In this interview, Pesach and I discuss some of the unhelpful ways that certain people of faith have responded to the pandemic gripping our world. How does God want us to respond? Can we know what God is saying to us through these difficult times? Pesach critiques some of the interpretations being offered in Israel by certain rabbis there. He goes to Exod 33:21-22 to point out that Moses could only really glimpse God from the backside. In other words, while momentous events are going on, it is a...
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 16
This episode seeks to engage in the terrible virus sweeping our country asking, “What biblical themes should we be thinking about? Where is God speaking to us? What lessons can we learn?" I talked with Todd Mueller, an (associate professor of business administration), Eric and Denise Van Meter (campus pastors at DWU) and I have some thoughts of my own. The sound quality is not good because of social distancing. In one case, I recorded with an app that allowed us to be at some distance. In anothe...
Mar 21, 2020•39 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Betty Oldenkamp is the Executive Director of Lutheran Social Services in Sioux Falls and Director of their "Center for New Americans" which helps refugees resettle into South Dakota. In this episode, Betty and I discussed the striking way in which the Bible in both testaments expresses tremendous concern for the refugee. One text actually declares a curse on those who misuse and mistreat refugees (Deut 27:19). See the link below. Betty discussed the tremendous work involved in helping refugees r...
Mar 17, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 14
This episode is for students in my REL 141 course which is going online until Mar 30. I discuss Pascal’s Wager for those struggling to believe in God.
Mar 13, 2020•35 min•Ep. 1
This is my second episode on the Bible and Immigration and is an interview with my friend and colleague Thomas Madut. Thomas was one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan" who fled from the Janjaweed fighters who wrecked devastation throughout south Sudan in the mid-1990's. Thomas is an extraordinary marathon runner and ranked 46th in the Boston Marathon just a few years ago. Thomas is a Trio Student Success Adviser and a Peer Mentor Coordinator here at Dakota Wesleyan University. I interviewed him about h...
Mar 09, 2020•49 min•Season 2Ep. 13
This podcast examines a recent experience I had advocating for South Dakota HB 1212 which would have added clergy to the list of mandatory reporters of suspected cases of child neglect and abuse. 45 states already mandate that clergy report suspected cases. Reporting suspected abuse does not mean that anyone gets in trouble. It just means that a qualified professional checks in on the child's welfare. Teachers, counselors, healthcare providers, social welfare workers and many other professions a...
Mar 03, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 12
We now know that January 2020 was the hottest January since temperatures have been tracked. Let’s talk climate. What does the Bible say about our environment? How should we think biblically about the multiple human impacts on the created world? Besides a warming environment, insect populations and bird populations are in steep descent. This episode contains a biblical conversation with David Hollis, the Director of the Wesley Foundation at Belmont University in Nashville. David is the author of ...
Feb 18, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 11
This is the second half of the conversation I had recently with Vicky Vetter and Karl Kroger. Vicky is the Director of Student Ministries at Legacy United Methodist Church in Bismarck ND. She's very involved in helping resettle and educate immigrants in the Bismarck area. Karl is the Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Piedmont SD and has been passionate about immigration and refugees. In 2013, Karl, along with students from Bethlehem Bible College, helped minister to Syrian refuge...
Feb 11, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 10
What attitude should we take toward people who have entered this nation illegally? Should mercy and benevolence triumph over justice and the law? What about those who immigrate here lawfully or those who seek asylum? Vicky, Karl and I waded into this vast and complex topic using the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as our guide. We also call this the "STER analysis" which follows these 4 questions. What does Scripture teach? (the S in STER). What about the traditions of our church (the T in STER). Here we...
Feb 03, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 9
This is the first episode in Biblical Conversations on a “social issues” topic. We’re going to jump in deep. Let's talk about abortion. We can say with some confidence that this is the issue that got Trump elected - evangelicals loved his promise to select judges for SCOTUS that would be strongly anti-abortion. And, in the last several days, about 200 legislators signed an amicus brief to SCOTUS to revisit Roe vs Wade. Yet, conversations on this topic are typically rancorous and less than illumi...
Jan 21, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 8
This episode explores the biblical story of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23). There are two powerful puzzles related to this story. 1) Why was the prophetess Huldah so negative and depressingly unhopeful? Jeremiah was prophesying great hope and salvation predicated on obedience at this same time! (Jer 7). Secondly, if Josiah was so pious (and he was!), why didn't God protect him in battle? Here, Josiah could hardly been a more pious and godly leader. He did his level best to follow the Torah laws by ...
Jan 14, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 7
This episode is a sermon I put together for the Christmas Season this year. Of course, the Christmas Season actually begins on Christmas and continues on for the 12 days of Christmas to January 6 when this episode should appear. I’ll discuss three things about the Christmas story that you may not know and may surprise the way you read the story from here on out. Enjoy!
Jan 06, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In this episode, Drs. Belanger and Redder, colleagues of mine here at Dakota Wesleyan University, discuss the prophecies of Isaiah 11 and 60. Also, Jeff Pospicil and I discussed Isaiah 60 - the second part of a previous conversation.
Dec 30, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode, I'll have two discussions with Eric Van Meter, Jeff Pospisil. Eric and I discuss the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 7:10-17, and Jeff and I will discuss Isaiah 9:1-7. We discuss the fact that all these "prophetic" passages had very specific meanings in their own political context. Isaiah 7 was originally written to strengthen Ahaz in about 735 BC as he was facing the combined armies of Israel and Syria (not Assyria) who were wanting to force Judah into an anti-Assyrian alliance. T...
Dec 23, 2019•58 min•Season 2Ep. 4
This episode explores the meaning of the book of Psalms as it relates to kingship. Turns out, the very structure of the book (divided into five sub-books with Royal Psalms at the seams) tells the story of the shifting understanding of Yahweh’s relation to Kings of Israel. We also see evidence of a shift in emphasis from Temple to Torah.
Dec 16, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this episode, we examine various attitudes about kingship in ancient Israel starting with the book of Judges (the theme mentioned four times toward the end that “In those days, there was no king in Israel” - clearly indicating that Israel needed a King to straighten out the mess of the Judges period) and ending with Jeremiah (ch 7 - clear indication of a conditional understanding of the covenant). We spend time looking at God’s promise to David about building him a royal house (II Sam 7 - an ...
Dec 09, 2019•53 min•Season 2Ep. 2
This episode analyzes the developing understanding of kingship in ancient Israel - from Gideon’s rejection of kingship altogether (Yahweh is our King! We don’t need another!) to Christ our Messianic King, we survey biblical kingship and the competing understandings. We examine Gen 35 which foretells of Israelite kings who would come from the loins of the patriarchs of old. Then we'll take a look at the restrictive code of kings in Deut 17. On the other side of the coin, we find Gideon’s rejectio...
Dec 02, 2019•48 min•Season 2Ep. 1
I read an introduction to Ecclesiastes the other day that described Ecclesiastes as purveying an “edgy spirituality” that was challenging in the moment but in the end served to encourage faith and discipleship. That got me thinking about BC as a similar “edgy spirituality” that asks difficult questions but builds a firmer faith in the end. The more I thought about this, the more I wanted to share these thoughts with you. So here we go! Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov 22, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 23
I’ve made some alterations to my first episode and I’m republishing it in this downtime before Season 2 begins (Dec. 4). I’ve added a new opening segment which I recently recorded to say again what I want in this podcast. Let me know what you think! I'm excited about Season Two and I already have the first few episodes pretty much ready to roll. BC is still about an analysis of biblical disagreements to understand them from the vantage point of deepened faith and enriched discipleship to Christ....
Nov 20, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Rabbi Wolicki - our guest on Biblical Conversations! In this episode, Rabbi Wolicki and I discuss rabbinic understandings of the relationship between godliness and the good life, whether the retribution system functioned at the individual level, the corporate level, or both. (See BC 10, BC 11 and BC 12). We discuss how retribution for sin and blessing for goodness would destroy genuine morality and replace it with a crass system of payment. We agree that the blessing and curse system must functi...
Nov 19, 2019•56 min•Season 1Ep. 19
We are living in a day an age of skyrocketing mental health challenges. Anxiety and depression seem to be at all-time highs. This episode explores Psalm 42 (the famous “As the Deer” Psalm) for lessons and exhortation as to how we can do the work of soul-strengthening so we can avoid being devastated by the storms of life. 3) How are you crafting time in your schedule for private time with God? How are you developing this personal connection with God through prayer and scripture study?
Oct 30, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Brandon and I discussed the issues surrounding the reception of wisdom traditions in the ancient and modern worlds. Brandon referred to a book exploring how the NT understands Jesus to be the embodiment of wisdom. Its by Ben Witherington III. The full title is “Jesus the Sage: The Pilgrimage of Wisdom” (Fortress, 2000).
Oct 23, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Rabbi Wolicki describes a rabbinic biblical legend of a conversation between Moses and God during a key episode in scripture. Moses asks about the question we’ve been discussing: Why is there a righteous man suffering and a righteous man prospering? And why is there a wicked man suffering and a wicked man prospering. Rabbi Wolicki applies his depth of biblical interpretive insight and unlocks wisdom that provides true solace and succor for the soul in times of trial and distress.
Oct 16, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 20
This episode is called “Odds and Ends” because I go a little deeper on two topics. First, I discuss the divine name more thoroughly and examine the possibility of its being based on a causative verb (hiphil in Hebrew) rather than the regular verb (Qal in Hebrew). So Yahweh would mean, “He who causes things to be” more than “He who is.” Secondly, I discuss an article by Michael V. Fox about the various stages by which wisdom literature was received into the Israelite canon. At first, the receptio...
Oct 01, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 18
David and I discuss the notion of Satan and demons and how important it is to believe in these as real entities of existence. We also discussed how we understand biblical inspiration to work and how the scriptures function as God’s authoritative word.
Sep 24, 2019•49 min•Season 1Ep. 17
This study examines the question through the lens: Did Jesus intend to leave behind a specific political/national entity? I argue that he does not. The primary passage which suggests Christian support for a particular government is Rom 15:1-6. I argue that this should be read in a very limited way: Christians should not incite anti-Roman insurrection and should pay their taxes. As proof that some Christians felt justified in condemning Rome, I looked at Rev 13-17 where Rome is depicted as a beas...
Sep 17, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 16
This episode covers commandments 3 and 4 found in Exod 20:7-8. “You should not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” and “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Study Questions: How can we honor the name of God? How might our own personal integrity bring dishonor to the name of God? In what ways can I increase in my awareness of God’s ownership and lordship over my time? How can I be better at designating rest into the craziness of life?
Sep 13, 2019•15 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In this devotional episode, we’ll look at commandments 1 and 2 which are Exod 20:3-3. Hope you enjoy!
Sep 11, 2019•15 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This is a shorter version, more devotional in nature. In this episode, I’ll look what Jewish folk understand to be the first commandment, “I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exod 20:1-2.) Study Guide Questions: How can I deepen my awareness of God’s Being as the foundation for my being? How can I grow in awareness that indeed I also was redeemed from the Land of Egypt?
Sep 09, 2019•17 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This podcast examines the challenge of understanding biblical inspiration. How does it work? Three parts. 1) We examine II Sam 24 and I Chron 21 to see the shocking shift: God incites David in II Samuel and in Chronicles retelling of the same story he says Satan incited David to take the evil census. 2) We look at four (or really five) ways of understanding biblical inspiration. None of them satisfy me either because they are too weak or cannot explain the paradigm shifting seen in scripture. 3)...
Sep 06, 2019•58 min•Season 1Ep. 14
