The Bible For Normal People

By Peter Enns and Jared Byas

Religion & Spirituality Christianity

What's The Bible For Normal People about?

A weekly podcast talk show having serious talks about the sacred book. Hosted by Peter Enns and Jared Byas.

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[Bible] Episode 248: Cheryl...

06.05.2023

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Cheryl B. Anderson joins Pete and Jared to discuss ethics, law, and how we read the Bible. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 173 from July ...

The Bible For Normal People episodes:

06.05.2023 [Bible] Episode 248: Cheryl B. Anderson - The Ethical Impact of Biblical Interpretation (REISSUE) In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Cheryl B. Anderson joins Pete and Jared to discuss ethics, law, and how we read the Bible. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 173 from July ...
06.01.2023 [Faith] Episode 17: Ally Henny - Finding Your Voice in the Face of Injustice In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Ally Henny joins Jared to talk about the history of using her voice, what it means to embrace your Holy Hell No, and how speaking the truth can set you free in ...
05.29.2023 [Bible] Episode 247: Jared Byas - What It Means to Take the Bible Literally What do people mean when they say they take the Bible literally? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared breaks down how words in this common phrase are overworked and underpaid, how it functions as a cultural ...
05.25.2023 [Faith] Episode 16: Brian McLaren - The Four Stages of Faith (REISSUE) In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Brian McLaren to discuss stages of faith, the prevalence of doubt, and what paths to faith after doubt might look like. This is a reissue of ...
05.22.2023 [Bible] Episode 246: Amy Kalmanofsky - Dangerous Sisters in the Hebrew Bible In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared and Pete are joined by Amy Kalmanofsky to reveal the narrative role of sisters in the Hebrew Bible, explain three categories of sister relationships, and identify “ideal” and “dangerous” sisters ...
05.18.2023 [Faith] Episode 15: Dale C. Allison Jr. - Encountering Mystery Dale C. Allison Jr. joins Pete in this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk about his own mysterious divine encounters, how testimony can become data, and why it’s important to acknowledge the limits of logic when it comes ...
05.15.2023 [Bible] Episode 245: Elizabeth Schrader Polczer - Resurrecting Mary the Tower Everything you thought you knew about Mary Magdalene is questioned in this episode of The Bible for Normal People, in which Elizabeth Schrader Polczer joins Pete and Jared to discuss textual criticism, the meaning of Magdalene, and why John 11 ...
05.11.2023 [Faith] Episode 14: Danté Stewart - The Power of Black Literature In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Danté Stewart joins Pete and Jared to share how reading the works of Black authors shaped his spiritual journey and how viewing Black literature as sacred can make us larger, freer, and ...
05.08.2023 [Bible] Episode 244: Manuel Cruz - What It Means to Be Moral In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Manuel Cruz to discuss the philosophy of being moral, how morality intersects with the Christian spiritual life, and what we can learn about God from ...
05.04.2023 [Faith] Episode 13: Kaitlin Curtice - A Fresh Vision for the Spiritual Life In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Kaitlin Curtice joins Pete and Jared to talk about her new book Living Resistance and how a life of faith can thrive if we let go of the need for linear success ...
05.01.2023 [Bible] Episode 243: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - Finding Wisdom in the Balance In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared answer questions from community members in The Society of Normal People, pulling on a common thread of how to move beyond dualism and find wisdom in a more ...
04.27.2023 [Faith] Episode 12: Erica Smith - Dropping Out of Purity Culture In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared and co-host Jennifer Garcia Bashaw talk with sex educator Erica Smith, M.Ed. about the harmful effects of purity culture and the work she does to empower adults who want to create ...
04.24.2023 [Bible] Episode 242: Lisa Marie Bowens - The Cosmic Battle in 2 Corinthians In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Lisa Marie Bowens to peel back the layers within 2 Corinthians, examining the themes, rhetoric, and narrative purpose of the cosmic battle between God and ...
04.20.2023 [Faith] Episode 11: Rainn Wilson - Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution In this very special episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are graced by the presence and wisdom of Rainn Wilson, whose new book Soul Boom prescribes a spiritual revolution to treat our self-destruction, emboldening us to move ...
04.17.2023 [Bible] Episode 241: Pete Enns - Pete Ruins 1 Samuel Murderous kings, political turmoil, and charismatic shepherds—oh my! In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete outlines the thematic underpinnings, historical context, and biblical scholarship surrounding the book of 1 Samuel. Show Notes → Learn more about your ...
04.13.2023 [Faith] Episode 10: D. Danyelle Thomas - Decolonizing Our Faith In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with D. Danyelle Thomas about how decolonizing Christianity is an act of love toward marginalized communities, and why deconstruction doesn’t go far enough in forming a truly inclusive ...
04.10.2023 [Bible] Episode 240: Dan McClellan - Why God Is Like a Hotdog In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared and Pete talk with Dan McClellan about divine agency in early Israelite thought, and how cognitive linguistics helps us to make sense of the complications that arise from trying to ...
04.06.2023 [Faith] Episode 9: Jared Byas - The Genesis of Jared Byas In this episode of Faith for Normal People, our beloved co-host Jared Byas bestows upon us the rare gift of vulnerability as he shares his own story of shifting faith through childhood and young adulthood, leading to the birth of ...
04.03.2023 [Bible] Episode 239: Cameron B. R. Howard - How Is the Bible Authoritative? What does it mean for the Bible to be authoritative? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Cameron B. R. Howard joins Pete and Jared to discuss how tradition has impacted the idea of authority of the biblical ...
03.30.2023 [Faith] Episode 8: Joseph Henrich - Is Christianity Weird? Cultural anthropologist Joseph Henrich joins Pete and Jared in this episode of Faith for Normal People to explain how the unique psychology of modern Western society was shaped by particular rules about family structure and marriage practices, often forced by ...
03.27.2023 [Bible] Episode 238: Josh James - Psalms Isn't What You Think It Is In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Josh James to embark on an adventure through the Book of Psalms, unpacking the biblical scholarship surrounding this beloved, strange, ancient collection of poetry we ...
03.23.2023 [Faith] Episode 7: Robin Parry - The Historical Roots of Christian Universalism In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete hosts a conversation with Robin Parry about the historical roots, biblical references, and common misunderstandings related to universal salvation in the Christian tradition—as well as the hope it might offer as ...
03.20.2023 [Bible] Episode 237: Sam Boyd - What the Tower of Babel Is Really About In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Sam Boyd joins Pete and Jared to uncover the misconceptions which are often read into the Tower of Babel story and get to the heart of the political and cultural implications ...
03.16.2023 [Faith] Episode 6: Jonathan Jong - Faith & the Fear of Death In this episode of Faith for Normal People, social psychologist Jonathan Jong joins Pete and Jared to talk about the history and science behind death anxiety and how the reality of mortality impacts people within and beyond the Christian faith ...
03.13.2023 [Bible] Episode 236: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - Should the Bible Be Read Like Any Other Book? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared consider how elevating the Bible to a special status can cheapen our experience of reading it as a multi-vocal anthology of literature. Show Notes → Learn more about ...
03.09.2023 [Faith] Episode 5: K.J. Ramsey - What If Our Bodies & Feelings Can Be Trusted? In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared talks with author and trauma-informed counselor K.J. Ramsey about the impact of trauma, finding hope through loss, and trusting the wisdom of our emotions and our bodies. Show Notes → Learn ...
03.06.2023 [Bible] Episode 235: Aaron Koller - Biblicizing Esther Aaron Koller joins Pete and Jared in this episode of The Bible for Normal People to explore the book of Esther, discussing scholarly opinions of its historical accuracy, major themes within the narrative, challenges to current Jewish beliefs, and how ...
03.02.2023 [Faith] Episode 4: Bekah McNeel - Parenting Through a Faith Transition Bekah McNeel joins Jared and co-host Jennifer Garcia Bashaw in this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk candidly about the challenges of parenting in the midst of a shifting faith—the good, the bad, and the cussing—and how parents ...
02.27.2023 [Bible] Episode 234: Meredith J. C. Warren - Meredith Warren Ruins John 6 Hold onto your communion wafers, folks! In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Meredith J. C. Warren guides Pete and Jared through eight weird verses in John 6:51-58, exploring whether or not the passage refers to the Eucharist, ...
02.23.2023 [Faith] Episode 3: Anil Seth - What Is Consciousness? (and Other Easy Questions) In this episode of Faith for Normal People, cognitive neuroscientist Anil Seth leaves no brain region unused as he joins Pete and Jared to talk about consciousness, experience, perception, what it means to be a self, and the ways a ...
02.20.2023 [Bible] Episode 233: Pete Enns - Pete Ruins Judges In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, our beloved book ruiner Pete brings the gavel down on Judges, examining the historical and literary context of the book and revealing the driving force of the narrative: Israel needs a ...
02.16.2023 [Faith] Episode 2: Rhett & Jessie McLaughlin - Finding a Curious Faith In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Rhett and Jessie McLaughlin to talk about their own journey of shifting faith as individuals and as a married couple, what it was like navigating a ...
02.13.2023 [Bible] Episode 232: David Lambert - Is the Bible “Scripture”? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with David Lambert about how scholars define “scripture,” how communities throughout history have changed the meaning and nature of biblical texts, and whether or not the Bible ...
02.09.2023 [Faith] Episode 1: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - What Is Faith for Normal People? Welcome to Faith for Normal People, the only other God-ordained podcast on the internet—brought to you by Pete Enns and Jared Byas of The Bible for Normal People. In this episode, Pete and Jared introduce the show and reflect on ...
02.06.2023 [Bible] Episode 231: Beth Allison Barr - Pushing Back Against Biblical Womanhood We’re back for the seventh season of The Bible for Normal People and we’re kicking things off with Beth Allison Barr! In this episode, Beth joins Pete and Jared to talk about the historical and cultural development of biblical womanhood ...
12.12.2022 Episode 230: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - Pete & Jared Ruin Christmas We’re bringing a little bah and a little humbug to the Christmas pageant in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Pete and Jared do their very best to ruin Christmas! Find out what Christmas means to them, ...
12.05.2022 Episode 229: Joel Marcus - Parting of the Ways Between Judaism & Christianity In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Joel Marcus breaks down the history and intricacies of how, when, and why the Christian religion broke away from Judaism, and how that turn toward independence shaped the New Testament. Show ...
11.28.2022 Episode 228: Emilie Townes - The Wisdom of Hope (REISSUE) In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk with Emilie Townes about womanist ethics, interpreting the Bible, and hope. Show Notes → This episode was sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, ...
11.21.2022 Episode 227: Pete Enns - Pete Ruins Joshua In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete ruins the book of Joshua and evangelical home décor in one fell swoop by examining the historicity of the conquest narrative and the theological consequences of a warrior God who ...
11.14.2022 Episode 226: Meredith Riedel - What is Byzantine Christianity? (And Why Should We Care?) In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Meredith Riedel gives an overview of Byzantine Christianity—what it is, when it happened, how it evolved, and why Western Christians should care about it. Show Notes → Learn more about your ...
11.07.2022 Episode 225: Daniel Kirk - Romans Isn’t What You Think It Is In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Daniel Kirk joins Pete and Jared to explain the major themes in the book of Romans, why the Romans Road view of salvation is insufficient, and how a focus on God’s ...
10.31.2022 Episode 224: Gregory Mobley - Satan’s Biblical Roots Happy Halloween! Pete and Jared embrace spooky season in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Gregory Mobley discusses the biblical roots, origin stories, and cultural myths surrounding the Satan figure. Show Notes → Learn more about your ...
10.24.2022 Episode 223: Jared Byas - Misconceptions About Deconstruction & the Bible In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared explains the philosophical concept of deconstruction, where it came from, and three misconceptions about deconstruction as related to the Bible. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
10.17.2022 Episode 222: Pamela Eisenbaum - Paul & Salvation In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Jewish New Testament scholar Pamela Eisenbaum to talk about the many misunderstandings surrounding Paul, one of the most complicated figures of the New Testament, and ...
10.10.2022 Episode 221: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - How to Read the Bible Now That We've Ruined It In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared reflect on all the ruining they’ve been doing, what it means for how we read and connect with the Bible going forward, and how they’ve been personally affected ...
10.03.2022 Episode 220: Joel Baden - The Historical David Are the stories written about the biblical character David fact or fiction? Find out in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Jared, Pete, and professor Joel Baden pull back the curtain to reveal how stories about the ...
09.26.2022 Episode 219: Jemar Tisby - Acknowledging Racism in the Church In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jemar Tisby joins Jared and Pete to talk about the legacy of systemic racism in the white American evangelical church, and how white Christians can practice anti-racism in their personal lives ...
09.19.2022 Episode 218: Pete Enns - Pete Ruins Deuteronomy In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete ruins Deuteronomy by explaining the influence of ancient Near Eastern culture on the laws and the historical narrative of the time, while also exploring the authorship, structure, and core themes ...
09.12.2022 Episode 217: Jonathan Jong - How Scientists Study Religion Hold onto your thinking cap, because this episode of The Bible for Normal People is going to get really, really nerdy. Pete and Jared are joined by psychologist, professor, and priest Jonathan Jong to talk about the psychology of religious ...
09.05.2022 Episode 216: Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker - The White Supremacy of Inerrancy In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker joins Pete and Jared to talk about the impact of white supremacy in the field of biblical interpretation, whether we can truly read the Bible objectively, ...

Older episodes

The Bible For Normal People

What's The Bible For Normal People about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Bible For Normal People episodes:

[Bible] Episode 248: Cheryl B. Anderson - The Ethical Impact of Biblical Interpretation (REISSUE)

[Faith] Episode 17: Ally Henny - Finding Your Voice in the Face of Injustice

[Bible] Episode 247: Jared Byas - What It Means to Take the Bible Literally

[Faith] Episode 16: Brian McLaren - The Four Stages of Faith (REISSUE)

[Bible] Episode 246: Amy Kalmanofsky - Dangerous Sisters in the Hebrew Bible

[Faith] Episode 15: Dale C. Allison Jr. - Encountering Mystery

[Bible] Episode 245: Elizabeth Schrader Polczer - Resurrecting Mary the Tower

[Faith] Episode 14: Danté Stewart - The Power of Black Literature

[Bible] Episode 244: Manuel Cruz - What It Means to Be Moral

[Faith] Episode 13: Kaitlin Curtice - A Fresh Vision for the Spiritual Life

[Bible] Episode 243: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - Finding Wisdom in the Balance

[Faith] Episode 12: Erica Smith - Dropping Out of Purity Culture

[Bible] Episode 242: Lisa Marie Bowens - The Cosmic Battle in 2 Corinthians

[Faith] Episode 11: Rainn Wilson - Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution

[Bible] Episode 241: Pete Enns - Pete Ruins 1 Samuel

[Faith] Episode 10: D. Danyelle Thomas - Decolonizing Our Faith

[Bible] Episode 240: Dan McClellan - Why God Is Like a Hotdog

[Faith] Episode 9: Jared Byas - The Genesis of Jared Byas

[Bible] Episode 239: Cameron B. R. Howard - How Is the Bible Authoritative?

[Faith] Episode 8: Joseph Henrich - Is Christianity Weird?

[Bible] Episode 238: Josh James - Psalms Isn't What You Think It Is

[Faith] Episode 7: Robin Parry - The Historical Roots of Christian Universalism

[Bible] Episode 237: Sam Boyd - What the Tower of Babel Is Really About

[Faith] Episode 6: Jonathan Jong - Faith & the Fear of Death

[Bible] Episode 236: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - Should the Bible Be Read Like Any Other Book?

[Faith] Episode 5: K.J. Ramsey - What If Our Bodies & Feelings Can Be Trusted?

[Bible] Episode 235: Aaron Koller - Biblicizing Esther

[Faith] Episode 4: Bekah McNeel - Parenting Through a Faith Transition

[Bible] Episode 234: Meredith J. C. Warren - Meredith Warren Ruins John 6

[Faith] Episode 3: Anil Seth - What Is Consciousness? (and Other Easy Questions)

[Bible] Episode 233: Pete Enns - Pete Ruins Judges

[Faith] Episode 2: Rhett & Jessie McLaughlin - Finding a Curious Faith

[Bible] Episode 232: David Lambert - Is the Bible “Scripture”?

[Faith] Episode 1: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - What Is Faith for Normal People?

[Bible] Episode 231: Beth Allison Barr - Pushing Back Against Biblical Womanhood

Episode 230: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - Pete & Jared Ruin Christmas

Episode 229: Joel Marcus - Parting of the Ways Between Judaism & Christianity

Episode 228: Emilie Townes - The Wisdom of Hope (REISSUE)

Episode 227: Pete Enns - Pete Ruins Joshua

Episode 226: Meredith Riedel - What is Byzantine Christianity? (And Why Should We Care?)

Episode 225: Daniel Kirk - Romans Isn’t What You Think It Is

Episode 224: Gregory Mobley - Satan’s Biblical Roots

Episode 223: Jared Byas - Misconceptions About Deconstruction & the Bible

Episode 222: Pamela Eisenbaum - Paul & Salvation

Episode 221: Pete Enns & Jared Byas - How to Read the Bible Now That We've Ruined It

Episode 220: Joel Baden - The Historical David

Episode 219: Jemar Tisby - Acknowledging Racism in the Church

Episode 218: Pete Enns - Pete Ruins Deuteronomy

Episode 217: Jonathan Jong - How Scientists Study Religion

Episode 216: Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker - The White Supremacy of Inerrancy

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