Todd and Tyler talk about the Trinity. The doctrine as taught in traditional Christianity and the Nicene Creed. Differences and similarities with the understanding of Latter-day Saints. Some history and Saint Nicholas (allegedly) slapping Arius.

Todd and Tyler talk about the Epistle to the Hebrews, a magnificent section of sacred scripture. The exalted status of Jesus Christ. His role as high priest after the order of Melchizedek. The way that doctrinal meat builds upon the foundations of doctrinal milk.

Todd and Tyler talk about some significant ancient texts: Targum Onkelos, Targum Jonathan, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Tosefta, Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, and other Second Temple texts.

Christian culture is not always subdued or ascetic. It is often polychromatic, extravagant, and excessive. Saints and sinners mingle in a culture of piety and transgression, a culture that believes in forgiveness because it knows how much it needs it. Seasons of Lenten fasting cycle with seasons of sumptuous and sensuous feasting in a way that generates an emotionally replete cosmology.

Todd and Tyler continue their discussion about the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Important Septuagint passages that show up in the New Testament like “a virgin shall conceive” (Isaiah 7:14) and “recovering of sight to the blind” (Isaiah 61:1). Paul’s deep roots in the Septuagint text. The ways that scriptures can accrue meaning and significance, like Christological meaning. And the ways the Septuagint can give us insight into how Second Temple Jews understood the Hebrew Bible.

Todd and Tyler talk about the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The Hellenistic character of Diaspora Judaism and early Christianity. The importance of the Septuagint to our understanding of the development of the Hebrew Bible texts. The ways that the Septuagint was used by New Testament authors. And ways that Septuagint translators sometimes shifted the meaning of certain passages with their translation choices. We really just got started so we expect to pick up the topic again next week!

Todd and Tyler talk about Bible translations. Translation approaches ranging from word-for-word to thought-for-thought. How different translations handle idioms. The vast number of Bible translations. And the different preferences that people and groups have.

Todd and Tyler talk about Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. Among other things. "Is Christ divided?" Diversity of spiritual gifts. Ecumenism. Modern equivalents to eating meat sacrificed to idols. Heretical lawlessness (antinomianism) that presumes to transcend morality. The nature of resurrected bodies.

On arguments for the existence of God from the principle of sufficient reason. The principle of sufficient reason is the principle that everything must have a reason, cause, or ground. This principle has been applied to argue for the existence of God as the ultimate reason behind all things.

The recent developments in AI are quite impressive. If someone had told me a couple years ago about the capabilities of something like ChatGPT I wouldn't have believed them. AI certainly has enormous practical benefit. But since artificial neural networks were inspired by biological neural networks they can also be useful models for them. In this episode I share some recent studies investigating the behavior of the brain using AI models and evaluating their possible underlying computational similarities.