Peter Enns

In this conversation, Pete Enns, an Old Testament scholar and co-host of The Bible for Normal People, delves into the emotional landscape of faith. He discusses the significance of grief and compassion in confronting societal injustices. Enns highlights the transformative power of embracing uncertainty and navigating faith through cycles of order and disorder. He also explores how understanding biblical genres can deepen our spiritual journey, urging listeners to engage with their communities and accept imperfections as pathways to empathy and connection.

Peter Enns, a theologian and professor at Eastern University, shares his transformative journey from a strict Evangelical upbringing to a more nuanced understanding of the Bible. He discusses the emotional turmoil and academic experiences that fueled his faith deconstruction, highlighting the human elements of Scripture and Christ. Enns emphasizes the importance of authenticity in academia and the challenges faced when challenging traditional doctrines. Ultimately, he advocates for a more complex understanding of orthodoxy, bridging personal belief with institutional definitions.

We couldn’t be more excited about today’s episode, and it’s with someone we’ve wanted to get on the podcast for years — Peter Enns. Pete is a well-known bible scholar and is the Abram S. Clemens professor of Bible Studies at Eastern University in Pennsylvania. In recent years, Pete has become well known for several highly popular books, including How the Bible Actually Works, The Bible Tells Me So, and the book we discussed with him today: The Sin of Certainty.In addition to his research and writing, Pete co-hosts the podcast The Bible for Normal People.  In The Sin of Certainty, Pete opens up about his own faith journey, including what he calls “uh-oh” moments — those moments that, as Pete says, “wreak havoc with our neatly arranged thoughts of God, the world, and our place in it.”  He makes the argument that a faith preoccupied with correct thinking can quickly become exhausting as we try to fit our “uh-oh” moments into our previous ways of thinking and believing. Pete insists that there’s a different way — the way of listening to our “uh-oh” moments and learning from them, even letting them change us  — and finding our faith transform from a rigid certainty about God to a radical trust in God.We really think you’re going to enjoy this conversation, and we’re super grateful to Pete for coming on.

Pete Enns, a biblical scholar and co-host of the Bible for Normal People podcast, engages with Ilia Delio's provocative keynote on the future of religion. They discuss how humanity fits into the vast cosmic narrative, advocating for a 'religion of the Earth' that embraces evolution and spirituality. Delio argues that if faith doesn't evolve, technology may replace it as our guiding principle. Their dynamic dialogue challenges traditional dogmas and highlights the need for a playful, conscious spirituality that honors our ties to the universe.

Dr. Pete Enns, a leading biblical scholar and author, dives into theological troublemaking with a mix of humor and scholarly insight. He tackles questions about eternal punishment, contrasting old and new interpretations of Matthew 25:46. The conversation explores the creation stories in Genesis and their implications for understanding divine presence. Enns also discusses the evolution of faith, emphasizing how scripture can adapt to modern existential needs, while challenging listeners to embrace doubt as part of their spiritual journey.