philosophy, the work of Michel Foucault, disability studies, feminist hermeneutics, and post-colonial theory. She is the recipient of grants and awards from the Jacob K. Javits foundation, the Society of Biblical Literature, Yale Divinity School, and Emory University. She also appeared in a documentary for the National Geographic Channel.

Episode Details: This episode is guest hosted by Dr. Bradley Jersak, who has a keen interest in the topic of Hell in early Christianity. Brad is lecturer in New Testament and Patristics at Westminster Theological Centre, and among his many publications, he is the author of Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell, and the New Jerusalem (Wipf & Stock, 2010). He is also the editor of www.clarionjournal.com and senior editor of Plain Truth Ministries (www.ptm.org). In this interview, Brad discusses with Meghan the meaning and significance of Hell as a rhetorical teaching strategy in the New Testament and Early Church. Meghan and Brad also discuss Hell in contemporary preaching, horror films, and much more.

Book & Book Sample Details: Meghan Henning, Educating Early Christians through the Rhetoric of Hell: “Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth” as Paideia in Matthew and the Early Church.  WUNT 2/382. Mohr Siebeck, 2014. If you’d like a taste of Meghan’s book, check out her FREE downloadable article ‘Eternal Punishment as Paideia’ and a FREE sample chapter of her book.

Michael J. Gorman – Becoming the Gospel

Guest:  Professor Michael J. Gorman holds the Raymond E. Brown Chair in Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore, Maryland.  A renowned New Testament scholar, he has written numerous books, including Apostle of the Crucified Lord; Cruciformity; Inhabiting the Cruciform God; Reading Revelation Responsibly; and Elements of Biblical Exegesis.

Episode Details:  St. Francis of Assisi is sometimes remembered as having said, “Preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.”  Does this mean that the best way to proclaim the gospel is simply to live it?  Or is an explicit verbal proclamation of the gospel the best way forward?  In this episode, hosted by Matthew Bates, drawing from his new book, Becoming the Gospel, Mike Gorman pushes beyond a simplistic either/or answer.  Reading the Apostle Paul from the vantage point of “missional hermeneutics,” Mike shows the absolute inseparability of proclaiming the gospel and embodying the gospel.  To enter into the saving story of Jesus Christ means to be transformed into the image of Jesus, which is to also become like God–all of which is frequently termed “theosis.”  Be prepared to rethink how categories foundational to the Christian tradition, such as justification and social justice, are inextricably intertwined.  Mike helps us all reconsider how today’s church might more thoroughly enter into the saving mission of God.

Book Details:  Michael J. Gorman, Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission (Eerdmans, 2015).  The first detailed exegetical treatment of Paul’s letters from the emerging discipline of missional hermeneutics, Michael Gorman’s Becoming the Gospel argues that Paul’s letters invite Christian communities both then and now to not merely believe the gospel but to become the gospel and, in doing so, to participate in the life and mission of God.  Showing that Pauline churches were active public participants in and witnesses to the gospel, Gorman reveals the missional significance of various themes in Paul’s letters. He also identifies select contemporary examples of mission in the spirit of Paul, inviting all Christians to practice Paul-inspired imagination in their own contexts.

David A. Lambert – How Repentance Became Biblical

 

Guest: David Lambert is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his Ph.D., M.A., and A.B. from Harvard University. In addition to articles in leading journals in the field of biblical studies, Judaism, and religion, he has recently published How Repentance Became Biblical: Judaism, Christianity, and the Interpretation of Scripture (Oxford University Press, 2016), which we discuss in this podcast.

Episode Details: In this interview with Matt L., David discusses the way that this book formed him as a scholar, how the book came into being, and the ways biblical scholars might move beyond what he calls a ‘colonizing mode of interpretation’. This colonizing mode of interpretation insists that below the surface of the phenomena represented in the text (e.g., mourning, fasting, or appeal) lies a deeper interior reality (often, repentance). Lambert argues that the oft-noted biblical emphasis on repentance tells us more about us as readers than it does about the biblical text. The interview covers the three major portions of Lambert’s book, and of course, some side paths as well.

The Book: How Repentance Became Biblical: Judaism, Christianity, and the Interpretation of Scripture. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. **For a discount code, click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the document**

We’ll let Carol Newsom’s endorsement, drawn from the OUP website, speak for itself: ‘How Repentance Became Biblical is an intellectually disturbing book in the best sense of the term. In this careful work of intellectual and cultural history Lambert demonstrates the extent to which readers, including scholars, have misunderstood critical aspects of the biblical worldview, culture, and practices by reading the concept of repentance into texts where it is not present. Biblical studies will be grappling with the implications of this transformative work for a long time.’ – Carol Newsom, Emory University

**We are grateful to Oxford University Press for a free interview copy of How Repentance Became Biblical**

Joshua Jipp – Christ is King

 

Guest: Joshua W. Jipp is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Josh did his Ph.D. in New Testament at Emory University, a ThM from Duke Divinity School, an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a BA from Northwestern College. In addition to his recent book Christ is King, he is also the author of a book that situates Luke-Acts in its Greco-Roman context: Divine Visitations and Hospitality to Strangers in Luke-Acts: An Interpretation of the Malta Episode in Acts 28:1-10 (Leiden: Brill, 2013).  He has also written numerous journal articles and chapters for edited volumes, including, “Ancient, Modern, and Future Interpretations of Romans 1:3-4: Reception History and Biblical Interpretation” in Journal of Theological Interpretation and “The Son’s Entrance into the Heavenly World: The Soteriological Necessity of the Scriptural Catena in Hebrews 1.5-14” in New Testament Studies.  Professor Jipp also won the prestigious “Paul J. Achtemeier Award” through the Society of Biblical Literature for his paper: “Christ the King as Living Law: Paul’s ‘the Law of Christ’ and Ancient Kingship.”

Episode Details: In this episode, Matthew Bates and Josh Jipp converse about Josh’s new book Christ is King.  At the heart of Josh’s book is a proposal for a paradigm shift regarding the controlling metaphor in Paul’s Christology–namely, that Jesus was regarded by Paul above all else as a king, a Son of David and the enthroned Son of God.  Together Josh and Matt explore the implications of Josh’s proposal for key topics in Paul’s theology, such as justification, law, proper expressions of praise, and ruling alongside the king.  Expanding beyond the book itself, Josh answers questions regarding his motivation for writing Christ is King and his methodology.  Josh also begins to outline why his proposal is significant not just for scholarship, but for church and world–topics we certainly hope to hear more about from Josh in the future.

Book Details: Christ is King: Paul’s Royal Ideology (Fortress, 2015). Until recently, many scholars have read Paul’s use of the word Christos as more of a proper name (“Jesus Christ”) than a title, Jesus the Messiah. One result, Jipp argues, is that important aspects of Paul’s thinking about Jesus’ messiahship have gone unrecognized. Jipp contends that kingship discourse is an important source for Paul’s christological language: Paul uses royal language to present Christ as the good king.

Munther Isaac – From Land to Lands

 

Guest: Dr. Munther Banayout Isaac is Academic Dean and Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, Palestine. He completed his Ph.D. at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, and has an MA from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and Bachelor of Science from Birzeit University in Civil Engineering.  He is also actively involved in Musalaha, a reconciliation ministry and he organizes the Christ at the Checkpoint conference which happens every other year, and which we’re hoping you’ll attend this coming March 7-10.

Episode Details: This inaugural OnScript episode features Dr. Munther Isaac of Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, Palestine. He’s here to discuss his recent book ‘From Land to Lands, From Eden to the Renewed Earth: A Christ-Centered Biblical Theology of the Promised Land’ (Langham Monographs, 2015). I (Matt Lynch) met Munther in Bethlehem back in 2011, when we met to discuss the relationship between land in the Bible and the current strife over land in Israel/Palestine. Among the various texts we discussed, I remember him pointing me toward Ezek 47:21-23:

“So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD.’

Emphasizing this text illustrates just one way that Palestinians have re-examined the Old Testament to bring to life those passages that have often been overlooked by those eager to legitimate a certain perspective on the land. But Isaac’s reading of land in the Bible is far more comprehensive and holistic than pinpointing such key texts, and it is well worth the read. This interview discusses his book and its relevance to the current socio-political situation in Palestine. Enjoy and pick up a copy of his book!

Book Details: The land is an important theme in the Bible through which the whole biblical history in the Old and New Testaments can be studied and analyzed. Looking at the land in the Bible right from its beginnings in the garden of Eden this book approaches the theme from three distinct perspectives – holiness, the covenant, and the kingdom. Through careful analysis the author recognizes that the land has been universalized in Christ, as anticipated in the Old Testament, and as a result promotes a missional theology of the land that underlines the social and territorial dimensions of redemption. Get your copy of his book today!

*Special thanks to Langham Monographs for giving us an interview copy of the book