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“Compared to the ancient world, the modern world is so impoverished in its ideas. We have such a narrow range of ways of responding to situations and issues, compared to all the ideas that people had before. So I’ve always just kept going, looking farther and farther to find all of these rich ideas that have been forgotten but people thought of long ago.”
— Dr. Jason BeDuhn in “Early Christians Answer ‘Where Is God When Things Go Wrong?‘” (Episode 33)
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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Read Ancient Texts Outside the Bible
Throughout most of Christian history – even when there was a canon – people felt it was worth telling other stories around the edges and in between the scenes of the canon.
Exploring Ancient New Testament Gospel Manuscripts
This is a piece of parchment, animal skin, that was re-written not just once, but twice, with later texts. The first layer, the underlayer that is Matthew is written in Syriac, which is a form of Aramaic.
Was Ancient Manichaeism Christian?
He (Mani) saw himself as not only teaching Christianity, but THE Christianity. So, what happened historically? You have competition. You have competition between the leaders who think they are the ones who are teaching the correct version. An interview with Dr. Jason BeDuhn
The Historical Jesus: Surprise Yourself!
If we listen to one another – which I think is a fundamental act of love – if we listen to one another’s experience, then we can begin to see how multi-faceted this experience of Jesus is. An interview with Dr. Joseph Bessler
Unraveling the Blood Curse in the Gospel of Matthew
The irony is that the history of Israel embodies the suffering innocent one. . . reminding us why we have to stay aware of the innocent one in our midst. An Interview with Dr. Arthur Dewey
The Biblical Meaning of Resurrection
In fact, God has made him alive. . . the experience of Jesus and the power of the experience of Jesus is the same before his death and after. An interview with Dr. B. Brandon Scott
The Bible and Beyond Podcast’s 50th Episode
It was tough trying to select snippets of the top ten... But just a glimpse of these highlights ought to inspire you to go back and listen to some of the complete podcasts again. A retrospective with Dr. Shirley Paulson
Is the Book of Acts Historically Accurate?
One of the issues that’s really beginning to affect these communities and the second and third generation is the question of authority. … How do we know that our group is doing things right? An interview with Dr. Perry Kea.
A Jew and a Christian Discover Commonality
This blew me away. This was a reminder, one of the things both as a Jew and somebody who works to end discriminatory thought and action, I thought this was a game-changer. An interview with Dr. Jennifer Stollman
The Magi and the Star in the Christmas Story
All of the stories about Jesus’s birth are creative stories. People have imagined that story in many different ways. Birth stories of Jesus … do have some commonalities. But then they add details for their own purposes. An interview with Dr. Eric Vanden Eykel
Mary Magdalene Was Probably Not from Magdala
It’s possible she is Lazarus’s sister. … Mary from Bethany who possibly gave the central Christological confession in John’s gospel … she was given the name ‘Mary the Tower’ for her faith. An interview with Elizabeth Schrader Polczer.
Correcting the Mary Magdalene Smear Campaign
The journey, the spiritual journey for men, is just as important for them to tap into that divine feminine as it is for women. An interview with Rev. Kyndall Rae Rothaus.
Manichaeans and the Insider-Outsider Debate
Some scholars treat Manicaheism the same way Americans treat Asian-Americans. They’re from somewhere else. Guests, but not from here – they’re outsiders. An interview with Dr. Jae Han.
An Ancient Gold Glass Challenges Biblical Boundaries
So when we see, for example, a painting, in the catacombs of Jonah being cast out of the big fish, is it Bible itself? An interview with Eric Smith, PhD.
The Secret Behind the Secrets in So-Called Gnosticism
Here’s a saying [of Jesus] that nobody else knows about! And if you can figure out this …or really understand what’s going on here, you will have a certain kind of power. An interview with Nicola Denzey Lewis.
Why Should We Believe Anything in the Secret Revelation of John?
The canon is not something that is happening in the second century. It becomes an issue particularly in the fourth century. Canon, before, simply meant “these are the top ten books in my group.” A discussion between Dr. Shirley Paulson and Dr. Art Dewey.
What Kind of Person Was Judas Really?
Jesus is explaining it’s not a good thing that you’re going to have to do, Judas. But it’s part of what must happen for God to set the universe right. An interview with Dr. David Brakke.
How Illness and Heresy Became Entangled in Christianity
From then on, illness is associated with heresy, mostly because of the way it spreads. Diseases spread [when] you talk to somebody, and the ancients were aware of that type of dissemination. An interview with Dr. Jennifer Barry.
Thecla’s Fight for Independence
Thecla is willing to die, but she doesn’t patiently endure violence toward her. … So that’s a very different dynamic than what is often presented as the pattern that a good submissive woman should follow. An interview with Dr. Deborah Niederer Saxon.
Noncanonical Texts Illuminate the Bible
"This is the biggest thrust from After Jesus Before Christianity. How will we end up talking about those first two centuries, now that you’ve exposed that these words don’t work right?" An interview with Dr. Shirley Paulson.
Finding Depth in Jesus’s Farmer Parables
"There are long traditions in Greek and Roman and Judaean writing, using farming to think about important aspects of life like morality, wisdom, virtue, and education." An Interview with Dr. Ian Brown.
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