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The Bible and Beyond podcast has been created for everyone who would like to sit down with scholars and ask them about their latest research in the world of the earliest Jesus followers.
The podcast explores historical and spiritual questions about Jesus, gender, women, salvation, healing, and the meaning of life in a series of interviews with scholars who are able to unlock mysteries from extra-canonical books, forgotten scriptures, so-called ‘gnostic’ gospels, and the Bible. In some cases, their discoveries leave us feeling somewhat uneasy, because they don’t fit with what we’ve been told through the ages. On the other hand, the scholars keep uncovering a kind of deep intimacy with Jesus — his love for humanity and his love for God. It’s a liberating message, inspiring us to let go of some heavy, unnecessary church-baggage and consider what these texts might mean for modern-day followers of Jesus.
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Biblical Violence Can Be Helpful or Harmful According to the Way You Read It
A singular reading is often done from a dominant position. People with power are the ones who have their story told…But I have found these multiple readings have strengthened my faith."
What the Mandaeans know about John the Baptist
“So many people are not aware that there is a group that has survived from ancient times down to the present day that…has sacred texts in a dialect of Aramaic.”
Is Martha the Sister of Mary Magdalene?
"Mary Magdalene seems to have the most prominence in the Gospel of John, and I wondered if it’s possible if that early controversy could have affected the text of the Bible."
Protevangelium of James: New/Old Views of Mary
I was trained in traditional texts, but drawn to non-normative books and what they can reveal about gender and the construction of one’s identity. Franҫois Bovon considers the Protevangelium of James to be “useful for the soul.”
Shepherd of Hermas: Ancient and Modern Respect for the Poor
In Shepherd of Hermas, Elliott finds distinguishing Christian feature: the poor are to be honored. All of us – slaves and masters – should be servants to God.
Justice and Peace for Christians and Jews in the Hebrew Bible
Barry’s deep love of both the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and New Testament inspires us to listen in new ways to familiar texts as well as the ones we’re not so aware of.
Making the Mysterious ‘Dialogue of the Savior’ Not So Mysterious
... the strange-sounding Dialogue of the Savior is much more down-to-earth than people realize ... the characters in the story [seem like] people we’d enjoy talking to today.
The Nag Hammadi Collection
Talking to Celene Lillie about the Nag Hammadi collection helps us understand how these ancient writers made such important connections with their own readers, and then why that makes them so valuable for us today.
Reading the ‘Other’ Gospels
In this interview, Mark M. Mattison explains that the dozens of Gospels written in antiquity shed light not just on the meaning of Jesus, but also on the communities that produced them.
It’s Ok to Look at Extracanonical Texts!
Dr. Hal Taussig walks with us, step by step to a realization that lesser known biblical texts are vitally important, beautiful, vibrant, and valid today for both scholars and the public.
The Power of Self-Control in Early Christian Community
Dr. Deborah Saxon, teacher of religion at Butler University in Indianapolis, explains in this interview why the practice of self-control was so important to early Jesus followers.
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