The Biblical Mind

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

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Are we mistaking media consumption for political engagement? In this episode, Kaitlyn Schiess joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to challenge the way Christians think about politics, faith, and media. She explains why binge-watching C-SPAN or endlessly scrolling Twitter doesn’t make us politically engaged—but actually forms us into people less capable of real advocacy.

Dru and Kaitlyn discuss the modern obsession with national politics, why Christians ignore their local communities, and how the church provides a model of meaningful engagement. Instead of trying to "change the world" through social media outrage, Kaitlyn argues that real political involvement means knowing your neighbors, understanding local government, and prioritizing embodied relationships.

They also explore the role of Christian media consumption, asking whether 24-hour news, partisan social feeds, and political influencers have become a form of secular discipleship. How can Christians discern which voices are trustworthy? And how can the church offer a healthier alternative?

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00:00 Misunderstandings in Political Engagement

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What if the Bible isn’t meant to be neatly packaged and easily explained? In this episode, CHT Fellow Hakeem Bradley joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to discuss how engaging scripture means leaning into tension rather than eliminating it. He explains why asking better questions leads to deeper understanding and why forcing Jesus into every Old Testament passage can sometimes do more harm than good.

Bradley also shares his personal story—growing up in the Five Percent Nation, a movement that sees the Black man as divine, and how a surprising mentorship relationship led him to faith in Jesus. His journey from deep skepticism to biblical scholarship gives him a unique perspective on how to approach scripture without assumptions or shortcuts.

The conversation explores how biblical authors thought, why Jesus himself had to read scripture in context, and how reading the Bible as a tension-filled conversation—rather than a collection of easy answers—can reshape faith and theology.

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Who decides what worship songs we sing in church? It turns out, worship music is a massive industry, and the way songs make it from a Nashville songwriting room to a Sunday morning service might surprise you.

In this episode, Marc Jolicoeur joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to break down the business of contemporary worship music (CWM). He explains how four major megachurches dominate the industry, why most modern worship songs are written by teams of professionals rather than individual artists, and how CCLI licensing and copyright structures shape what gets sung in churches.

But is this market-driven approach shaping worship in unhealthy ways? Dru and Marc discuss whether the emotional tone of worship music has shifted, why lament and imprecatory psalms are almost absent from today’s songs, and whether churches should return to singing scripture itself.

Is the worship music we sing today more about marketing than theology? And what would happen if the Psalms were reintroduced into Sunday services?

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00:00 Introduction

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Most of us read the Bible with our eyes—but what if we’re missing something essential by not listening to it? In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson challenges the modern tendency to engage Scripture primarily as a written text, arguing that the Bible was designed to be heard. From the Torah readings of Moses to the public proclamation of Paul's letters, Scripture has always been an aural experience—one meant to be absorbed in community rather than private, silent reading.

Dr. Johnson explains why listening changes how we understand Scripture, uncovering literary structures like repetition, parallelism, and chiasms that are far easier to hear than to see. He also explores the cognitive science behind reading vs. listening, showing why oral engagement helps us retain and interpret biblical texts more deeply.

Could reclaiming the practice of hearing Scripture together revolutionize the way we experience the Bible? This episode dives into why the church should return to communal listening, what ancient Jewish and Christian traditions teach us, and how modern worship services might be reshaped by putting Scripture at the center—not just as a text to analyze, but as a living word to hear.

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What if much of what we believe about the end times is shaped more by modern speculation than by biblical theology? In this episode, Dr. Matthew L. Halsted joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to debunk common misconceptions about eschatology, including the rapture, the mark of the beast, and the role of the Middle East in biblical prophecy.

Halsted and Dru Johnson explore how American Christianity has often read Revelation through a me-centered lens, focusing on personal fears rather than the broader biblical narrative of renewal and justice. They discuss the history of end-times speculation, tracing it from the 16th century to modern prophecy teachers, and why discipline in reading scripture is crucial to avoiding theological confusion.

Drawing from his book The End of the World as We Know It, Halsted unpacks how early Christians understood eschatology and why the Bible’s emphasis is not on escaping the world but on God’s renewal of creation.

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How does the Bible interpret itself? In this episode, Dr. Brent Strawn joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to explore intertextuality—the ways biblical authors intentionally or unconsciously connect their writings to earlier texts. Strawn breaks down different types of intertextuality, from direct citations (like Jesus quoting Psalm 22) to subtle patterns that only emerge when we read scripture holistically.

Together with Dru Johnson, Strawn unpacks how intertextuality deepens biblical meaning and why recognizing these connections can transform the way we understand scripture. They also discuss the surprising link between Solomon and the Mark of the Beast (666) and how Revelation critiques imperial power using the legacy of Israel’s wealthiest king.

Strawn argues that biblical authors weren’t just making random allusions—they were teaching us how to read scripture well. If we can recognize these hyperlinks, we can move beyond surface-level readings and grasp the depth of biblical theology.

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What if Christian nationalism isn’t a head problem but a heart problem? In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Dru Johnson speaks with Caleb Campbell, author of Disarming Leviathan, about the rise of Christian nationalism in America and how Christians can engage this movement missionally rather than combatively.

Campbell discusses the anxieties that drive people to embrace Christian nationalism, highlighting the fear of pluralism, the longing for safety, and the allure of worldly power. Drawing from his experience as a pastor and cultural observer, he argues that many Christian nationalists are not inherently motivated by hatred but by a deep desire for rest and stability in a changing world.

The conversation delves into themes of hospitality, humble subversion, and the transformative power of the cross, challenging listeners to rethink how they approach those with opposing views. Campbell offers practical steps for engaging Christian nationalists, emphasizing the need for curiosity, safety, and scripture-centered dialogue.

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In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson interviews Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm about a provocative interpretation of the Joseph narrative: Joseph’s brothers did not sell him into slavery. Rabbi Lamm explains that while the brothers planned to sell Joseph, they never completed the act. Instead, Midianite merchants discovered Joseph in the pit and sold him to Ishmaelites, creating ambiguity in the biblical text.

Rabbi Lamm delves into the narrative techniques of the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing its minimalist yet profound storytelling. He discusses how key Hebrew words and repeated motifs, such as “sell” (Machar), link the Joseph story to broader biblical themes of chosenness, rejection, and familial dynamics. Joseph’s perception of rejection by his father, Jacob, is also explored, tying his emotional journey to the larger narrative of Genesis. The discussion highlights the development of key characters, including Judah’s moral growth and Reuben’s failure to lead.

These arcs foreshadow the future roles of the tribes of Israel, underscoring Genesis’s role as a foundational text for understanding biblical theology and history. This episode invites listeners to engage deeply with scripture, appreciate its narrative sophistication, and consider alternative interpretations that illuminate its enduring relevance.

Find Ari Lamm at:

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00:00 Introduction

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In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson and Mike Tolliver reflect on the growth and challenges of Hebraic thought over the past year and explore its future trajectory in 2025. They highlight recent scholarly advancements, key publications, and practical tools that are shaping the field. Dr. Johnson discusses notable books, including Human Divine Interactions in the Hebrew Scriptures by Beryl Dove Lerner and Just Discipleship by Michael Rhodes, which integrate Hebraic thought into contemporary issues such as justice and divine-human relationships. Resources like the Bible Project, Disciple Dojo, and Bible Dojo are emphasized for their contributions to making Hebraic thought accessible to diverse audiences. The episode also tackles challenges, including the oversaturation of content and the difficulty of discerning reliable voices. Dr. Johnson advocates for careful engagement with diverse perspectives and emphasizes the communal nature of Hebraic thought, encouraging listeners to study scripture collaboratively and critically. Looking ahead, the Center for Hebraic Thought plans to expand its offerings with online courses, workshops, and collaborative discussions that challenge traditional theological paradigms and realign them with biblical insights. This forward-looking conversation underscores the vibrancy and relevance of Hebraic thought in academic and faith communities.

Articles:

Philosophical Engagement with the Hebrew Bible by Arthur Keefer https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1476993X221124950

The Hebrew Bible and The Philosophy of Religion by Jaco Gericke

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt32bzm3

Books:

Human-Divine Interactions in the Hebrew Scriptures: Covenants and Cross-Purposes By Berel Dov Lerner

Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God by Matthew J. Lynch (Portraying Violence in the Hebrew Bible)

Just Discipleship: Biblical Justice in an Unjust World by Michael J. Rhodes

https://www.ivpress.com/just-discipleship

Numbers: An Introduction and Commentary by Peter Altmann and Caio Peres https://www.christianbook.com/numbers-an-introduction-and-commentary/9780830842902/pd/842902

Reading the Old Testament as Christian Scripture: A Literary, Canonical, and Theological Survey by Mark S. Gignilliat (Author), Heath A. Thomas (Author)

Jesus and the Law of Moses: The Gospels and the Restoration of Israel within First-Century Judaism by Paul T. Sloan (Author)

Paul the Storyteller: A Narratological Approach by Christoph Heilig https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802878953/paul-the-storyteller/

Wine, Soil, and Salvation in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament By Mark Scarlata https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/wine-soil-and-salvation-in-the-hebrew-bible-and-new-testament/1C1B582958A9591ACE009889987EB238

Paul and the Resurrection of Israel By Jason Staples

Cursing with God: The Imprecatory Psalms and the Ethics of Christian Prayer By Trevor Laurence https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481316477/cursing-with-god/

Organizations:

Theopolis: https://theopolisinstitute.com/

Disciple Dojo: https://www.youtube.com/@DiscipleDojo

BibleProject: https://bibleproject.com/ Learning/

Software:

Aleph with Beth: https://www.youtube.com/@AlephwithBeth

BibLingo: https://biblingo.org/

BibleDojo: https://www.enterthebibledojo.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:13 Recent Scholarly Contributions to Hebraic Thought

07:20 Diverse Resources and Authors in Hebraic Thought

15:33 Organizations and Platforms Supporting Hebraic Thought

23:31 Tools and Resources for Understanding Hebraic Thought

29:45 Navigating the Challenges of Hebraic Thought

34:54 The Importance of Questioning and Community Engagement

45:07 Evaluating Influential Voices in Hebraic Thought

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