Marilynne Robinson is one of America's best and best-known novelists and essayists, whose award-winning works like Housekeeping and Gilead explore themes of faith, grace, and the intricacies of human nature. Beyond her writing, Robinson's 25-year tenure at the famed Iowa Writers' Workshop allowed her to shape and inspire the new generations of writers. Her latest book, Reading Genesis, displays her scholarly prowess, analyzing the biblical text not only through the lens of religious doctrine but also appreciating it as a literary masterpiece.
She joined Tyler to discuss betrayal and brotherhood in the Hebrew Bible, the relatable qualities of major biblical figures, how to contend with the Bible's seeming contradictions, the true purpose of Levitical laws, whether we've transcended the need for ritual sacrifice, the role of the Antichrist, the level of biblical knowledge among students, her preferred Bible translation, whether The Winter's Tale makes sense, the evolution of Calvin's reputation and influence, why academics are overwhelmingly secular, the success of the Iowa Writer's Workshop, why she wrote a book on nuclear pollution, what she'll do next, and more.
Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video.
Recorded February 8th, 2024.
Other ways to connect
Photo Credit: Alec Soth, Magnum Photos
Chris Blattman on Development, Conflict, and Doing What’s Interesting
Robin Hanson on Signaling and Self-Deception (Live at Mason Econ)
Matt Levine Live at Bloomberg HQ
Charles C. Mann on Shaping Tomorrow’s World and the Limits to Growth
Ross Douthat on Narrative and Religion (Live at Mason)
Andy Weir on the Economics of Sci-Fi and Space
Doug Irwin on US Trade Policy
Sujatha Gidla on Being an Ant Amongst the Elephants (Live)
Steve Teles and Brink Lindsey on *The Captured Economy*
Mary Roach on Disgust, Death, and Danger (Live at Mason)
Larry Summers on Macroeconomics, Mentorship, and Avoiding Complacency (Live)
Dave Barry on Humor, Writing, and Life as a Florida Man
Dave Rubin on Digital Media, Crowdfunding, and Comedy (Live)
Atul Gawande on Priorities, Big and Small
Ben Sasse on the Space between Nebraska and Neverland (Live at Mason)
Edward Luce on The Retreat of Western Liberalism (Live)
Jill Lepore on Traveling through Time
Tyler Cowen and Steve Davies talk Theresa May, Brexit, and Europe (Live)
Raj Chetty on Teachers, Social Mobility, and How to Find Answers to Big Questions
Garry Kasparov on AI, Chess, and the Future of Creativity
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall
The No-Frills Teacher Podcast
Heal, Survive & Thrive!
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast