Is loving your family first a biblical idea—or a betrayal of Jesus’ call to love your neighbor? In this thought-provoking episode, Mike Tolliver—Executive Director of the Center for Hebraic Thought—joins Dru Johnson to explore his developing PhD thesis on Storge (family love), the kinsman-redeemer, and what biblical justice actually looks like.

Drawing on Torah, philosophy, and early Christian texts, Mike argues that Storge love is not only natural—it’s essential to a functioning society, and that Israel’s family-based justice system was designed to eliminate categories like “orphan” and “widow.” He explores why Paul uses the metaphor of adoption—and not kinsman-redeemer—for Gentile inclusion, and why the Ten Commandments are saturated with family ethics.

From Sophie's Choice-style sermon illustrations to questions about circumcision, baptism, and ethnic election, this episode unpacks the implications of what it means to love your kin without devaluing the stranger.

As Mike prepares for PhD work, his big question is: What does rightly ordered family love look like in Scripture—and what happens when it gets misordered?

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00:00 Exploring Academic Pursuits and Career Paths

What does it mean to call something “Christian music”? Nick Barré has spent decades in the music industry—from working at EMI with early Switchfoot to managing major names like Casting Crowns, KB, Brandon Heath, and more. In this 200th episode of The Biblical Mind, he joins Dru Johnson to reflect on the Christian music label, the tension between calling and category, and how artists navigate faith and fame.

Nick argues that labeling music—or restaurants or plumbers—as “Christian” may do more harm than good. He shares why genre categories are a business necessity but spiritually unhelpful, and why the most important questions artists must answer are about calling, audience, and identity—not chart placement.

From spiritual burnout to public affirmation, from the temptations of platform to the dangers of envy, Nick shares pastoral, industry-hardened wisdom on how to guide artists into longevity and spiritual wholeness. He even offers advice for aspiring Christian musicians—and what it really means to “show, not tell” when pursuing a creative calling.

Nick Barre's Company "Proper Management" can be found here:

https://www.propermanagement.net

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In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson sits down with Matt Whitman, host of The Ten Minute Bible Hour, to explore why so many Christians—and skeptics—struggle with Scripture. Whitman shares what he’s learned from engaging millions online: people are often afraid to be wrong, shaped by graceless experiences in church and cancel culture in the wider world. The solution? Modeling curiosity, empathy, and intellectual humility.

Whitman opens up about his own faith journey, the impact of church hurt, and why he makes space for disagreement and exploration in his content. From deconstructing popular biblical themes to highlighting the beauty of traditions outside his own, Matt argues that deep scriptural engagement thrives in environments where it’s okay not to have all the answers.

Together, Dru and Matt delve into themes like biblical coherence, the importance of interpretive grace, and what it means to approach the Bible not as experts, but as learners. Their conversation models the very ethos they preach: thoughtful, generous dialogue rooted in the belief that God’s grace extends to our minds—not just our sins.

For More of Matt Whitman and the Ten Minute Bible Hour: https://www.youtube.com/@UC3vIOVJiXigzVDA2TYqaa0Q

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What happens when science, religion, and education collide? In this episode, Dr. Rachel Pear shares her remarkable journey from growing up in New York’s modern Orthodox Jewish community to researching how evolution is taught and received across Israeli society.

A scholar of science education and prehistoric archaeology, Rachel discusses how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities in Israel grapple differently with the question of human origins. Why do some teachers avoid the topic altogether? Why do secular and religious students draw such hard lines around what’s “acceptable” to believe? And how do family, community, and national identity shape scientific acceptance?

Rachel also shares her experience presenting three distinct rabbinic views on evolution in schools, showing students that Jewish thought isn’t monolithic—and that questioning is part of the tradition. She explores the cultural weight of science, the legacy of eugenics, and how educators can create space for real dialogue in science classrooms.

Whether you’re an educator, a religious thinker, or just curious about how evolution meets identity, this episode offers a rich, honest look at a complex conversation that’s still evolving.

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00:00 Introduction to Rachel's Journey

Is the relationship between Islam and science as well-developed as it is in Christianity? Not even close—but that’s changing. In this episode, Dr. Shoaib Ahmed Malik, Lecturer in Science and Religion at the University of Edinburgh, joins Dru Johnson to share the emerging field of Islam and science, focusing on the hot topic of evolution.

Shoaib unpacks the historical development of Islamic engagement with science, tracing it from early encounters with Western scientific frameworks to the present. He explains why the Islamic world lacks infrastructure like textbooks, academic chairs, and journals for the science-religion conversation—and why that’s finally beginning to change.

But what about evolution? Shoaib shares why it remains a highly sensitive subject in Muslim-majority countries (including stories of professors losing jobs over it) and how Muslim views differ from Christian ones, especially around original sin, Adam, and human suffering.

This is an honest, fascinating look at how Muslims are navigating modern science, why cultural and religious taboos persist, and how Shoaib’s work is shaping new conversations at the intersection of Islamic theology and science.

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00:00 Introduction to Shoaib Ahmed Malik's Journey

What happens when you put 15 scholars—scientists and theologians, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian—in a room to talk about creation? In this episode of The Biblical Mind Podcast, Dr. Dru Johnson shares his experience launching the Abrahamic Theistic Origins Project in Oxford.

Far from being a formal academic conference, the gathering focused on “enduring collegial co-learning”—building trust and curiosity across disciplines and faith traditions. The participants explored how evolutionary biology, genetics, astrophysics, and artificial intelligence intersect with theological questions about human uniqueness, creation, and divine action.

Dru explains why religious identity didn’t hinder the conversation—it enriched it, and why the bigger challenge was translating between scientists and theologians. He also shares a fascinating insight on Neanderthals and menopause, and how that single biological feature opens a window into intergenerational care, legacy, and biblical values.

The project raises bold questions: Can we build a biblical philosophy of science? Does Hebraic thought inform scientific methods? And what does it look like to think with Scripture—not just about it—in a scientific age?

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00:00 Exploring Creation Theology and Science

Was the Mosaic Law a burdensome set of rules meant to be broken? Did Jesus overthrow the Torah—or fulfill it? In this special episode of The Biblical Mind Podcast, we revisit the pilot episode of the Jesus and the Jewish Law podcast, hosted by Paul Sloan and Logan Williams. Together, they walk through seven widespread misconceptions about the Law and how these misunderstandings distort our reading of both the Old and New Testaments.

You’ll hear why the Law was never meant to be a ladder to earn salvation, how it was designed to maintain God’s presence among His people, and why ritual purity doesn’t equal sin. They also explore the difference between distinction and exclusion, how the Law does not uniformly obligate all humans, and how Jesus builds on—not breaks—the Torah’s ethical depth.

If you’ve ever wrestled with questions about the sacrificial system, purity laws, Gentile inclusion, or what Jesus really meant in the Sermon on the Mount, this episode offers a clear, accessible, and richly Hebraic guide to reading the Law like Jesus did.

Jesus and Jewish Law Podcast:

Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/1QCKgVOnEmtfFwRQtWlBSV

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00:00 Introduction

This episode was originally published on November 11, 2022. We thought it was worth a reissue for our newer listeners.

Christianity is a truly global religion, and every strand of Christianity has its own theological emphases. Western Christians tend to focus on individual salvation and the question of what happens when we die. But as we amplify other Christian voices, we find that the riches of the gospel might stretch far beyond our original conceptions.

In this episode, Dru interviews Dr. Jangkholam Haokip, an Indian theologian, author, and former professor. Growing up in Churachandpur, Manipur, in Northeast India, Jangkholam converted to Christianity as a child. Drawing on his experiences with indigenous Indian culture and religion, he had the opportunity to develop a unique perspective on Christian theology, including Scripture's portrayal of sin's effects on nature, the value of yet-unheard perspectives, and the way that the gospels can affect the lives of whole communities.

After his long career as a professor at Union Biblical Seminary in India, Jangkholam has founded the Bethesda-Khankho Foundation, which aims to transform indigenous Indian communities through education and poverty outreach. He also contributed to the recent book Voices from the Margins: Wisdom of Primal Peoples in the Era of World Christianity.

For More of Jangkholam Haokip Content:

https://langhamliterature.org/author-bio?author_id=5923

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Show notes:

0:00 Introduction

1:22 Converting to Christianity

5:03 Further education and understanding the gospel

8:51 Individualism in Western Christianity

15:09 Sin and the health of nature

20:10 Tribal Indian thought in the biblical texts and Western theology

25:48 The value of indigenous theology

29:47 Christianity as a help for Indian history, identity, and culture

31:05 On Jangkholam's new book Voices from the Margins: Wisdom of Primal Peoples in the Era of World Christianity

Is God emotionless and unchanging? Many systematic theologians have long argued that God is completely impassible—meaning He cannot feel, suffer, or be influenced by creation. But is this truly what the Bible teaches?

In this episode, Dr. R.T. Mullins joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to challenge traditional ideas about God’s nature, emotions, and engagement with the world. He explains how philosophy has often shaped theology more than scripture, why systematic theologians ignore biblical descriptions of God’s emotions, and what it actually means to call God all-powerful and all-knowing.

Dru and R.T. explore the hidden assumptions behind classical theism, why ancient theologians rejected the idea that God could suffer, and whether modern theology needs a reset. Mullins also discusses how our view of God shapes how we pray, worship, and think about suffering.

If you’ve ever wondered why theology sometimes feels disconnected from the Bible, or why certain doctrines sound more like philosophy than scripture, this episode will challenge you to rethink how we describe God.

For More of RT Mullin's Content, Check Out His Podcast:

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00:00 Understanding the Doctrine of God

What if the way we format and structure the Bible is actually making it harder to read? In this episode, Alex Goodwin joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to discuss how chapter breaks, verse numbers, and footnotes—while useful for study—can actually disrupt the natural flow of Scripture.

Alex shares his journey from marketing to Bible publishing, how his first exposure to serious theology transformed his faith, and why modern Bible formatting has fundamentally changed how people engage with Scripture. He and Dru explore how early Christians and Jews experienced the Bible (hint: it wasn’t through personal quiet times with a study Bible), why reading big sections matters, and how removing unnecessary “additives” can help us better understand the biblical story.

This episode also tackles the difference between Bible literacy and Bible fluency, the power of listening to Scripture, and why engaging the Bible in community leads to richer understanding. If you’ve ever struggled with Bible reading, this conversation will challenge and inspire you to rethink how you interact with Scripture.

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00:00 From Marketing to Ministry: A Journey of Faith