Faith at the Frontiers – Details, episodes & analysis

What is tradition and how might it help us deal with both the good and bad in the history of Christianity? Dr Anne Carpenter is Danforth Chair in Theological Studies at St Louis University and the author of 'Nothing Gained is Eternal: A Theology of Tradition."

What is colonialism and how should white Western Christians think about their own involvement in it? How do we respond, whether Christian or not, to the trajectories of power laid down by our colonial past?

Prof. Willie James Jennings is one of the leading voices in postcolonial theology. We are hono(u)red to have him join us in our first discussion on this thorny topic.

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!

In this episode we talk with Prof Michael J Gorman, New Testament Scholar and author of nearly twenty books including several major works on Paul. In this discussion, Prof Gorman draws a distinction between historical criticism and the historical critical method. He argues that understanding the original context is necessary, but not sufficient when it comes to interpreting the Bible today.

Austin and Barney go back over the last few episodes and share our thoughts. What did we learn? What did we disagree with? How do we compare and contrast the Bible scholars and theologians we've interviewed so far?

What do YOU think though? Email us your thoughts at whatdoyouthink (at) faithatthefrontiers.com and we'll dialogue with you in future episodes!

This is NOT the end of ‘faith and the challenges of history’: it’s just a pause to catch our breath!

So many Bible scholars and methods claim to be ‘historical’, but are they all the same? In this episode, Barney and Austin interview Professor Matthew J Thomas, who has come up with a taxonomy of FOUR methods for reading the Bible that are currently prevalent in scholarship:

1. Simple historical exegesis: interpreting the Bible with attention to its cultural and historical context.
2. Investigating the history of the Bible’s composition, known as ‘source criticism’, ‘form criticism’, or ‘redaction criticism’.
3. Critically assessing the truth of the Bible from another philosophical perspective.
4. Whatever is popular in Germany right now (!)

Tune in to hear Prof. Thomas unpack these four categories and their relevance for our faith today!

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!

Austin and Barney interview theologian Dr Seth Heringer, who describes the development of modern historical methods and how these methods have impacted theology. We consider the ways in which not only the results of historical research, but the principles of the historical method themselves might stand at odds with theology. If history isn't as neutral a discipline as it seems, does that open up possibilities for fruitful dialogue with faith?

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!

Barney and Austin interview Old Testament Professor Iain Provan, who takes a different view to our previous guests on the historical reliability of the Bible. For him, there is every reason to trust the Bible's authors, and no reason not to trust them. Provan also suggests that:

• The very idea of history comes from the Old Testament
• There is no 'neutral' way of reading the Bible: there are Christian or non-Christian ways of reading.
• Jesus gave us these texts, and that is why we read them.

Tune in for more insights on a developing conversation.

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!

Austin and Barney interview Professor Emeritus Hugh Williamson of Oxford University on how his faith relates to historical enquiry about the Old Testament. We discuss questions like:

• How does Prof. Williamson hold together his identity as a scholar and his faith as a Christian? Does he ever see a conflict between them?
• What does the historical study of the Bible do for one's faith?
• What historical events in the Bible does Christian faith depend on?

Thanks, as always, to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!

Is the Old Testament historically reliable? What difference does that question make to our faith? What do we mean by 'historical' and 'reliable' anyway?

In this episode, Barney and Austin interview Professor John Goldingay, a retired Old Testament scholar enormously influential in the Evangelical tradition. Prof. Goldingay shares his thoughts about the relationship between faith and biblical history, and then problematizes the question for us: why are we asking about this and in what way should it, and should it not, matter?

Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound editing!

Introducing the new co-host, Austin Stevenson, and our new topic for the next series. Austin and I will be wrestling with how the Christian faith relates to its own history. We'll be asking questions like:

• Do Christians have to believe the Bible is historically reliable?
• Is there evidence to suggest the Bible is historically reliable?
• How ought Christians to read and interpret the Bible from a historical point of view?
• How should Christians think about the troubling aspects of their own history after the Bible: crusades, inquisition, colonialism?

Tune in soon for the first episode in the series!

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!