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

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete makes the case for why you shouldn’t skip 1 and 2 Chronicles after slogging through Samuel and Kings. He explores the Chronicler’s distinct theology, uncovers themes of hope and divine sovereignty, and explains what Chronicles reveals about ancient Israelites’ ideas about God. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best...

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and co-host Cynthia Shafer-Elliott learn from Jamal-Dominique Hopkins about the history of sacrifice in the Qumran community and the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls in understanding Judaism during the Second Temple period, exploring the interplay of tradition and innovation in ancient Jewish communities. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code...

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared talks with J.S. (Joon) Park about his experiences with death, grief, and loss as a hospital chaplain for a Level 1 Trauma Center. Together they discuss the varying manifestations of grief, practical advice to help those who experience loss, and how we can develop a holistic approach to grief. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. Right now, they have the best deals online, up to half off on select plants....

Whose contributions to the production of the Bible have been historically overlooked? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared have a fascinating conversation with Candida Moss about enslavement in the Roman Empire, challenging our perception of biblical authorship and shedding light on the roles of enslaved people as scribes and translators of ancient texts. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to...

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared tackle your questions about faith, identifying a common theme of the tendency toward dualism and binary thinking and exploring how to think more critically when faced with either/or theological questions. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete is back to his usual antics ruining a book of the Bible. This time he’s conquering 2 Kings, uncovering the historical context, socio-political influences, and bigger picture of the biblical narrative as told through the text. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Grace Baldridge (known by the artist name Semler) joins Pete and Jared to talk about the moving target of faith, whether leaving church is leaving God, and Grace’s journey as a queer person in Christian music. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Aaron Higashi joins Pete to talk about five key points in understanding 1 & 2 Samuel—and why our reading of this biblical tragedy doesn’t have to be tragic. Show Notes → ***** This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BNP and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back for our second season of Faith for Normal People! Comedian Pete Holmes joins Pete and Jared to contemplate oneness with God, what it means to identify as a Christian, the parable of the prodigal son, and how awareness can grow our sense of connection with God. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back for our eighth season of the podcast! In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman joins Pete and Jared to discuss the historical reliability of the Gospels, highlighting the roles of oral tradition, authorial bias, and contradictions within the texts. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first...

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Podcast producer Brittany and audio engineer/editor Stephen have joined forces to bring you a special blooper episode with behind-the-scenes clips from Season 7 of The Bible for Normal People and Season 1 of Faith for Normal People. From all of us at B4NP, we wish you a joyful, hopeful end to 2023. See you next year! Note: This episode contains swearing, so maybe not the one to play with little ears around! Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored...

Join us for the final episode of The Bible for Normal People Season 7 as Pete and Jared end the year on an easy note by tackling the cultural, historical, and societal context of the birth of Jesus as found in the Bible. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Adil Hussain Khan to talk about the story of Abraham in the Islamic tradition, how Islam differs from Judaism and Christianity, and whether the concept of interreligious dialogue is really as effective as we think. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the phenomenon of speaking in tongues purely ecstatic or purely linguistic? Join Pete and Jared in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as guest Ekaputra Tupamahu analyzes the history and interpretation of speaking in tongues in the Bible, exploring how this understanding has influenced modern Pentecostal and charismatic movements. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, hosts Pete Enns and Jared Byas speak with Irish poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama, delving into the appreciation and understanding of the Bible through the lens of poetry and exploring how poetry can offer alternative perspectives on theological questions. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first...

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jacob L. Wright joins Pete and Jared to discuss the origins of the Hebrew Bible, moving beyond just the “how” and asking the deeper question of “why” the Bible began, revealing the quest to unite a people group in the midst of defeat. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Aura Frames, creators of the digital photo frame named the #1 digital picture frame by Wirecutter, The Strategist, and Wired. Recommended by Fast Company, The...

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Anna talk to Grace Ji-Sun Kim about how theology impacts marginalized communities, what intersectionality means, and how theology and biography are synonymous. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Robyn Whitaker to discuss the themes, movements, and symbolism found within the book of Revelation, as well as the various ways the text has been interpreted (and misinterpreted) throughout Christian history. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In part two of our series on the problem of evil, Jared and Pete talk with Tom Oord about why people struggle to reconcile evil and suffering with a good God, theological solutions to the problem throughout history, and how process theology offers a different view of God’s power.  Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order. Learn more about your...

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

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Christin Fort and Jared discuss how attachment theory plays into our perceptions of God, the impact of theology on mental health, and how understanding ourselves better psychologically could enrich our faith. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh, America’s #1 Meal Kit. Go to HelloFresh.com/50normalpeople and use code 50normalpeople for 50% off plus free shipping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, our resident destroyer Pete is on a mission to ruin the book of 1 Kings by delving into the historical context and narrative themes of this ancient text which marks the beginning of the end of Israel’s monarchy. Show Notes → ********** This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% off your first order. ********** This episode is sponsored by...

Matthias Roberts joins Jared and Angela Parker in this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk about his work as a psychotherapist, the path to healing from religious trauma, and what faith after religious trauma might look like. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices