The Biblical Mind

By centerforhebraicthought

Society & Culture Education Philosophy Religion & Spirituality

What's The Biblical Mind about?

The Biblical Mind is dedicated to helping its audience understand how the biblical authors thought, promoting Bible fluency through curious, careful reading of Scripture. It is hosted by Dr. Dru Johnson and published by the Center for Hebraic Thought, a hub for research and resources on the intellectual world of the Bible.

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The Biblical Mind episodes:

04.24.2024
Why Does Church Matter? Learning from Jazz (Mark Glanville)
Quotes from this episode:"With the Bible in our hands, it's time to improvise church again and to see what the spirit is calling us to and how the spirit is opening wide our imagination for what the church can be...
03.02.2024
When No One Reads Books Anymore
Byron Borger, owner of Hearts and Minds Bookstore speaks with Dru Johnson about literacy, theology, and the need for bookstores to cultivate the Christian imagination. AI Generated Takeaways —The decline in reading and literacy rates among Americans is a concern, particularly...
02.23.2024
Will AI Take Over the World (Adam Graber)
Appropriately: An AI generated summary of our conversation: The conversation explores the influence of technology on humanity and the reciprocal relationship between the two. It discusses the impact of smartphones and identifies key technologies that have shaped the world. The...
11.29.2023
Scripture, Sexuality, and Podcasting (Preston Sprinkle)
In the first half of this episode, Dru Johnson talks with Preston Sprinkle about his journeys into the LGBTQ+ communities, theologies, and conversations and the psychological research in that field. He also discusses his convictions about biblical views on sexuality...
11.14.2023
Why We Need the Global Church (Stephen T. Pardue)
In this episode, we discuss Stephen T. Pardue's newest book Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church.
10.21.2023
Are Psychedelics Good for Depression, or Anything at All? (Ben ”Doc” Askins) [Full Episode]
Audio editing (and strategic bleeping) by John Viinalass. In the first half of this extra long episode:We discuss the strange biography of Ben "Doc" Askins, from combat medic to seminary student to Army physician's assistant (PA) to Psychiatric PA researching psychedelic...
08.30.2023
Why Is Leviticus so Hard to Read? (Dr. Jay Sklar)
07.28.2023
A Bend in the Road for TBM and CHT, and Farewell Celina!
The Biblical Mind and the Center for Hebraic Thought are entering a new phase after ending a formal partnership with The King’s College. Additionally, CHT director of operations and TBM editor Celina Durgin will leave her position at the center...
07.14.2023
QAnon, Conspiracy Theories, and the Church (Michael W. Austin)
Dr. Michael W. Austin is a Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University, an author, and a speaker. He has published 12 books; most recently, he co-edited and contributed to QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories. Most of...
06.30.2023
’Fireside’ Chat: Distance between Seminaries and Churches (Matt LaPine)
Dru enjoys a more casual conversation with Matthew A. LaPine (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), pastor of theological development at Cornerstone Church and lecturer at Salt School of Theology (Ames, Iowa). Their chat covers theological and pastoral education, considering the...
06.09.2023
Is ’Systemic Injustice’ Biblical? (Michael Rhodes)
Terms like "systemic sin" or "structural injustice" immediately make many people think of contemporary ideologies that they either strongly embrace or strongly oppose, such as socialism or the much-discussed (but poorly understood) critical race theory. These charged terms are often...
06.05.2023
Technology Isn’t a Neutral Tool (Jason Thacker)
From social media, to the printing press, to artificial intelligence, to the pencil, technologies have often been regarded as things that can't be good or bad apart from how people choose to use them. Jason Thacker doesn't think any technology...
05.05.2023
ICYMI: How ’Christianese’ Is Like Corporate Jargon (Valerie Hobbs)
This episode was originally published in May of 2021. We thought it was worth a reissue for our newer listeners. A new episode is coming next week. Why do we say "come to Jesus"? This Christianese phrase doesn't just show up...
04.28.2023
ICYMI: Jesus Shows That God and Humans Are a Good Match (Lucy Peppiatt)
This episode was originally published on May 5, 2021. We thought it was worth a reissue for our newer listeners. "It was most fitting for God to come save the people he made in the first place," says Dr. Lucy Peppiatt,...
04.21.2023
What the Image of God Is and Is Not (Carmen Imes)
You might have heard that being made in the image of God refers to human rationality, relationality, moral agency, or some combination of these qualities. Dr. Carmen Imes disagrees. She and Dru discuss what they think the author of Genesis was...
04.07.2023
Understanding the Slaughter of the Canaanites in the Book of Joshua (Paul Hinlicky)
Herem warfare is the commandment to exterminate all survivors. The law of herem warfare appears in the Book of Joshua and contravenes the usual motivations for going to war in the ancient Near East. Armies in that context typically killed...
03.28.2023
Is It Time to Quit ’Quiet Time’? Discussing Our View (Dru Johnson & Celina Durgin)
Instead of interviewing a guest, TBM host Dru Johnson and editor Celina Durgin discussed an article they co-wrote for Christianity Today: "Is It Time to Quit 'Quiet Time'?" Many people read their Bibles on their own, and some do so daily. When...
03.24.2023
Women in the Early Church (Nijay Gupta)
This episode was originally published by OnScript podcast. Thanks to the OnScript team for letting us share this episode with our listeners. Here are the OnScript show notes for this episode: Episode: The book we’re talking about today is Tell Her Story:...
03.17.2023
Trying to Master the Bible? Try Savoring It Instead (Andrew Abernethy)
Literature students who can analyze a passage from East of Eden with ease often flounder when trying to analyze a Bible passage. Why? Dr. Andrew Abernethy explains how people can overcome barriers to understanding Scripture by using skills they already have, and...
03.10.2023
Jazz, Justice, and the Gospel (William Edgar)
The rich and sad story of jazz has shaped both its sorrowful sounds and its joyful hope. William Edgar, the author of A Supreme Love: The Music of Jazz and the Hope of the Gospel, discusses the subtle and not-so-subtle...
03.03.2023
Trusting Reality: ’Longing to Know’ Turns 20 (Esther Meek)
"Knowing is an activity that all of us are involved in, all of the time," writes Dr. Esther Meek in her book Longing to Know, which turns 20 this year. "Usually knowing happens without our taking great thought to the...
02.24.2023
Old—and New—Testament Violence and the Shalom of God (Matthew J. Lynch)
Readers of the Book of Joshua (and many other parts of the Bible) are inevitably confronted with the poblem of violence in Scripture. Texts referring to the destruction of whole cities or the killing of men, women, and children can...
02.17.2023
ICYMI: Don’t Skip the Poems (Michelle Knight)
This episode was originally published on October, 2020. We thought it was worth a reissue for our newer listeners. The poetry in Scripture can be hard to understand. And, especially when it is embedded within a story, such as the Song...
02.10.2023
The State of Jewish–Christian Relations (Pesach Wolicki)
Despite their shared foundations and concern for the Word of God, Christians and Jews rarely interact on the basis of faith in the modern world. Many Jewish communities, in response to centuries of antisemitism and persecution, have shielded themselves from...
02.03.2023
The Unwritten Word: Learning from High Orality-Reliant Cultures (Charles Madinger)
Western culture relies extensively on written text to communicate. But the majority of people across the world rely far less on reading than they do on speech, body language, story, images, and their other senses. Charles Madinger joins the podcast...
01.27.2023
The First Christian Nation? Keeping Up with the Armenians (Heather Ohaneson)
Despite the rich history of Armenia as an ancient Christian community, many Christians know very little about the Armenian ethnicity, culture, nation, and faith. In this episode, Dru interviews Dr. Heather Ohaneson, pastor of Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church, about Armenian...
01.20.2023
Jewish Identity, Deconstruction, and Misusing the Bible (Marty Solomon)
How do we approach the Bible? Do we see it merely as a "perfect rulebook"? A piece of literature to be picked apart? Or do we see it as something that threatens to transform us and upend our preconceptions, helping...
01.13.2023
Reading the Bible Like an Adult (Avital Hazony Levi)
How do we read the Bible like adults? For many people who grew up in communities of faith, the Bible stories have been a part of their lives for as long as they can remember. But it's often not until...
01.06.2023
Raising Chickens, Reading Scripture, and Running Governments, Reformed-Style (Jessica Joustra)
What does it mean for Christ to reign over every sphere of life? Many Christians relegate faith to "spiritual" activities, such as reading the Bible, going to church, and praying. However, the Christian tradition—and especially the Reformed tradition—can guide Christians...
12.23.2022
Most Popular Episode of 2022: ’Going to Heaven’ vs. Resurrection, the New Heavens, and the New Earth (J. Richard Middleton)
In case you missed it, this was our most popular episode of 2022. We hope this conversation encourages Christians with the biblical hope of the resurrection and the age to come. What happens to you when you die? Many Christians picture...
12.16.2022
Paying Attention to the People, Places, and Things in the Bible (Kat Armstrong)
Christians know that we should read the Bible. But often, the "should" eclipses the "why"—the fact that Scripture presents a unified, powerful, mysterious story written by God for the benefit of his people. In this episode, Dru interviews Kat Armstrong, a...
12.09.2022
There Is No West without the Near East (Robert Nicholson)
The Near East carries a strange set of connotations in the modern West. On the one hand, it is the origin of our most significant ethical traditions. On the other, it is an area full of political tensions and years...
12.02.2022
What If We Took God’s Instruction Seriously? (Ryan O’Dowd)
Is it biblical to "follow your passion"? How do you know if the law is written on your heart? In this week's episode, Dru interviews CHT Fellow Ryan O'Dowd on engaging deeply with the Bible, living in accordance with the...
11.18.2022
The Knowledge Crisis and Misinformation in Biblical Perspective (Bonnie Kristian)
Constant cries of "fake news" and misinformation point to a central issue in our culture: we have far too much information from far too many sources, and we do not know whom to trust. Whether captivated by online communities and...
11.11.2022
Wisdom of Primal Peoples in the Era of World Christianity (Jangkholam Haokip)
Christianity is a truly global religion, and every strand of Christianity has its own theological emphases. Western Christians tend to focus on individual salvation and the question of what happens when we die. But as we amplify other Christian voices,...
11.04.2022
Our Complicated History with Evil (Discover Your Roots Season 2 Premiere)
Hitler is evil. Helping an old lady cross the street is good. Simple, right? But there’s an underlying question here: Why? What are good and evil? In this crossover with our partner organization Passages Israel, Dru Johnson (CHT Director) and Mattanah...
10.21.2022
Moving from Egypt to the U.S. as a Coptic Christian (Mariam Wahba)
Dru interviews Mariam Wahba, a Coptic Christian born in Egypt who immigrated to the U.S. as a child. They discuss the multiple facets of her identity and experience, including how being a Coptic Christian shaped everything from her interactions with...
10.14.2022
The Pitfalls of Children’s Bibles (Rachel Wilkowski)
"Why wasn't I trained to read this way as a child?" —Rachel Wilkowski Over the last several decades, the Christian world has eagerly produced a host of children's Bibles—retellings of biblical stories in "kid-friendly" language, complete with cute, colorful illustrations. Many...
10.07.2022
Israelites vs. Hebrews vs. Jews . . . ? (Jason Staples)
What do we mean when we say that "Jesus was a Jew?" Scripture uses a lot of labels to refer to God's chosen people, including "Israelite," "Judahite," "Hebrew," and, of course, "Jew." In this episode, Jason Staples helps us sort...
09.30.2022
Growing Up Christian in the Gaza Strip (Khalil Sayegh)
In this week's episode, Khalil Sayegh shares his experience as a Palestinian Christian. The territory of Palestine contains two regions: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Though they share a people and a history, the two areas are separated...
09.23.2022
Revelation 101: Leaving Behind Left Behind (Jason Staples)
"This is a revelation of how things are, not so much how things have been." -Jason Staples Modern Christians reading the Book of Revelation tend to filter it through the lens of popular fiction (such as the Left Behind series) and...
09.16.2022
Would Moses Forgive Student Debt? (Michael Rhodes)
The Biden Administration's recent student debt forgiveness act in the U.S. has sparked conversations—many of them heated—about the nature of fairness, justice, poverty, and economic well-being. In this episode, Michael Rhodes joins Dru to discuss debt forgiveness in Scripture and the...
09.09.2022
A Jewish View of the Afterlife in the Hebrew Bible (Jeremiah Unterman)
For Christians accustomed to certain ideas of heaven and hell, other views of the afterlife in Scripture may seem strange. But Jewish views of the afterlife have a storied and fascinating tradition of their own. In this episode, Dru is...
09.02.2022
Thinking Biblically about Institutions (Ari Lamm)
The Bible tells stories about individuals, families, and nations. But it also tells stories about institutions—the chosen and unchosen social structures that range from marriage, to news media, to the Supreme Court. Today, many people see major institutions as weak,...
08.26.2022
The Bonhoeffer of Ethiopia (Abeneazer Urga)
Amid persecution from the Marxist state and a fragmented Ethiopian church, Gudina Tumsa became a figure who advocated a holistic theology of justice, church unity in Ethiopia, and the health and strength of the church more broadly. In this episode,...
08.19.2022
ICYMI: What Is the Point of Prayer? Does It Change God’s Mind? (John C. Peckham)
This episode was originally published in July, 2021. We thought it was worth a reissue for our newer listeners. If God is sovereign, what is the point of prayer? Is it merely a meditative exercise, or do our petitions shape the...
08.12.2022
The Dangers of Celebrity in the Church (Katelyn Beaty)
We live in a fame-saturated culture. Celebrity figures run our largest corporations, media entities, and megachurches. But the characteristics of celebrity—unquestioned authority, dynamic public personas, and tendency toward abuse—make it a dangerous feature in Christian churches. Recent stories about abusive,...
08.05.2022
Forming Trauma-Safe Churches (Scott Harrower and Joshua Cockayne)
We hear the word "trauma" a lot today—but what does it really mean? For Christians who have experienced horrific, overwhelming, life-threatening events events, the church can be a place either of fear or of healing. In this episode, Scott Harrower...
07.29.2022
Repentance in Deed and Word (Shalom Carmy)
We all desire repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. But these concepts are complicated, and seeing them from a Jewish perspective on biblical law can provide a fresh perspective to non-Jews. In this episode, the discussion of repentance and forgiveness continues with...
07.22.2022
Q&A Series: Is There Marriage in Heaven? (Dru Johnson)
From Genesis, marriage looks like it is one of the most important parts of creation. So, does Jesus really say in Luke 20 that there will be no "marrying and giving in marriage" in the new heavens and earth? In...

What's The Biblical Mind about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Biblical Mind episodes:

Why Does Church Matter? Learning from Jazz (Mark Glanville)

When No One Reads Books Anymore

Will AI Take Over the World (Adam Graber)

Scripture, Sexuality, and Podcasting (Preston Sprinkle)

Why We Need the Global Church (Stephen T. Pardue)

Are Psychedelics Good for Depression, or Anything at All? (Ben ”Doc” Askins) [Full Episode]

Why Is Leviticus so Hard to Read? (Dr. Jay Sklar)

A Bend in the Road for TBM and CHT, and Farewell Celina!

QAnon, Conspiracy Theories, and the Church (Michael W. Austin)

’Fireside’ Chat: Distance between Seminaries and Churches (Matt LaPine)

Is ’Systemic Injustice’ Biblical? (Michael Rhodes)

Technology Isn’t a Neutral Tool (Jason Thacker)

ICYMI: How ’Christianese’ Is Like Corporate Jargon (Valerie Hobbs)

ICYMI: Jesus Shows That God and Humans Are a Good Match (Lucy Peppiatt)

What the Image of God Is and Is Not (Carmen Imes)

Understanding the Slaughter of the Canaanites in the Book of Joshua (Paul Hinlicky)

Is It Time to Quit ’Quiet Time’? Discussing Our View (Dru Johnson & Celina Durgin)

Women in the Early Church (Nijay Gupta)

Trying to Master the Bible? Try Savoring It Instead (Andrew Abernethy)

Jazz, Justice, and the Gospel (William Edgar)

Trusting Reality: ’Longing to Know’ Turns 20 (Esther Meek)

Old—and New—Testament Violence and the Shalom of God (Matthew J. Lynch)

ICYMI: Don’t Skip the Poems (Michelle Knight)

The State of Jewish–Christian Relations (Pesach Wolicki)

The Unwritten Word: Learning from High Orality-Reliant Cultures (Charles Madinger)

The First Christian Nation? Keeping Up with the Armenians (Heather Ohaneson)

Jewish Identity, Deconstruction, and Misusing the Bible (Marty Solomon)

Reading the Bible Like an Adult (Avital Hazony Levi)

Raising Chickens, Reading Scripture, and Running Governments, Reformed-Style (Jessica Joustra)

Most Popular Episode of 2022: ’Going to Heaven’ vs. Resurrection, the New Heavens, and the New Earth (J. Richard Middleton)

Paying Attention to the People, Places, and Things in the Bible (Kat Armstrong)

There Is No West without the Near East (Robert Nicholson)

What If We Took God’s Instruction Seriously? (Ryan O’Dowd)

The Knowledge Crisis and Misinformation in Biblical Perspective (Bonnie Kristian)

Wisdom of Primal Peoples in the Era of World Christianity (Jangkholam Haokip)

Our Complicated History with Evil (Discover Your Roots Season 2 Premiere)

Moving from Egypt to the U.S. as a Coptic Christian (Mariam Wahba)

The Pitfalls of Children’s Bibles (Rachel Wilkowski)

Israelites vs. Hebrews vs. Jews . . . ? (Jason Staples)

Growing Up Christian in the Gaza Strip (Khalil Sayegh)

Revelation 101: Leaving Behind Left Behind (Jason Staples)

Would Moses Forgive Student Debt? (Michael Rhodes)

A Jewish View of the Afterlife in the Hebrew Bible (Jeremiah Unterman)

Thinking Biblically about Institutions (Ari Lamm)

The Bonhoeffer of Ethiopia (Abeneazer Urga)

ICYMI: What Is the Point of Prayer? Does It Change God’s Mind? (John C. Peckham)

The Dangers of Celebrity in the Church (Katelyn Beaty)

Forming Trauma-Safe Churches (Scott Harrower and Joshua Cockayne)

Repentance in Deed and Word (Shalom Carmy)

Q&A Series: Is There Marriage in Heaven? (Dru Johnson)