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

Nerd alert—we’re diving into biblical studies in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Pete and Jared talk with Barbara Leung Lai about her work studying the inner life of characters in the Hebrew Bible. Combining psychological exegesis, perspectives of personality, and Bakhtinian views of polyphony and dialogism, Barbara helps give Bible readers insight into what biblical characters might have thought and felt. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Eddie Howells joins Pete and Jennifer for an enlightening conversation on the history and theology of Christian mysticism, talking about three strands of its development throughout history, what it looks like to engage with mysticism theologically, and how one can begin to practice mysticism. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete and Jared are joined by renowned scholar John Dominic “Dom” Crossan in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as they take a tour of the gospels that didn’t make the cut for the New Testament. Together they explore three different types of non-canonical gospels and what those texts can teach us about the creation of the Bible. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cole Arthur Riley joins Jared on this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk about the harm done by disembodied theology, the value of intergenerational spirituality, the hard work of remembering well, and what a path toward embodied spirituality might look like. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Richard Kalmin about the origins and history of the Talmud, why it was written, and how the text has functioned not just within Jewish history, but also in various modern denominations of Judaism. 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. ********** This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about...

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Felipe Hinojosa joins Pete and Jared to talk about the history of the Latino Mennonite tradition in the United States, Latino political and religious resistance, and what the Civil Rights movement can teach us about wrestling with our theological differences when we’re united toward a common cause. 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...

We’re uncovering more than Boaz’s feet in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Judy Fentress-Williams joins Pete and Jared to take a historical-critical look at the symbolism, cultural context, and subversive embrace of the other within the book of Ruth. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, moral theologian Lisa Fullam joins Jared to explore virtue ethics, Ignatian spirituality, matters of conscience, and practical methods for moral decision making. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Steed Davidson joins Pete and Jared to explain the origin of postcolonial biblical studies, the outcome of reading Scripture through a postcolonial lens, and how ancient empires could have used the biblical text to endorse their own imperialism. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Hans Halvorson ponder the origins of the universe, quantum theory, entanglement, the existence of God, and the tension (or lack thereof) between science and faith. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, we continue on the ruinous journey through the Deuteronomistic History as our troop leader Pete fearlessly guides us through the book of 2 Samuel. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared continues his journey of vulnerability and shares how his self-perception, desire for belonging, and struggle with his childhood traditions molded his faith into the shape it takes now. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Safwat Marzouk joins Pete and Jared for a deep dive into the book of Ezekiel, exploring its historical and geopolitical context, the dual callings of Ezekiel as priest and prophet, and how holiness and justice aren’t at odds when it comes to faithfulness as God’s people. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can science explain our personal religious experiences? In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Sarah Lane Ritchie to talk about the advancements and limits of cognitive science of religion in helping us understand the connection between the brain and belief.  Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared talks with Father Shannon T.L. Kearns, cofounder of Queer Theology, about engaging with Scripture as a transgender Christian, finding a better way to address clobber passages, and why reading the Bible from the margins is imperative for interpreting the biblical text honestly. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and David Bentley Hart journey through an abridged history of the origin of the Christian creeds and discuss the purpose the creeds have served in the story of the Christian faith. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Cheryl B. Anderson joins Pete and Jared to discuss ethics, law, and how we read the Bible. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 173 from July 2021. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Ally Henny joins Jared to talk about the history of using her voice, what it means to embrace your Holy Hell No, and how speaking the truth can set you free in a world built to keep you silent. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do people mean when they say they take the Bible literally? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared breaks down how words in this common phrase are overworked and underpaid, how it functions as a cultural password, and how we can approach the text with intellectual honesty by reading the Bible literarily. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith 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. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 174 from July 2021. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jared and Pete are joined by Amy Kalmanofsky to reveal the narrative role of sisters in the Hebrew Bible, explain three categories of sister relationships, and identify “ideal” and “dangerous” sisters in the text. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dale C. Allison Jr. joins Pete in this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk about his own mysterious divine encounters, how testimony can become data, and why it’s important to acknowledge the limits of logic when it comes to validating what is unexplainable. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everything you thought you knew about Mary Magdalene is questioned in this episode of The Bible for Normal People, in which Elizabeth Schrader Polczer joins Pete and Jared to discuss textual criticism, the meaning of Magdalene, and why John 11 might not be as straightforward as we think. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices