Aimee Byrd and I sat down and talked to Dr. Sandra Glahn about her book Nobody's Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament (October, 2023).

We cover:

Fertility cult and a story of infertility Paul and Artemis Artemis' appendages and magic The relevance of inscriptions Celibacy and childbirth What is "Saved through childbearing"? Ephesus, magic, and false teaching What readers can learn from Dr. Glahn's book

Audio above, video below!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

I don’t know if you’ve watched Shiny, Happy People, not the R.E.M. song, but the documentary about the Duggar family and the ministry of Bill Gothard.

If not, in a new Bird’s of a Feather episode, Aimee Byrd and I discuss it (well, mainly Aimee).

We cover:

This is not a dig against homeschooling SHP is not as fringe as people think The dark side of the ideal Christian family The dangers of building a Christian celebrity empire We are not meant to be Shiny Happy People Final thoughts from Aimee

Audio above, video below. Hey, if you like it, subscribe a share!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

Here is the second part of my interview with

We cover:

Go-to text on church and state, Romans 13 or Revelation 13? Was Constantine good or bad for the church? Is someone who seeks political and religious power the anti-Christ? What does the gospel teach about politics? What can American Christians learn from Christians in other parts of the world? What are the benefits of knowing history to understand current conflicts about religion and politics? Is Christian Nationalism a threat to democracy? Should Christians support Liberal Democracy?

Audio above, video below. Comments at the bottom. Love to hear your thoughts!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

I had the pleasure of interviewing Patrick Schreiner, Kaitlyn Schiess, and Con Campbell about their respective books on Evangelicals, the Bible, and (American) Politics.

In this episode, part one, I get them to talk about their respective books, and then ask them what advice they’d give Christians about politics. Another episode comes up next week.

Audio above and video below.

Please, share your thoughts below!

Patrick Schreiner the author of Political Gospel: Public Witness in a Politically Crazy World (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2022).

Kaitlyn Schiess is the author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2023)

Con Campbell is the author of Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2023).

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of BOAF, Aimee and I discuss women as pastors in light of the recent SBC decision and Mike warns of the danger of valuing “conservatism” over “orthodoxy.”

Available in both audio and video.

What do you think?

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

Here is a video I made (with audio) on 5 Reasons to Be Anglican, mainly responding to Lutheran Pastor-Theologian Jordan B. Cooper’s critique of Anglicanism as doctrinally vacuous. Some humour is involved!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

You have to check out the interview Aimee Byrd and I did with Dr. Lisa Weaver Swartz about her book Stained Glass Ceilings which compares and contrasts the experiences of women at Southern Seminary and Asbury Seminary.

Just to be clear, nobody gets off scot-free, and there are “issues” that Swartz points to with both seminaries. Anyone involved in seminary administration definitely needs to read this book, or, anyone who is interested in women and theological education.

Whether you are complementarian or egalitarian, there are things in this book that will challenge you and make you think.

Video and audio here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

Aimee Byrd and I interview Dr. Amy Peeler (Wheaton College) about her book Women and the Gender of God, which is a terrific read!

Find the interview here in both audio and video.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

Okay friends, I’m beta-testing the idea of writing a history of the Roman empire from the late second century to the early fourth century (i.e., from Pertinax [193] to Constantine [337]).

I find this period of Roman history fascinating, because it is far less well-known, and yet it is the period when the Roman empire nearly fell apart, when it faced plagues, civil wars, and foreign invasions. It is also the period when Christianity had the most persecution and the most growth!

So listen to my introduction to the third-century crises, something of an audiobook format. Forgive my quirky voice and stumbling over a few words.

Let me know what you think!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe

Hi everyone, happy St. Stephen’s Day and Boxing Day!

To celebrate, there is a new Birds of a Feather episode from Aimee Byrd and me.

In this episode, we look at:

- Non-Disclosure Agreements - Do egalitarians reject biblical authority? - Predictions for 2023

Listen to the audio or click to watch the video, enjoy!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfbird.substack.com/subscribe