The Biblical Mind

God Wears a Robe? Reading the Psalms as Poetry (Chip Hardy and Matt Mullins)

Why is the Book of Psalms important? How does reading the psalms as poetry help us to understand them? In this conversation, Dru Johnson talks with Chip Hardy and Matt Mullins about psalm 93 and the importance of the structure, metaphors, and wording of the psalms. They warn against reducing the poetry to a fluffy expression of an internal state (if that were all poetry is, it wouldn't be worth reading).
The structure of the words in the Book of Psalms is integral to their meaning. The rhythm and pace of the language can conjure certain images and attitudes. In psalm 93, the language crescendos to suggest a sense of God's overwhelming power and majesty. Chip and Matt guide listeners carefully through this psalm and offer their advice on studying this book for life and ministry.
Show notes:
0:00 Psalm 93
5:30 The psalms as poetry
7:55 The structure of the words
16:30 The Lord provides surety
20:35 How does holiness fit in?
25:57 There really is a God who is in control
32:49 How to use the poetry for ministry
Show notes by Serena Tuomi.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Proverbs 31 Isn't a Future-Wife Checklist (Dominick Hernandez)

Many Christians have extolled the “Proverbs 31 woman,” but that proverb must be read in the context of the others, or we might miss what it is really about. Dr. Dominick Hernandez says people cannot skip the poetic sections of the Bible and still claim to value Scripture.
In this conversation, Dr. Hernandez and Dru Johnson dive into the book of Proverbs. They discuss the structure of the book, why we should read it, how we should read it, and the significance of its poetic form.
Show notes:
0:00 Proverbs 31—a poem
3:21 An acrostic poem
8:43 The status of a woman
10:30 The structure of Proverbs
19:28 Hebraic poetry
25:18 Why read the Proverbs?
29:23 Do people respect poetry?
33:27 Why are there no Proverbs for girls?
Show notes by Serena Tuomi.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Biblical Artist Series: Seeing Differently through Art (Steve Prince)

Steve Prince knew he wanted to be an artist since he was five years old. Art can be a powerful way to worship, and being a maker of things allows us to reflect God the Creator. For Prince, being a Christian and an artist go hand and hand—he sees his artwork as a calling. In this episode, Dru Johnson talks to Steve about his life as a Christian artist, the influence of his Catholic upbringing in New Orleans, how he communicates through art, and how Scripture and art relate. They discuss a piece of Prince’s art.
Show notes:
0:00 Being a Christian and an artist
6:43 Church background informing art
15:50 Using art to wrestle with Scripture
23:12 “Genesis: In the Beginning”
34:30 Should Christians make monuments of humans?
43:30 The Bible is alive
Show notes by Serena Tuomi.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

If Christians Read Scripture Like Jews Do, Continued (Ari Lamm)

Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm returns to continue discussing the fascinating and fruitful ways that Jews approach studying Scripture.
Dr. Lamm's Orthodox Jewish upbringing taught him to embrace the view of the Hebrew Bible as layered, complex, and challenging—for, the very idea of God suggests that He has complex and layered ideas to communicate with His creation. Dr. Lamm encourages Christians to be similarly comfortable with questioning biblical texts on a deeper level.
Don’t forget to check out Dr. Lamm’s podcast Good Faith Effort.
Show notes:
0:00 Determining a biblical perspective on a topic the Bible doesn't directly address
9:00 How the Bible is meant to be studied (if we're taking it seriously)
22:50 Explaining the harmony in heaven and the discord on earth
32:31 When Jesus reaffirmed the Jewish tradition of oral Torah
37:58 Christian political philosophers who relied on Jewish wisdom
Show notes by Celina Durgin
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Ancient Jewish Pilgrims and Sacrificial BBQ (Jeffrey Garcia)

When you hear the word "pilgrim," your first thought might be of the pilgrims who arrived in Plymouth Harbor in 1620, or of English medieval pilgrims. You might be less familiar with the ancient Jewish pilgrims who journeyed to the temple in Jerusalem. CHT fellow Dr. Jeffrey P. Garcia joins Dr. Dru Johnson to discuss this overlooked practice that fills in some historical context of the first-century biblical world.
Show notes:
0:00 Overlooked Jewish pilgrimage, and sacrificial barbeque?
8:05 The historical practice and purpose of Jewish pilgrimage in the first century
14:07 The dangers of the pilgrimages
16:40 Galilean and Judean pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem
19:39 The friends who pilgrims made along the way
21:50 The Essenes' disagreements related to pilgrimage
27:43 Test case: Does John the Baptist create a pilgrimage?
Show notes by Celina Durgin.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Yes, You Can Learn Biblical Hebrew—and Why You Should! (Aleph with Beth)

Due to a technical issue, Dru's audio is of lower quality than usual.
There are many factors that hinder people from learning biblical Hebrew––cost, lack of resources, and the belief that Hebrew is only for the “spiritually elite.” But Beth and Andrew Case believe learning Hebrew is for everyone and want to make learning the language the new normal in Christian discipleship. The Cases have tools to make the biblical language available for free to everyone in the world. In this conversation, the Cases chat with Dru Johnson all about the Hebrew language, their special pedagogy, and their Youtube Channel Aleph with Beth where they teach the language of the Hebrew Bible, free to everyone.
Show notes:
0:00 Is learning Hebrew for everyone?
6:50 Learning Hebrew is doable
14:50 Hebrew can help people understand Scripture
18:40 The Case’s history with Hebrew
24:04 Why they speak the name of God
28:18 Why the Cases only speak Hebrew in videos
36:30 How they assess if their methods are working
40:00 What the Cases have learned
Show notes by Serena Tuomi.

Christians Shouldn't Be Stuck in the Present (David Moore)

David Moore believes the cultural moment in the United States has never before displayed such a dangerous combination of ignorance and arrogance as it does now. Most people have limited knowledge about few things, but the glut of information makes them feel like they are an expert on many issues. Most people get their news primarily from social media and their favorite news channel. We live in echo chambers partly because we cannot handle our beliefs being challenged. It is no wonder there is so much division. 
David Moore and Dru Johnson chat about how history frees and forms Christians. Moore’s new book Stuck in the Present exists to teach Christians to be lifelong learners of history. Moore promotes the wisdom of understanding the bigger picture of history and befriending conversation starters who challenge you and your ideas. These habits also better prepare people to study Scripture productively.
Show notes:
0:00 Stuck in the Present
4:37 Stuck in ideology
11:23 Progress of doctrine in America
17:09 How we think about history today
21:40 Where is America in history education today?
27:35 The inductive Bible study method
33:55 A fresh Bible study method
Check out Stuck in the Present, by David Moore.
Show notes by Serena Tuomi.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Can You Understand Scripture without Background Knowledge?

The moment you dip your toe into the world of serious biblical interpretation, you might feel overwhelmed by all the literary techniques, historical-cultural context, linguistic nuances, and extra-Biblical references that could affect how you understand Scripture. The average person might begin to doubt whether they can ever just open their Bible and start reading.
CHT researcher Amy Gabriel talks with Dru about this concern. They discuss the role of all this "background knowledge" in helping us understand Scripture, and how we can approach the text even without knowing Hebrew or Greco-Roman philosophy.
Plus, learn why we should all be the Proverbs 31 woman.
Show notes:
0:00 The debate: How much do you have to know about the biblical world to understand Scripture?
4:18 Does everyone have to be a scholar of Hebrew and the ancient Near East to grasp Hebraic thought?
18:20 The uniqueness of the Bible in its own time
19:42 The primary sourcebook of the New Testament authors
33:45 Should Scripture be easy to interpret? Is there one right interpretation?
43:08 "Real talk" about pastors and sermons
Show notes by Celina Durgin.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast may be found here: hebraicthought.org/credits

The 'New Christian Zionism' Isn't Dispensationalist (Gerry McDermott)

What is the biblical relationship between Christians and the Jewish community? Dr. Gerry McDermott wades through the tough topics of supersessionism, dispensationalism, and Zionism. Throughout history, beliefs about God's attitude toward the Jewish community have shaped Christians' treatment of Jewish people. Hence, Christian positions on supersessionism and dispensationalism are not merely academic disputes; they can bear on Jewish people's lives and well-being. They also bear on our understanding of biblical covenant, continuity between the Old and New Testaments, and salvation.
Dr. McDermott discusses what he believes to be the biblical view, which he calls the "new Christian Zionism." He explains why he retained the contentious term "Zionism," and why this view is distinctive.
Show notes:
0:00 Detangling the new Christian Zionism, dispensationalism, and supersessionism
7:55 Anglican and interdenominational support for Christian zionism
11:02 Why Gerry retains the term "Zionism"
17:13 Wait, are you saying that Jews are Christians, too?
25:24 Hopes for the relationship between the American church and the Jewish community and the state of Israel
Check out Dr. McDermott's related book, The New Christian Zionism: Fresh Perspectives on Israel and the Land.
Show notes by Celina Durgin
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Is God Perfect? Does That Matter? [Revisited] (Peter Leithart)

Note: This episode was originally published February 25, 2020. ICYMI, please enjoy this lecture hosted by the Center for Hebraic Thought on February 15, 2020. 
The Christian tradition describes God as “perfect”—but how the Bible describes this perfection might surprise us. When we think of God, we often start by asking, “What is God?” This is the approach of the Westminster Catechism as well as many philosophers. This seemingly common-sense approach, however, is strange at a second glance—after all, we wouldn’t typically ask, “What is your spouse?” or “What is Steve?” In this lecture, Dr. Peter Leithart argues for a different approach: asking, “Who is God?”
To understand God’s nature (including His perfection), we must consider how Scripture reasons. Often, the biblical authors appeal to poetry, imagery, story, and history to define God. Dr. Leithart argues that these literary forms—far from being irrational or anti-philosophical—are rigorously intellectual and potent forms of knowing a God who is personal, transcendent, and yes, perfect.
This episode is a recording of the evening lecture for our February 14-15 workshop with the Rev. Dr. Peter Leithart of the Theopolis Institute.
Show notes:
0:00 Introduction by Dr. Dru Johnson
2:08 “What is God?”
13:59 The intellectual rigor of the Bible
22:04 How the Bible uses poetry and imagery to describe God’s nature
28:13 Anthropomorphic or theomorphic?
33:00 God defined by story and history
41:52 Conclusion