The Biblical Mind

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

Lament, Moral Injury, and the Dark Parts of Scripture (Dr. Jill Firth)

"Moral injury" has been associated with groups like wounded soldiers and sexually abused women, but it can also affect those who have simply learned about something incredibly painful or violent, whether it be in the media or in Scripture. Dr. Jill Firth has a PhD in the psalms of lament and a particular interest in suffering. In this episode, Dru Johnson and Dr. Firth discuss the issue of moral injury and its relation to the Bible.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Firth references the prophet Jeremiah and the lament psalms to address this heavy topic. We shouldn't shy way from studying the dark and violent parts of Scripture. These can help foster our imagination for the horrific parts of life, so that we can better understand others' experiences of suffering and our own.
People often seek easy answers or comforting verses in the Bible when they are struggling, for similar reasons that they turn to food, Netflix, or friends. But what we really need is to trust God with our pain and give Him a chance to be our Living Water—even if that means we must experience the pain and not quickly numb or resolve it.
Want to learn more? You can check out Dr. Firth's "Journey Through the Psalms" project.
Show notes:
0:00 The field of moral injury
6:55 Why are people uncomfortable with lament in Scripture?
13:34 Cultivating your imagination for suffering
17:05 Responding to real stories of real people
21:00 The length of the moral injury metaphor
25:44 Needing to know God is with us
30:32 Missing the element of lament in worship
Show notes by Serena Tuomi.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.
 

Until All the Psalms Are Sung Again (Poor Bishop Hooper)

We all need God’s word, and we need it desperately––this is why Jesse and Leah Roberts embarked on EveryPsalm.
Jesse and Leah are parents, pastors, and musicians living in Kansas City, MO. They began their EveryPsalm project on January 1, 2020, after years of talking about the idea. They explain, “EveryPsalm is a three-year long musical journey consisting of simple, meditative songs based on the psalms. Starting with Psalm 1 and ending at Psalm 150.” Each song is based on a psalm, and almost all of their lyrics are taken word-for-word from the Bible. Their goal with this project is to help their listeners interact with Scripture in new ways and to make God’s Word applicable to any circumstances people might face.
In this episode, Jesse and Leah talk with Dru Johnson about their project thus far (they're up to Psalm 75) and their goals for the rest of the songs to come. They discuss the songwriting process and how putting Scripture to music aids memorization and deeper engagement.
You can check out their Youtube channel to listen to every song of the EveryPsalm project along with their other free music. You can also check out their website for more information and to subscribe to their weekly song release.
Show notes:
0:00 How Jesse and Leah use the Psalms to write songs
6:39 How they pick their tone for each piece
10:02 What they’ve learned about the Psalms as they’ve worked through them
11:40 The role of lament
16:07 How they safely interpret each Psalm
22:10 Putting words to music
26:50 How they avoid “telling others how to feel"
Show notes by Serena Tuomi.
The music featured in this episode was used with permission from Poor Bishop Hooper. The audio clips are from "Psalm 7," "Psalm 13," "Psalm 16," and "Psalm 40."

Listen to an Article: Recovering the Political Teachings of the Hebrew Bible

Heather Cate reads "Recovering the Political Teachings of the Hebrew Bible," by Joshua Berman, published March 3, 2020.

If Christians Read Scripture Like Jews Do (Ari Lamm)

Christians who feel uneasy with tricky texts in Scripture have something to learn from Jewish Bible readers. Jews actually seek out challenges in the Bible, because they believe these are God’s invitation to develop and use wisdom.  
In this episode, Dru Johnson interviews Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm, a “historian of religion who is interested in the role of religion, religious values, and tradition in shaping the global moral discourse.” His 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 stories on a deeper level.
Don’t forget to check out Dr. Lamm’s podcast Good Faith Effort, where he “speaks with thinkers, writers, artists, and faith leaders to explore how the Bible continues to inform our lives today, from politics to psychology to pop culture, bringing Americans of different traditions and persuasions closer together as so much else threatens to pull us apart.”
Show notes:
5:56 Humans can partner with God to extend the work of creation.
7:33 Hermeneutic of suspicion: Why doesn’t Joseph contact his father?
15:38 Is it typical for Jewish interpretation to ask questions that are constrained to the text?
17:35 The rabbis’ legends.
22:35 What made Joseph resilient?
26:04 The permission to ask questions of Scripture
29:32 Using one character to interpret another: Why does God choose Abraham?
Show notes by Serena Tuomi
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

The Church's Alarming Neglect of the Old Testament (Brent Strawn)

Is the church gradually abandoning the Old Testament?
Surveys of Americans from all walks of life and church backgrounds show that we have grown less and less literate in the Hebrew Scriptures. This causes a host of problems, such as mistaken preconceptions of the text or belief that the Old Testament is outdated or unnecessary. Especially in a culture so far removed from the original world of the text, how can we learn to read the Bible empathetically and humbly?
In this episode, Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Brent Strawn, Professor of Old Testament and Law at Duke Divinity School. They discuss the church's widespread neglect of the Old Testament, and how to overcome the resulting problems. We should read the entire New Testament as situated within the conceptual world of the Old. They conclude with remarks about how the texts and art of other ancient Near Eastern cultures can help us understand Scripture.
Show notes:
0:00 The difficulties of reading the Hebrew Bible as modern people
3:54 Approaching texts with humility
7:17 Brent's book The Old Testament is Dying
11:14 Boosting Bible literacy
17:18 Using the Old Testament well
25:48 Avoiding "word pollution"
29:00 Reading the New Testament through the Old Testament
34:33 Ancient Near Eastern views of the divine
39:57 Art and iconography as a window into the text
Brent's book The Old Testament is Dying: A Diagnosis and Recommended Treatment
Show notes by Micah Long.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.
 

On Whether There Is Sacred Music (Delvyn Case)

Why do we think of some music as sacred music and some music as secular? Is it merely a lyrical or a historical distinction, or is there something about the style and genre that makes certain songs feel "spiritual"? Is the music of the ancient Hebrews more or less sacred than that of a modern Catholic mass or an evangelical megachurch? We are likely to distinguish between these different eras and genres to help categorize them as sacred or not; however, we should be more willing to challenge this distinction.
In this episode, Dru Johnson interviews Delvyn Case, an accomplished composer, scholar, and performer, about the way Christians view music. As they break down the boundaries between secular and sacred music, they discuss why certain types of music feel more spiritual (such as Gospel or hymns) than others. They talk about bad worship music and how it influences our emotions to teach us thin, wobbly theology. They then discuss religious imagery, especially the figure of Christ, in popular music. Is Jesus more like a punk rocker, a hippie, or a communist? Music has the power to educate us and draw us nearer to God; however, it also has the power to mold our emotions and thoughts in sneaky, subconscious ways. If we learn to listen more closely, we can not only grow shrewder in our understanding of its power, but also discover its excellencies and faults.
Show notes:
0:00 "Sacred music" versus "secular music"
3:56 Gospel music as transcendent
9:30 The role of music in church
14:12 Bad worship music
19:09 Spiritual and educational music
22:35 Popular music using church motifs
28:18 The view of Jesus in pop music
34:33 How to critically engage music
Read Delvyn's discussion of Jesus in pop music.
Show notes by Micah Long.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

How to Enjoy Reading the Bible (Matthew Mullins)

Many of us approach Scripture with an "intellectualist" lens: we're seeking clear ideas with straightforward moral application for our lives. Often we do so unconsciously, because of our church background or the way we were first introduced to the Bible. This way of reading Scripture, while not entirely bad, disassociates us from the text. We don't read novels or poems like this, so why would we apply this lens to some of the greatest literary works of all time?
In this episode, Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Matthew Mullins, Associate Professor of English and History of Ideas at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, about learning to love the Bible. Matthew Mullins wants to help us overcome our "Cartesian eyes" and read Scripture with our whole selves: emotion, rationality, and activity. They discuss Matthew's book, Enjoying the Bible: Literary Approaches to Loving the Scriptures, and how to read the Bible as literature instead of as a textbook. As we pursue more engaged reading of Scripture, we can understand the cares and concerns of the biblical authors, as well as transform the way we think and live.
Show notes:
0:00 Reading the Bible as literature
2:05 Avoiding an information-centric perspective of Scripture
6:25 Isolating reading and learning from emotion
13:32 Learning to love the Bible
17:24 Delighting in biblical wisdom
21:15 Returning to the text to with new eyes
24:00 "Reading at whim"
Matthew Mullins's talk: “You Can’t Understand the Bible If You Don’t Love Poetry”
Show notes by Micah Long.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.