The Two Testaments

Deuteronomy 27–30 (Covenant Ritual) with Dr. Melissa Ramos

Listen here as Dr. Melissa Ramos (Portland Seminary) talks to us about Deuteronomy 27–30. We discuss:

* the relationship with ancient Near Eastern rituals

* the stones as witnesses to the covenant

* the tribes' roles in the ritual

* the ethical vision of the blessings and curses

* the distinctive nature of Deuteronomy's inclusion of blessings

* Deuteronomy's view of human ability to keep the law in relationship to Paul's in Romans

* whether Deuteronomy is fairly characterized as "retribution theology"

Enter the Giveaway

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* Ritual in Deuteronomy: The Performance of Doom. Routledge, 2021.

To enter, look out for the giveaway posts on social media. Follow us and like and share/retweet the giveaway post on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Giveaway closes Sunday, March 19 at 11:59 pm. USA only.

Other Relevant Work by Melissa Ramos

* Laura Quick and Melissa Ramos (eds.). New Perspectives on Ritual in the Biblical World. Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2022.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Melissa Ramos Recommends:

* bacon salt

Next Week 

Next week, we talk to Dr. Anders Runesson (University of Oslo) about Matthew 24–25 (God's Wrath and the Coming of the Son of Man)Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

It’s spring break here at Samford University, so we’re re-releasing one of our favorite episodes from our archives. Providing a fittingly profound conclusion to our journey through Job last season, Carol A. Newsom (Candler School of Theology) talked to us about Job’s response and the epilogue in Job 42. We discussed a number of things including:

* how to understand Job’s enigmatic response to God

* why the translation of 42:6 in your English Bible is likely wrong

* God’s surprising approval of Job’s speech

* how the epilogue fits (or doesn’t) with the rest of the book

* why readers find it disturbing, Job’s re-embrace of life

* the significance of Job’s daughters

Relevant Work by Carol Newsom

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Carol Newsom is the author of numerous influential works, including two particularly relevant to our discussion:

* “The Book of Job.” Pages 317–637 in 1 & 2 Maccabees, Introduction to Hebrew Poetry, Job, Psalms. New Interpreters Bible 4. Abingdon, 1996. 

* The Book of Job: A Contest of Moral Imaginations. Oxford University Press, 2003.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Carol Newsom recommends:

* Chödrön, Pema. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times. Shambhala, 2016.

Matthew 20:29–23:39 with Dr. Amy-Jill Levine

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine (Hartford International University for Religion and Peace) talks to us about Matthew 20:29–39. We discuss:

* Jesus' entry into Jerusalem

* the trilogy of parables

* the Pharisees

* suggestions for teaching Matthew 23 with sensitivity

Books by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine

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* The Pharisees, ed. with Joseph Sievers. Eerdmans, 2021. 

* The Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven. Abingdon, 2020.

* The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently, with Marc Zvi Brettler. HarperCollins, 2020. 

* Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi. Abingdon, 2018.

* Jewish Annotated New Testament, ed. with Marc Zvi Brettler. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2017. 

* The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. HarperCollins, 2006. 

* A Feminist Companion to Matthew, ed. with Marianne Blickenstaff. Sheffield Academic, 2001.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Amy-Jill Levine Recommends:

* spending time with family, knitting, and ballroom dancing.

Next Week 

Next week, we talk to Dr. Melissa Ramos (Portland Seminary) about Deuteronomy 27–30 (Covenant Renewal).Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Dr. Jeff Leonard (Samford University) talks to us about Deuteronomy 16:18–18:22. We discuss:

* The roles of judges and their enforcement of covenant justice

* The law for kings and its connection to Israel's later history

* The priests, their relationship to judges

* The description of prophecy, the tests for true prophets, and the end of prophecy

Relevant Work by Jeff LeonardThis post contains affiliate links

* Seekers in the Hands of an Elusive God. Hendrickson, forthcoming.

Other Works Mentioned in this Episode

* Jeff Leonard, Creation Rediscovered: Finding New Meaning in an Ancient Story. Hendrickson, 2020.

* Jeffery Stackert, A Prophet Like Moses: Prophecy, Law, and Israelite Religion. Oxford University Press, 2014.

* Nili Wazana, “The Law of the King (Deut 17:14-20) in the Light of Empire and Destruction", pages 169-194 in P. Dubovský, D. Markl, J.-P. Sonnet (eds.), The Fall of Jerusalem and the Rise of the Torah. Mohr Siebeck 2016.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Jeff Leonard recommends:

* East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Next Week 

Next week, we talk to Dr. Amy-Jill Levine (Vanderbilt University; Hartford International University for Religion and Peace) about Matthew 20:29–23:39 (Jesus' entry into Jerusalem; Parables; the Pharisees).Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Dr. Nathan Eubank (University of Notre Dame) talks to us about Matthew 18:1–20:28. (We apologize for the technical issues we encountered in this episode which affected the sound.) In this episode, we discuss:

* what children teach us about the kingdom of heaven

* guardian angels

* the parable of the lost sheep

* marriage and divorce

* the rich young man

* the significance of the economic and ransom language

Relevant Work by Nathan Eubank

* Wages of Cross-Bearing and Debt of Sin: The Economy of Heaven in Matthew’s Gospel. De Grtuyter, 2013.

* “Prison, Penance, or Purgatory: The Interpretation of Matthew 5.25-26 and Parallels,” New Testament Studies 64 (2018): 162-77.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Nathan Eubank Recommends:

* The New Year's Day 10 mile hangover run which is best done without a hangover.

Next Week 

Next week, we talk to Dr. Jeff Leonard (Samford University) about Deuteronomy 16:18–18:22 (Leadership)Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Dr. Michael Rhodes (Carey Baptist College) talks to us about Deuteronomy 14:1–16:17. We discuss:

* The logic of the food laws

* The tithe laws and justice

* The practicality and meaning of the remission of debts every seven years

* The significance of the three yearly festivals

Relevant Work by Michael RhodesThis post contains affiliate links

* Formative Feasting: Practices and Virtue Ethics in Deuteronomy's Tithe Meal and the Corinthian Lord's Supper. Peter Lang, 2022.

Other Works Mentioned in this Episode

* “Why Don’t We Sing Justice Songs in Worship?” Christianity Today. 30 Sep 2021.

* Mark Glanville, Adopting the Stranger as Kindred in Deuteronomy. SBL Press, 2018.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Michael Rhodes Recommends:

* Reading the works of Susanna Clarke

* Reading Scripture with people of different cultural, ethnic, and geographical backgrounds

Next Week 

Next week, we talk to Dr. Nathan Eubank (University of Notre Dame) about Matthew 18:1–20:28.Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Dr. Patrick Schreiner (Midwestern Seminary) talks to us about Matthew 14:13–17:27. We discuss:

* Jesus feeding the crowds

* Jesus walks on water

* The Canaanite woman's faith

* Peter's confession

* Jesus' transfiguration

Relevant Works by Patrick Schreiner

* Matthew, Disciple, and Scribe: The First Gospel and its Portrait of Jesus. Baker Academic, 2019.

* The Body of Jesus: A Spatial Analysis of the Kingdom in Matthew. T&T Clark, 2016.

* The Visual Word: An Illustrated Guide to the New Testament Books. Moody, 2021.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Patrick Schreiner Recommends:

* Reading or listening to The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

Next Week 

Next week, we talk to Dr. Michael Rhodes (Carey Baptist College) about Deuteronomy 14:1–16:17 (Food and Festivals)Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Join us as Dr. Sandra Richter (Westmont College) talks to us about Deuteronomy 11, 22, 24, 26.

We discuss:

* The prominence of land in Deuteronomy

* Environmental laws

* Laws on adultery and rape

* The economy of Deuteronomy

Works by Sandra Richter

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* Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says about the Environment and Why it Matters, IVP Academic, 2020.

* The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, IVP Academic, 2008.

* "Rape in Israel’s World … and Ours: A Study Of Deuteronomy 22:23–29." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 64 (2021): 59–76.

* "Environmental Law: Wisdom from the Ancients." Bulletin of Biblical Research 24 (2014): 307–29

* "Environmental Law in Deuteronomy: One Lens on a Biblical Theology of Creation Care." Bulletin of Biblical Research 20 (2010): 355–76.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Sandra Richter Recommends:

* Watching anything by Sir David Attenborough

Next Week 

Next week, we talk to Dr. Patrick Schreiner (Midwestern Seminary) about Matthew 14:13–17:27. Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Episode on Matthew 12:1–14:12 with Dr. Jordan Ryan is Live 

Join us as Dr. Jordan Ryan (Wheaton College) talks to us about Matthew 12:1–14:12. We discuss a number of things including: Jesus's disputes with the Pharisees over the Sabbath; synagogues in the first century; evil spirits and healing; parables of the kingdom; and John the Baptist.

Relevant Works by Dr. Jordan Ryan

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* The Role of the Synagogue in the Aims of Jesus. Fortress, 2017.

* “The Sermon on the Mount as Synagogue Teaching,” in Matthew within Judaism. Ed. Anders Runesson and Daniel Gurtner. Society of Biblical Literature, 2020.

This Week’s Blurbs

In this episode, Jordan Ryan recommends reading:

* Reynaldo Ileto. Pasyon and Revolution: Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910. Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1979.

Next Week 

Next week, we talk to Dr. Sandra Richter (Westmont College) about Deuteronomy 11, 22, 24, 26 (Land, Economy, and Sexual Violence).Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Episode on Deuteronomy 7, 19, 21–22 (Violence) with Dr. Matthew Lynch is Live 

Join us as Dr. Matthew Lynch (Regent College) talks to us about Deuteronomy 7, 9, 21–22 (violence). We discuss a number of things including: what is understood as "violence," the command to destroy the Canaanites, its potential reinterpretation in the Bible, cities of refuge, false witnesses, rules for war, unsolved mysteries in Israel, and how we understand these passages today, including how to respond to those who would apply them to the Ukraine War.

Relevant Books by Matthew Lynch

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* Portraying Violence in the Hebrew Bible: A Literary and Cultural Study. Cambridge University Press, 2020.

* Flood and Fury: Engaging Old Testament Violence. IVP Academic, 2023.

This Week’s Blurbs

In this episode, Matthew Lynch recommends the following TV series:

* The Green Planet, BBC Earth.

Next Week 

Next week, Dr. Jordan Ryan (Wheaton College) discusses Matthew 12:1–14:12 with us.Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.