In this episode, Dr. Richter also discusses the self-restraint required by God of his people and what we can do in our modern, industrialized age to create a healthier relationship with the environment. Join the Patreon Team ! Find out more about Dr. Richter HERE Her book Stewards of Eden is an IVP Reader's Choice nominee! Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine. Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the...
Feb 25, 2021•29 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Join the Patreon Team ! Find out more about Dr. Richter HERE Her book Stewards of Eden is an IVP Reader's Choice nominee! Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine. Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook !...
Feb 18, 2021•28 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Join the Patreon Team ! Find out more about Dr. Phillips HERE See her book With God, Nothing is Impossible And her book discussed on this show: An Introduction to Reading Biblical Wisdom Texts Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine. Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook !...
Feb 11, 2021•42 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Dr. Elaine Phillips joins us to discuss what Israelite wisdom texts are and why we need them in the Bible. We get into the book of Proverbs and discuss who the Proverbs 31 woman really is. Join the Patreon Team ! Find out more about Dr. Phillips HERE See her book With God, Nothing is Impossible And her book discussed on this show: An Introduction to Reading Biblical Wisdom Texts Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine. Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Rea...
Feb 04, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Learn more about Dr. Sarah Harris HERE Guess what????? A JUC sponsored FREE seminar. I'll be presenting with some other fantastically amazing scholars. Click here for information and to register for The Bible, Geography, and You. Join the Patreon Team ! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine. For 40% off the pre-order of my new book Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels . The book is also available on Amazon a...
Dec 24, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Were Mary and Joseph alone in an A-frame barn, isolated from their community when Jesus was born? What is the political intrigue buried in the narrative of the Magi visiting Jesus? Dr. Paul Wright from Jerusalem University College helps us read the birth narratives in a more culturally aware way. Guess what????? A JUC sponsored FREE seminar. I'll be presenting with some other fantastically amazing scholars. Click here for information and to register for The Bible, Geography, and You. Join the Pa...
Dec 17, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Join the Patreon Team ! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Read Paul Wright's new books: Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical Geography and Heart of the Holy Land . Find out more about Jerusalem University College Guess what????? A JUC sponsored FREE seminar. I'll be presenting with some other fantastically amazing scholars. Click here for information and to register for The Bible, Geography, and You. Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine. For 40% off the p...
Dec 10, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Learn more about Dr. Norman Wirzba Link to his book Food and Faith and read a FREE article titled "Can we live in a world without a Sabbath?" Join the Patreon Team ! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine. For 40% off the pre-order of my new book Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels . (sale through November 30, 2020) The book is also available on Amazon and will be available as an audio book in January 2021. ...
Dec 03, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 16
This week we talk about how theology, philosophy, and ecology can be amazing conversation partners. When our food is packaged and purchased at a store, we think of the products of the earth as a commodity first and foremost. We are disconnected from the reality about food and the connections we have with nature and with creatures, so how does that change how we interact with the biblical text? Learn more about Dr. Norman Wirzba Link to his book Food and Faith and read a FREE article titled "Can ...
Nov 26, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 15
What happens when work is combined with the experience of receiving the Eucharist? And can Dr. Kreglinger's experience on a vineyard help us know more about God's character? Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Learn more about Gisela Kreglinger and to contact her about her availability to guide you an a group of friends on a Spirituality of Wine event: https://www.giselakreglinger.com Buy The Spirituality of Wine and The Soul of Wine Learn more about me and sign up for Foo...
Nov 19, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 13
What can the church learn from embracing wine and engaging the vocation of being a vintner? After all, God is often called a vintner throughout the Old and New Testaments. Dr. Gisela Kreglinger-Smith encourages us to attend to the agrarian view of scripture. Pour yourself a drink and join us as we discuss the beauty of wine. Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Learn more about Gisela Kreglinger: https://www.giselakreglinger.com Buy The Spirituality of Wine and The Soul of ...
Nov 12, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 14
What makes people gravitate towards diverse places or towards white places? Is the church being mindful of the narratives they choose to tell? Dr. Leong brings in the ideas of Bob Ekblad who talks of the church being the bridge between the margins and the mainstream. We also touch on the signifiant writings of Stanley Haurwas that emphasize how the church gathers to rehearse and retell the transformative story of the gospel. Are we even paying attention the diverse ways the gospel is playing out...
Nov 05, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 12
From the studies of urban environments to the church's responsibility to engage in reconciliation, Dr. Leong's book Race and Place is a must read. This week we discuss Dr. Leong's history and how it led him to write this book. Along with Race and Place, we discuss how important it is to create a sense of belonging if reconciliation is to happen. Join our Patreon Team: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Buy the book here: Race and Place Learn more about Dr. David Leong Send me comments and quest...
Oct 29, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 11
How well do we know our history? The stories we tell influence who we perceive to be the primary contributors to the Christian faith. Dr. Vince Bantu does an excellent job convincing us we should be paying attention to more voices than we normally listen to. This week we dive into more of the specifics of the untold stories of early church history that originated in Africa and Syrai. Hold on, you are going for a ride into some stories you’ve never heard of before. Join our Patreon Team: https://...
Oct 22, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Dr. Bantu grew up in a racially segregated St. Louis. His neighborhood was "the hood" (as he says), but he went to school in an affluent area. The church they went to was nearby, but it was over the line separating the white and black neighborhoods. This week we talk about the subtleties of cultural clues that get mixed into the expression of religions, and how detangling culture and religion pushed Dr. Bantu into his PhD studies. Join our Patreon Team: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Read m...
Oct 15, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 9
This week we start by addressing a question a listener sent in to Dr. Kalantzis about the Eucharist and Ecclesiology. Then we get into who the early church mothers are and what we lose by not preserving and passing along their stories. Find out more about me: www.narrativeofplace.com Join the Patreon team here: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker More about Dr. Kalantzis: https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/faculty/george-kalantzis/ Suggested book for learning more about early church theologians: ...
Oct 08, 2020•40 min•Season 2Ep. 8
The early church theologians were pastors who wrote to address the context of their local congregations. Some of their writings were lost and have been recently rediscovered. What can we know about these early thinkers and how do they impact what we believe now? Join the Patreon team here: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker More about Dr. Kalantzis: https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/faculty/george-kalantzis/ Follow me on Facebook @narrativeofplace Instagram @narrative_of_place Twitter @CyndiPar...
Oct 01, 2020•36 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Join the Patreon powerhouse team at: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker Father Andrew's website with connections to all his books and podcasts is found at: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/asd/ Book on Mt. Athos: https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Athos-Paradise-Graham-Speake/dp/0300093535 David Dry's photography and writings are at: https://www.daviddry.com Connect with me on Twitter @CyndiParkerPhD or at www.narrativeofplace.com
Sep 24, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Can stages, rock bands, and moving lights usher us into the sacred? Many of you on social media said no, although you recognized your upbringing in such places. Do we value the theological teachings on Sunday over what the place of Sunday worship communicates? And is it possible that the place can be objectively "sacred" even when a person does not intellectually or emotionally feel it as sacred? These are all the issues we cover this week. Follow Father Andrew on Twitter @FrAndrewSDamick Or fin...
Sep 17, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Join the Patreon Team! HERE ! Father Paul Drozdowski's website: https://www.pd-icons.com David Dry's website: https://www.daviddry.com Explore the "Jordanville" style icons and maybe get one for yourself HERE . Explore the online Rabulla Gospel and the Ascension image in particular....
Sep 10, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Join the Patreon Team! HERE ! Father Paul's website: https://www.pd-icons.com
Sep 03, 2020•31 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Join the Patreon Team! HERE ! Watch a short video on Our Lady of Guadalupe HERE See Frederica's Website HERE Mary as the Early Christians Knew Her book...
Aug 27, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Join the Patreon Team! HERE ! See Frederica's Website HERE Mary as the Early Christians Knew Her book Read the Protoevangelion of James HERE...
Aug 20, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 1
This week I am joined by Mom and Dad Parker, Kendra, Shanna, and Brian as we all look back at the first season of Context Matters. What stories drew us in and which lessons keep us coming back for more? And I am getting ready to move and reorganize my pandemic-shaped life, so Context Matters is taking a break until mid August. Make sure to subscribe now so you do not miss Episode 1 of Season 2 when it is released! Until then, enjoy this trip down memory lane and get caught up on any of the episo...
Jul 09, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Join part 2 in the conversation with Dr. Riedel through the complex history of the early church councils that were responsible for establishing the basic tenets of the Christian faith. The first seven ecumenical councils had to be attended by bishops of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome. If we look at the geographical, historical, and linguistic context of those 5 cities we might start to guess about some potential hot spots that could drive a wedge between them. In fact, ...
Jul 02, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 25
What happened to push Christianity from persecution to endorsement by the Roman Empire? This week Dr. Meredith Riedel explains the events that led up to the necessity of convening a church council made up of bishops from Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome. The first councils hammered out the basic tenants of the Christian faith: How can God be human? Was Jesus divine? If he was, what do we call Mary? Who is the Holy Spirit? These are foundational matters for the global chur...
Jun 25, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 24
How did we end up with the Bible that we read? Dr. Derek Cooper introduces us to the complexity of this sacred text. We think of the Bible as one singular book that was given to the church, but we forget that people chose the scrolls and the letters that would belong to the biblical canon, and then they organized them to tell a complete narrative. We are not always aware of these issues, which attributes to some of our assumptions about the text. Learn more about Dr. Cooper’s work with the Thoma...
Jun 18, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 23
We start our conversation discussing how Paul introduced his gentile and God-fearing audience to Jewish scriptures, and how he dealt with the clash between power, status, and identity that was present among the diverse Christian communities. I cannot help but think how we still have much to learn from Paul’s instructions within our present context of communities crying out to be seen, heard, and valued. Dr. Gupta sheds light on the clues we see in Paul’s writings that display his respect for the...
Jun 11, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 22
As we continue this series that follow the Christian story as it developed in Jewish context and then spreads to a gentile context before severing itself from its original roots, we leave the land of the Bible to broaden our horizon line and explore how the apostle Paul translated the gospel message into the wider Hellenized society of the Roman empire. My guest this week is Dr Nijay Gupta. We discuss the intriguing aspect of reading ancient letters, along with the challenges and misunderstandin...
Jun 04, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 21
We talk about many of Dr. Notley’s works with great scholars. You can find these links below. The translation of David Flusser’s work: The Sage from Galilee Anson Rainey and Steven Notley: The Sacred Bridge Ze’ev Safrai and Steven Notley: Parables of the Sages To follow along with the El-Araj project and the discussion over the location of the gospel town of Bethesda, go to the El Araj page HERE . They have all kinds of pictures, videos, and articles available....
May 28, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 20
