The (considerable) vitriol directed against Bart by theologically conservative Christians is (easily) matched by what he gets from critics on the opposite end of the spectrum --"mythicists" who insist not only that the New Testament is filled with legendary material but that Jesus himself was, literally, a myth: he never existed. In this episode Bart will explain why -- whatever else you might want to say about Jesus of Nazareth -- historians of all stripes do not doubt that at the least Jesus was a first-century Jewish teacher who was crucified by the Romans. Are the mythicists -- intent on disproving Christianity -- simply shooting themselves in the foot by taking their skepticism too far?

In this episode Bart explains why Mark is not only his favorite Gospel but also his favorite book of the Bible, a book with subtleties, nuances, and intricacies from start to end that most people simply never see and that make all the difference for understanding its message. This is a brilliant account of Jesus' life, one of the most intriguing books to come to us from early Christianity.

If possible, is it true? In this episode we look at what we can actually know about Mary Magdalene and her relationship with Jesus. 

A person’s reasons for deconversion from Christianity to agnosticism or atheism is something that many christens speculate wildly about, misunderstand, or simply refuse to believe, but those reasons can be varied and complex. In this episode, Bart talks to Megan about why he de-converted, how he found meaning after religion, and why he does what he does.

One of the few ways people today actually appeal to the Old Testament is to condemn same-sex sexual relations (while they ignore much of everything else it says).   Such people usually take it as obvious that the New Testament condemns them as well. But DOES the Bible condemn homosexuality? As it turns this a lively debate among biblical scholars, and the dominant view among critical scholars is not at all what you might expect. Their reasons for holding this view is even less widely known.   In this episode I interview biblical scholar Jeffrey Siker (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) long time professor of New Testament  (who is also an ordained Presbyterian minister) who explains why in fact the Bible does NOT condemn homosexuality.

Debates about Revelation in the early Church and why it was included in the canon despite being offensive to church leaders. examining the initial reception and interpretation of the Book of Revelation by early Christians. Bart's upcoming book on the impact of Jesus' ethics on the world. Selective evidence and the authorship of the Gospel of Mark. Difficulties faced by the early church in accepting the Book of Revelation into the New Testament.

In this episode we consider the portrayal of God in the book of Revelation. Is he a God of love who seeks what is best for those he created? Or at least for those who seek to obey him? Does the book of Revelation provide hope for those who are unjustly suffering now? Or is God instead portrayed as a God of wrath and vengeance who shows no mercy on his enemies? If so, is this the God of love and forgiveness preached by Jesus himself? Would Jesus recognize John of Patmos as one of his followers?

It is surprising that many scholars say that Revelation is not a violent book and was never meant to be. In their judgment, the controlling image of the narrative is Christ as the innocent "lamb who was slain," a non-violent Son of God who experienced violence inflicted by others. The book then teaches that non-violence is the way to eternal glory, and those who practice violence on earth will, in the end, experience what they themselves promote. Is that a plausible reading of the book? In this episode I argue that in fact it is precisely wrong, and that Revelation explicitly portrays a violent Christ who wreaks blood vengeance. Is that the Christ of the Gospels?

Does the Book of Revelation predict the end of the world? The book has been used repeatedly over the years and centuries to predict (and in some cases, re-predict) the end of the world. Yet here we still are. Maybe the problem is not that doomsday-readers of Revelation get this or that detail wrong (and so miscaluculate the date) but that book was never meant to be a blueprint for what would happen in our future. In this episode we look at how historians understand the book as a "revelation" meant for its own time, not as guidepost for what lies ahead of us now, 2000 years later.