Episode 349: Julia O’Brien - What If The Prophets Of Israel Weren’t Primarily Interested In Issues Of Social Justice?

I recorded this episode back in January and am releasing it now - many, many months later. Why? It challenged me so much that before I let others in on it, I had to let the words and ideas and thoughts really permeate into my own being.

I recorded many conversations in 2025, but this is one of my top 2 or 3 favorites. Julia is Professor Emerita of Biblical Studies at Lancaster Theological Seminary and Moravian University and her specialty is in the prophets of the Old Testament. In this episode we talk about her book, “Prophets Beyond Activism” and touch on things like “Progressive Orthodoxy”, our obsessive “need to be right”, and how we often (on the Left and the Right!) force the Bible to fit into boxes that will strengthen our cases, back our values, and help us win arguments.

But.

Maybe?

What if … what if those stories and verses and books and characters that we fall back on to support our causes … what if their voices don’t have as much to say to our contemporary issues as we hope/want them to?

Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES:

JULIA M O'BRIEN: https://lancasterseminary.academia.edu/JuliaOBrien

PROPHETS BEYOND ACTIVISM: https://www.amazon.com/Prophets-beyond-Activism-Rethinking-Prophetic/dp/0664267831

MY BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Emerging-Rubble-Stories-Shattered-Relationships/dp/B0C7T5TJD4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2B051GGV2WCSI&keywords=glenn+siepert&qid=1700157759&sprefix=glenn+%2Caps%2C399&sr=8-1

SUBSTACK / BLOG: https://whatifproject.substack.com/

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