Thinking Biblically… and Beyond

Did Paul write letters that never made it into the New Testament? In this episode, we look at the evidence that he certainly did, as well as the possibility that some of Paul’s letters, like 2 Corinthians and Philippians, are actually composites of multiple letters. It’s a look at what we know, what scholars have argued, and what Paul’s letters can tell us about the much larger world of early Christian communication. More than anything, it’s a look at Paul’s letters as part of an ongoing conversation with real people dealing with real problems.

Though it’s the shortest book in the New Testament, the Third Letter of John is a fascinating enigma that gives us a little peek into early Christian conflict over hospitality and missionary work. In this episode, we’ll explore some of the major scholarly approaches to Third John, why they’re flawed in many ways, and how, by approaching the text with a Jewish perspective, we may be able to better understand Third John and read the text on its own terms.

We’re back! In this episode, we unpack the shortest — and perhaps most overlooked — book in the New Testament. But don’t let its size fool you. This brief letter is packed with intrigue. Join us as we explore how this small epistle might be a crucial piece of evidence to understanding the dynamics that shaped the early Christian movement and how it has been both overshadowed historically and academically.

A long awaited episode... We'll be diving into an overview of some of what we can, and can't, know about the historical Paul and try to unravel some of the mystery around Paul as a (utterly and endlessly fascinating) historical figure. Should be a good one!

In this episode, we'll cover the main theories that scholars propose for how Paul's letters may have been collected. Hint: It's complicated!

Join us as we dive into the earliest document of the New Testament, Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians (~50 CE). In this episode, we will survey some of the big historical issues in the letter and explore some modern-day parallels.

When we think about the authorship and production of the New Testament corpus, we often don't think about the people who were actually tasked with first writing down the text itself. Taking inspiration from the recent work done by Candida Moss on the subject (see her newly published 2024 book, "God's Ghostwriters"), this episode will explore the possibility that enslaved people were the ones who, by and large, were responsible for these monumental tasks.

The Gospel and Letters of John are some of the most unique and interesting texts in the New Testament. Join us as we explore the idea of a ‘Johannine community’ and take a deeper look at the texts that have come to form what scholars call the Johannine corpus (the Gospel of John + the 3 letters of John).