The Bible as Literature

What does the nation Egypt represent in the Bible? When Scripture mentions Egypt, Assyria, or any country, is it talking about historical empires, or is something more going on? What happens when we understand the nations mentioned in the Bible as characters in a story? Is Egypt a good or a bad character? What is the significance of Hosea's proclamation, "Out of Egypt have I called my son"? (Hosea 11:1) Working through these questions, Richard and Fr. Marc consider the many ways that Christians today continue to betray the Lord, turning away from him to seek the favor of empires long gone, but still very real. (Episode 34)

This week, Fr. Marc and Richard reflect on the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19. Why was it wrong for the young man to call Jesus "good?" Beyond the obvious problem of greed, what does the young man's wealth reveal about the aims of false religion? Why wasn't Jesus pleased to hear that the young followed the commandments? Can the story's admonition against wealth be applied to everyone, including the poor and working class? Can the rich enter the Kingdom of God? Do you really think it's possible to squeeze an impressively large animal through a very small opening? This is not a trick question. (Episode 33)

In this week's episode, Fr. Marc and Richard discuss the way in which St. Paul uses the categories "weak" and "strong" to undermine human judgment in 1 Corinthians. This sets the stage for God to shame the church in Roman Corinth with the foolishness of Paul's weakness. It also set the stage for a lecture Fr. Marc presented later that evening on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. This week's podcast was recorded at Holy Myrrh-bearers Orthodox Church, in St. Cloud, MN, in front of a live, inter-faith audience. (Episode 32)

What is the biblical response to poverty, violence and suffering in the world? How does the biblical commandment to love the neighbor differ from progressive ideas of social justice? In this week's episode, Fr. Marc and Richard explore St. Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 4 and the way in which the Bible undermines human paradigms of "right and wrong," "good and evil," and "victim and oppressor." (Episode 31) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

In this week’s episode, Fr. Marc and Richard discuss the painful but critical role that slavery and hierarchy play in St. Paul’s epistles. Reflecting on the same teaching in Older Testament, they explore how the freedom proposed by the Pauline articulation of the Cross differs from popular concepts of social freedom. While the gospel seeks to aggressively undermine human tyranny, it does so in a way that places as much pressure on the downtrodden as it does the oppressor—hardly the stuff of Hollywood legends. (Episode 30) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

Fr. Marc interviews Richard about a sermon he recently presented on Matthew 14:14-22 and 1 Corinthians 1:10-18. Richard explains how in both readings, the American obsession with “being special,” is undermined by the Bible’s critique of the natural but deceptive human impulse to seek differentiation either through personal achievement or affiliation. (Episode 29) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

According to a 2014 study published by the National Education Association, approximately 160,000 teens skip school every day because of bullying. In many cases, the experience of cruelty or isolation in American schools has led young people to commit suicide or worse. What are the implications of the New Testament for American high schools? How can church school teachers equip their students to confront high school life with the wisdom of Scripture? Guest speaker Thomas Drenen talks with Richard and Fr. Marc about Roman paganism, its parallels with the culture of modern high school, and the pressure that the story of Jesus Christ places on both. We encourage parents to share this week’s podcast with their teenagers. (Episode 28) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

Fr. Marc interviews Richard about a sermon he recently presented on Matthew 14:14-22 and 1 Corinthians 1:10-18. Richard explains how in both readings, the American obsession with "being special," is undermined by the Bible's critique of the natural but deceptive human impulse to seek differentiation either through personal achievement or affiliation. (Episode 29) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

According to a 2014 study published by the National Education Association, approximately 160,000 teens skip school every day because of bullying. In many cases, the experience of cruelty or isolation in American schools has led young people to commit suicide or worse. What are the implications of the New Testament for American high schools? How can church school teachers equip their students to confront high school life with the wisdom of Scripture? Guest speaker Thomas Drenen talks with Richard and Fr. Marc about Roman paganism, its parallels with the culture of modern high school, and the pressure that the story of Jesus Christ places on both. We encourage parents to share this week’s podcast with their teenagers. (Episode 28) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

In the gospel of Luke (4:22-30) Jesus warns his own people that "no prophet is accepted in his own country." Hearers of the story usually equate this with the demeaning American expression, "who do you think are?" In fact, Jesus' people esteem his position, coveting the benefits of his honor for themselves. Working through the storyline, Fr. Marc and Richard discover that Jesus' people were enraged simply because he illustrated, through the story of Elijah and Elisha, his loyalty to his Father's teaching over loyalty to his own people. So incensed were all those in the synagogue, that they physically threw Jesus out of the city. Why was the story of Elijah and Elisha so painful? Jesus did not recognize the difference between insider and outsider; instead, he fulfilled Isaiah, bringing good news to the poor, without distinction. (Episode 27)

Fr. Marc and Richard lament the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in light of the biblical teaching. The episode begins with a special prayer recited by the children of Ephesus School. (Episode 26) For a translation of the The Jewish-Arab Peace Song at the end of the show, click here: http://youtu.be/5d_i2F2LlF8 View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

Fr. Marc and Richard reflect on the primacy of loyalty for the discipline of biblical wisdom. In a culture where information flows freely, why do we suffer from a deficit of wisdom? With our openness to the many treasured schools and traditions of human knowledge, why do we fail at wisdom and understanding? Beginning with Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, the podcast explores the practical implications of the biblical function, "harlot." In the end, the discussion uncovers a painful truth: the secret of our failure is our inability to commit to a single tradition of wisdom and our infidelity toward teachers and the authority of knowledge they hold for our children. (Episode 25) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Hosea's reading of Genesis, exploring the biblical concept of antiheroism as expressed in Hosea's critique of the Patriarch Jacob. Along the lines of Hellenistic literature, the addresses of the Bible want to believe in its characters; they want to believe that Jacob is a good guy. Unfortunately for Jacob, and in contrast with Hellenistic literature, in the biblical tradition, there is no one who is good: there are no heroes, no champions, no protagonists and no individuals. In the Bible, there is only God and a single choice for humanity: life or death? (Episode 24)

Richard and Fr. Marc discuss the relationship between Nebuchadnezzar the historical figure, and Nebuchadnezzar the biblical character. What role, if any, do historical events play in our understanding of the Older Testament’s narrative? How and for what purpose are events within the biblical storyline arranged relative to documentary history? What does the function, “Nebuchadnezzar,” reveal about the biblical teaching? (Episode 23)

In this week's episode, Fr. Marc and Richard discuss the function of circumcision in Galatians and it's implications for human identity. What is the purpose of circumcision in the Older Testament? How does it relate to Baptism in the New Testament? Fr. Marc begins the program by reviewing the social context in Palestine during late antiquity, in which the biblical teaching of circumcision had been sabotaged by a violent expression of identity politics. (Episode 22)