In this episode we’re joined by Professor Beth Allison Barr, who is the James Vardaman Professor of History at Baylor University and the author of Becoming the Pastor's Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman's Path to Ministry (published by Brazos). Over the course of our conversation we talk about how the common notion in certain Christian circles that the pastor’s wife is the highest path to ministry for women is a post-Reformation construction that is socially conditioned. Professor Barr talks about some of the weird how-to books that she engaged for this project, and some of the odd approaches to Scripture that are required to make this perspective seem legitimate. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Grace Ng, Dr. Madison Pierce, and Dr. Sydney Tooth. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re talking about the new volume on Religion, Theology, and Stranger Things: Studies from the Upside Down on Evil, Ethics, Horror, and Hope (Rowman & Littlefield). We’re joined by the editors Dr. Andy Byers (lecturer in New Testament at Ridley Hall in the Cambridge Theological Federation) and Dr. Adam Powell (lecturer in medical humanities at Durham University), as well as a few of the many contributors, including: Dr. Siobhán Jolley (Howard and Roberta Ahmanson Research Fellow in Art and Religion at the National Gallery), Dr. Brandon Grafius (Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Academic Dean at Ecumenical Theological Seminary), and Dr. Jana Riess (author, writer, former professor at Miami University, and former religious studies editor at Publisher’s Weekly). Additionally, two of our Two Cities team members also contributed to the volume: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne Adishian. We talk about how the volume came together, what topics and themes we wrote about for the book, what personally drew us to the show, and what we’re hoping to see in season 5. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we debrief and review the new documentary about the hit TV show from the mid and late 2000s—LOST. The documentary (Getting LOST) is a nostalgic treat for fans made by fans 20 years after the airing of the pilot in 2004 with loads of creative and acting representation (available on Amazon Prime). Joining us for this conversation is Leslie Garcia, an MSt student at the University of Oxford, who formerly received a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary and, like all of us, is a huge LOST nerd. Over the course of our conversation together, we talk about some of the great moments of LOST, prompted by the documentary, as well as dig into some of the controversial elements that the documentary raises like the toxicity of the writing room. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Dr. Kris Song. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Professor Steve Walton, Senior Research Fellow in New Testament at Trinity College, Bristol, and the author of the book that we’re discussing in this episode, Acts 1–9:42 in the Word Biblical Commentary series (published by Zondervan Academic). In our conversation, Prof. Walton shares with us how he got to be involved in the WBC series, what he likes most about the series compared to others, and some of the key themes that he sees developed in the first third of the Book of Acts. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Madison Pierce. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Dr. M. John-Patrick O’Connor, who is Associate Professor of New Testament at Northwest University, and the author of the book that we’re discussing in this episode, The Last Will Be First: Divine Judgment in the Gospel of Mark (published by Baylor University Press). In our conversation we discuss the “grammar of judgment” present in the Gospel of Mark as it relates to the “little ones” (mikra) and “big ones” (megaloi) in the text. We discuss the necessity of judgment, what we lose if remove judgment from our conceptions of God, and implications for discipleship and theology. Team members on the episode: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Sydney Tooth, and Dr. Logan Williams. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Professor James McGrath, who is Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, and the author of the book that we’re discussing in this episode: John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer (published by Eerdmans). In our conversation we talk about the differences between this book with Christmaker and delve more deeply into various historical matters surrounding John the Baptist, including connections with Qumran, the relationship between baptism and ritual purity, what we can learn about John the Baptist from Mandaean sources, and the portrayal of John the Baptist in film. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Logan Williams. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Jeannine Hanger, who is Associate Professor of New Testament at BIOLA University and Talbot School of Theology, and she’s the author of the book that we’re discussing in this episode, Engaging Jesus with Our Senses: An Embodied Approach to the Gospels (published by Baker). In our conversation we talk about the importance of embodiment, both in terms of our lived realities as followers of Christ and in relation to the way that the Gospels highlight sensory experiences in many different ways. Dr. Hanger draws a connection between the two in her book and shares some of her exegetical insights with us. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Madison Pierce, and Dr. Kris Song. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by one of our very own co-hosts here at The Two Cities podcast, Dr. Kris Song, who is an instructor in New Testament at Bethel Seminary and the author of One Spirit: Pneumatology and Unity in the Corinthian Letters (published by Baylor University Press). In our conversation we talk about Paul’s pneumatology in the Corinthian Correspondence, how studies in the concept of “third space” helps to move forward current conversations in Pauline scholarship, such as debates about Paul’s understanding of the pneuma in Paul within Judaism. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Jennifer Guo, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we discuss the second season of the hit Netflix show, Squid Game. We chat about what we appreciated most about season 2 relative to season 1, how this season builds upon previous questions that the show raises about capitalism and makes the stakes more jarring as we think about its effects on younger generations and democracy itself, and we also offer up some theories about where the show is headed in the upcoming third season. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Stanley Ng, Dr. Kris Song, and Dr. Logan Williams. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Professor Sam Perry, who is Sam K. Viersen Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma is the Department of Sociology, and the author of several books, including, most recently, Religion for Realists: Why We All Need the Scientific Study of Religion (with Oxford University Press). In our conversation we talk about the importance of the sociological study of religion, especially with respect to the political climate in which we find ourselves around the globe. Some of the key insights that emerge from this are the ways that theological ideas are subsumed to group identity and other social and political dynamics. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.