The Biblical Mind

Behind the Scenes: CHT Staff Tells All! (Dru, Amy, Celina)

Sometimes it's good to take a step back—so this week, the Center for Hebraic Thought staff switched things up. Instead of interviewing a scholar, Dru Johnson (CHT director), Amy Gabriel (CHT research associate), and Celina Durgin (CHT administrative director) chatted about the evolving mission and audience of the CHT, Bible literacy and Bible fluency, good and bad Bible-reading habits—in short, a smorgasbord of topics that lie at the heart of our organization.
Show notes:
00:30 The evolving mission of the Center for Hebraic Thought
02:33 Shifting the audience of the CHT
05:50 What is Hebraic thought, again?
10:38 How—and how not—to read the Bible
16:25 The origin and purpose of The Biblical Mind
19:00 Bible literacy vs. Bible fluency
34:41 What motivates people to read the Bible?
38:30 The goal of the CHT and TBM
43:55 Scripture's metaphors for itself
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

The Biblical Authors vs. Greek Philosophy (Joseph Dodson)

The Bible is full of references to other texts, containing a diverse range of cultural forces and ideas. The biblical authors engaged with Egyptian mythology, Babylonian theology, and Hellenistic philosophy with a discerning eye for what to keep, what to reject, and what to turn on its head.
In this episode, Dr. Joseph Dodson, Associate Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, joins Dru Johnson to discuss the interaction between Stoicism and Scripture. He describes the philosophical context within which the apostles wrote, including the Stoicism that was popular at the time. Then, they discuss how authors such as Paul and John appropriated (and sometimes contradicted) Stoic beliefs to articulate the gospel. They also talk about the diverse nature of the Hebraic intellectual world, the education of the apostles, and why we should read the Apocrypha.
Show notes:
0:00 The context of Scripture
2:42 Defining Stoicism
7:28 Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
12:01 Blending Judaism with Hellenistic philosophy
20:05 The Hebraic intellectual world
24:45 John's integration of philosophy
28:30 Book recommendations on the context of the New Testament
A recommended book edited by Joseph Dodson: Paul and the Giants of Philosophy: Reading the Apostle in Greco-Roman Context
Show notes by Micah Long.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Understanding Slavery in the Old Testament—and Today (Myrto Theocharous)

Critics of Christianity, and even believers, point to the instances of slavery in the Old Testament as evidence of a cruel or careless God. However, a view of the ancient systems of slavery and the Torah's treatment of the oppressed reveals a very different picture. Far from being opposed to human dignity, the Hebrew Bible strives to humanize everyone, including those at the margins of society.
In this episode, Dr. Myrto Theocharous and Dr. Dru Johnson discuss slavery and care for the oppressed in the Hebrew Bible. They note how the Torah insists on protection and dignity for slaves to prevent exploitation. They identify how slavery in the Old Testament differs from more recent versions and how we should understand our own cultural experiences when approaching the text. From there, we can begin to understand other related issues, such as how Christians should respond to systems of human trafficking and how Deuteronomy teaches people to care for the vulnerable even if we haven't experienced their circumstances ourselves.
Show notes:
0:00 A God against slavery
4:02 Protections and humanization for slaves in the Torah
7:27 Using the metaphor of slavery today
10:55 Human trafficking and caring for the vulnerable
16:26 Learning care for the oppressed without experiencing oppression
21:08 A view of the American evangelical church
Learn more about Dr. Theocharous.
Show notes by Micah Long.

You Mean Jesus Isn't Literally a Vine? (Beth Stovell)

What does it mean to say that Jesus is the vine? Does He have roots or produce grapes? What is the connection between giving birth and fighting a war? Why does the Bible refer to God's nose as being long?
In this episode, Dr. Beth Stovell talks to Dr. Dru Johnson about the complex world of metaphor in the biblical texts. Rather than "just the facts," metaphors give us a way of thinking that involves the whole being, including one's mind, emotions, body, and imagination. Scripture uses this poetic language not to be fancy or impressionistic, but because it conveys a richer world of meaning than "simple" or "technical" language. They also discuss some of the weirdest metaphors in Scripture, how scientists use metaphorical language construction to classify reality, and how to demystify the language of Scripture.
They end with remarks on how we can access the metaphorical imagination of the biblical texts by engaging with the various experiences of the members of our communities.
Show notes:
0:00 The truth of metaphors
3:38 Why Scripture uses metaphors
11:13 Factual versus poetic language
13:26 Weird metaphors in Scripture
17:08 Scientific taxonomies
25:20 The construction of language in the ancient world
30:47 Accessing the meaning of the biblical texts
Learn more about Dr. Beth Stovell and her work.
Show notes by Micah Long.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.
 

American Christians' Peculiar View of Inerrancy—and Other Oddities (Mike Bird)

There is a view of biblical inerrancy that is actually particular to some American Christians—and peculiar to outsiders. Dr. Michael Bird examines this and other peculiarities of some American Christianity in light of Scripture and other traditions.
In this episode, Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Bird about American theology and the different meanings of biblical inerrancy. They discuss the distinction between questioning the authority of the Bible and questioning a particular tradition's interpretation or doctrine. They also talk about the importance of the Hebrew Bible and Dr. Bird's work with N.T. Wright.
Show notes:
0:00 America's concern with biblical inerrancy
3:15 What does it mean to say that the Bible is true?
9:56 Interpretative issues versus authoritative issues
13:07 American eschatology
17:03 Ignorance of the Hebrew Bible
25:45 N.T. Wright
27:45 American politics and Christian obligation
Learn more about Mike Bird and his work.
Dr. Bird's book with N.T. Wright: The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians
Show notes by Micah Long.

Listen to an Article: Neither Work nor Leisure Provides 'Our Daily Bread'

Heather Cate reads "Neither Work nor Leisure Provides 'Our Daily Bread,'" by Dru Johnson, published July 16, 2020.

Ancient Israelite Government in Modern Republics (Kyle Swan)

The foundations of our modern liberal democracies are found in the ideas of Enlightenment-era political philosophers such as Hobbes, Locke, Hume, and Rousseau. At first glance, these philosophers seem like they couldn't be more different from the premodern Hebrews. What does social contract theory and the idea of the consent of the governed have to do with the story of God and His people in the Torah?
In this episode, Dr. Kyle Swan talks with Dru Johnson about the similarities between ancient Israel and republican forms of government. They begin by examining the narrative at Sinai, where a loving God establishes an agreement with the Hebrew people. The law given to the Israelites was not merely a series of divine decrees that people had to obey; their obligation to follow the law emerges from their commitment to follow it. They then discuss the difference between a biblical covenant and the "founding myths" of social contract theory, and consider how consent of the governed can continue through multiple generations. In the end, we can see deep similarities between the way a polity flourishes and the way God establishes a relationship with His people.
Show notes:
0:00 The authority of God
2:53 Commitment and obligation in political philosophy
6:33 The Israelite covenant with God
10:58 How Dr. Swan got started in biblical political philosophy
14:10 Early biblical laws and covenants
17:10 Social contract theory and consent
24:40 Covenant renewal
29:05 Consent of the governed through generations
34:12 The Hebrew Scriptures as a source for our political philosophy
Learn more about Dr. Kyle Swan and his work.
Kyle Swan's journal article on the political philosophy of the ancient Hebrews: "The Hebrew Republic? Divine Authority and Self-Governance"
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Don't Drop the Body of Christ (Janelle Peters)

Can we use Mountain Dew and Doritos for communion, or must the elements be bread and wine? Communion is one of the most prominent Christian rituals. Although celebrated differently by different traditions, from sharing loaves of bread and a common cup to distributing oyster crackers and little plastic cups of grape juice, the practice is meant to remind us of and transform us into the body of Christ. We might wonder what the earliest Christians did to celebrate communion, and what the boundaries are within which we might improvise this ritual in various times and places.
In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson talks to Dr. Janelle Peters, author of the forthcoming Paul and the Citizen Body, about communion, Paul's intellectual influences, and Bible literacy. They examine the traditions associated with communion and its connection to the rituals of the ancient Hebrews. From there, they consider Paul's usage of the Torah in his letters and his appropriation of Greco-Roman literary tropes and ideas. They conclude with a discussion of Paul's views on rituals and practices such as communion and wearing head coverings, and the state of Bible literacy in the rising generations.
Show notes:
0:00 What elements can we use for the blood and body of Christ?
4:56 Participating in the body of Christ
7:41 Communion and Israelite rituals
11:40 Paul, 1 Clement, and the Hebrew Bible
14:38 How Paul adapts the Torah into the Greco-Roman world
18:35 Embodying the words of Jesus in communion
25:42 Head coverings in church
29:14 Teaching biblical literacy
Show notes by Micah Long.
Credits for music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Why We Should Still Keep the Sabbath (Mark Scarlata)

American Christians often make two key mistakes when approaching the idea of sabbath in the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament. First, we assume that the command has been made irrelevant by the New Covenant. Second, we "spiritualize" the idea of sabbath and downplay the importance of formative rituals for our bodies, not just our souls. However, a closer investigation of sabbath in Scripture reveals its importance, not only as a command of God but as a necessary counterweight to our digitally saturated and busy lives.
In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Mark Scarlata about sabbath as a gift for all creation. Dr. Scarlata is a Tutor and Lecturer in Old Testament Studies at Saint Mellitus College in London, an Anglican priest, and the author of the recent book Sabbath Rest: The Beauty of God's Rhythm for a Digital Age. They discuss rest as it is portrayed in Scripture, from Genesis's creation narrative to God's provision in Exodus. Dr. Scarlata explains how to celebrate the sabbath well, in a way that promotes community and present-ness. We can truly enjoy a break from work and participate in the great rest that God offers His people.
Show notes:
0:00 Supersessionism and the sabbath
2:43 Sabbath in the Hebrew Bible
8:34 A gift for all creation
15:07 The weirdness of rest
23:06 The importance of our bodies and rituals
26:49 When we should celebrate the sabbath
34:38 Resting successfully
Show notes by Micah Long.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.

Reading Exodus: When Does a Multitude Become a People? (Leon Kass)

How should we read the book of Exodus?
Dr. Leon R. Kass discusses his answer to this question from his recent book, Founding God's Nation: Reading Exodus. Dr. Kass is the Professor Emeritus in the Committee on Social Thought and the College at the University of Chicago, and formerly served as the Chairman of the President's Council on Bioethics under George W. Bush. He has published a host of works in medicine, bioethics, and most recently, biblical studies.
Dr. Kass believes that reading Exodus should start with humility and curiosity—perhaps the author of Exodus knows something we don't. From there, we can begin to see Exodus for what it is: a book that not only recounts the story of Israel, but also reveals themes and principles that apply to any person or nation. Specifically, he describes the difference between a multitude and a people, what Exodus has to say about technology, and why God chose a lowly slave people to be His covenantal servants.
Show notes:
0:00 Reading with open eyes
4:20 Learning from the great texts
6:55 Genesis, Exodus, technology, and bioethics
13:28 The three things a people needs
19:50 The covenantal foundation of Israel
24:49 Why God started with a lowly people
30:10 Slavery in ancient Israel
35:19 Epistemology in Exodus
Learn more about Dr. Kass and his work.
Show notes by Micah Long.
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.