The Biblical Mind

Is Asian Philosophy (including Israel) "Philosophy"? Dr. Bryan Van Norden

When most Westerners think of "philosophy," they are inclined to think of Greco-Roman arguments or Anglo-American academics. "Philosophy" as approached this way is really nothing more than one culture's philosophical tradition, rather than a global, multicultural collection of thinkers, ideas, and methods. If we expand our definition of philosophy, we have the chance not only to challenge our own Western ways of thinking, but also to understand other cultures, from those of China to India to Ancient Israel.
In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson talks to Dr. Bryan Van Norden about multicultural philosophy. Dr. Van Norden is a chair in philosophy departments at both Vassar College and Wuhan University, where he specializes in Chinese philosophy. They begin with one very difficult question: "What counts as philosophy?" From there, they discuss different definitions of philosophy, the diverse literary techniques wielded by both Eastern and Western authors, and often-overlooked philosophical texts. If people can start examining Confucius and the Hebrew Scriptures like they do Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and Kant, their eyes will be opened to cultural traditions that are not only novel and diverse, but also equally intellectually rich and thought-provoking.
Shownotes:
0:00 Philosophy beyond the Greeks
2:12 Why people don't think of Asian philosophy as philosophy
7:23 Defining philosophy and Taking Back Philosophy
13:40 Different literary techniques in Chinese philosophy
17:50 A multicultural approach to philosophical thinking
22:20 Approaching texts like the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita
27:14 The Milindapanha and the chariot argument against the self
For more information about Dr. Van Norden and his work, visit his website, where you can find his world philosophy bibliography.
Dr. Van Norden's New York Times op-ed on multicultural philosophy: "If Philosophy Won't Diversify, Let's Call it What it Is"
The ensuing book: Taking Back Philosophy: A Multicultural Manifesto
Dr. Van Norden is James Monroe Taylor Chair in Philosophy at Vassar College (USA), and Chair Professor in Philosophy in the School of Philosophy at Wuhan University (China). Van Norden has published ten books on Chinese and comparative philosophy, including Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy (2011) and Taking Back Philosophy: A Multicultural Manifesto (2017). A recipient of Fulbright, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Mellon fellowships, Van Norden has been honored as one of The Best 300 Professors in the U.S. by The Princeton Review.
Show notes by Micah Long.

Thinking Exodus: Egyptology and the Bible (James K. Hoffmeier)

Many modern people, in both the church and the academy, don't believe that the early narratives of the Hebrew people reflect historical events. They might consider the exodus account to be, for example, a collection of inchoate legends, or a 5th-century B.C.E. exilic invention of the Jews.
Others simply regard the historicity of Scripture as a matter of "blind faith." Does it really matter when Exodus was written, or if the story even took place? Is there evidence from the biblical texts or ancient Near Eastern archaeology that these events occurred?
For some, the answer is a definitive "yes."
In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson talks with Dr. James K. Hoffmeier about the history of Israel and the exodus. Dr. Hoffmeier has the distinction of being both an Egyptologist and a biblical scholar, skilled in the archaeology, culture, and history of the ancient Near East. After discussing "Egyptianisms" in Hebrew (loan-words), the etymologies of biblical names, and intersections of literature and archaeology, Dr. Hoffmeier argues that the exodus was a historical event.
This perspective, while somewhat unfashionable in contemporary scholarly debates, provides a foundation for the practices and principles of modern-day Jews and Christians.
Shownotes:
0:00 Introducing James K. Hoffmeier, his work, and his life
5:12 Being a "third-culture kid"
7:29 How studying and living in Egypt informs a reading of Scripture
14:30 Evidence that the Torah contains firsthand experience of Egypt
21:18 Etymologies of the names Moses and Korah
25:45 Cultural contextualization in the Torah and the character of God
32:27 Is the exodus account early Hebraic history or a Persian-era literary invention?
40:25 Why the historical exodus matters for theology and how it informs Hebraic law and rituals
Dr. Hoffmeier's book on the historicity of the exodus is Israel in Egypt.
Show notes by Micah Long.

Biblical Artist Series: Ned Bustard

How should Christians engage with the visual arts? Many forms of "Christian art" (films, children's Bibles, music) make in-your-face, moralistic claims. Other Christians condemn art because of its "bad messages." Still others believe that making art is nothing more than expressing yourself or your emotions. Ned Bustard possesses a very different perspective.
Ned is an artist and graphic designer based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He believes that provocative, visually fascinating pieces are not necessarily in tension with Scripture. Instead, they can be used to heighten biblical themes or show us parts of the text that we had not yet noticed. Ned's book Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups exemplifies this approach, with gritty and novel depictions of often-whitewashed or ignored passages of Scripture.
In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson talks with Ned about a couple of the most provocative pieces in Revealed. They also discuss the tearing down of Confederate statues, how art can be used as an argument, and how making woodcuts of the Bible is actually a lot like preaching.
Show notes:
1:26 What should we do about putting up and tearing down statues?
6:00 How art is like preaching
10:13 Good versus bad Christian art
15:35 Ned's work on his book Revealed
24:00 Integrating faith and art
26:29 Ned's depiction of Judges 19
34:20 Art with a "slant"
40:12 Why people miss the arguments in Biblical poetry and the visual arts
See more of Ned Bustard's work through his graphic design company, World's End Images.
Read more about the proposed cylinder around the Robert E. Lee statue.
Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA) promotes a diverse group of artists rooted in orthodox Christianity.
Show notes by Micah Long.

Listen to an Article: Malcolm Guite on Poetic Imagination and Biblical Prophecy

Heather Cate reads "Why Poetic Imagination Is Necessary to Understand Biblical Prophecy," by Malcolm Guite, published July 22, 2020.
 
Prefer to listen to articles? The CHT will publish recorded readings of more its top articles in the coming weeks.

A Realist Christian Response to the Horror of Trauma (Scott Harrower)

How can Christians go beyond a "thoughts and prayers" perspective of trauma and suffering? Those who have experienced trauma, from soldiers to sexual assault survivors, often hesitate to trust members of their community. 
In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Scott Harrower of Ridley College, a former emergency department nurse, about the biblical response to trauma. Scott explains the psychology of PTSD and how Christians should respond to psychological suffering. From there, they discuss the roots of Pauline perspectives on comfort in the Hebrew Bible. Finally, they discuss the biblical emphasis on God equipping His people to comfort the vulnerable, rather than providing sudden or supernatural solutions.
0:00 Introducing Scott Harrower
2:09 The psychology of trauma
5:10 PTSD and trust
11:15 How the Hebrew Bible addresses trauma
14:50 How Christians should respond to suffering communities
17:38 The character of people who work for restoration and reconciliation
21:07 Concluding thoughts
For more of Dr. Scott Harrower's work, check out God of All Comfort: A Trinitarian Response to the Horrors of This World, a work on trauma, horror, and how the doctrine of the Trinity can help address the problem of evil.
Show notes by Micah Long.

Why Scripture Doesn't Talk about Law, Religion, or Belief (Joshua Berman)

We may uncritically assume that biblical authors think of religion, law, and belief in the same way that we do. Dr. Joshua Berman, however, notes that the ancient Hebrews didn't have the contemporary Western concepts of religion and belief, which involve individualistic intellectual assent to the right propositions. Likewise, the concept of law in the Bible isn't a clear-cut list of dos and don’ts.
In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson talks with Dr. Berman about his new book, Ani Ma’amin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth, and the Thirteen Principles of Faith. 
Show notes: 
0:00 Ani Ma'amin
1:24 Why terms such as law, religion, and belief are alien to the Hebrew Bible
7:20 The modern versus the ancient understanding of religion
9:48 Modern “belief” versus ancient lived experience
17:40 Law as more than dos and don’ts
21:43 The problems with biblical source criticism and modern biblical scholarship
37:02 Maimonides, Jewish belief, and the way of life
 For the nerdier version of Dr. Berman's book, check out: Inconsistency in the Torah: Ancient Literary Convention and the Limits of Source Criticism

Scripture on Policing in America

Dru Johnson and Celina Durgin talk about threads of teaching in Scripture regarding the use of force and systemic racism, as well as practical steps that the Torah and Jesus taught to bring justice into unjust communities. 
Show notes:
1:28 How Torah protections for the vulnerable bear on our notion of justice
4:00 How the powerful/vulnerable dynamic plays out in state agency and police use of force
7:48 How the Torah evaluates self-defense and de-escalation
15:20 God’s wrath against those who mistreat the vulnerable
23:04 What the church should do in response to exploitation of the vulnerable
36:02 Why epistemic humility is essential for just policing in America
38:47 What we can learn from the modern Israeli military
Show notes by Micah Long.

A Philosophical Theology of the Old Testament (Dr. Jaco Gericke)

For a first-ever joint episode with OnScript, Dru talked to Dr. Jaco Gericke of North-West University, South Africa about his journey to philosophical theology, and some of his current research, particularly his recent book, A Philosophical Theology of the Old Testament: A historical, experimental, comparative and analytic perspective.
Among other things, they discuss: 
—Why Dr. Gericke doesn't like to call himself an atheist
—How he went from disliking Old Testament studies to specializing in it
—Why "biblical theology" and "philosophical theology" are tricky terms for some scholars
—The importance of humility when interpreting Scripture
—How "wrong" ideas can spur scholarly progress
—Most importantly, which Stanley Kubrick film is the best

Introducing Dr. Jeremiah Unterman (CHT Fellow)

Dru Johnson and Dr. Jerry Unterman discuss his college years during the war in Israel, studying with Jacob Milgrom for his Ph.D., and his most recent work on the unique ethical contribution of the Bible in the ancient world. Plus, Dr. Unterman recalls his odd sighting while at UC Berkeley in the '70s.

Is the NT Just Stoic Philosophy? [Corrected]

The newest fellow of the CHT, Dr. Jonathan T. Pennington of Southern Seminary, joins Dr. Dru Johnson to discuss how Jesus' views interacted with the intellectual world of his day. This world was populated by both Jewish and Hellenistic ideas, as well as hybrids of the two traditions. In this context, Jesus' teachings, such as those in the Sermon on the Mount, generated sophisticated answers to ancient philosophical questions about, for example, the nature of true happiness and the good life.
Dr. Pennington engages this topic in more detail in his forthcoming book Jesus the Great Philosopher: Rediscovering the Wisdom Needed for the Good Life.