In this episode we react in real time to the results of the US Elections at the end of Election Day on November 5th. We use this time to debrief openly and honestly, as well as pray and read Scripture together as we reflect on what the results mean for us, for America, and for the Church. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Adishian, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and the Rev. Dr. Daniel Parham.

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In this episode we’re joined by Professor Sam Perry, who is Sam K. Viersen Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma is the Department of Sociology and the author of several books, including two on the topic of Christian Nationalism, Taking America Back for God (with Andrew Whitehead, published by Oxford University Press), and The Flag and the Cross (with Philip Gorski, published by Oxford University Press). In this episode, Professor Perry talks about Christian Nationalism as an Ideology, identity, and political strategy. He also distinguishes between patriotism (which is about stewardship) and nationalism (which is about exclusion and rivalry). The conversation talks about some recent trends with Christian Nationalism that has developed since Prof. Perry’s books on the topic have appeared. While being informative, Prof. Perry also offers some practical advice for the road ahead after the elections are over. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we’re joined by Professor Jeannine Brown, who is David Price Professor of Biblical Foundations at Bethel Seminary, a member of the NIV translation committee, and the author of a number of books on Hermeneutics and the Gospels as well as the book that we’re excited to discuss in this episode, Embedded Genres in the New Testament: Understanding Their Impact for Interpretation (published by Baker). In our conversation we talk about the interpretative difference it makes to recognize how discrete genres appear within other broader genres (such as poetry within letters, riddles within Gospels, etc.), and how the embeddedness itself creates an interplay where both the broader genre and the embedded genre take on fresh characteristics as a result. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Madison Pierce, and Dr. Sydney Tooth.

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In this episode we talk about Eusebius of Cesarea and his impact on the transmission of the four canonical Gospels with Dr. Jeremiah Coogan, who is Assistant Professor of New Testament at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, and the author of the new book, Eusebius the Evangelist: Rewriting the Fourfold Gospel in Late Antiquity (published by Oxford University Press). Dr. Coogan talks with us about the apparatus that Eusebius developed to link certain Gospel episodes together, which essentially provides the very first cross-referencing system ever created. We discuss the organizing rationale behind Eusebius's decisions and what we can learn about this historical innovation in Gospel production and Gospel reading. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Logan Williams, and, for the very first time, Dr. Madison Pierce.

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In this episode we review the recent annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. In the first half of the episode our team members share a bit about our respective highlights as well as the papers we presented, including the following team members from The Two Cities: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Madison Pierce, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Sydney Tooth. Then in the second half of the episode we switch over to hear from various scholars in the book stalls and the craft beer reception (SBLAAR), including (in order of appearance): Prof. David deSilva, Dr. Christoph Heilig, Dr. Mike Bird, Dr. Daniel Gurtner, Dr. Leslie Baynes, Dr. Ekaputra Tupamahu, Rev. Dr. Daniel Morrison, Rev. Warwick Fuller, Dr. Logan Williams, Dr. Matthew Sharp, Dr. Adam White, Dr. Rick Wadholm, Caleb Cooke, Prof. Craig Blomberg, Taylor Patz, and Dr. J. Andrew Cowan.

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In this episode we’re talking about Kintsugi & Justice with Haejin Shim Kintsugi, who is a lawyer who runs her own law firm in NYC, Shim & Associates, and an entrepreneur who has started four businesses, including Academy Kintsugi, which uses the Kintsugi method to teach people about the beauty of mending our brokenness to create something new as an act of co-creation that honors the originally created work. Over the course of our conversation, Haejin explains the history and purpose behind the art form in Korean and Japanese cultures, and shares wonderful reflections about how this artistic approach to broken vessels influences her legal practice. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Stephanie Kate Judd.

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In this episode we talk about forgiveness with Rev. Dr. Matthew Ichihashi Potts, who is Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School, an ordained episcopal priest serving as the minister at the Memorial Church at Harvard, a co-host of the podcast, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, and the author of the book we discuss on this episode, Forgiveness: An Alternative Account (published by Yale University Press). As Rev. Dr. Potts explains, accounts of forgiveness in broader Christian thinking tend to place the onus of forgiveness on victims, virtually requiring that their feelings of anger or grief change and lead to reconciliation with the one who harmed them. In contrast to this, Rev. Dr. Potts gives an account of forgiveness that is a separate matter from reconciliation, and something that can accommodate an honest recognition of wrongdoing and the feelings of anger and grief that it has caused. Fundamentally, forgiveness for Rev. Dr. Potts is about non-retaliation against one’s enemy. As we explore this together, over the course of our conversation, we address how this idea relates to the justice system, social media, literature (including Harry Potter), the philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard, and the teachings of Jesus. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode we’re talking about Preaching to a Divided Nation with Rev. Dr. Paul Hoffman, who is lead pastor of Evangelical Friends Church of Newport in Rhode Island, an adjunct professor of homiletics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and co-author with Matthew Kim of the book that we’re discussing today, Preaching to a Divided Nation: A Seven-Step Model for Promoting Reconciliation and Unity (published by Baker). In our conversation, Rev. Dr. Hoffman shares with us some of the seven steps proposed in the book, and what the four main "isms" are that undermine our unity. Overall, Rev. Dr. helps us think about the importance of finding commonality in our shared identities, esp. for those who have a shared identity in Christ. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, and Rev. Daniel Parham.

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In this episode we close out our series on Palestinian Liberation Theology by discussing Lament and Hope in the face of the occupation with Lamma Mansour, who is a Palestinian Christian from Nazareth currently pursuing her doctorate in social policy at Oxford University. Over the course of the conversation, we talk with Lamma about how the occupation affects higher education, and how that drives her current research on social policy. Lamma also offers us her vision of hope in the midst of the occupation, which provides a rich note with which to end our conversation on this topic. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Brandon Hurlbert and Dr. Nico Catman.

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In the penultimate episode of our series on Palestinian Liberation Theology, we talk about living in the shadow of Christian Zionism with Tony Deik, who is currently a residential researcher at Tyndale House in Cambridge, where he is working on his PhD research in New Testament, as well as a lecturer in Biblical Studies at Bethlehem Bible College, and a networking team member of the International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation. Over the course of our conversation tell us his personal story, and stresses his surprise at the prominence of Zionism in Christian circles, especially within evangelicalism, and he addresses various problems that he sees with wedding together Christianity and Zionism. Towards the end we discuss how his perspective and experience as a Palestinian Christian informs his reading of the Bible.

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In this episode we continue our series on Palestinian Liberation Theology talking about Women Behind The Wall with Shadia Qubti, who is a Palestinian Christian from Nazareth and has worked in peacebuilding and advocacy initiatives for 15 years in Israel and Palestine. She is the host of Women Behind the Wall, which features stories of women living in Israel and Palestine, and she is currently pursuing a degree in Interreligious and Indigenous Studies at Vancouver School of Theology (Canada). Over the course of our conversation we discuss the importance of indigenous theologies for thinking through the Israel-Palestine conflict better. We also discuss the amazing work that Shadia does on her podcast and some of the stories that she is able to tell of women’s experiences in Palestine. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Brandon Hurlbert and Stephanie Kate Judd.

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In this episode in our series on Palestinian Liberation Theology we discuss the intersectionality of the Palestinian experience by discussing matters of identity from a feminist perspective with Marah Sarji, who is a Christian Palestinian working on a master’s degree in Anthropology from Tel Aviv University. Over the course of the episode, Marah talks with us about the complexities of her identity, being a Christian Palestinian woman living in Jerusalem. In particular, Marah shares so much with us about her lived experience feeling unable to identify fully with the broader culture, sometimes passing as an Israeli, and hearing men “break the silence” with her about what they formerly did in the West Bank as members of the IDF. Marah’s main emphasis is that Palestinian Liberation Theology from a feminist perspective should not only seek liberation from Zionism, but also from patriarchy, and should also seek the liberation of all Palestinians, not simply Christians. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Nico Catman.

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In this episode we talk about Palestinian Liberation Theology with John Munayer, who is an instructor at Bethlehem Bible College, and who serves at Musalaha ministry, which promotes reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis. In our conversation, John explains what Palestinian Liberation Theology is and how it relates to other forms of Liberation Theology by way of its similarities and distinct contextual emphases. Along the way we ask John a number of questions about specific points of interest to glean what Palestinian Liberation Theology might specifically contribute to the conversation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, such as the question of the land, as well as policies and solutions to bring about a just resolution. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Nico Catman.

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In this episode we’re joined by Rev. Dr. Andrew Judd, who is Deputy Principal and Lecturer in Old Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, and the author of the book we’re discussing in this episode, Modern Genre Theory: An Introduction for Biblical Studies (published by Zondervan Academic). Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Judd talks with us about the weird ways that scholars in biblical studies talk about genre, which is not often in line with modern literary studies and specifically modern genre theory. The conversation is fun and engaging, and is full of interesting examples and correctives. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Stephanie Kate Judd, and Rev. Dr. Christopher Porter.

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In this episode we’re beginning a short series on Palestinian Liberation Theology, starting with a discussion on Zionism and the Nakba with Yousef AlKhouri, who is a Christian Arab Palestinian residing in Bethlehem, Palestine, where he is a lecturer in Biblical Studies and Mission at Bethlehem Bible College, and he is currently working on his doctorate in contextual interpretation at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Over the course of our conversation, Yousef provides helpful historical context for Zionism and the traumatic experience of the Nakba, when Palestinians were forcefully displaced from their homes. As he articulates this, he shares many gut-wrenching stories of his personal and familial experiences of occupation, and also conveys his heart for constructive theological reflection on the contested issue of the land. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Nico Catman.

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In this episode we talk about the role of art and the imagination in shaping empathy with Dr. Mary McCampbell, Associate Professor of Humanities at Lee University in Tennessee and the author of Imagining our Neighbors as Ourselves: How Art Shapes Empathy (published by Fortress). As Dr. McCampbell explains, the origin for the idea of the book is the quote by Graham Greene, “Hate was just a failure of imagination.” Over the course of our conversation she unpacks for us why she felt that this book was necessary now, in our current moment, and we discuss both the ways that art can open us up to empathy and also how bad art, like the God’s Not Dead franchise, can constrict our imagination. Since Dr. McCampbell’s book addresses several artistic examples from literature, TV, film, and music, we look closely at a few examples, including: Sufjan Stevens’s albums, The Age of Adz and Carrie and Lowell, and the recent backlash against the casting decision for the new Little Mermaid live action film. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

Dr. Mary McCampbell’s website is https://marywmccampbell.com/and her substack is https://marymccampbell.substack.com/

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In this episode we are joined by Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler, associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, to talk about her forthcoming book, Women and the Gender of God (published by Eerdmans on October 4th). Over the course of our conversation, Rev. Dr. Peeler explains that this book is trying to address where women fit in the family of God by looking primarily to Mary, the Mother of God. Furthermore, Rev. Dr. Peeler describes how thinking through Mary’s role in the incarnation helps her address the role of women in ministry as well as the difficult issues related to the gender of God, including the language of Father and Son for the persons of the Trinity and even the question of God’s “preferred pronouns” in Scripture. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

You can pre-order the book from Amazon or, preferably, from the publisher’s website:

https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/7909/women-and-the-gender-of-god.aspx

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In this episode we turn to discuss the intertextual relationship of Disaster Films and the Bible as an epilogue to our series on Jesus films with Dr. Michelle Fletcher, who used film theory to analyze citations of the Hebrew Bible in Revelation in her book, Reading Revelation as Pastiche: Imitating the Past (with Bloomsbury T&T Clark). Dr. Fletcher is Research Fellow at King’s College, London on the Visual Commentary on Scripture. Over the course of our conversation we discuss a number of disaster films, which function like secular apocalypses ripe for consideration alongside ancient apocalypticism, including: Don’t Look Up, 2012, Moonfall, Greenland, San Andreas, and more. We discuss, among other things, the way that the Bible’s own pronouncements of disaster have influenced this niche sub-genre of movies with its tropes and themes. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert.

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In this episode we close out our Jesus film series with a discussion on the pedagogical value of films generally in teaching the Gospels with the Rev. Canon Dr. Robert Derrenbacker, who is Frank Woods Associate Professor in New Testament at Trinity College, Melbourne. Over the course of our discussion, we talk broadly about Christ figures in film in addition to proper Jesus films. Dr. Derrenbacker talks with us about the way that film helps to make the familiar unfamiliar for our students. Dr. Derrenbacker explains why he prefers the Jesus films that are intentionally anachronistic, or recontextualized, precisely because they are the ones that best defamiliarize the Jesus story so that we can experience it in a fresh new way. He points to films like Son of Man and Jesus of Montreal, among others. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this penultimate episode of our Jesus film series, we talk about the enemies of Jesus in Jesus films with Prof. Adele Reinhartz, who is Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, and the author of a number of important studies on Jesus films and Bible films, including: Jesus of Hollywood (Oxford University Press) and Bible and Cinema (Routledge). Over the course of our conversation we talk especially about the portrayal of Judas, the Pharisees, and Satan in Jesus films. Some of the films discussed include: Godspell (1973), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Intolerance (1916), Jesus (1999), Jesus of Montreal (1989), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), The King of Kings (1927), King of Kings (1961), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Mary Magdalene (2018), The Passion of the Christ (2004), Son of God (2014), and Son of Man (2006). Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert.

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In this episode of our Jesus Film series, we’re talking about costuming with Dr. Katie Turner. Dr. Turner is an independent scholar who completed her PhD at King’s College, London and has a forthcoming monograph, entitled, Costuming Christ (with T&T Clark). Over the course of our conversation we discussed the difference between ancient clothing and modern costuming in Jesus films, what evidence we have for ancient dress in the second temple period and the Greco-Roman world, and how Christian art informs costuming decisions in Jesus films and communicates certain exegetical decisions, some of which have harmful consequences. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Brandon Hurlbert.

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Continuing our series on Jesus films, we are joined in this episode by Dr. Siobhán Jolley to discuss the representation of Mary Magdalene. Dr. Jolley recently completed her PhD at the University of Manchester with a thesis entitled, “Reimaging the Magdalene: Liberative Reception Criticism and the Counter-Reformation Magdalene.” In our conversation Dr. Jolley talks to us about how little we actually know about Mary Magdalene from the Gospels themselves, and how her legend and myth evolves in art history and church history to present her as a sex worker, among other things. We review some of the films that reflect this tradition, esp. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988; dir. Martin Scorsese), and talk about how this portrayal is developed further than anywhere in Jesus films in the series, The Chosen (2017; dir. Dallas Jenkins). We also discuss the romantic relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene that develops in various aspects of Mary Magdalene’s reception, most notably in The Da Vinci Code (by Dan Brown), and we address the significance of that for the interest in the modern forgery of “The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife.” Among other things we also chat about the rehabilitation of Mary’s character in the recent film simply entitled, Mary Magdalene (2018; dir. Garth Davis), starring Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Brandon Hurlbert.

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In this episode we discuss the relationship of scholarship on the Gospels and the historical Jesus with Dr. Mark Goodacre, who is Frances Hill Fox professor of Religious Studies at Duke University, the author of a number of important studies on the historical Jesus, the Gospels, particularly the Synoptic Problem, and the Gospel of Thomas, and the creator of one of the original biblioblogs, called NTBlog, as well as one of the original biblical studies podcasts, called the NTPod. Over the course of our conversation we discuss a number of aspects of Jesus films and how those relate to contemporary Gospels scholarship, including, the role of the imagination in historical reconstruction, the nature of Jesus’ self-understanding, first-century crucifixion, and the composition of the Gospels from earlier sources. Some of the Jesus films that we address at length include: Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Arcand’s Jesus of Montreal (1989), and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004). Team members on the episode from The Two Cities: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Brandon Hurlbert, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode of our Jesus film series, we turn to discuss the art and theology that informs depictions of Jesus with Dr. Richard Walsh, who is Womack Professor of Philosophy and Religion and the Co-Director of the Honors Program at Methodist University. He’s also the author of a number of books on Jesus films, including Reading the Gospels in the Dark (Trinity Press International) and, more recently with Jeffrey Staley, Jesus, The Gospels, and Cinematic Imagination (T&T Clark). Other the course of our conversation, Dr. Walsh addresses some of the historic tensions behind depicting Jesus throughout cinematic history between depicting Jesus as more divine versus more human, more historically accurate versus more artistically resonant, more stoic versus more personable, etc. We also discuss this topic briefly in relation to iconoclastic concerns as well as Orthodox iconography. Most notably, Dr. Walsh situates Jesus in the place of the “Monster” in horror films, which leads to some fascinating discussion. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Stephanie Kate Judd, and Rev. Daniel Parham.

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In this episode we're joined by Dr. Valerie Hobbs (@vhobbs5), Senior Lecturer in the School of English at the University of Sheffield and author of No Love in War: A Story of Christian Nationalism (@MayflyBooks). In this episode we discuss Dr Hobb’s autoethnographic book about growing up in Christian Dominionism and the violence she witnessed and experienced, as well as the ways these ideologies continue to inflict harm. We also discuss the power of sharing our stories when it comes to truth-telling and the impact of witnesses who see and believe those stories. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Stanley Ng (@pstanng) and Dr Sydney Tooth (S_E_Tooth).

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In this episode we're kicking off a Summer series on Jesus films! Today we're joined by Matthew Page to talk about his new book, 100 Bible Films (published by The British Film Institute with Bloomsbury). In our conversation, Matthew talks about the history of movies according to Bible films. He highlights the ways that Bible films can teach us about cinema more broadly rather than strictly about the Bible, though he does address the topic of Bible films specifically as adaptations of literary source material. Key film discussions emerge around Darren Aronofsky's Noah (2014) and mother! (2017), Amos Gitai's Esther (1986), and the must-be-watched-to-be-believed Assassin 33 A.D. (2020), which is our pick for the worst Bible film of all time. This conversation situates Jesus films within the broader phenomenon of Bible Films and sets up the next several episodes in our series nicely, where we will dive more deeply into Jesus films. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Brandon Hurlbert.

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In this episode we discuss the legacy of the famous German resource of Rabbinic parallels to the New Testament, referred to often as Strack-Billerbeck. For this we’re joined by Jacob Cerone, who is a doctoral candidate at the Friedrich Alexander Universität, in Erlagen, Germany, and General Editor and one of translators of the English translation of Strack-Billerbeck (published by Lexham Press). In our conversation, Jacob tells us about the people behind the well-known volume, both Hermann Strack and Paul Billerbeck respectively, as well as the context in which this resource was produced. Further, we discuss the legacy and reception of this resource as well as some of the critiques and concerns about it. Throughout the conversation Jacob provides helpful insights into the various ways that newcomers to Strack-Billerbeck can make use of this great resource in a careful and critical manner. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we discuss the relevance of empire criticism for understanding Paul’s letter to the Ephesians with Dr. Justin Winzenburg, who is Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek, and the Director of the Honors Program at Crown College (St. Bonafacious, Minnesota). Dr. Winzenburg is also the author of the forthcoming volume that we discuss in this episode, Ephesians and Empire (Mohr Siebeck). In our conversation, Dr. Winzenburg situates his study within the context of broader empire criticism and the more specific application of that broader field to the writings of Paul. Notably, Ephesians is one of the least explored letters from the Pauline corpus for this broader conversation, and we discuss some of the reasons regarding why this is the case. But aside from merely addressing a neglected letter, Dr. Winzenburg explains how his thesis also expands the analysis of empire criticism through his fascinating application of Speech Act Theory, which creates exciting new avenues of investigation. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Rev. Daniel Parham.

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In this episode we're joined by Dr. Matthew Novenson, who is Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Edinburgh, to talk about his new book, which is a collection of essays on Paul’s writings, entitled, Paul, Then and Now (published by Eerdmans). Dr. Novenson explains that this collection is meant to be more meta, considering the way we approach Paul hermeneutically. As part of this project, he is concerned to defamiliarize Paul for us, to make him "weird" again. Over the course of our conversation we talk about some of the things that makes Paul weird to us, particularly his eschatological anthropology, and how we should situate Paul relative to ancient Judaism and medieval  monotheism. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we debrief a recent conference on socio-scientific approaches to religious enmity that Dr. Chris Porter organized at Trinity College, Melbourne. For this conversation we are joined by two keynote speakers from the conference: Dr. Sam Perry, who is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Oklahoma, and Dr. Elizabeth Shively, who is Senior Lecturer in New Testament at St Mary’s College at the University of St Andrews (in Scotland). Each of us summarize our respective presentations from the conference, including Dr. Perry's research on White Christian Nationalism and Dr. Shively's research on how stories shape identity, with specific attention given to Jesus’ controversial interaction with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7. As the conversation progresses, we talk about the importance of interdisciplinary study, the benefits of social-scientific approaches to biblical studies as well as the importance of the humanities for social sciences, and the need to do interdisciplinary work in an ethical way. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Dennis Edwards to talk about the interpretation of Philemon. Dr. Edwards is Associate Professor of New Testament at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, and the author of Might from the Margins: The Gospel’s Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice (Herald Press) with a forthcoming book on humility coming out soon. In our conversation, Dr. Edwards talks about the possible backgrounds that occasioned the letter, and how different theories about that background changes how we read the letter (esp. if we move away from the common view that Onesimus is a runaway slave). We discuss various implications that this letter creates, including how to read and think through and even preach through this letter in the light of our contemporary setting. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Rev. Daniel Parham.

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In this episode we’re talking about Trauma Studies and the Gospel of John with Dr. Cory Marsh, who is Professor of New Testament at Southern California Seminary and the Director of SCS Press. Dr. Marsh recently completed a PhD thesis at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary entitled, “In This World You Have Affliction: A Johannine Theology of Christian Suffering” and has a forthcoming article in the Bulletin for Biblical Research entitled, “Moral Injury and the Suffering Basilikos of John 4.46–54.” In our conversation, Dr. Marsh explains to us what Trauma Studies are and how the concept of Moral Injury fits within that, and he tells us about how he applies this area of research to the Gospel of John and the particular characters who display various degrees of trauma and distress. Applying this area of research, Dr. Marsh contends, helps us to recognize the real human suffering in John’s Gospel instead of skipping too quickly to the healings and signs that Jesus performs. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Dr. Chris Porter.

One of the articles referenced in the conversation on medical professionals and mental distress and moral injury within the field of nursing ethics can be found here:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0969733020966776

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Karen Swallow Prior to discuss Reading and Reflecting on the Classics. Dr. Karen Swallow Prior is Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, the host or Jesus and Jane Austen, and the editor of a series that we’re discussing today, which provide critical introductions to classic texts called Guides for Reading and Reflecting (published by B&H). In our conversation, Dr. Prior tells us about the idea behind reprinting some classic texts with her critical introductions, her broader hope that people pick up the classics and engage them, and what it means to read well. We also talk about the aesthetics of holding a well-made book, comparing the formative effects of different genres of literature, and the differences between reading printed material versus digitally-mediated content, including images in film and TV. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Stephanie Kate Judd.

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In this episode we’re once more talking about the new book, Theology and Black Mirror (published by Lexington and Fortress Academic, imprints of Rowman & Littlefield), that was edited by team members from The Two Cities podcast, Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Joining us for this conversation are four additional contributors to the volume, who each discuss what they would like to see from a new season of Black Mirror (in light of the recent announcement of a forthcoming sixth season on Netflix) as well as the ideas addressed in their respective essays. Our guests are Dr. Jeremiah Bailey, who is an adjunct professor at Baylor University, Elizabeth Culhane, who is a PhD candidate in philosophy and religion at the University of Queensland (Australia) and is a tutor at Ridley College (Melbourne, Australia), Professor James F. McGrath, who is the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, and Dr. Nathaniel A. Warne, who is priest-in-charge at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mishawaka, Indiana. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Kris Song.

The essays from Amber and John’s new book, Theology and Black Mirror, discussed in this episode include the following:

Chapter 10, “Re-Dos and Re-Visions: Replay and the Search for Meaning in the Shepherd of Hermas and The Entire of History of You” (by Jeremiah Bailey)

Chapter 12, “Alternate Eyes: Perspective Shifting in the Samson Narrative and Black Mirror” (by Brandon Hurlbert)

Chapter 13, “‘Not Some Crazy Spiritual Thing’: Rewards, Punishment, and Afterlife in Black Mirror” (by James F. McGrath)

Chapter 15, “Reflecting the Infinite or the Finite? The Mirror Motif in Gregory of Nyssa and Black Mirror” (by Elizabeth Culhane)

Chapter 16, “Memoria and The Entire History of You” (by Nathaniel A. Warne)

Chapter 18, “Where are You? San Junipero and the Technology of Shared Space” (by Kris Song)

Chapter 19, “Uploaded to the Cloud: Transhumanism and Digital Hope in Black Mirror” (by John Anthony Dunne)

The book is presently available for purchase in hardcopy and as an e-book wherever you get your books (with plans to make a paperback at some point). For those interested in purchasing the book, there is a discount code for the publisher’s website (rowman.com) for 30% off (use code the discount code is LXFANDF30 at checkout).

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In this episode we’re talking about the new book, Theology and Black Mirror (published by Lexington and Fortress Academic—imprints of Rowman & Littlefield), that was edited by team members from The Two Cities podcast, Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Joining us for this conversation on our favorite technological dystopian show on Netflix are four contributors to the volume, who each tell us what they love about Black Mirror and what they wrote about for our volume. Our guests are Dr. Megan Fritts, who is assistant professor of philosophy at the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, Minnesota), Dr. Rebekah Lamb, who is lecturer in theology and the arts at the Institute of Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at St Mary’s College at the University of St Andrews (Scotland), Dr. Joanna Leidenhag, who is lecturer in theology and liberal arts at the University of Leeds (England), and Dr. King-Ho Leung, who is senior research fellow at St Mary’s College at the University of St Andrews (Scotland). Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

The essays from Theology and Black Mirror that were discussed in this episode include the following:

Chapter 2, “Barbarism, Boredom, and the Question Concerning: Pornography in Fifteen Million Merits” (by Amber Bowen)

Chapter 6, “Arkangel and the Death of God: A Nietzschean Critique of Technology’s Soteriological Scheme” (by Amber Bowen and Megan Fritts)

Chapter 7, “Seeing and Being Seen in a Black Mirror, Dimly: Phenomenology and the Dim View of White Christmas” (by King-Ho Leung and Patrick McGlinchey)

Chapter 14, “Be Right Back and the Ethics of Mourning: (In)Authenticity and Resurrection in the Digital Age” (by Rebekah Lamb and Joanna Leidenhag)

The book is presently available for purchase in hardcopy and as an e-book, wherever you get your books (with plans to make a paperback at some point). For those interested in purchasing the book, there is a discount code to use on the publisher’s website (rowman.com) for 30% off (use code LXFANDF30 at checkout). Otherwise, you can also request that your local library or institutional library purchase a copy (whether physical or electronic).

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In this episode we're joined by Dr. Winn Collier (@winncollier), Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Christian Imagination and Director of the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary (@westernsem) and author of A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene Peterson (@authenticmedia). In this episode, we talk about the life of Eugene Peterson and the themes that shaped his ministry and writing, especially his concern for pastoral integrity and his emphasis on living faithfully in one’s own context. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Sydney Tooth (S_E_Tooth).

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In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim to talk about the Invisibility of Asian American Women. Dr. Kim is Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion and the author of Invisible: Theology and Experience of Asian American Women (published by Fortress Press). Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Kim explains that the concept of invisibility gets at the marginalization that Asian American women experience in relation to the white majority culture, on the one hand, and patriarchy on the other hand. Along the way Dr. Kim addresses damaging concepts such as white Christianity and the model minority myth, and promotes the possibility of creative reflection using Asian terms and concepts for the purpose of constructive theology. Team Members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Jennifer Guo and Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng.

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(CW: Sensitive Themes). In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Karen O’Donnell to talk about Theology and Reproductive Loss. Dr. O'Donnell is Program Leader for Contemporary Spirituality Studies at Sarum College and the author of The Dark Womb: Re-Conceiving Theology Through Reproductive Loss (published by SCM Press). Over the course of our conversation, Dr. O’Donnell explains how important it is to explore the connection between theology and our bodies, emphasizing that all theology is embodied. Her constructive exploration of the theological implications of reproductive loss stands at the interdisciplinary intersection of theology, feminism, and trauma studies, and stems from her own lived experience of reproductive loss. Dr. O'Donnell stresses that her work is not a theodicy, nor is it concerned to fixate on eschatology for resolution, but operates within the realm of Holy Saturday instead of rushing too quickly to Easter Sunday. Team Members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Grace Emmett and Dr. Logan Williams.

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(CW: Sexual Content). In this episode we are joined again by Sheila Wray Gregoire, the author of The Great Sex Rescue, to talk about her two newest books, The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex and The Good Guy’s Guide to Great Sex (both published by Zondervan). In our conversation, Sheila explains why she was motivated to revise her Good Girl’s Guide from ten years ago, and why she wanted to add a companion volume for guys too. She situates her new books relative to prominent evangelical books on sex from the past, noting several problematic features within them. Our discussion with Sheila was informative, thought provoking, and hilarious, and it highlights well the ways that Sheila wants to change the way we talk about sex in the church. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, and Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we’re joined by Aimee Byrd for the fourth time to discuss her newest book, The Sexual Reformation: Restoring the Dignity and Personhood of Man and Woman (published by Zondervan). Over the course of the conversation we talk about how the core ideas of Aimee’s new book stem from her reading of the Song of Songs, which she interprets in a typological fashion akin to various readings of the text throughout Church History. Ultimately, she is calling for a reformation of how we view sexuality, and what the theology of our sexes is, building further upon the groundwork that she laid in her previous book, Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (also by Zondervan). Team Members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Amber Bowen, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Rev. Daniel Parham.

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In the final episode of our Christian Anti-Judaism series (which began with our introductory episode [Episode #106] on 02/02/2022), we turn to discuss Jewish-Christian relations and interfaith dialogue with Larry Behrendt, who is an attorney and treasurer at his synagogue, having been involved in inter-religious dialogue for over ten years, and Dr. Anthony Le Donne, who is professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary (Ohio). Together they are the authors of Sacred Dissonance: A Richer Faith through Jewish-Christian Dialogue (published by Hendrickson). At the outset Larry and Anthony discuss how their interfaith dialogue first began, how it eventually turned into a book, and some of the realizations and discomforts that came about from the process. Over the course of our conversation Larry and Anthony discuss the asymmetries of experience between Christians and Jews that make dialogue difficult, and the kind of “holy envy” that comes about through appreciation of the other side (as well as how problematic that envy can when it extends to appropriation). Team members of the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In the penultimate episode of our Christian Anti-Judaism series, we turn to discuss Christian theology in the wake of the Holocaust and the Shoah with Rev. Dr. Mark Lindsay, who is Joan F. W. Munro Professor of Historical Theology at Trinity College, Melbourne, and an Anglican Priest in the diocese of Melbourne. In our conversation, Rev. Dr. Lindsay begins with the determination at the Second Vatican Council in 1965 that neither biblical nor post-biblical Jews ought not to be collectively charged with deicide. He uses that moment to look back over two millennia of church history to see the anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic rhetoric and theology, including various forms of supersessionism, that developed with precisely the opposite view. As for a way forward for Christian theology, Rev. Dr. Lindsay highlights the need for constructive work to be conducted in the light of the “open wound” of the Holocaust, pointing to such work as Karl Barth’s Christology and theology of election as some important examples. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode of our Christian Anti-Judaism series we have another discussion on supersessionism, following last week’s look at supersessionism in Paul. For this conversation we turn to Hebrews with Dr. Madison Pierce, who is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and the author of Divine Discourse in the Epistle to the Hebrews: The Recontextualization of Spoken Quotations of Scripture (published by Cambridge University Press). Over the course of our conversation Dr. Pierce helpfully situates her approach over against the common understanding of the purpose of the letter that contends that the author is trying to get the audience to avoid “falling back” from Christianity into Judaism. Dr. Pierce also addresses a number of thorny issues in Hebrews relevant for our conversation, including the cultic system, the priesthood, and the notion of a new covenant, and she delineates between different senses in which Hebrews might and might not be supersessionistic. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

Here is the link to the Figuring the Enemy project that Chris mentioned in the cold open to the episode: http://www.figuringtheenemy.com/

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In this episode of our Christian Anti-Judaism series, we take a closer look at supersessionism. Specifically, we discuss whether Paul was a supersessionist with Dr. J. Brian Tucker, who is Dean of Faculty and Professor of New Testament at the Plymouth campus of Moody Theological Seminary (Michigan), and the author of Reading Romans After Supersessionism (published by Cascade). In our conversation, Dr. Tucker talks about various problems with supersessionistic readings of Paul that disaggregate Israel from continuing to have their discrete identity as the covenant people of God. Dr. Tucker very helpfully connects the ills of supersessionism to societal problems like misogyny and racism. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Kris Song, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In this episode of our Anti-Judaism series we turn to discuss the nature and purpose of Israel’s election. Specifically, we discuss how this may have been understood by the Apostle Paul relative to the kinds of understandings that we find in the Hebrew Bible. Joining us for this conversation we have Dr. Joel Kaminsky, who is Morningstar Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of Religion at Smith College, and Dr. Mark Reasoner, who is Professor of Biblical Theology at Marian University. The two of them co-wrote an article that situates their understanding of these matters in contrast to the position of Prof. N. T. Wright. Our discussion largely centers on the arguments that they make in their article, which is entitled, “The Meaning and Telos of Israel’s Election: An Interfaith Response to N.T. Wright’s Reading of Paul,” which was published in journal Harvard Theological Reviewin 2019 (Volume 112, Issue 4). Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Kris Song, and Dr. Logan Williams.

Cf. Dr. Joel Kaminsky’s recent reflection on how humor may illuminate Jewish/Christian relations (with a slightly revised title from what was shared on the episode): “The Value of Jokes In Jewish-Christian Dialogue.”

Cf. Dr. Joel Kaminsky's recent lecture on how the theme of Election in the Bible unites but also divides Jews and Christians: “Does the Idea of “God’s Chosen People” Divide Jews and Christians?”

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Joining us for a conversation on Anti-Judaism and the Gospel of John, we are joined by Professor Adele Reinhartz, who is Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa. She is also the general editor of the journal of biblical literature, the president of the Society of Biblical Literature, and the author of a number of studies on the representation of Jesus in film and the Gospel of John, including Cast Out Of The Covenant: Jews and Anti-Judaism in the Gospel of John (published Fortress/Lexington). Over the course of our discussion, Prof. Reinhartz shares deeply from her own personal experience as a Jewish woman navigating the guild of New Testament studies who went on to become an expert on the Gospel of John, which is traditionally regarded as very anti-Jewish, providing us with many anecdotes and insights along the way. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Logan Williams.

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In this episode we're joined by Lucy S. R. Austen (@LucySRAusten) writer, editor, and author of the biography Elisabeth Elliot: A Life (@crossway). Over the course of our conversation, we discuss the process of biography writing and how one seeks to tell the story of a complex and influential person like Elisabeth Elliot. We explore the various cultural and relational influences on Elliot’s life and teaching and discuss how biographies can raise questions about our own view of ourselves and our lives. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Sydney Tooth.

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Carrying on with our Christian Anti-Judaism series, we discuss the early reception of John the Baptist as a key figure for the “parting of the ways” between Christianity and Judaism. Joining us for this discussion is Dr. Nathan Shedd, who is the author of A Dangerous Parting: The Beheading of John the Baptist in Early Christian Memory (published by Baylor University Press). In our conversation, Dr. Shedd discusses the collective memory of John the Baptist’s violent and traumatic death, which was unfortunately weaponized in some anti-Jewish ways by early Christians as a polemical critique of Jews and Judaism. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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As we close out Black History Month, we wanted to highlight how the topic of our present series on Anti-Judaism intersects with Anti-Blackness. Joining us for this conversation is Liz Loeb, who completed a PhD in Law and Society from NYU, worked as a Civil Rights Attorney, and is presently a Community Organizer for an interfaith organization called Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light. Speaking from her legal experience, activism, interfaith organizing, and lived experience, Liz helpfully highlights the interconnectedness of all forms of discrimination and injustice inspired by White Supremacy. Team Members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Chris Porter.

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In the second installment of our Christian Anti-Judaism series we discuss the Pharisees with Prof. Amy-Jill Levine, who is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies and Jewish Studies at Hartford Seminary, as well as University Professor of New Testament Studies and Jewish Studies Emerita, Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, and Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University. Prof. Levine is also the co-editor of the volume, The Pharisees (published by Eerdmans in 2021). Over the course of our conversation we discuss many of the misunderstandings that people have of the Pharisees, and many of the ways that the Pharisees often become a label to identify Jews more broadly (typically as a negative label). Prof. Levine helps us situate the Pharisees within first century Judaism in order to better understand Jesus, Paul, and other New Testament figures, and even gives pastors some tips on how to handle the Pharisees in their sermons. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

More info for Dr. Grace Emmett’s public engagement project for the Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, called 'Reimagining Paul: Apostolic Portraits of Masculinity,' which was mentioned at the beginning of the episode, can be found here:

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/siibs/news/call-artwork-proposals-siibs-reimagining-paul-project?fbclid=IwAR0XXOriJ5mKi9a5_OCpc7vXsFCP4n4eItv9cGKJIUERnagFnoUojOf-Iz8

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