Religious leaders are supposed to model spiritual virtues and lead their congregation closer to God, but what do we do when those who we look up to commit horrible sin? What do we do when it seems like all that we learned from them is contradicted by the way they live? And why does the Bible uplift these kinds of leaders when they do such horrible things?

In this episode, I sit down with social scientist and pastor Dr. Darius Benton to discuss why moral leaders can make disastrous decisions, how the Bible responds to that reality, and what church communities can grow their faith in the face of failure.

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Suggested Next Steps:

Read Dr. Benton’s dissertation: Examining Dark Side Leadership and Impression Management of King David.

Find others work by Dr. Benton Here

Christians and Jews have hotly debated over Isaiah 7:14 for centuries. While Christians insist it is a prophecy of Jesus’ virgin birth, Jews argue its historical context tells a very different story. Is Isaiah pointing towards an eventual Messiah, or is he just talking about a nearby pregnant woman? How can we unearth the truth behind this verse without marginalizing other people and their faiths?

In this episode, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Brettler walks us through how this verse has been understood throughout history, why its translated differently across traditions, and the path forward we can take to grow our faiths together.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

Suggested Next Step:

Read The Bible With and Without Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Avi Brettler Today!

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Christians usually associated “The Word of God” as another name for the Bible, but in the poetic beginning to John’s Gospel, he uses the title to refer to Jesus. When we start to apply our modern understanding of what “words” are, troubling questions begin to emerge. If we can make up words and change their meanings, what truth can we actually find in “The Word of God”?

In this episode, Joel sits down with rhetorician Dr. Sean Barnette to explore the biblical “Word”, contemporary rhetorical thought, and how both can work together to draw us closer to God.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

Suggested Next Steps:

The Lord of Spirits Podcast - The Word of the Lord

David Roochnik Essay - Stanley Fish and the Old Quarrel between Rhetoric and Philosophy

That Won't Preach is a podcast dedicated to the most confusing, obscure, and uncomfortable verses in the Bible. Joel Seymour sits down with biblical scholars every month to confront the questions pastors avoid on Sunday mornings.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my by clicking Here