Beasts! Dragons! Blood! This week, we're talking about the last book of the New Testament, that wacky troublemaker of a book, Revelation. Who wrote it and why? Was it a fever dream? What era is it talking about? IS ARMAGEDDON COMING TO CLAIM US ALL TOMORROW? For the definitive answers to these questions... well, you'd have to ask a time traveler or sorcerer. But if you want the best answers modern scholarship has to offer, this is the place! For early access to an ad-free version of the...

Magi- they're the gift that keeps on giving! Last week we talked about a star, this week we're unpacking the mysteries of the fellas who followed that star. We've all seen them represented in nativity scenes: three men in elaborate dress, each bearing a different gift for the infant king, but is any of that actually biblical? What do we actually know about the Magi? What role did they play in the story? Fortunately, we have Dr. Eric Vanden Eykel with us to unpack it all. He literally wrote...

A physicist? On a Bible podcast? At Christmas time? Well, there are a couple of ways that could go! This week, we welcome Dr. Aaron Adair onto the show. Dr. Adair's book, The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View, discusses the famous star that led the wise men to baby Jesus in the book of Matthew. What could such a star have been? Is there a known heavenly body that could be used to guide someone to a specific place? How did it appear? Well, we got the guy who wrote the book on the subject, so...

This week we're joined by Dr. Jacob Wright of Emory University. His new book Why the Bible Began leaves aside the questions of who wrote the Bible, what it is, when it was written, and how the Bible came to us, and instead focuses on the why. Why did the writings of this one small group of people survive and persist, when the records of much larger and more successful empires were often buried, forgotten, or lost to time? For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content,...

Will the real authors of the Bible please stand up? This week on Data Over Dogma, we dig deep into who wrote what and why we know what we know. Did someone named Matthew write the gospel of Matthew? Did Paul actually write ALL the Pauline epistles? Authorship is a big question when it comes to the Bible, and it can be a very contentious topic. But don't worry. We'll get through this together. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to...

This week, Dan and Dan discuss Dan! That's right, it's time to discuss the book of Daniel, and hoo boy- it's a doozy! If you thought being chucked in with a bunch of lions is all there is to this book, you're in for a wild ride. Sure, the first half of the book is some fun stories about dream interpretation and lions and furnaces, but then things take a turn for the apocalyptic! Will the Dans survive this descent into madness? Will the Biblical book of Daniel survive Data Over Dogma? Who is...

Was the apostle Paul disabled? His letters may well point in that direction. But the more interesting question is: how much would it matter if he had been? This week, we welcome Dr. Isaac Soon to discuss disability--both now and in the ancient world--and how the lens of disability can provide stunning insights into the Bible, theology, and our own outlooks in our daily lives. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work,...

Is the second coming... coming? This week we're exploring the end. Not the end of the Bible, but the end of us! It's eschatology time, baby, and we're digging deep. Is the apocalypse described in the New Testament upon us? How will we know when it's coming? DID IT ALREADY HAPPEN? If you're anxious that current events might bring about the end of the world, don't be. But if you're not convinced, check out this episode. And then relax. And be kind to your neighbors. For early access to an...

How well do you know the ten commandments? Could you list them out in order? Which number is “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk?" This week we're tackling the decalogue (decalogues?), and if you think that is a simple topic, you're in for a crazy ride. We explore the multiple lists of laws that have been called "The Ten Commandments" (you'll be surprised by which one is actually called that in the Bible), and we'll go over differences of opinion even in the most famous ten...

This week Data Over Dogma gets political as we welcome Dr. Andrew Whitehead. Dr. Whitehead is an Associate Professor of Sociology at IUPUI, director of the Association of Religion Data Archives, and author of the incredibly timely book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church. As a sociologist, Whitehead is bringing receipts as he discusses the current rise of racist, xenophobic power-seekers within American Christianity, and why that rise...

Is it possible for God to lie? The Bible says no. Multiple times, actually. But this is the Bible we're talking about, so even when it says no, yes might also be true... We start this week with the famous story of the Bible's worst mariner, Jonah. Why was he running away from God? Why did he spend some time in a fish? What did he smell like after? Then things get a little dicey as we dive into whether the God of the Bible might tell the odd fib (spoiler alert... yup) For an ad-free version...

Do you find yourself worried about a demon-haunted world? Do you look to angels for protection? This week, we're going to the source to see what the Bible actually says about all that. Forget the adorable winged toddlers your mother in law has hanging in her kitchen, because biblical angels are a whole 'nother type of celestial being! And as for demons... well, maybe you don't have to worry quite as much as certain megachurch pastors want you to believe you do. For an ad-free version of the...

Welp, armageddon is coming. Again. At least according to people who are watching for signs in the Euphrates river. This week the internet is taking biblical stories and really running with them, and we're here to check the facts and do the math. First, it's the great escape as angels attempt to free themselves from from their fluvial Alcatraz. Then, we fee-fi-fo-fum our way through the story of the Nephilim. Did divine beings really have sex with human women? What did they have to talk...

This week we welcome scholar and author Matthew Thiessen to talk about his new book A Jewish Paul: the Messiah's Herald to the Gentiles. Thiessen goes into the hotly contested realm of Pauline interpretation, and discusses how deeply problematic (read: antisemitic) some of those interpretations can be. You can find Dr. Thiessen's books wherever you find your great books. Go follow him on Twitter https://twitter.com/MattThiessenNT For an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an...

Jordan Peterson is a monster. Or at least he wants to be, and he wants you to be one too! This week on Data Over Dogma, we discuss the most famous sermon given by Jesus, and incredibly inaccurate (and frankly disgusting) way that J.P. decided to interpret it. We'll go through the sermon on the mount beatitude-by-beatitude, to explicate what each of them mean. We'll learn about how Jesus valued kindness and gentleness and yes, meekness. And then we'll learn that Dr. Peterson absolutely HATES...

This week we say shalom to TikToker and self-proclaimed "massive Jewish nerd" Miriam Anzovin. Miriam has delighted many and enraged others in the Jewish world with her unorthodox (in all the ways) take on important Jewish texts. In her TikTok series "Daf Reactions" Miriam goes through the Daf Yomi, a page-a-day cycle of Talmudic study, tying the Talmud in to her daily life as a milennial in modern society. Her videos take a critical look at the writings of the ancient sages, and connect the...

It's one of the big issues of our time. A great dividing line in our society. In fact, at this point it's almost impossible not to have big feelings about the issue of abortion. And one of the big weapons used in galvanizing people in the culture war is the Bible. But does it actually say what people on both sides of the issue claim it says? This week, Data Over Dogma dives into the deep end of this controversial pool to explore whether the Bible actually takes a stance on abortion. Many in...

Want to know why the first two books of the Bible conflict with each other? Confused by the story of Joseph that seems to keep switching its narrative mid-stream? Looking for an explanation for why the pentateuch (that's the first five books of the Bible) seems like it's a bunch of different traditions all smashed together? Well, this week on D>D, we've brought in Princeton University's Dr. Liane M. Feldman to talk about--brace yourself--neodocumentarianism! That's right,...

Look out, Cecil B. DeMille, because the Dans are coming for you! That's right--making absolutely zero apologies to Messrs DeMille, Heston, or even Kilmer (for all you Dreamworks fans), we're letting the data run roughshod over the story of the biblical exodus. The tale is beloved: a man of lowly birth but raised among royalty returns to his roots to save his enslaved people from bondage, but did any of it actually happen? How much do we actually know, and how do we know it?  Then we dive deep...

How old was he? Well, he was so old that Dr. Dan is sick of getting asked about him all the time! That's right, this week we're starting the show discussing the ages of the patriarchs. Did Noah and his ancestors really live over nine hundred years each? Could Adam actually have celebrated his great, great, great, great, great, great grandson's 50th birthday with him? If not, why would the Bible say that?  Then we move on to another tricky topic: the apocrypha! Why were some books kept in...

You're not going to want to miss this one! This week, the Dans are resurrected as star stuff when they interview scholar and friend David A. Burnett. You're not going to want to miss this one, as David connects Paul's ideas of the afterlife with the deposing of the divine council, and a new arrangement in the firmament. Will you make the cut as a celestial body? They'll also dig deep into the scholarship to discover whether monotheism was ever actually a thing in ancient southwest Asia, or...

Move over Shrek, because Data Over Dogma got their own talking donkey. That said, this is D>D, so you won't be surprised to learn that the verbose ass may be the least interesting thing about the story of Balaam. You'll have to listen to find out what twists and turns the discussion takes, but you know you're in for some fun when we tell you that at some point, God might be labeled "satan". Speaking of... what's up with the devil anyway? In our second segment "Could it be... SATAN?"...

First off this week, we're talking KJV. Where did the King James version of the Bible come from? Why is it a "version" and not a "translation"? Why did King James decide a new version was necessary, and was he actually involved in its creation? Is there-gasp-more than one King James Version? Then, the Dan's grab their magnifying glasses and deerstalker caps to investigate why some versions of the Bible seem to have missing verses. Is foul play afoot? Tune in to find out! If you want to...

Do yo think you know your apostles? Can you name the original twelve? Is that even a thing that can actually be done? It seems like it should be a simple task, but this week the Dans dive in to the apostolic deep end, and find a total mess waiting. First, it's "what's in a name?" when Dan B can't figure out who is who. Fortunately, Dan M is there to step in and explain all the name-changes, the translations and transliterations, and possible substitutions in the original apostle roster. ...

Call Ted Danson, because this week we're going to the bad place. Does the Bible really threaten sinners and nonbelievers with eternal torment? Was the idea of hell made up long after the Bible was written? Get out your asbestos snorkle and mask, because we're going to probe deep into the lake of eternal fire, and see what we can find.  Then, it's "what ever happened to baby Judas" as we look at two Biblical accounts of how brother Iscariot met his earthly end, and realize they don't quite...