The Biblical Mind

Is the Book of Judges a morality play? A celebration of violence? An injunction against moral relativism? Could it be . . . good news?

In this week's episode, Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Daniel J. Stulac, who challenges us to enter the hell and heartbreak of this grotesque, violent, and provocative part of Scripture. Rather than adopting moralistic readings of Judges (common in Sunday school classes and children's Bibles), Daniel wants us to read Judges prophetically—as a book that mirrors the violence in our own hearts and turns us to greater dependence on an a King who will set things right.

Dr. Stulac is a visiting assistant professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School, and the author of the recent monograph, Gift of the Grotesque: A Christological Companion to the Book of Judges. His other areas of interest include the agriculture of ancient Israel and the intersection of agrarianism and biblical hermeneutics.

Show notes:

Tweetable quote:

"At the heart of idolatry is the desire to be in control of the divine." (22:10)

Show notes by Micah Long

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In a world of distractions, hyperactivity, and burnout, many of us yearn for rest from our work and our devices. To find this rest, many have turned to the Jewish practice of shabbat or sabbath, ceasing at least some of their regular activity during one day of the week.

Kelsey Osgood, a graduate of Colombia University and Goucher College, is a writer and practicing Orthodox Jew. In this episode, Dru and Kelsey discuss her recent article, "Why Your 'Digital Shabbat' Will Fail." Kelsey argues that resting in religious community, rather than as an individual—and not merely for personal reasons, but because God requires it—is a practice that, though difficult, is deeply beneficial.

Show notes:

Show notes by Micah Long

Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

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The church should not only perform charity work, but also pursue economic justice.

Dr. Gift Mtukwa joins Dru Johnson to discuss the Kenyan church and Gift's Pauline scholarship. They examine the importance of multiculturalism in the church, which requires navigating cultural differences in language, worship style, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, Gift explains how reading Paul helps the modern Kenyan church understand poverty, economic opportunity, and financial prudence.

Gift Mtukwa is the Chair of the Department of Religion and Christian Ministry at Africa Nazarene University and lead pastor of the University Church of the Nazarene. Born in Zimbabwe, he now lives in Nairobi, Kenya. His research centers on contextual readings of Scripture, especially Paul's letters.

Show notes:

Show notes by Micah Long

Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

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This episode was originally published on February 4, 2022. In light of the Southern Baptist Convention's release of a report on sexual abuse within the denomination, we thought this episode was worth reissuing for our newer listeners.

This week, Rachael and Jacob Denhollander joined the podcast to discuss what reconciliation and restoration can look like following horrific abuse. Rachael Denhollander, a lawyer and former gymnast, rose to international prominence in 2016 when she became the first woman to publicly denounce and pursue criminal charges against former USA Gymnastics’ team doctor Larry Nassar, who sexually abused more than 500 girls and women. Rachael authored What Is a Girl Worth?, which explores her story in depth. 

In cases of abuse and sexual misconduct within the church, Christians can become fixated on forgiving and forgetting, and fear what will happen if the church gets bad press. But God will continue preserving His church, hence our job is not to protect the church from critique; it is to pursue justice. Failure to do so systemically enables sexual abuse. Justice and reconciliation must go hand in hand.

Show Notes:

Tweetable: "The church has an obligation to pursue justice because that's who God is."

Resources: https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/6-ways-pastors-can-care-for-victims-of-sexual-abuse/

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The history of humanity is the history of migration. People have always been on the move, in Scripture and in the modern day. Understanding the migrants near us, their experiences, and the languages they speak can equip us to love them better.

M. Daniel Carroll R., author of Global Migration and Christian Faith: Implications for Identity and Mission, explains our biblical obligation to love the foreigner, which includes not only people from a foreign country but also those with different socioeconomic backgrounds or even just very different life experiences. 

Show notes:

Q&A: Email us your questions about the intellectual world of the Bible at [email protected], and we'll answer them in an upcoming Q&A episode.

Show notes by Dominique LaCroix

Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

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The Old Testament, especially Deuteronomy, repeatedly entreats the Israelites to welcome the stranger. The Israelites were required to love the stranger because God loves the stranger. In the gospels, Jesus practices this teaching continually, forming a makeshift family from the vulnerable around him. The church should likewise adopt the stranger and the vulnerable as family, because this is God’s design for humanity. 

Mark Glanville, pastor and professor of pastoral theology, discusses the biblical ethic of welcoming refugees; his involvement in Kinbrace, a Canadian nonprofit that provides refugee housing and support; and how welcoming those on the margins can shape our view of Scripture and the world. 

Show notes:

Q&A: Email us your questions about the intellectual world of the Bible at [email protected], and we'll answer them in an upcoming Q&A episode.

Show notes by Dominique LaCroix

Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode was originally published on October 16, 2020. We thought it was worth a reissue for our newer listeners.

Many readers of Scripture are jarred when God and Israel commit violence in the Old Testament. From the conquest of Canaan, to the lives of the biblical patriarchs, to the great flood in Genesis, we cannot avoid the fact that God and His people fight and kill. This can lead to a crisis of faith—how can God be good if He is violent?

Dr. Matt Lynch, Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Regent College, wants to reframe our questions; rather than merely worrying about God's use of violence, we could instead ask how the biblical authors are critiquing our use of violence. In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Lynch about how the Bible portrays violence. They discuss Scripture's persistent connection between violence and tumult, and the difference between justified forceful harm and unjust violence. They also address the ethical connection between human beings and the rest of creation, and how violence in the Old Testament and New Testament separates humanity from God and the earth.

Show notes:

Dr. Lynch's new book: Portraying Violence in the Hebrew Bible: A Literary and Cultural Study

Show notes by Micah Long.

Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

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If God teaches us through rituals, then we have a responsibility to examine these rituals. By studying them, asking questions, and engaging with them, we can better understand God’s holiness.

The Book of Leviticus is concerned with so many aspects of life (what we eat, what we wear, etc.), and it offers us a holistic way to interact with the world and truly be set apart. 

Rev. Dr. Mark Scarlata joins Dru Johnson this week to discuss his book, A Journey through the World of Leviticus: Holiness, Sacrifice, and the Rock Badger and how engaging with Leviticus and its laws can help us better understand God and the rest of Scripture.

Show notes:

Q&A: Email us your questions about the intellectual world of the Bible at [email protected], and we'll answer them in an upcoming Q&A episode.

Show notes by Dominique LaCroix

Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We at the CHT and TBM are curious about your thoughts and questions regarding the intellectual world of the Bible! We’re now inviting listeners to send us questions, and we’ll start answering them in upcoming Q&A episodes. You can email us your questions at [email protected]. 

Have you ever wanted to jump into a conversation between Dru and one of our guests? Do you want to probe more deeply into a topic of a previous episode? Or do you perhaps have a question on a topic we’ve never discussed, but that you think we could answer? We look forward to hearing from you!

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This week, Jeff Jacoby, op-ed columnist for The Boston Globe since February 1994, joined Dru to discuss his essay in Sapir, "Jewish Study for Non-Jewish Clergy." He proposes a project of study with deep historical roots that would benefit clergy and anyone who takes religion seriously, not just as an abstract intellectual exercise.

He writes, "Imagine that it were possible for non-Jewish clergy — Catholic, Muslim, Baha’i, Mormon, Baptist, Hindu — to have the opportunity to engage meaningfully with the world of Torah study from the inside, even if for only a limited time."

Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

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