Living Righteously in a Wicked World   This lesson includes some of the darkest chapters in the Bible. What do we do with such passages? How do we engage with scripture? How do we evaluate the actions of Biblical prophets? What was the sin of Sodom? What is the nature of righteousness and sin? How… Continue Reading

Living Righteously in a Wicked World   The episode continues by wrestling with fundamental issues. We dig deeper into the nature of scripture, the question of what is right and wrong, and explore how we can live well even in the midst of opposition. I think this will prove one of the best episodes of… Continue Reading

Living Righteously in a Wicked World   The only way to get the lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah right is to admit, to confront the fact that the story as it is told in the Bible is simply not ok. The deep lesson is that we have a responsibility to care for each other, to… Continue Reading

The Abrahamic Covenant   This portion of the episode explores: The Biblical narrative of Abraham The role of Abraham and covenant in Judaism The relationship of Abraham in history Differing privileges and advantages we experience.   Recurring Donation: $5   $10   $20   $50 One Time Donation: $20      $50      $100   Class Member Reading:Abraham 1:1–4;… Continue Reading

The Abrahamic Covenant   In essence, the Abrahamic covenant is about how God uses those who make covenants and live well to bless the lives of all their children. This section introduces Abraham, explores how God works with us in our limitations and weakness, as well as the impact of covenants on our relationship with… Continue Reading

The Abrahamic Covenant   Applying the story of the Abrahamic Covenant to ourselves leads us to reflect on heritage, legacy, and covenant. Everything we have and are is an inheritance from those who have gone before. Our legacy stems from what we do with that heritage, how we use and transform the blessings and curses… Continue Reading

“Noah … Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His House”   This episode concludes with A discussion of the flood and Tower of Babel narratives in Biblical and historical context (as well as reviewing a few other Ancient Near Eastern Flood stories) Some theological possibilities for understanding the relationship between these events and LDS… Continue Reading

“Noah … Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His House”   The flood story is one of the best known in the Bible (my children played with their Fisher Price Noah’s Ark while I recorded this lesson), but also problematic on multiple levels. This episode introduces some of those concerns and then focuses on… Continue Reading

“Noah … Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His House”   The idea of a world-covering flood is striking, with a lone ark carrying all breathing things, but the floods that are most urgent in our own lives are the events that threaten to drown us. Similarly, a universal confusion of tongues is intriguing,… Continue Reading

“If Thou Doest Well, Thou Shalt Be Accepted”   Part II of the episode discusses Cain and Abel in literary and historical perspective, then introduces some ancient traditions about Enoch Part III examines the theology of this story, returns to the assigned reading with an analytical lens, and then tackles the tradition of black skin… Continue Reading