The Bible For Normal People

Expert Kent Sparks dives into the origins of the Israelites, discussing challenging historical issues, archaeological impacts, and theological interpretations. Topics include the Exodus story, theories on Israelite origins, conflicts between historical evidence and biblical records, and the evolution of the deity El into Yahweh in Israelite history.

This week Pete & Jared sit down with Kevin Makins, founding pastor of Eucharist Church in Hamilton, Ontario. They talk about community, how he reads the Bible and how it informs the culture of his faith community. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does the Bible have to say about politics? Nothing, really. On the other hand, a lot—but not the way many tend to think. Rather than supporting a political agenda, the biblical story challenges us to hold those agendas to account when they fail to promote justice. What is needed more then another clever politician with resources to ram things through are prophetic voices that remain distant from adopting wholesale any party ideology. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Jared & Pete talk to Brent Strawn about the Old Testament. They discuss some of the common criticisms of the Old Testament and how the modern Church has over-emphasized the New Testament much to its detriment. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Pete & Jared discuss the value that creeds have in shaping the way we practice our faith. And how they can sometimes fall short, as demonstrated by the modern Statement on Social Justic & The Gospel. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Jared & Pete talk to Mark Smith about the origin of Yahweh and how the term was understood in the first century. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Jared tackles the question of how to engage with people that believe differently that we do. Many times we're guilty of shutting down the conversation and alienating people with opposing viewpoints rather than seeking to hear and understand their perspective. Jared shares some excellent tools in helping us move the conversation forward. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Jared & Pete talk to William M. Schniedewind, professor of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures at UCLA. They discuss the challenges of accurately capturing the oral tradition of the Hebrew scriptures and what we can learn from looking at the history and context of how it was written. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bible for Normal People podcast LIVE from the Wild Goose festival. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Pete Enns unpacks some of the problems presented by the Bible additional. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices