By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-07-29T18:05:05-04:00July 29th, 2026|Tags: Ancient Writings, Translation Issues|
When we think about early Christian monks and nuns, we often imagine illiterate men and women whose lives are devoted to prayer, solitude, and spiritual discipline. But how did these communities learn? An interview with Dr. Lillian Larsen
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-06-24T03:52:44-04:00June 24th, 2026|Tags: Bible, Christianity, Early Christian Texts, Secret Revelation of John|
This month's Bible and Beyond Discussion celebrates eight years of the Bible and Beyond. A time in which the Nag Hammadi texts have been moving from the “fringe” toward mainstream Christianity. An interview with Dr. Shirley Paulson
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-07-07T04:10:47-04:00May 19th, 2026|Tags: Demons, Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, Translation Issues|
This discussion will focus on Lilith, who is arguably the most feared demon in the history of Judaism. We give some basic overview of her key features, such as the long-held view that she attacks pregnant women and their children, and also examine her appearance in the biblical tradition. Oddly for a demon who is so important in Judaism, she only appears once in the Hebrew Bible—Isaiah 34:14. An interview with Dr. Matthew Goff
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-04-28T12:55:43-04:00April 28th, 2026|Tags: Bible, Dr. James McGrath, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Matthew, Spirituality, Theology|
Deconstruction isn’t the end of faith. James McGrath explores how critical Bible study can lead to deeper understanding and renewed faith. An interview with Dr. James McGrath
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-24T07:52:33-04:00February 18th, 2026|Tags: Christianity, Early Christian Communities, Gospel of John, Judaism|
When, how, and why did the Jesus movement—a small Jewish group born and nourished within a first-century Jewish matrix—come to be "Christianity," a religious movement that defined itself as separate from, and even in opposition to, Judaism? An interview with Dr. Adèle Reinhartz
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-02-17T18:17:58-05:00February 17th, 2026|Tags: Ancient Writings, Apocalypse of Adam, Demons, Magic, Revelation of Adam|
How did King Solomon wind up in later Christian traditions? The Revelation of Adam—a second-century book from Nag Hammadi—claims that the great Seth became incarnate in a human being who was born of a virgin. He sounds a lot like Jesus with a twist! An interview with Dr. David Brakke
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-01-27T16:45:59-05:00January 27th, 2026|Tags: Apostles, Early Church, Gospel of Judas, Tchacos Codex|
The Gospel of Judas is often read as a harsh rejection of Jesus’s disciples and their successors. But when the disciples express remorse and ask Jesus to cleanse them, does the text show unexpected sympathy?. An interview with Dr. Lance Jenott
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-01T03:41:55-05:00December 23rd, 2025|Tags: Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Nativity Story, Religious Boundaries|
Ever wonder why Mary was chosen or how shepherds knew of Jesus’s birth? Early Christians filled in the missing details with imaginative stories that deepened faith in Jesus as God’s promised messiah. An interview with Dr. Tony Burke
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-01T03:42:15-05:00November 25th, 2025|Tags: Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Matthew, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Jesus, Nativity Story|
Join the conversation with scholar Joan Taylor, exploring the world Jesus was born into. Discover how Roman violence, and migration to Nazareth shaped his earliest years and influenced the man he became. An interview with Dr. Joan Taylor
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-10-28T15:10:31-04:00October 28th, 2025|Tags: Christianity, Church, Early Christian Communities, Early Church|
Most of what we know about early Christianity comes from Eusebius—but recent scholarship shows his story is misleading. Join us to explore dynamic new perspectives that reveal a far more diverse and complex Christian past. An interview with Dr. Lillian Larsen
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-09-24T08:45:33-04:00September 24th, 2025|Tags: Christianity, Gospel of Matthew, Gospels, Hebrew Bible|
Looking closely at particular prophecies and New Testament depictions of Jesus’s fulfillment of them shows that the reality is far more complex—and more interesting—than traditional Christian beliefs imply. An interview with Dr. Robert J. Miller
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-08-26T23:58:28-04:00August 26th, 2025|Tags: Bible, Gospel of John, Gospels, New Testament|
The significant differences between the Gospel of John and the other canonical gospel raise several important questions to account for. Which gospels tell the history, which tell the theology most accurately? An interview with Dr. Paul N. Anderson
