Bible

A Biblical & Systematic Theology for Women’s Ordination – Dr. William Witt

Nov 17

We’re honored to learn from Dr. William G. Witt about his book “Icons of Christ: A Biblical and Systematic Theology for Women’s Ordination” from Baylor Press, where he provides an analysis of the various arguments used by Protestants and Catholics against woman’s ordination as well as the biblical and theological cases for women’s ordination to the offices of both word and sacrament.

In this podcast, Dr. Witt discusses how those on both sides of the debate embrace new theological positions in response to cultural changes and outlines positive ecumenical arguments for the ordination of women and the importance of women in leadership roles in churches.

His arguments in support of women’s ordination stem from a biblical, historical, systematic and liturgical theology. He also reminds us that all Christians bear the image of God and are called to serve as icons of Christ in service of the gospel.

Beyond Old & New Perspectives on Paul: How the Early Church Understood Paul’s Views on Works of the Law – Dr. Matthew J. Thomas

Nov 09

We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn from Dr. Matthew J. Thomas about his book “Paul’s ‘Works of the Law’ in the Perspective of Second Century Reception” published by IVP Academic Press.

Dr. Thomas spent nearly nine years studying early church writings and scholarship focused on Paul’s writings on the works of the law, which led to his doctoral thesis on this topic at Oxford University.

Thomas’ fascinating and helpful scholarship builds on research by Markus Bockmuehl, Dean Ireland’s Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture at Oxford University, and received praise from Alister E. McGrath, John M.G. Barclay, N.T. Wright and dozens of other Biblical scholars.

This podcast with Dr. Thomas includes a discussion on his personal spiritual journey, what led him to pursue ministry and academic research, ways he’s navigated difficult Biblical texts, why reading early church writings are crucial for understanding the context of New Testament writings, why Calvin disagreed with Augustine and Jerome, ways to understand the old and new perspectives on Paul (as well as the earliest church perspectives), why Origen is sometimes misunderstood, and a discussion on the conflict between Pelagius and Augustine regarding the use of the law in salvation.

You can subscribe or download this episode on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also watch or subscribe to the video series on YouTube.

The God of the Old Testament: Encountering the Divine in Christian Scripture – Dr. Walter Moberly

Oct 08

We’re honored to learn from Dr. Walter Moberly about ways to understand the Old Testament — and to learn about his upcoming book: The God of the Old Testament: Encountering the Divine in Christian Scripture, wherein he writes about eight key Old Testament passages that give us insights into the nature of God in Christian Scriptures.

Dr. Moberly is a brilliant theologian and very humble professor of theology and Biblical Interpretation at Durham University — and it was a thrill to be able to chat with him about his thoughts on the Old Testament and ways to read the Bible critically and devotionally.

One memorable quote from today’s episode is when Dr. Moberly recounted how Keith Sutton encouraged him to explore the Bible:

“The Bible is not a fortress to be defended, but a mansion to explore, to live in and invite others into.”

It’s a powerful way to think about the adventure of reading the Bible. And, Dr. Moberly certainly invites us all in to seek the richness, beauty and mystery of Scripture in this conversation.

You can subscribe or download this episode on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also watch or subscribe to the video series on YouTube.

Here are overviews of the episodes:

New Perspectives on Paul & Letter to Galatians – Dr. Jeremy Wade Barrier

Sep 27

Jeremy-Faculty Honored to talk with Dr. Jeremy Wade Barrier about his twelve-year journey researching ancient manuscripts and writing his latest book “Witch Hunt in Galatia,” a book providing fascinating insights into ways to understand Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

You can subscribe or download this episode on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also watch or subscribe to the video series on YouTube.

Here’s a brief overview of the episode:

Part 1: New Perspectives on Paul

In part one, Dr. Barrier talks with us about his research studying “The Acts of Paul and Thecla,” which was an ancient text passed around in the early churches providing insight into Paul’s travels with Thecla — a woman who preached the gospel and later martyred. It’s a fascinating story that shows the faith and preaching power of a woman in the early church, which many don’t know about. He also shares some of the insights into what motivated Paul to write his letter to the churches in Galatia — and why the letter is much more than just a letter to correct them on their use of the law.

Listen to part one:

A History of the Bible: The Book & Its Faiths – Dr. John Barton

Sep 24

johnbarton-nocredit-20190409162603128_web Honored to talk with Dr. John Barton about his latest book “A History of the Bible: The Story of the World’s Most Influential Book” this week. In this interview series, we learn from Dr. Barton about how the Bible was written, understood and passed along by different religious traditions.