Religiosanity

Pastor Andrew addresses the popular misconception that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, which leads to a larger discussion about the women, both named and unnamed, of the gospels, the patriarchal approach to their representation, and how that only got worse in the years after its writing.

A short video about the same theme https://youtu.be/NcN4NySJ7JA

Peter reads the passage from the Gospel of John where Mary Magdalene can't find the body of Jesus and asks the gardener for it, not knowing that the gardener is Jesus. Pastor Andrew fills in the eyeopening ancient stories John is hinting at here that add so much to interpretation of this story, right down to the pairing of Jesus and Adam, each with their gardens, one old and one new as can be.

Peter asks Pastor Andrew if Jesus ever got REALLY angry, which prompts a discussion of the story of Jesus cursing a fig tree in the gospel of Matthew. Understanding this story in the proper context of the time brings about reflection on the symbol of oppression that fig tree represented, and a greater understanding of the parable brings us to connect it to other such symbols in our own time.

Another senseless, and now potentially dangerous, statement from Trump about the proposed "resurrection of America" on Easter prompts Pastor Andrew to tell us about the ways the word "resurrection" is used differently than it is in its meaning in the gospel. For one, there is a justice dimension to resurrection that is important to its Christian meaning, one that reconciles martyrdom with a larger understanding of a just god. And he offers us hope by encouraging us to strive toward justice as a way to celebrate the resurrection at Easter.

Pastor Andrew joins Peter remotely to discuss what might be labeled the equivalent of "satanic verses" in the Bible, in particular the way Jesus dismissed being called out for not washing before eating, which leads into a conversation of our current worldwide crisis, and how we are dealing with it.

Did you know Kings used to be likened to gardeners? Anyone who wants to run for office should be required to take care of a garden for 10 years, after which, if they have done a sufficient job, they should be allowed to run. This is an idea Pastor Andrew proposes in this episode where he calls on us to celebrate divine gardens as a spiritual achievement, and recognize the religious dimension of parks, or find a connection to the divine in the simple taking care of a potted plant.

As a global pandemic intensifies in our nation, and anxiety and confusion envelop us, Pastor Andrew thinks it's a good time to look at the many biblical and extra-biblical revelations and apocalyptices, and see them within their context of heightened anxiety, written by people living in unstable times, but with the purpose not to bring fear, but hope.

Pastor Andrew highlights some passages from the Bible that ridicule other forms of worship, showing us that not all humor in the Bible has the same intentions. He calls us out on our hypocrisy in this regard, with our own wasteful and bloated forms of worship, and asks us to approach those who worship differently with empathy.

With the COVID-19 hysteria ramping up, Peter asks Pastor Andrew to talk about the Egyptian plagues of the Hebrew bible. First revelation: "plague" is a strange mistranslation. "Hit" or "Blow" are more proper. They also discuss the interesting origins of the use of Leprosy in the New Testament, and what happens if the "hits" keep coming.

An article by medievalist Lynn Townsend White Jr. on the historical roots of our present day ecological crisis sparks a conversation on the widespread prevalence of religio-insanity, sparked by perversion of religious thought and ignorance, infecting our spiritual institutions.