New Creation Conversations 094 - Dr. Brent Strawn on the Incomparable God

Sep 6, 2023

Dr. Brent Strawn, an amazing biblical scholar and author, discusses his book 'The Incomparable God: Readings in Biblical Theology'. They explore the concept of the incomparability of God, engage with difficult texts in Scripture like the imprecatory Psalms, and reflect on stories of Elijah and Elisha. The podcast also touches on integrating faith and scholarship and emphasizes the importance of gratitude and conversations.

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Introduction

00:00 • 4min

Incomparable God Readings and Biblical Theology

03:39 • 15min

Engaging with Difficult Texts: Imprecatory Psalms in Scripture

19:07 • 8min

Promotion and Discussion of Elijah and the Bears Story

26:40 • 6min

Reflections on Elisha and the mocking youth

32:21 • 15min

Integrating Faith and Scholarship

46:55 • 9min

Gratitude, Conversations, and The Incomparable God

55:51 • 2min

This week I’m excited to have another return conversation with a longtime friend, and an amazing biblical scholar and author, Dr. Brent Strawn. Brent was actually my very first guest when I launched this podcast a couple of years ago, and I always learn new things when I get together with Brent and talk about the Old Testament. Brent is the D. Moody Smith Distinguished Professor of Old Testament (and Professor of Law) at Duke Divinity School and Duke University School of Law. He’s a grad of Point Loma Nazarene University and he did his MDiv and PhD at Princeton Theological Seminary. He’s taught for several years now at Asbury Theological Seminary, Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and now Duke Divinity. He’s written several books and over two hundred and fifty articles, chapters, reference works and reviews, and he served as both a translator and editor for the Common English Bible. Just this week it was announced that he has won a National Endowment for the Humanities grant for a project to create the first critical, eclectic edition of the Hebrew Psalter. This work will bring in all kinds of new resources into work on the Psalms – including the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Our conversation today centers on his most recent book The Incomparable God: Readings in Biblical Theology (published by Eerdmans). This book is actually the bringing together of 18 of Brent’s unpublished essays (and a couple of original chapters for the book), put together and edited by a couple of Brent’s former students. The essays cover topics like the complex portrayal of God in Genesis, God’s mercy in Exodus, the poetic description of God in the Psalms, the Trinity in both testaments, the integration of faith and scholarship, and (my favorite) an amazing reflection on the story of Elisha and the bears. It’s a great book and really an honor for Brent to have former students already doing this kind of work on his behalf. I always love talking with my friend Brent, and I think you will love this conversation also.