The Bible For Normal People

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared and Jennifer Garcia Bashaw talk with Regina Shands Stoltzfus about the intersection of faith and nonviolence, how theology taught in church moves us to certain beliefs about violence, and how we can begin addressing societal issues through peace-focused actions.

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Who was really responsible for the execution of Jesus—Roman soldiers or Jewish leaders? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, J. Christopher Edwards joins Pete and Jared to explore early Christian narratives that began shifting culpability for the crucifixion from Roman soldiers to Jewish leaders, and highlighting how these misconceptions rooted in the New Testament have contributed to anti-Judaism throughout Christian history.

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This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. Greenlight is a debit card and money app made for families: parents can send money to their kids and keep an eye on kids’ spending and saving, while kids and teens build money confidence and lifelong financial literacy skills. Sign up for Greenlight today and get your first month free when you go to greenlight.com/normalpeople.

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What does Nehemiah have to teach us about the challenge of hermeneutics and theology today? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete ruins the book of Nehemiah by illuminating the key concepts, overarching themes, character arcs, and sociopolitical context found in the text; plus gives some takeaways about biblical interpretation for our time and place. 

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This episode is sponsored by AG1. If you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/normalpeople. That’s drinkAG1.com/normalpeople. Check it out.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jennifer Garcia Bashaw joins Pete and Jared to discuss how various atonement theories attempt to explain Jesus’s death. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 183 from October 2021.

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For those of you who pay attention to the show notes, you can learn more about atonement theories from Jennifer at a discounted price! Use code atonement20off to get 20% off our class "Why God Died" until June 30, 2024.

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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Today’s podcast is sponsored by Palmer Theological Seminary & College of Eastern University, one of the most diverse seminaries in North America. You can study online or in person in the Philadelphia suburbs at Palmer. Visit www.palmerseminary.edu for more information.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Anna Sieges Beal talk to Anna Case-Winters about incarnation and crucifixion, the coexistence of humanity and divinity in Jesus, and how process theology can help us reimagine divine power. Plus, Pete gets to ask questions about the cosmos.

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Is the biblical author John the person we think he is? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Hugo Méndez joins Jared and Jennifer Garcia Bashaw to talk about some of the theories on the authorship of the Gospel and Letters of John, diving into an alternative to the traditional ideas about who wrote the texts and the implications for how we approach the Bible as a whole.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared discuss religious trauma with Candice Czubernat, a therapist and founder of The Christian Closet. Together they identify religious trauma, examine how it especially affects LGBTQ+ people, and explore pathways for healing.

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This episode is sponsored by AG1. If you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/normalpeople. That’s drinkAG1.com/normalpeople. Check it out.

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This episode is brought to you by Union Presbyterian Seminary. Respond to your call with Union Presbyterian Seminary. Union meets you where you are, with three different platforms for learning, a world-class faculty who will invest in you, a community long after you graduate that supports you and equips you—for service and for leadership. To learn more, visit upsem.edu.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete ruins the book of Ezra by examining the themes, characters, issues, and connections found within the text; diving into the Moses-like leadership of Ezra, the historical context of the Persian empire, and Ezra’s seemingly strange opinions on intermarriage.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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Tamice Spencer-Helms joins Jared in this episode of Faith for Normal People for a conversation about the integration of faith and identity. Tamice shares their journey of navigating life as a queer and Black Christian, emphasizing the power of authenticity and agency in leaving toxic theologies behind. 

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. This Spring they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an additional 15% off their first purchase when using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Charles Halton joins Pete and Jared to discuss how the Bible portrays God as being humanlike, the origin of resistance to seeing humanlike characteristics of God, and the implications of embracing this perspective. 

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. This Spring they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an additional 15% off their first purchase when using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared and Pete have a candid conversation with Sarah Bessey about the highs and lows of her own evolving faith journey and how we can learn to embrace the wilderness of deconstruction—seeing it not as a place of desolation and doubt, but as an opportunity for growth and renewal.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. This Spring they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an additional 15% off their first purchase when using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. That’s an additional 15% off at FastGrowingTrees.com using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

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This episode is sponsored by AG1. If you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/normalpeople. That’s drinkAG1.com/normalpeople. Check it out.

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This episode is brought to you by Union Presbyterian Seminary. Respond to your call with Union Presbyterian Seminary. Union meets you where you are, with three different platforms for learning, a world-class faculty who will invest in you, a community long after you graduate that supports you and equips you—for service and for leadership. To learn more, visit upsem.edu.

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Cain is a cannibal, Eve tells her own version of the fall of man, and the Garden of Eden has a dividing wall? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk to Jack Levison about the ancient text the Greek Life of Adam and Eve, also known as the Apocalypse of Moses, an intriguing and dramatic retelling of the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Seth, and the origin of sin.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. This Spring they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an additional 15% off their first purchase when using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. That’s an additional 15% off at FastGrowingTrees.com using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete makes the case for why you shouldn’t skip 1 and 2 Chronicles after slogging through Samuel and Kings. He explores the Chronicler’s distinct theology, uncovers themes of hope and divine sovereignty, and explains what Chronicles reveals about ancient Israelites’ ideas about God.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. This Spring they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an additional 15% off their first purchase when using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. That’s an additional 15% off at FastGrowingTrees.com using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and co-host Cynthia Shafer-Elliott learn from Jamal-Dominique Hopkins about the history of sacrifice in the Qumran community and the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls in understanding Judaism during the Second Temple period, exploring the interplay of tradition and innovation in ancient Jewish communities.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. This Spring they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an additional 15% off their first purchase when using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. That’s an additional 15% off at FastGrowingTrees.com using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared talks with J.S. (Joon) Park about his experiences with death, grief, and loss as a hospital chaplain for a Level 1 Trauma Center. Together they discuss the varying manifestations of grief, practical advice to help those who experience loss, and how we can develop a holistic approach to grief.

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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. Right now, they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants. Listeners get an additional 15% off when using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Head to FastGrowingTrees.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Offer valid for a limited time.

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Whose contributions to the production of the Bible have been historically overlooked? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared have a fascinating conversation with Candida Moss about enslavement in the Roman Empire, challenging our perception of biblical authorship and shedding light on the roles of enslaved people as scribes and translators of ancient texts.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared tackle your questions about faith, identifying a common theme of the tendency toward dualism and binary thinking and exploring how to think more critically when faced with either/or theological questions.

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete is back to his usual antics ruining a book of the Bible. This time he’s conquering 2 Kings, uncovering the historical context, socio-political influences, and bigger picture of the biblical narrative as told through the text.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Grace Baldridge (known by the artist name Semler) joins Pete and Jared to talk about the moving target of faith, whether leaving church is leaving God, and Grace’s journey as a queer person in Christian music.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Aaron Higashi joins Pete to talk about five key points in understanding 1 & 2 Samuel—and why our reading of this biblical tragedy doesn’t have to be tragic.

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BNP and get on your way to being your best self.

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We’re back for our second season of Faith for Normal People! Comedian Pete Holmes joins Pete and Jared to contemplate oneness with God, what it means to identify as a Christian, the parable of the prodigal son, and how awareness can grow our sense of connection with God.

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We’re back for our eighth season of the podcast! In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman joins Pete and Jared to discuss the historical reliability of the Gospels, highlighting the roles of oral tradition, authorial bias, and contradictions within the texts.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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This episode is sponsored by Factor Meal Kits. Head to www.factormeals.com/normalpeople50 and use code normalpeople50 to get 50% off. 

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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. Right now, they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants. Listeners get an additional 15% off when using the code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Head to FastGrowingTrees.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE at checkout. Offer valid for a limited time.

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Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Podcast producer Brittany and audio engineer/editor Stephen have joined forces to bring you a special blooper episode with behind-the-scenes clips from Season 7 of The Bible for Normal People and Season 1 of Faith for Normal People. From all of us at B4NP, we wish you a joyful, hopeful end to 2023. See you next year!

Note: This episode contains swearing, so maybe not the one to play with little ears around!

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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Join us for the final episode of The Bible for Normal People Season 7 as Pete and Jared end the year on an easy note by tackling the cultural, historical, and societal context of the birth of Jesus as found in the Bible.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Adil Hussain Khan to talk about the story of Abraham in the Islamic tradition, how Islam differs from Judaism and Christianity, and whether the concept of interreligious dialogue is really as effective as we think.

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Is the phenomenon of speaking in tongues purely ecstatic or purely linguistic? Join Pete and Jared in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as guest Ekaputra Tupamahu analyzes the history and interpretation of speaking in tongues in the Bible, exploring how this understanding has influenced modern Pentecostal and charismatic movements.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, hosts Pete Enns and Jared Byas speak with Irish poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama, delving into the appreciation and understanding of the Bible through the lens of poetry and exploring how poetry can offer alternative perspectives on theological questions.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jacob L. Wright joins Pete and Jared to discuss the origins of the Hebrew Bible, moving beyond just the “how” and asking the deeper question of “why” the Bible began, revealing the quest to unite a people group in the midst of defeat.

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This episode is sponsored by Aura Frames, creators of the digital photo frame named the #1 digital picture frame by Wirecutter, The Strategist, and Wired. Recommended by Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and high-end home design publications.

From now through Black Friday and Cyber Monday visit AuraFrames.com and get 40 dollars off their best-selling Carver Mat frame with the code NORMALPEOPLE. This is their best deal of the year, so get yours now! Terms and conditions apply.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Anna talk to Grace Ji-Sun Kim about how theology impacts marginalized communities, what intersectionality means, and how theology and biography are synonymous.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Robyn Whitaker to discuss the themes, movements, and symbolism found within the book of Revelation, as well as the various ways the text has been interpreted (and misinterpreted) throughout Christian history.

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In part two of our series on the problem of evil, Jared and Pete talk with Tom Oord about why people struggle to reconcile evil and suffering with a good God, theological solutions to the problem throughout history, and how process theology offers a different view of God’s power. 

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Marc Brettler and Alan Lenzi join Pete and Jared to discuss the context of evil in the Bible and other ancient Mesopotamian texts, giving insight into how people thousands of years ago wrestled with divine sovereignty and human suffering. This is the first of two episodes on the problem of evil—don’t miss part two on Faith for Normal People as Pete and Jared discuss theological frameworks with Tom Oord.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Christin Fort and Jared discuss how attachment theory plays into our perceptions of God, the impact of theology on mental health, and how understanding ourselves better psychologically could enrich our faith.

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This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh, America’s #1 Meal Kit. Go to HelloFresh.com/50normalpeople and use code 50normalpeople for 50% off plus free shipping!

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, our resident destroyer Pete is on a mission to ruin the book of 1 Kings by delving into the historical context and narrative themes of this ancient text which marks the beginning of the end of Israel’s monarchy.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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This episode is sponsored by Garrett Theological Seminary. If you want to take the next step in your education, you can study in person or online at Garrett. Apply before November 15th, and you could be eligible for a minimum 65% scholarship, up to 100% of tuition. Visit Garrett.edu/podcast.

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Matthias Roberts joins Jared and Angela Parker in this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk about his work as a psychotherapist, the path to healing from religious trauma, and what faith after religious trauma might look like.

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Nerd alert—we’re diving into biblical studies in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Pete and Jared talk with Barbara Leung Lai about her work studying the inner life of characters in the Hebrew Bible. Combining psychological exegesis, perspectives of personality, and Bakhtinian views of polyphony and dialogism, Barbara helps give Bible readers insight into what biblical characters might have thought and felt.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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This episode is sponsored by Garrett Theological Seminary. If you want to take the next step in your education, you can study in person or online at Garrett. Apply before November 15th, and you could be eligible for a minimum 65% scholarship, up to 100% of tuition. Visit Garrett.edu/podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Eddie Howells joins Pete and Jennifer for an enlightening conversation on the history and theology of Christian mysticism, talking about three strands of its development throughout history, what it looks like to engage with mysticism theologically, and how one can begin to practice mysticism.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh, America’s #1 Meal Kit. Go to HelloFresh.com/50normalpeople and use code 50normalpeople for 50% off plus free shipping!

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Pete and Jared are joined by renowned scholar John Dominic “Dom” Crossan in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as they take a tour of the gospels that didn’t make the cut for the New Testament. Together they explore three different types of non-canonical gospels and what those texts can teach us about the creation of the Bible.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cole Arthur Riley joins Jared on this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk about the harm done by disembodied theology, the value of intergenerational spirituality, the hard work of remembering well, and what a path toward embodied spirituality might look like.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Richard Kalmin about the origins and history of the Talmud, why it was written, and how the text has functioned not just within Jewish history, but also in various modern denominations of Judaism.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Felipe Hinojosa joins Pete and Jared to talk about the history of the Latino Mennonite tradition in the United States, Latino political and religious resistance, and what the Civil Rights movement can teach us about wrestling with our theological differences when we’re united toward a common cause.

Show Notes →

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.

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This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh, America’s #1 Meal Kit. Go to HelloFresh.com/50normalpeople and use code 50normalpeople for 50% off plus free shipping!

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We’re uncovering more than Boaz’s feet in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Judy Fentress-Williams joins Pete and Jared to take a historical-critical look at the symbolism, cultural context, and subversive embrace of the other within the book of Ruth.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, moral theologian Lisa Fullam joins Jared to explore virtue ethics, Ignatian spirituality, matters of conscience, and practical methods for moral decision making.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Steed Davidson joins Pete and Jared to explain the origin of postcolonial biblical studies, the outcome of reading Scripture through a postcolonial lens, and how ancient empires could have used the biblical text to endorse their own imperialism.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Hans Halvorson ponder the origins of the universe, quantum theory, entanglement, the existence of God, and the tension (or lack thereof) between science and faith.

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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, we continue on the ruinous journey through the Deuteronomistic History as our troop leader Pete fearlessly guides us through the book of 2 Samuel.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared continues his journey of vulnerability and shares how his self-perception, desire for belonging, and struggle with his childhood traditions molded his faith into the shape it takes now.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Safwat Marzouk joins Pete and Jared for a deep dive into the book of Ezekiel, exploring its historical and geopolitical context, the dual callings of Ezekiel as priest and prophet, and how holiness and justice aren’t at odds when it comes to faithfulness as God’s people.

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Can science explain our personal religious experiences? In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Sarah Lane Ritchie to talk about the advancements and limits of cognitive science of religion in helping us understand the connection between the brain and belief. 

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared talks with Father Shannon T.L. Kearns, cofounder of Queer Theology, about engaging with Scripture as a transgender Christian, finding a better way to address clobber passages, and why reading the Bible from the margins is imperative for interpreting the biblical text honestly.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and David Bentley Hart journey through an abridged history of the origin of the Christian creeds and discuss the purpose the creeds have served in the story of the Christian faith.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Cheryl B. Anderson joins Pete and Jared to discuss ethics, law, and how we read the Bible. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 173 from July 2021.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Ally Henny joins Jared to talk about the history of using her voice, what it means to embrace your Holy Hell No, and how speaking the truth can set you free in a world built to keep you silent.

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What do people mean when they say they take the Bible literally? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared breaks down how words in this common phrase are overworked and underpaid, how it functions as a cultural password, and how we can approach the text with intellectual honesty by reading the Bible literarily.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Brian McLaren to discuss stages of faith, the prevalence of doubt, and what paths to faith after doubt might look like. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 174 from July 2021.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared and Pete are joined by Amy Kalmanofsky to reveal the narrative role of sisters in the Hebrew Bible, explain three categories of sister relationships, and identify “ideal” and “dangerous” sisters in the text.

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Dale C. Allison Jr. joins Pete in this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk about his own mysterious divine encounters, how testimony can become data, and why it’s important to acknowledge the limits of logic when it comes to validating what is unexplainable.

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Everything you thought you knew about Mary Magdalene is questioned in this episode of The Bible for Normal People, in which Elizabeth Schrader Polczer joins Pete and Jared to discuss textual criticism, the meaning of Magdalene, and why John 11 might not be as straightforward as we think.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Danté Stewart joins Pete and Jared to share how reading the works of Black authors shaped his spiritual journey and how viewing Black literature as sacred can make us larger, freer, and more loving. 

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Manuel Cruz to discuss the philosophy of being moral, how morality intersects with the Christian spiritual life, and what we can learn about God from philosophers Jean-Luc Marion and Simone Weil.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Kaitlin Curtice joins Pete and Jared to talk about her new book Living Resistance and how a life of faith can thrive if we let go of the need for linear success and instead view faith as a cyclical journey toward healing and wholeness.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared answer questions from community members in The Society of Normal People, pulling on a common thread of how to move beyond dualism and find wisdom in a more balanced perspective.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared and co-host Jennifer Garcia Bashaw talk with sex educator Erica Smith, M.Ed. about the harmful effects of purity culture and the work she does to empower adults who want to create a new sexual ethic for themselves.

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Please note: this episode includes themes of sexuality with vocabulary that may not be suitable for children or public spaces. Please listen with discretion.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Lisa Marie Bowens to peel back the layers within 2 Corinthians, examining the themes, rhetoric, and narrative purpose of the cosmic battle between God and Satan depicted by Paul.

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In this very special episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are graced by the presence and wisdom of Rainn Wilson, whose new book Soul Boom prescribes a spiritual revolution to treat our self-destruction, emboldening us to move toward a better version of ourselves for the sake of the earth and each other.

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Murderous kings, political turmoil, and charismatic shepherds—oh my! In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete outlines the thematic underpinnings, historical context, and biblical scholarship surrounding the book of 1 Samuel. 

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with D. Danyelle Thomas about how decolonizing Christianity is an act of love toward marginalized communities, and why deconstruction doesn’t go far enough in forming a truly inclusive faith.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared and Pete talk with Dan McClellan about divine agency in early Israelite thought, and how cognitive linguistics helps us to make sense of the complications that arise from trying to neatly categorize deity vs. non-deity in Scripture.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, our beloved co-host Jared Byas bestows upon us the rare gift of vulnerability as he shares his own story of shifting faith through childhood and young adulthood, leading to the birth of The Bible for Normal People.

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What does it mean for the Bible to be authoritative? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Cameron B. R. Howard joins Pete and Jared to discuss how tradition has impacted the idea of authority of the biblical text, and how reading the Bible as a collection of multi-vocal testimonies can inspire a new outlook on its authority. 

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Cultural anthropologist Joseph Henrich joins Pete and Jared in this episode of Faith for Normal People to explain how the unique psychology of modern Western society was shaped by particular rules about family structure and marriage practices, often forced by religious institutions.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Josh James to embark on an adventure through the Book of Psalms, unpacking the biblical scholarship surrounding this beloved, strange, ancient collection of poetry we so often take at face value—missing the true diversity in authorship and message. 

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete hosts a conversation with Robin Parry about the historical roots, biblical references, and common misunderstandings related to universal salvation in the Christian tradition—as well as the hope it might offer as part of God’s cosmic plan.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Sam Boyd joins Pete and Jared to uncover the misconceptions which are often read into the Tower of Babel story and get to the heart of the political and cultural implications of the narrative.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, social psychologist Jonathan Jong joins Pete and Jared to talk about the history and science behind death anxiety and how the reality of mortality impacts people within and beyond the Christian faith tradition.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared consider how elevating the Bible to a special status can cheapen our experience of reading it as a multi-vocal anthology of literature.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared talks with author and trauma-informed counselor K.J. Ramsey about the impact of trauma, finding hope through loss, and trusting the wisdom of our emotions and our bodies.

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Aaron Koller joins Pete and Jared in this episode of The Bible for Normal People to explore the book of Esther, discussing scholarly opinions of its historical accuracy, major themes within the narrative, challenges to current Jewish beliefs, and how the story interacts with Purim.

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Bekah McNeel joins Jared and co-host Jennifer Garcia Bashaw in this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk candidly about the challenges of parenting in the midst of a shifting faith—the good, the bad, and the cussing—and how parents can navigate tough conversations with their kids.

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Hold onto your communion wafers, folks! In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Meredith J. C. Warren guides Pete and Jared through eight weird verses in John 6:51-58, exploring whether or not the passage refers to the Eucharist, and how Hellenistic hero literature could have influenced John’s storytelling arc. 

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, cognitive neuroscientist Anil Seth leaves no brain region unused as he joins Pete and Jared to talk about consciousness, experience, perception, what it means to be a self, and the ways a life of faith is impacted by being…well, a conscious being. 

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, our beloved book ruiner Pete brings the gavel down on Judges, examining the historical and literary context of the book and revealing the driving force of the narrative: Israel needs a king.

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In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Rhett and Jessie McLaughlin to talk about their own journey of shifting faith as individuals and as a married couple, what it was like navigating a religious transition in the public eye, and what it looks like to embrace a curious faith.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with David Lambert about how scholars define “scripture,” how communities throughout history have changed the meaning and nature of biblical texts, and whether or not the Bible can ever be universally understood as scripture.

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Welcome to Faith for Normal People, the only other God-ordained podcast on the internet—brought to you by Pete Enns and Jared Byas of The Bible for Normal People. In this episode, Pete and Jared introduce the show and reflect on how their own experiences of faith evolution led to the vision for Faith for Normal People. 

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We’re back for the seventh season of The Bible for Normal People and we’re kicking things off with Beth Allison Barr! In this episode, Beth joins Pete and Jared to talk about the historical and cultural development of biblical womanhood in white American evangelicalism and how she has navigated the backlash against her bestselling book The Making of Biblical Womanhood.

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We’re bringing a little bah and a little humbug to the Christmas pageant in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Pete and Jared do their very best to ruin Christmas! Find out what Christmas means to them, whether Jesus really is the reason for the season, and how your Nativity set is probably lying to you.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Joel Marcus breaks down the history and intricacies of how, when, and why the Christian religion broke away from Judaism, and how that turn toward independence shaped the New Testament.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk with Emilie Townes about womanist ethics, interpreting the Bible, and hope.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete ruins the book of Joshua and evangelical home décor in one fell swoop by examining the historicity of the conquest narrative and the theological consequences of a warrior God who condones violence. 

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Meredith Riedel gives an overview of Byzantine Christianity—what it is, when it happened, how it evolved, and why Western Christians should care about it. 

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Daniel Kirk joins Pete and Jared to explain the major themes in the book of Romans, why the Romans Road view of salvation is insufficient, and how a focus on God’s righteousness through Jesus Christ shaped Paul's vision of harmony between Jews and Gentiles.

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Happy Halloween! Pete and Jared embrace spooky season in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Gregory Mobley discusses the biblical roots, origin stories, and cultural myths surrounding the Satan figure.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared explains the philosophical concept of deconstruction, where it came from, and three misconceptions about deconstruction as related to the Bible.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Jewish New Testament scholar Pamela Eisenbaum to talk about the many misunderstandings surrounding Paul, one of the most complicated figures of the New Testament, and the lens through which he viewed the concept of salvation.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared reflect on all the ruining they’ve been doing, what it means for how we read and connect with the Bible going forward, and how they’ve been personally affected by an evolving view of Scripture.

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Are the stories written about the biblical character David fact or fiction? Find out in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Jared, Pete, and professor Joel Baden pull back the curtain to reveal how stories about the infamous King David were spun to make him out as a hero. 

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jemar Tisby joins Jared and Pete to talk about the legacy of systemic racism in the white American evangelical church, and how white Christians can practice anti-racism in their personal lives and in their communities. 

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete ruins Deuteronomy by explaining the influence of ancient Near Eastern culture on the laws and the historical narrative of the time, while also exploring the authorship, structure, and core themes of the book. 

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Hold onto your thinking cap, because this episode of The Bible for Normal People is going to get really, really nerdy. Pete and Jared are joined by psychologist, professor, and priest Jonathan Jong to talk about the psychology of religious experiences, how scientists approach truth, and how engaging the Bible is an inherently communal experience. 

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker joins Pete and Jared to talk about the impact of white supremacy in the field of biblical interpretation, whether we can truly read the Bible objectively, and how a womanist interpretation of the Bible can lead to liberation for all.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared unpack the centrality of the monarchy in the Hebrew Bible, the function of monarchy within the biblical narrative arc, and how not every story or book of the Bible is meant to be used as a devotional for our modern times.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared and Pete talk with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg about the practice of repentance and the pursuit of repair in Judaism based on five steps from the medieval philosopher Maimonides.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Amanda Held Opelt joins Pete and Jared to talk about how her faith was impacted by her own experience with grief, and how rituals of mourning practiced by other cultures throughout history can encourage Christians to make room for grief, pain, and suffering within the church and their own lives.

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Get your calculators ready…in this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete explores the book of Numbers in all its numerical and narrative glory—census lists, marches around the tabernacle, geopolitics, and even a talking donkey. What’s not to love?

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk with David P. Gushee about the role of the Bible in Christian ethics and how those ethics can guide our morality as global citizens in a modern world.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Dr. Sidnie White Crawford joins Pete and Jared to discuss the most important manuscript find in Hebrew Bible studies and how it impacts the New Testament.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Jared Byas concludes his four-part series exploring the shortcomings of evangelicalism’s ties to the modern mindset and how leaving the modern mindset behind can help us live out a more authentic faith.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, David Farrier joins Pete and Jared to discuss what he has uncovered while researching the downward spiral of megachurches.

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Does the Bible address modern moral questions? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared dive into a discussion on the uniquely modern tension between an ancient text and modern ethics.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Dale Allison joins Pete and Jared to discuss historical criticism and the resurrection.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Amy Kenny joins Pete and Jared to discuss what we have been taught about disability and invites us to reconsider how we think about disability being portrayed in Scripture.

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We almost named this episode of The Bible for Normal People “Pete Rescues Leviticus,” because for most of you, Leviticus is ruined already. Not easily deterred, Pete Enns dives right in and helps us wrap our heads around what Leviticus is saying about God.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Andre Henry joins Pete and Jared to discuss the cultural and theological underpinnings of systemic racism in the church.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jeff Chu joins Pete and Jared to discuss what the Bible has to say about grief and what grief looks like as a personal, communal, and spiritual practice.

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How are faith and nature interwoven? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Debra Rienstra joins Pete and Jared to discuss the value of the created world in scripture and what it looks like to care for the earth properly.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared celebrate their two-hundredth episode by discussing why the Bible still matters, looking at the Bible as a book of wisdom, and approaching the Bible without being an expert.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Becca Stevens joins Pete and Jared to share how the embodiment of faith can be an engine toward great good in the world.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Anna Sieges joins Pete and Jared to elaborate on the benefits of viewing the Minor Prophets as a literary whole.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Jared Byas explores how fundamentalist evangelicalism has bought into the modern mindset in some important ways, while condemning it in other ways.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Chris Hoklotubbe joins Pete and Jared to discuss the concept of the trickster, the value of learning from nature, and what a few biblical stories look like through an Indigenous lens.

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How does the Bible interact with history? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Gary Rendsburg joins Pete and Jared to discuss how history, epic, and theology are interwoven to create the biblical narrative.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete works through some common issues that make it hard to stay Christian and shares a few personal reasons why he stays Christian anyway.

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Lisa Sharon Harper joins Pete and Jared to discuss the impact that colonization and enslavement had on Scripture and how to begin the humble business of decolonizing our faith. 

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What parts of our faith are worth holding onto? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry joins Pete and Jared to discuss ways to think differently about scripture and the importance of keeping love at the center of your being.

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In this episode, Pete & Jared discuss the inevitability of reading our own context into the Bible and how reading the Bible creatively can help connect it to our own universe.

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In this episode, Austin Channing Brown joins Pete and Jared to discuss her experience within various faith traditions and the importance of the Bible, sermons, and community within the Black church.

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Why is the adjustment of beliefs based on experience often misunderstood or even maligned? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete Enns explores how our formational experiences are not the enemy of faith and that making adjustments to our beliefs based on experience is a normal part of the spiritual journey.

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Isn’t Acts just about the founding of the church? In this episode, Willie James Jennings joins Pete and Jared to discuss how the book of Acts reconstitutes what it means to be the people of God.

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In this episode, Kirsten Powers joins Pete and Jared to discuss toxic public discourse, non-dualistic thinking, and a look at how grace might hold a different meaning than we previously imagined.

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In this episode, Jared Byas explores the impact of reason and rationalism as he continues his deep dive into the origins of the modern mindset.

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In this episode, Randy Woodley joins Pete and Jared to discuss the impact of dualistic thinking on theology and how Jesus can be accessed outside of scripture.

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What comes to mind when you think about monsters? In this episode, Heather Macumber joins Pete and Jared to discuss monster theory and how monsters are more prevalent in scripture than most people realize.

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In this week’s episode, Jennifer Bashaw joins Pete and Jared to discuss how various atonement theories attempt to explain Jesus’s death.

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Can Christianity and evolution coexist? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared discuss a path forward for Christians who accept evolution and want to take the Bible seriously.

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In this week’s episode, Kate Bowler joins Pete and Jared to discuss how suffering can cause us to adjust what we think God is like and how harmful the prosperity gospel can be.

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The book of Revelation is just plain weird. For this episode, Pete and Jared sit down with Brian K. Blount to discuss how to read and understand the book of Revelation.

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On this episode, Pete and Jared sit down with Paul Deal to discuss the intersection of mental health, psychology, and faith.

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In this episode of the Bible for Normal People, Pete Enns continues his habit of ruining things for everyone. Today’s topic is the book of Isaiah, and Pete shares five fun facts that biblical scholars like to talk about that will ruin your life—probably not. We’ll see.

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For this episode, Pete and Jared are joined by Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., who walks us through pervasive biblical evidence for social justice.

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For this episode, Jared Byas takes a deep dive into the origins of the modern mindset and how understanding our own context impacts our study of the Bible.

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In this episode, Pete and Jared sit down with Jodi Magness to discuss what archaeology can teach us about Jesus in his Jewish context. And also - quiches, frittatas, and toilets. Oh my!

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Brian McLaren to discuss stages of faith, the prevalence of doubt, and what paths to faith after doubt might look like.

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Can biblical interpretation have an ethical impact? Our guest this week, Cheryl B. Anderson, combines her background as a practicing attorney with her Ph.D. in Biblical studies to create a compelling discussion on ethics, law, and how we read our Bible. 

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In this episode, Pete looks at Genesis from an angle we’re guessing will be new to many of you. We’re going to focus on the big picture. What is Genesis as a whole about? For what purpose was it written? What is it doing? Those are the big questions we’re going after.

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The word of the day is "complicated" and the nerd-o-meter is set to the max. Join us on this week's episode as Pete & Jared explore the messiness of history and the origins of Yahweh with Dr. Ted Lewis.

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Where did white Evangelical support for men like Donald Trump come from? Pete & Jared sit down with Kristin Kobes Du Mez to discuss toxic patterns of masculinity and patriarchy that have surfaced over the past seventy years in the white Evangelical church.

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What do you do when you notice something in the Bible that doesn’t pass the muster of historical research? In this episode, Pete & Jared discuss the problem of history found within the pages of the Bible and the implications of history on Christian life and faith. 

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In this reissued episode, Pete & Jared converse with Xavier Pickett about ways in which the Bible and the church have been shaped by hundreds of years of systemic racism and white privilege. 

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On this episode, Joshua Harris discusses his public deconstruction and how he has wrestled with questions of accountability for harmful ideas while also making room for grace.

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How should we talk to our kids about God and the Bible? On this episode, Matthew Paul Turner discusses the importance of allowing children the space to explore spirituality and ask questions about God.

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We invited Stephanie Tait to discuss the cultural lens of ableism and how disability theology shapes the way she views God and the Bible. 

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On this episode, Pete talks about where our Bible comes from, its messy history, and what that means for us today. 

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We brought in Tripp Fuller, host of the podcast Homebrewed Christianity, to share his perspective on the Jesus of history and the Christ of theology and its relevancy in our lives today. 

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Wondering how Jared and his wife, Sarah, have navigated parenting amidst their transitions of faith? They cover what they tell their kids about Christianity, the Bible, and how their parenting is different because of it. 

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Why were the stories of the Bible written down? On this episode Amanda Mbuvi shares about how the Bible plays a role in identity formation and how that affects how we read it. 

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Why is Bible inerrancy so hard for people to give up? Pete and Jared dive into some possible explanations and take a look at the history of the belief that the Bible is inerrant. 

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We love a good discussion on the formation of the Bible. Listen in as we talk to scholar Richard Elliott Friedman about the various texts that make up the Hebrew Bible, what clues we have to date them, and what makes the Bible a unique work of writings. 

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There’s many difficult stories the Bible but one people struggle with the most are those dealing with the death of children. On this episode, we are joined by Maria Doerfler who shares rich perspectives on the stories of Jephthah’s daughter, the sacrifice of Isaac, and how people throughout history have interpreted them. 

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We had a great conversation with Nadia Bolz-Weber about what is compelling about Christianity, why we all need to stop trying so hard, and what in the world there is to be hopeful about. 

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In this episode we are answering some of the most asked questions on our Ask Pete page. We get into a lot of topics like how other cultures interpret Jesus, how normal people can study the Bible on their own, and how we make meaning out of the Bible. 

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Praying can feel difficult during hard times and especially after a faith deconstruction. Sarah Bessey joins us on this episode of the podcast to talk about what inspired her to write a book on prayer and shares what has been helpful in her discovery of what it means to pray. 

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It shouldn’t be a surprise to us now that people can read the same text and walk away with vastly different meanings. On this episode of the podcast, we’re talking with Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Brettler who share some reasons why Jews and Christians use and understand the Bible in different ways. 

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James Kugel is back on the podcast sharing about how people during the biblical period understood God and how their views changed overtime. How does their understanding of God influence our understandings today?

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We’re back with Season 5! On this episode, Pete shares what makes Christianity distinct for him. He discusses the beginning of the Jesus movement, explains how New Testament writers probably understood their faith, and how first century Christians made sense of Jesus’ crucifixion. 

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2020— What a year. We’re wrapping up the year and the fourth season of the podcast with a look back onto what we learned from this season and from the year as a whole.

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This episode features linguist and professor Christopher Rollston who helps us understand the importance of studying languages when it comes to dating and understanding the Bible. We talk about other ancient Near Eastern languages, biblical manuscripts, inscriptions, and more!

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Many of us have encountered a type of Christianity that preaches an impending rapture and a call to repent of our sins as soon as possible. But where did that interpretation of Christianity come from? On this episode we ask psychology doctoral student Dan Koch what he’s learned from studying the movement and the history behind it. 

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How has theology developed alongside the findings of science? On this episode, Pete is sharing his reflections on what quantum physics and the theory of evolution tell us about the Bible and how we should interpret it light of scientific findings.

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Benjamin D. Sommer is back on the podcast telling us all about his work on a biblical understanding of God’s body. He takes us through the history of thought on God’s body, the material God’s body is made out of, what God looks like, and how the Trinity actually has a lot of continuity with texts of the Hebrew Bible. 

Show Notes →

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Jared has been breaking down Jonah for us on his solo episodes this year and this is his last segment! He delves into what the over all message of Jonah is, what questions it leaves us with, and what it teaches us about the questions of ancient Israelites. 

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We invited Emilie Townes on the podcast to talk about womanist ethics but our conversation morphed into so much more. We touched on the role of the Bible in ethics, the relevance of the Bible in our lives today, and why it is important to chose hope. 

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In this reissued episode, Pete and Jared sit down with Austen Hartke to discuss what the Bible has to say about transgender people. They get into unexamined Bible passages, mysterious Hebrew words, and how to make your church a welcoming space for people with gender identities outside of the binary. 

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Getting into the Halloween spirit? Don’t miss this spooky episode talking about all things apocalypse in Second Temple Judaism! Our guest Martha Himmelfarb is an expert on the subject and she tells us all about the key features of apocalyptic literature, some theories on its popularity, and shares about some apocalyptic literature that didn’t make it into the Bible. 

Show Notes →

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This episode is the second installment of Jared’s deep dive (no pun intended) into the book of Jonah. In this episode, Jared gives us a taste of how rich this book is in metaphors and how a fuller understanding of the ancient Near East brings out the context of this book. 

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John Franke joins the podcast to discussing his new book, Missional Theology. John shares some key components of missional theology and discusses how to overcome plurality, what evangelizing looks like through a missional lens, and why the church needs the world. 

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We are so excited about the Everyday Life in Ancient Israel class Cynthia is teaching for us we just had to reissue her podcast episode from back in season 2. Cynthia talks with Pete and Jared about what she does as an archaeologist, how it has informed her view of the Bible, her favorite finds, and more! 

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What separated Judaism from the Christian movement during the Second Temple Period? In this episode, Paula Fredriksen breaks down the beginnings of the Jesus movement and how it came to flourish. She gets into what religion looked like in the broader culture, how religion was defined, and what clues people left behind for us to know these things. 

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This episode of the podcast is filled with listener question from our Ask Pete and Jared page on the website. Pete answers questions about Job, ancient Egyptian letters, the world of biblical scholarship, shifting faith views, and much more! 

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What does it mean to “speak the truth in love?” On this episode we’re taking about Jared’s new book Love Matters More and what it should actually look like for Christians to interact with people they disagree with. 

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Ancient interpreters made all sort of assumptions about the Bible much like we do today. What do their assumptions tell us about how to interpret the Bible today? James Kugel breaks down the function of the Bible throughout history and how it has changed from antiquity to today. 

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Just because someone claims to hold the truth doesn't mean they actually do. On this episode, investigative journalist Ariel Sabar tells us the fascinating story of how a Harvard professor was duped into believing she made a discovery that would turn the Christian world upside down. But as it turns out, truth is not always subjective.

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What is sin? It’s something we talk about often but rarely take the time to define. Gary Anderson has written a book on the subject so we brought him on the show to explain it to all us normal people. He sheds light on some common misconceptions and explains the history behind our modern understandings of sin. 

Show Notes →

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On this episode, Pete and Jared discuss the intersection of faith and science with scientist and theologian Ilia Delio. They get into why these two subjects have historically been at odds and why it holds us back to continue believing they actually are.

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What's the deal with Job? In this episode, Pete gives an overview of the book, pushes back on some readings you might have heard in the past, and points out some significant features that can help us better understand it. 

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Joe Gordon is a professor at Johnson University in Tennessee. In this episode, we talk with him about his book Divine Scripture in Human Understanding. We discuss what it means for the Bible to be inspired and how that affects how we read and use the Bible. 

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We’re answering some listener questions from the Ask Pete page and answering the bigger question: Did the Bible get it wrong? We talk about the return of Jesus, David being a man after God’s own heart, and if there is a right or wrong way to read the Bible. 

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We’re revisiting an episode from Season 1 in which Dr. Drew G. I. Hart shares about the Bible and white supremacy. We get into what exactly white supremacy is and how it has influenced how we read the Bible and our theology.  

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Brooke Prentis is an Aboriginal leader and CEO of a Christian organization in Australia called Common Grace. On this episode, she shares with us some Aboriginal perspectives on the Bible and how the Bible speaks to the injustices that Aboriginal people have faced and continue to face.

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What happened during the time the writings of the Old Testament stopped and the New Testament writings began? People didn’t stop writing and what they wrote helps us better understand the context of the Bible. On this episode we talk with Dr. Matthias Henze who studies this in-between time period and he shares with us what he's learned about the world in which Jesus lived. 

Show Notes → 

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Many of us believe that our interpretations of the Bible are generally the same as everyone else's. But does that make them good? On this podcast episode, we talk with Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies, Miguel De La Torre about why we all need to examine where our biblical interpretations come from and why we need to diversify our understandings of the Bible. 

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In this episode, Jared and Pete are joined by political correspondent Kirsten Powers, to talk about her journey of faith, her openness to the mystery of God, and how she’s learning to treat others with a higher level of grace.

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Biblical scholarship has grown a lot over the centuries but there are some ideas that are just so good they never go away! On this episode of the podcast, Pete looks at one of those foundational ideas: Julius Wellhausen’s documentary hypothesis. Wellhausen and others saw inconsistencies in the Old Testament and their discoveries shaped how we understand the historicity of the Bible. 

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Under the hood of America, we see an interesting history of using the book of Revelation to talk about immigration. Our guest, NT scholar Yii-Jan Lin walks us through the profound impact the book of Revelation has had on the US dialogue about people coming into our “City on a Hill.”

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In this episode Jared begins to tackle the book of Jonah by asking, “What kind of book is this?” as well as introducing the first chapter. Just because Jesus mentions Jonah does that mean we have to believe it’s historical? What is the historical context for the book? And what is the message it’s trying to convey?

Show Notes →

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The writings of formerly enslaved people tell us a lot about how they viewed the Bible. We sat down with Professor Emerson Powery to talk about how the Bible was used around the institution of slavery and how it can be both a book of oppression and a book of liberation.  Show Notes →  

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On this week's episode, Pete and Jared are talking about the afterlife. What is it and what does the Bible say about it? Show Notes → 

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If we look under the surface, we find a fascinating conversation about the Spirit of God in the Bible. Considering the word for Spirit, Wind, and Breath of God is often the same in the Bible, how are we to understand the relationship between them? We talk to Jack Levison about this mysterious and interesting intersection. Show Notes →

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Dr. Martin Luther King says “All people are caught in an Inescapable network of mutuality.” So what does that mean when it comes to the gospel, the Bible, and how we navigate racial equality? In this episode, we talk to Xavier Ramey about diversity, inclusion, and how our Christian faith impacts how we see community, organizations, and institutions today. Show Notes →

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This week Pete & Jared talk to Meghan Henning about hell. She shares with us her knowledge of the ancient world Jesus and the New Testament writers were familiar with and how they might have understood hell. Show Notes →

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That 50 cent word describes something many Bible readers have noticed: the way the New Testament writers quote the Old often has little to do with what the Old Testament writers were actually trying to say. Jesus was in fact a surprise development in Israel’s story, but the New Testament writers nevertheless believed Jesus to be the true purpose or goal (Greek telos) of God purposes. And that belief led them to some pretty creative interpretive adventures that Christians today are still trying to wrap their heads around. Show Notes →

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Translating the Bible is more than just about being woodenly accurate. We’re humans after all. In this episode, Pete and Jared talk to Sarah Ruden, who talks about using our imaginations to put ourselves in the place of the biblical writers, emotions and aesthetics and all. With a background in translating classical literature, she helps us read the Bible within a fuller context, both humanly and literarily. Show Notes →

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Sometimes it can be easy to forget the psychological ramifications of our faith. The way our faith shapes the language we use to talk about tragedies and sadnesses in our life can be life-giving or it can really mess us up. In this episode we talk to Alison Cook, an expert on the intersection of faith and psychology, about some of the ways, as Christians, our views on our emotions can be harmful and better ways to frame our feelings. Show Notes →

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It’s hard to know where the Bible fits into our political views, our ethical stances, and how we live out life. Pete and Jared point out how many of us might be using the Bible in disrespectful and irresponsible ways as well as parsing out why we even need to bother with the Bible at all in 2020. Show Notes → 

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Christianity is diverse and so are all the ways Christians have read the Bible through the centuries. James Martin helps us understand a Jesuit practice of reading Scripture that engages both the head and heart. Also, he’s met with the Pope. So of course he has good things to say. Show Notes →

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Here's what's coming up in Season 4 of The Bible For Normal People podcast. Show Notes →

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Here in our last episode for Season 3, Pete & Jared take a deeper dive into Pete’s latest book and how we can further answer these questions, “What is the Bible and what do we do with it?” Show Notes →

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This week, Pete & Jared sit down with Tom Oord and discuss the things God can and cannot do and how that affects our view of the world, the Bible, and salvation.  Show Notes →

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In this final episode of the Dundee Award Winning series, Pete looks at the significance and symbolism of the tabernacle, which takes up a whopping 13 chapters, and the Golden Calf episode, which threatens to derail the entire plan—were it not for Moses’s quick intervention. Show Notes →

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On this episode of the Bible For Normal People, we look back to Season 1 when Pete and Jared talked with theologian Megan DeFranza on a topic that deeply affects the lives of many, but that few Christians are even aware of. And Megan might surprise you about what the Bible and church history have to say about it. Show Notes →

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You may have noticed that we’re in a political season with a lot of charged rhetoric, so we decided to bring on someone who isn’t like that. Like at all. We have Pete Wehner, political commentator and columnist joining us to talk about this deep problem of polarization and how we might allow our faith to better fuel our political conversations. Show Notes →

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A lot of parents who no longer hold to the same beliefs about the Bible and God they did when they were children are left wondering, “But how do we raise our kids?” Author and speaker Cindy Wang Brandt helps us with the question: How can our kids hold to the Christian faith without going through some of the more painful parts of an evolving faith? Show Notes →

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When we ask, “What does this passage mean?” the answer is a little more complicated than we might expect. Jared looks at some basic principles of biblical interpretation and how they might help us better read our Bibles. Show Notes →

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This episode originally aired as Episode 46 on April 23, 2018 This week, Jared & Pete talk to Wil Gafney about womanist interpretation of the Bible. In their discussion, Wil brings up fascinating nuances in the text and challenges the predominantly patriarchal interpretation of the past. Show Notes →

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This week’s guest is Jeff Chu—author, journalist, advocate, co-creator of Evolving Faith—and our topic is grief, a universal experience that is often difficult to talk about it. We experience grief when confronted with death, of course, but grief is also a presence whenever we go through changes and upheavals in life where we mourn the past as we face an uncertain future.  Show Notes →

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Pete continues his award-winning, mind-bending—almost surreal—series on the book of Exodus. In this episode he looks the laws in chapters 20-24, namely the 10 Commandments and the so-called “Book of the Covenant.” What were these laws about back in the day and what do we do with them now? Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk with Jonathan Martin about the beauty of Pentecostalism, the value of being taught to listen to the Holy Spirit from a young age, and the importance of experiencing other Christian traditions. Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk with Andrew Perriman about the eschatology found in the Bible and how history helps us understand these apocalyptic texts.  Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk about the themes in their newly upgraded book: Genesis for Normal People! They give us a taste of the multifaceted nature of Genesis. Show Notes →

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This week Pete & Jared talk with Jennifer Knust. Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, actor, comedian, and enlightened guru Pete Holmes joins Pete & Jared to talk about his interesting journey of faith and the importance of moving from reading the Bible with your head to reading it with your heart. Show Notes →

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In this episode, Pete continues his deep dive into the book of Exodus covering chapters 14-19: the departure from Egypt and three-month journey to Mt. Sinai. Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Jared responds to Skillet lead singer, John Copper, and his public statement, "What in God's Name is Happening in Christianity?" Jared unpacks Christian ethics and the origins of our collective concept of right and wrong. Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk with theologian and professor Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns about how feminism has changed over the years and the importance of both being rooted in your own traditions and staying open to "the other." Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared tackle the question: Do we know God is good from the Bible? If you have a question for Pete & Jared, submit it on the Ask Pete page of the website and it might be featured on an upcoming blog post or podcast episode. Show Notes →

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This week Biblical Scholar Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat and Theologian Dr. Brian Walsh talk about what Paul was up to in the book of Romans. We visit topics like salvation and politics and how maybe those words don’t mean what we thought when it comes to the New Testament. Show Notes →

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On this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, we look back to our time with Dr. Amy-Jill Levine on understanding Jesus is his Jewish context. Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and the author of a number of books including Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi. Show Notes →

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Pete continues his award-winning (his cat seems to like it) and mind-altering series on Exodus by diving into chapters 5-13: Moses and Aaron’s first confrontation with Pharaoh (which did and did not go well) and the story of the plagues, which are loaded with all sorts of symbolic, theological, and mythic meaning. Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk with Richard Rohr about the (biblical) universal Christ and how this concept of Christ can expand our understanding of ourselves, the world, and God. Show Notes →

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In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared take a close look at the call of David and the battle with Goliath (1 Samuel 16-17) to show how these biblical stories already portray David as a morally complex character from the beginning. These stories also tell us something of the intricate and layered nature of biblical storytelling. Show Notes →

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This week’s episode with Rachel Held Evans is among her last podcast interviews, recorded 2 months before her untimely passing on May 4. We offer this episode, unedited, in Rachel’s honor and as a testimony to her humor, insight, power, gentleness, and courage.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: "Inspired" by Rachel Held Evans "Searching For Sunday" by Rachel Held Evans "A Year of Biblical Womanhood" by Rachel Held Evans "Faith Unraveled" by Rachel Held Evans. Show Notes →

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Robert Alter has spent most of his life committed to studying the Bible and the last two decades creating an entirely new translation of the Old Testament. Pete and Jared talk about some of the insights he has gained from seeing the Bible as a literary masterpiece. Show Notes →

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Pete continues his series in Exodus chapters 3 and 4. God reveals his plan to use Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt and Moses does everything he can think of to get out of it. He finally gets on board with the program, but not without a last minute bizarre twist and close call. Show Notes →

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Austen Hartke shares his journey of being a transgender Christian and discusses how the Bible might speak to the inclusion of all people into the people of God. Show Notes→

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Why does Paul say there are no longer slaves but then turns around and tells slaves to obey their masters? What gives? Do wives need to submit to their husbands just because Paul says so? Geez, Paul can be so frustrating. Show Notes →

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What is Matthew all about? Why does it look the way it does? In this episode Judy Stack takes us to school and helps us to see the Gospel in a new light. Show Notes →

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Having grown up being told her body was bad, Linda Kay Klein was on a mission to hear from women about their own experiences with Purity Culture. In this episode we talk about what the Bible has to say about sexual purity and maybe more importantly, what it doesn’t. Show Notes →

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When people find out that the Bible is ancient, ambiguous, and diverse, they often ask, "Is the Bible true then?" Pete and Jared dive into the topic and talk about how truth–in the Bible–is subjective. Show Notes →

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What does it mean to remain faithful to the Bible but also have a moral imagination that might extend beyond the Bible? How can that be done? We talk with Jonathan Walton about how he connects those dots and why he feels it’s the way to remain faithful to the Bible. "A Lens Of Love" by Jonathan Walton. Show Notes →

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This week on The Bible for Normal People, we have Austin Channing Brown as our guest. She shares about her experience growing up in various churches and what we can learn from black churches - especially when it comes to preaching the Bible. Show Notes →

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There’s a lot more going on in the book of Exodus than what you’ve seen on the big screen or heard in church. More than a story of deliverance, Exodus is a subtle literary creation that contains many surprises when we read it closely. Join Pete here for Part 1 of this series where he looks at some big picture issues (like “did it happen?”) before walking us through the themes of chapters 1 and 2. Show Notes →

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Anxiety in the life of faith is a conversation that needs to happen more often. Elizabeth Enns Petters talks with us about her journey and how her old views on the Bible contributed to her anxiety and how her new views on God and faith have given her a new perspective on life. Show Notes →

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In this episode, Pete & Jared talk to Xavier Pickett about the Bible and slavery, the Bible and race, and the importance of theologian James Cone. RESOURCES Reformed Blacks of America "The Civil War as a Theological Crisis" by Mark Knoll "Stony The Road We Trod" by Dr. Cain Hope Felder "How The Bible Actually Works" by Pete Enns. Show Notes →

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