Christians who feel uneasy with tricky texts in Scripture have something to learn from Jewish Bible readers. Jews actually seek out challenges in the Bible, because they believe these are God’s invitation to develop and use wisdom.
In this episode, Dru Johnson interviews Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm, a “historian of religion who is interested in the role of religion, religious values, and tradition in shaping the global moral discourse.” His Orthodox Jewish upbringing taught him to embrace the view of the Hebrew Bible as layered, complex, and challenging—for, the very idea of God suggests that He has complex and layered ideas to communicate with His creation. Dr. Lamm encourages Christians to be similarly comfortable with questioning biblical stories on a deeper level.
Don’t forget to check out Dr. Lamm’s podcast Good Faith Effort, where he “speaks with thinkers, writers, artists, and faith leaders to explore how the Bible continues to inform our lives today, from politics to psychology to pop culture, bringing Americans of different traditions and persuasions closer together as so much else threatens to pull us apart.”
Show notes:
Show notes by Serena Tuomi
Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.
Repentance as a Group Activity (David Lambert)
Rethinking 'Quiet Time' with Scripture (Jen Wilkin)
Listen to an Article: Scott Harrower on Coping with Trauma through Scripture
Excavating the Biblical World (Cynthia Shafer-Elliott)
Christmas Special: Esau McCaulley on Reading While Black (OnScript)
What Is Civility and How Do We Practice It? A Panel Discussion
Biblical Artist Series: Sandra Bowden Literally Makes the Bible into Art
How Brazilians Understand the Bible Differently (Caio Peres)
Biblical Artist Series: Why John Hendrix Draws in Church
Wandering in the Wilderness: COVID-19 and the Book of Numbers (Dave Beldman)
Not a "White Man's Religion": Church History and Biblical Thought (Vince Bantu)
Biblical Artist Series: Jon Collins from BibleProject
Biblical Literacy for Flourishing in Faith and Work (Luke Bobo)
Re-Thinking Wisdom Literature in the Bible (Will Kynes)
How Old Testament Laws Can Shape Christians Today (Carmen Imes)
Critiquing the Church's Beliefs about Sex and Gender (Aimee Byrd)
Shaping Habits and Imagination for Reading Scripture (Dr. Heath Thomas)
Is Asian Philosophy (including Israel) "Philosophy"? Dr. Bryan Van Norden
Thinking Exodus: Egyptology and the Bible (James K. Hoffmeier)
Biblical Artist Series: Ned Bustard
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