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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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 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?

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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. 

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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? 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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?” 

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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?

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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This week Pete & Jared talk with Jennifer Knust.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Genesis for Normal People: A pay-what-you-can online class about Genesis. For reals?! Get tickets for Sep 23, 2019.

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."

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Get Pete's new book: "How the Bible Actually Works" by Pete Enns

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.

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Support the podcast: The Bible for Normal People Patreon

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.

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Support the podcast:  The Bible For Normal People Patreon

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.

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Support the podcast: The Bible for Normal People Patreon

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.

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Support the podcast: The Bible for Normal People Patreon

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.

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Support the Podcast

The Bible for Normal People Patreon

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. 

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Support the podcast: The Bible for Normal People Patreon

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

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.

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Support the podcast: The Bible for Normal People Patreon

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.

links:

Jeffrey Stackert Episode - Season 2

www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com

www.peteenns.com

www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

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.

LINKS

• "Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians" by Austen Hartke
• Gender Spectrum
• www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com
• www.peteenns.com
• www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

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.

www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com

www.peteenns.com

www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

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.

www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com

www.peteenns.com

www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

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.

• "Pure" by Linda Kay Klein
• Break Free Together
• Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum 
• www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com
• www.peteenns.com
• www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

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.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

"The Historical David" by Joel Baden

"Luv is a Verb" by DC Talk

Is the Bible True? Course

www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com

www.peteenns.com

www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

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

www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com

www.peteenns.com

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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.

LINKS:

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

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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.

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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.

Blog: elizabethpetters.com

Twitter: eepetters

Instagram: elizabethpetters

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www.peteenns.com

www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

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

LINKS

www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com

www.peteenns.com

www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

We talk often about how the Bible isn’t opposed to culture but is deeply embedded in it. Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch shows us how true that is in film by walking us through a few popular movies and how they relate to the Bible.

You can find Rhonda's list of movies at the end of this blog post.

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All human beings are encultured creatures and limited by their humanity—as were the Biblical writers, and evidence for that jumps out at us at every page. The raw and limiting humanity of Scripture is to be embraced and celebrated rather than explained away.

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Hip Hop artist Propaganda joins Pete and Jared for the season 3 opener and shares some deep—and we mean deep—thoughts about the music industry, artistic integrity, and what being Christian in all that means and doesn’t mean.

Download Propaganga's album, "Excellent" on iTunes

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Here's a sneak peek of what's coming in Season 3 of The Bible For Normal People podcast.

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In this episode, Jared and Pete look back at all of their guests in Season 2 to talk about language, history, and how personal experiences can't help but affect how we read the Bible. All in the effort to ask that perennial set of questions: What is the Bible and What do We Do With It?

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In this episode, Jared & Pete talk to Brad Jersak about how Orthodoxy views the Bible, and some other things, and how those differ from Evangelicalism.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• "The Mirror of Scripture" by Archbishop Lazar Puhalo
• "A More Christlike God" by Brad Jersak
• "How The Bible Actually Works" by Pete Enns

http://www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com

https://peteenns.com

https://www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

In this episode, Pete responds to an article from The Gospel Coalition entitled, "3 Beliefs Some Progressive Christians and Atheists Share." He takes issue with the harmful rhetoric that polarizes Evangelicalism creating an "us vs. them" mentality among brothers and sisters in Christ. He points out that Progressive Christianity shouldn't be a pejorative term but one that describes a creative and inquisitive faith seeking to evolve with their understanding of the scripture.

resources mentioned in this episode:

• "3 Beliefs Some Progressive Christians and Atheists Share" by Alisa Childers
• "God's Word in Human Words" by Kent Sparks
• Rachel Held Evans
• Jen Hattmaker
• Rob Bell
• Mike McHargue
• Brian McLaren
• Michael & Lisa Gungor
• Bart Campolo
• Derek Webb

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https://www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

In this episode, Pete and Jared speak with Daniel Kirk about the Gospel of Mark. Mark's gospel goes to great lengths to provide unparalleled detail and symbolism that get more and more meaningful the deeper you traverse into the text. You'll find yourself anxious to read through it again and again!

"Binding the Strongman" by Ched Myers

"Jesus Have I Loved but Paul?" by Daniel Kirk

"A Man Attested By God" by Daniel Kirk

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In this episode, Pete & Jared speak with Trey Pearson, former lead singer of the popular Christian band Everyday Sunday. Two years ago, Trey came out publicly and lost the support of his record label, church and many friends. He shares openly about the isolation and heartbreak that he endured being ostracized from his faith community. But he found hope and joy in accepting who God made him to be. And has a renewed love for the Bible and for God through new ways of reading and thinking about scripture.

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In this episode, Pete & Jared talk to Jonathan Merritt about the language of scripture, how it's changed over the years and how our interpretation and understanding must adapt to fully appreciate what the Bible has to say.

links

Learning to Speak God from Scratch by Jonathan Merritt

Jesus Through the Centuries by Jaroslav Pelikan

Studies in Words by C.S. Lewis

A Little Exercise For Young Theologians by Helmut Thielicke

The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark A. Noll

It's Getting Harder to Talk About God by Jonathan Merritt

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In this episode, Jared takes us into the book of Jeremiah and delves into some of the historical and cultural signifigance of the text.

A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming by Walter Bruggemann

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In this episode from Season 1, Jared and Pete talk to Dr. Kent Sparks about the origins of the Israelites. Along the way they get into the nature of the Bible, the nature of the Christian faith, fundamental theological issues like soteriology, and the nature of God. After all, you can't talk about anything without talking about everything.

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This week Pete & Jared sit down with Kevin Makins, founding pastor of Eucharist Church in Hamilton, Ontario. They talk about community, how he reads the Bible and how it informs the culture of his faith community.

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What does the Bible have to say about politics? Nothing, really. On the other hand, a lot—but not the way many tend to think. Rather than supporting a political agenda, the biblical story challenges us to hold those agendas to account when they fail to promote justice. What is needed more then another clever politician with resources to ram things through are prophetic voices that remain distant from adopting wholesale any party ideology.

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This week, Jared & Pete talk to Brent Strawn about the Old Testament. They discuss some of the common criticisms of the Old Testament and how the modern Church has over-emphasized the New Testament much to its detriment.

Follow Brent on Social Media:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

BOOK: The Old Testament is Dying: A Diagnosis & Reccommended Treatment

The Bible for Normal People website

Patreon Site

Evolving Faith Conference

In this episode, Pete & Jared discuss the value that creeds have in shaping the way we practice our faith. And how they can sometimes fall short, as demonstrated by the modern Statement on Social Justic & The Gospel.

LINKS:

The Statement on Social Justice & The Gospel

The Nashville Statement

The Lansdale Statement

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

The Bible for Normal People

Patreon

In this episode, Jared & Pete talk to Mark Smith about the origin of Yahweh and how the term was understood in the first century.

RESOURCES:

• The Early History of God
• The Origins of Biblical Monotheism 
• The Bible For Normal People website
• The Bible For Normal People PATREON site

In this episode, Jared tackles the question of how to engage with people that believe differently that we do. Many times we're guilty of shutting down the conversation and alienating people with opposing viewpoints rather than seeking to hear and understand their perspective. Jared shares some excellent tools in helping us move the conversation forward.

web

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Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

In this episode, Jared & Pete talk to William M. Schniedewind, professor of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures at UCLA. They discuss the challenges of accurately capturing the oral tradition of the Hebrew scriptures and what we can learn from looking at the history and context of how it was written.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• How the Bible Became A Book
• The Word of God In Transition
• The Social History of Hebrew

web

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https://peteenns.com

Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

The Bible for Normal People podcast LIVE from the Wild Goose festival

In this episode, Pete Enns unpacks some of the problems presented by the Bible

additional resources mentioned in this episode:

Benjamin D. Sommer, "Revelation & Authority"

Benjamin D. Sommer, "Jewish Concepts of Scripture"

Benjamin D. Sommer, "The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel"

Benjamin D. Sommer, "A Prophet Reads Scripture"

The Jewish Study Bible

Episode 8: Kent Sparks - Where Did the Israelites Come From?

Episode 45: Pete Enns - Romans for Normal People

In this reissue from Season 1, Jared and Pete talk to Rachel Held Evans on wrestling with doubt, how women are portrayed in the Bible and loving the scriptures even through personal doubt and deconstruction.

In this episode, Jared & Pete answer questions submitted from The Bible For Normal People community.

resources mentioned in this episode:

• The New Interpreter's Study Bible
• The HarperCollins Study Bible
• The Jewish Study Bible
• The Jewish Annotated New Testament

In this episode, Pete & Jared talk with Sarah Bessey about her background in the Word of Faith movement, her deconstruction, and her journey to finding freedom in the Scriptures as she learned to read and understand it in a new way. They also discuss how to raise kids with strong faith without transferring your own doubt and theological baggage to them.

In this episode, Pete takes a look at 9 things you need to know to get  the somber book of Ecclesiastes. He cautions us against an optimistic reading as the author intends to question everything—even God. It's a book that's not for the faint of heart (or for the new believer), as you need to have weathered the storms of faith to fully appreciate the tough questions being asked . . . and ultimately, the hope found within!

In this episode, Pete and Jared talk with Jamie Wright, whose experience as a missionary in Costa Rica had led her to question the church, missions and evangelicalism all while retaining her deep love for and faith in Jesus.

)In this episode, Jared & Pete talk with Rob Bell about his new book, "What is the Bible" and his own evolution in his thinking about the Bible

[re-broadcast of Episode 1 from March 20, 2017]

The Bible for Normal People

http://www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com

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Patreon page

https://www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

Wild Goose Festival

http://wildgoosefestival.org/

In this episode, Pete & Jared define critical thinking and unpack what it means to read the Bible critically. They suggest that a "God said it, that settles it" approach to scripture may not factor in the context, audience and literary style that the author employs in writing. Thinking critically about how we approach scripture allows us to experience the fullness and richness of the text.

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https://peteenns.com

Patreon page

https://www.patreon.com/thebiblefornormalpeople

Wild Goose Festival

http://wildgoosefestival.org/

Evolving Faith conference

https://www.evolvingfaithconference.com/

In this episode, Pete & Jared speak with Jeffrey Stackert about the origins of the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Old Testament. Rather than looking at the books as separate works written by Moses, they discuss the documentary hypothesis which suggests that the Pentateuch was compliled from four sources. And many of the contradictions in the text may actually be indications of converging viewpoints from editors including or omiting details to preserve the integrity of the text.

In this episode, Pete & Jared speak with recording artist Audrey Assad about her music, her theology, and the shift from her conservative fundamentalist roots to Catholicism.

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In this episode, Jared & Pete talk to Wil Gafney about the Womanist interpretation of the Bible. In their discussion, she brings out fascinating nuances in the text and challenges the predominantly patriarchial interpretation of the past. 

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In this episode, Pete (joined by his cat Marmalade) shares 10 things essential to understanding the book of Romans. He's quick to point out a number of varying opinions about this important letter and suggests that the ways in which we've come to understand Paul's writings may be incomplete at best. And the trite ways that some of the more familliar passage have been recited are far from Paul's original intent.

Show Notes →

In this episode, Jared & Pete talk to Craig Allert about how the canon of scripture was curated. They also discuss the doctrine of "sola scriptura" and how the intertestimental books can be beneficial in bringing addition context and detail to our understanding of scripture.

Show Notes →

This week Jared walks us through the ways in which the Bible is true and in some ways untrue. He'll start by unpacking what we mean when we talk about truth and give us some helpful insights into how we can approach historical facts that sometimes seem to be at odds with the Biblical text.

 Show Notes → 

In this episode, Jared & Pete talk to author, teacher and Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor. They discuss the many different stages and "human fingerprints" involved in getting the Bible from the original manuscripts to the printed translations that we read, including our own theological history and tradition.

Show Notes →

In this episode, Pete & Jared talk to William Paul Young, author of the NY Times bestselling book and feature film, "The Shack." Young describes his thought process behind his controversial portrayal of God the Father as an African-American woman and reminds us that we all bring some level of interpretation to the Biblical text.

Show Notes →

On this week's episode we have Fr. Richard Rohr to talk about a contemplative approach to the Bible.

[re-broadcast from March 26, 2017 (Episode 2)]

Show Notes →

In this episode, Pete and Jared discuss Deuteronomy, the so-called “Deuteronomistic History,” and why God in these books is so over-the-top angry most of the time.

Show Notes →

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On this episode, we talk with Peter Rollins about how Christians have made the Bible (along with their views of God) into a "sacred object.” And, spoiler alert: that's actually not a good thing.

Show Notes →

Archaeologist Cynthia Shafer-Elliott turns a 2D Bible into a 3D picture by digging up artifacts from everyday ancient Israelite life. These were real people with real habits and customs that we never really see on the pages of the Bible.

Show Notes →

In this episode, Pete Enns works through 7 big-picture issues that help us see what Proverbs is all about and why the idea of Wisdom is such an absolutely central and vital biblical concept that many know very little about.

Show Notes →

Jared & Pete talk with Brian McLaren about the dangers of a "weaponized Bible" and how our own bias and interpretation may cause us to reach some incomplete conclusions.

Show Notes →

In this season 2 opener, Pete & Jared talk with Jen Hatmaker about what can happen, emotionally and relationally, when you change your mind about the Bible. And how to survive it with your faith intact. 

Show Notes →

Here's a glimpse of what's coming in season 2 of The Bible for Normal People, featuring Jen Hatmaker, Barbara Brown Taylor, William Paul Young, Brian McLaren, and Cynthia Shafer-Elliot.

Season 1 wrap-up. Pete and Jared reflect on the first season of guests and topics and how they helped inform the big questions that drive this podcast. Season 2 is coming late January or early February 2018!

Show Notes →

On this episode, Pete and Jared speak with Carolyn Custis James. Carolyn is an award-winning author who thinks deeply about what it means to be a female follower of Jesus in a postmodern world.

Show Notes →

In our continuing effort to corrupt the minds of college students (because college students don't already have currupt minds), Pete and Jared recently took a road trip to Penn State to record an episode of The Bible for Normal People in front of a live audience

Show Notes →

On this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete Enns—without any adult supervision whatsoever—gives his own take on divine violence, specificially: the Flood story, the curses in Deuteronomy 28, and, of course, the one every one wants to talk about, God's command to the Israelites to wipe the Canaanites off the face of the earth and take their land. And a good time was had by all.

Show Notes →

On this episode, Pete and Jared speak to New Testament scholar Anthony Le Donne about The Gospels as memories of Jesus rather than strictly speaking "historical" accounts. Le Donne is the author of several books on Jesus and the Gospels and also edits the Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus.

Show Notes →

The week’s guest is pastor and author Greg Boyd, and our topic is how the crucifixion of Jesus helps us see divine violence in the Old Testament from a fresh angle.

Show Notes →

On this week's episode, Pete and Jared riff with great eloquence and profundity on three big words that come up sooner or later whenever you start talking about the Bible, especially when you start thinking about the Bible in new ways. Is the Bible still authoritative? What does that even mean? Same with Revelation and Inspiration.

Show Notes →

On this episode, Pete and Jared speak with Drew Hart about race and the Bible. Hart is assistant professor of theology at Messiah College, author of Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism, and an activist with ten years of pastoral experience.

Show Notes →

On this week's episode, Jared digs deep into that theologically deep, literarily complex, and definitely not "children's story," the book of Jonah.

Show Notes →

This week's episode looks at Womanist Biblical Interpretation with Pete and Jared’s guest Nyasha Junior, assistant professor in the department of religion at Temple University in Philadelphia. She writes, teaches, speaks, and frequently tweets on race, gender, religion, and their intersections.

 Show Notes →

This week, Jared and Pete speak with Beverly Gaventa. Beverly is Distinguished Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Baylor University and Helen H.P. Manson Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis Emerita at Princeton Theological Seminary. Her latest book is called “When In Romans”.

Show Notes →

In this week's episode, Pete Enns lays out 5 things to keep in mind when reading the Adam story that will challenge your preconceptions, offer fresh points of view, and likely turn our entire political climate around for the better.

Show Notes →

On this episode, Pete and Jared talk with Hebrew Bible scholar and theologian Jon D. Levenson about where the idea of resurrection shows up in the Hebrew Bible and early Judaism, what it means when it does, and how some of that finds its way into the New Testament. 

Show Notes →

This week Pete and Jared talk with speaker, author, and theologian Diana Butler Bass about her love for the Bible that has led her beyond code words and conventions to something deeper and more spiritually sustaining.

Show Notes →

On this episode of the Bible For Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with theologian Megan DeFranza (actually, Megan educates us) on a topic that affects deeply the lives of many, but that few Christians even know is a topic. And Megan might surprise you about what the Bible and church history have to say about it. 

Show Notes →

This week, Jared Byas takes on his first solo episode. Since he's a plebeian and doesn't have his own Wikipedia page (unlike Pete), he begins with a little autobiography and the recurring theme of taking the Bible seriously but not literally. And encourages us, no matter how we read the Bible, to stop using "literally" altogether. 

Show Notes →

This week on The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared speak to Denis Lamoureux on a topic that never seems to go away. Lamoureux is associate professor of science and religion at St. Joseph’s College in the University of Alberta. 

Show Notes →

On this episode, Pete and Jared talk with Ellen Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School, about the value of the Old Testament for Christians.

Show Notes →

On this week's episode, Pete and Jared speak with Brian Zahnd about violence in the Bible. Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church (Saint Joseph, MO), and he writes, blogs, and Tweets regularly on the problem of violence in the Bible. His next book Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God is set to be released August 2017. 

Show Notes →

On this episode of the Bible For Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Matthew Vines, author of God and the Gay Christian, about the complexities of biblical interpertation surrounding human sexuality.

Show Notes →

On this episode, Pete and Jared talk with Marc Brettler on the conversation between the insights biblical scholarship, Jewish tradition, and the nature of the Bible.

Show Notes →

On this episode, Pete and Jared discuss how doubt in the life of faith is normal, biblical, and spiritually beneficial.

Show Notes →

On this week's epsiode, Jared and Pete speak with Ben Sommer, professor of Bible at the Jewish Theological Seminary (NYC). Christians have A LOT to learn from Jews about how their Bible works. 

Show Notes →

In this week’s episode, Pete Enns explores "monolatry," the ancient Israelite belief that many gods existed but only one God, Yahweh, was worthy of worship. The ancient Israelites were not monotheists, and thinking they were obscures the theology of many passages by imposing an idea the Israelites would not have understood.

Show Notes →

New Testament scholar Daniel Kirk joins us this week to discuss the humanity of Jesus and why that shouldn't be obscured. 

Show Notes →

On this week's episode Pete and Jared talk with historian and Old Testament professor Kent Sparks about the mysterious origins of the Israelites.

Show Notes →

On this week's episode Jared and Peter talk about their experiences with the challenge of teaching the Bible to children. 

Show Notes →

On this week's episode of The Bible for Normal People, we speak with 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 →

On this week's episode, we talk with Mike McHargue about science and faith. Mike is the author of Finding God in The Waves and the host of two popular podcasts, The Liturgist Podcast and Ask Science Mike. 

Show Notes →

This week's podcast is a discussion of the state of the Bible in the mainline church with Old Testament scholar and theologian Walter Brueggemann.

Show Notes →

On this week's episode, we speak with Rachel Held Evans on unraveling and re-raveling the Bible. Rachel has written three best-selling books exploring her evolving journey of faith.

Show Notes →

On this week's episode we have Fr. Richard Rohr to talk about a contemplative approach to the Bible. 

Show Notes →

On this week's episode we talk to Rob Bell. He is the author of the upcoming book What Is The Bible? and the controversial New York Times Best-Seller Love Wins.

This is the introduction to Bible for Normal People: The Only God Ordained Podcast on The Internet. Serious Talk About the Sacred Book with Pete Enns and Jared Byas.