First Reading

First Reading

By Rev. Rachel Wrenn, PhD; Rosy Kandathil, JD; Paul Essah, MDiv; Tim McNinch, PhDReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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First Reading episodes

  • Genesis 11:1–9
    What Fear Does

    Lectionary Date: June 9, 2019 [Day of Pentecost, Year C]

    Come, let's try to understand the Tower of Babel with Rachel.

    13 min
  • Genesis 11:1–9
    What Fear Does
    Lectionary Date: June 9, 2019 [Day of Pentecost, Year C]
    Come, let’s try to understand the Tower of Babel with Rachel.
    13 min
  • Psalm 97, with Marc Brettler
    Righteousness and Justice are the Base of God's Throne

    Lectionary Date: June 2, 2019 [7th Sunday of Easter, Year C]

    This week, Rachel and Tim are joined by Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler, one of the leading scholars in the field of Hebrew Bible. He is Professor Emeritus and former chair of the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University. He has also taught at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Duke University, Yale University, Brown University, Wellesley College, and Middlebury College. He is actively involved in many aspects of Jewish communal life, and has served on the board of Boston’s Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center and Gann Academy—the New Jewish High School. Dr. Brettler is known for helping to build meaningful bridges between Jewish religious life and modern critical scholarship of the Hebrew Bible. He is co-editor of the Jewish Study Bible, which won a National Jewish Book Award. We think this volume should be on every pastor’s bookshelf, and consulted often, along with another of Dr. Brettler’s editorial projects, the Jewish Annotated New Testament. For Christian leaders interested in the shared Scriptures of Judaism and Christianity, these books are must haves. Dr. Brettler has published a slew of other books, both academic and popular. He is a clear and accessible communicator, as you will experience in this week’s First Reading episode. Finally, be sure to visit theTorah.com, which Dr. Brettler helped establish, a great online repository for biblical scholarship from a Jewish perspective.

    52 min
  • Psalm 97, with Marc Brettler
    Righteousness and Justice are the Base of God’s Throne
    Lectionary Date: June 2, 2019 [7th Sunday of Easter, Year C]
    This week, Rachel and Tim are joined by Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler, one of the leading scholars in the field of Hebrew Bible. He is Professor Emeritus and former chair of the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University. He has also taught at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Duke University, Yale University, Brown University, Wellesley College, and Middlebury College. He is actively involved in many aspects of Jewish communal life, and has served on the board of Boston’s Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center and Gann Academy—the New Jewish High School. Dr. Brettler is known for helping to build meaningful bridges between Jewish religious life and modern critical scholarship of the Hebrew Bible. He is co-editor of the Jewish Study Bible, which won a National Jewish Book Award. We think this volume should be on every pastor’s bookshelf, and consulted often, along with another of Dr. Brettler’s editorial projects, the Jewish Annotated New Testament. For Christian leaders interested in the shared Scriptures of Judaism and Christianity, these books are must haves. Dr. Brettler has published a slew of other books, both academic and popular. He is a clear and accessible communicator, as you will experience in this week’s First Reading episode. Finally, be sure to visit theTorah.com, which Dr. Brettler helped establish, a great online repository for biblical scholarship from a Jewish perspective.
    52 min
  • Psalm 67
    An Exclusive Move for an Inclusive End

    Lectionary Date: May 26, 2019 [6th Sunday of Easter, Year C]

    Rachel walks through the meaning of the blessings in Psalm 67.

    11 min
  • Psalm 67
    An Exclusive Move for an Inclusive End

    Lectionary Date: May 26, 2019 [6th Sunday of Easter, Year C]

    Rachel walks through the meaning of the blessings in Psalm 67.

    11 min
  • Psalm 148
    Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu!

    Lectionary Date: May 19, 2019 [5th Sunday of Easter, Year C]

    Tim’s up for a dip into the Hallels of Psalm 148.

    10 min
  • Psalm 148
    Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu!

    Lectionary Date: May 19, 2019 [5th Sunday of Easter, Year C]

    Tim’s up for a dip into the Hallels of Psalm 148.

    10 min

About First Reading

From the publisher's feed

First Reading offers exegetical resources for the Old Testament Lectionary reading each week. Dr. Rachel Wrenn is Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Trinity Lutheran Seminary (Capital…