This week we're talking about showing off your love for God, and whether that might not be a such great idea. And our example of not mentioning God comes straight from the Bible?? First, we're looking at the book of Esther. It's a story with all the twists and turns of a Disney animated movie (complete with cartoon villain), and about as much plausibility. It's a wild ride, and by the end someone's going to be killed on a fifty-cubit pole. But something important is missing... Then, should Chris...
Jan 26, 2026•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 147
Jesus fulfilled the law! It says so right there in Matthew. But what on earth does that actually mean? Different people have had vastly different interpretations of that idea, and the consequences of their ideas are significant! Are the old laws still in effect, or did Jesus abolish them? Should we throw away Leviticus? Should we stop eating shellfish? What does it mean??? Then, since we talked about Deuteronomy rules of war last week, we're going to take another look. We mentioned the Assyrian ...
Jan 19, 2026•1 hr•Ep. 146
What do you know about baptism? Why do Christians do it? Where does it come from? This week, we're exploring the most important baptism of all: that of Jesus. It's clearly a pivotal moment in the narrative of the life of Jesus, but it also presents some pretty important theological problems. And if it's so important, why do the gospels seem to disagree about how it went down? Then, it's the rules of war! Deuteronomy 20 presents some pretty specific rules about how the Israelites are supposed to ...
Jan 12, 2026•1 hr•Ep. 145
John the Baptizer was a fascinating character. More attested to historically than Jesus, John was a genuinely big deal! One of the historically attested facts about John was his execution by Herod. Which Herod? You're going to be sorry you asked. But John's death is fascinating- what do the gospels say about it? Do they agree with each other about how/why it happened (what a world that would be!)? And do the gospel accounts line up with other extra-biblical tellings of the story? Then, we're tal...
Jan 05, 2026•58 min•Ep. 144
Get some sunglasses, because this week we're shining bright like a diamond! That's right, we're diving into all the glowy sparkle that is the transfiguration of Jesus. What is that story really about? What happened on that hill? And why does everyone drag Peter for offering to set up tents? He was just brainstorming! No stupid questions, right? Then, gather 5,000 of your best friends and let's have a pot-luck. We're talking loaves, we're talking fishes, and we're comparing not two, not three, bu...
Dec 29, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 143
It was a setup, I tell ya! This week, we're focusing on "the fall," and the two poor suckers who were set up to take that fall. First, we're going through the story of Adam, Eve, the tree and the snake, and parsing out exactly what did and didn't happen in Eden. Who lied and who told the truth? Who knew what and when did they know it? Who, if anybody, actually committed a sin? Then, speaking of sin, we're going to get original. What is the doctrine of "original sin"? Is it in the Bible? Where di...
Dec 22, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 142
The birth of Jesus is obviously one of the most important Christian narratives. Or is it two of the most important Christian Narratives? Either way, one of the great apologetic claims about nativity is that it fulfilled over three hundred prophesies. This week, we're going to look at what Ken Ham's Answers in Genesis says about some of those prophesies, and see if those claims hold up. Then it's roll-play time. Dan B will do his best to take the place of online apologists who challenge Dan M's c...
Dec 15, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 141
Tucker Carlson and Jeremiah Johnston don't know what they're talking about when it comes to history. Johnston recently went on Tucker's show (he still has a show- weird, right?), and claimed, among many other things, that Jesus and his crucifixion are better attested by the evidence than Julius Caesar. It's an odd apologetic, but is it possibly true? Then we'll discuss the immaculate conception, which everybody thinks they understand, but only half of them are right. But even if you correctly un...
Dec 08, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 140
Look out! 'Cause this week we're looking at a controversial issue, and perhaps strangely for us, the impetus for this has nothing to do with Mormonism. No, recently a Missouri pastor named Rich Tidwell made waves in Christian circles by claiming that the Bible--yes, even the New Testament--is pro polygamy. And, really putting his matrimony where his mouth is, he has the wives to prove it. So is the Bible as positive about plural marriage as Tidwell claims? And if so, does that mean that the Chur...
Dec 01, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 139
Remember when Jesus told the poor to get off their butts and pull themselves up by their bootstraps? I don't either, but lots of people think they remember when Paul said it. This week, we're looking at 2 Thessalonians, 3:10. It's one of those passages that, if someone's bringing it up, you know you're about to hear something wild. It's the bit about anyone unwilling to work shall not eat. Which sounds straightforward (if cold-hearted) enough. But does it actually mean what right-wing congresspe...
Nov 24, 2025•55 min•Ep. 138
Its Jubilee time- and what are we celebrating? A no-longer-canonical book, I guess. Jubilees is a Second Temple rewrite of Genesis that reshapes creation stories, adds angelic narration, and updates the calendar to aaaaaalmost get the number of days in the year right. Then we tackle the viral claim that the Bible has 63,779 perfect cross-references. Does it prove divine authorship? Maybe! Ok, no. But we still have a lot of fun breaking it down. We look at how these “links” are created, where the...
Nov 17, 2025•59 min•Ep. 137
Catholics don't read the Bible! Or at least, according to studies most don't read it in their homes. But according to our guest, Michael Peppard, that doesn't mean that they don't have a deep and meaningful relationship with it. This week, we're talking with Dr Peppard about his book How Catholics Encounter the Bible". It's a fascinating look at the world of Catholicism: the culture, the theology, and specifically the ways in which Catholic people learn and understand the teachings of the Bible....
Nov 10, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 136
Dominion! Do men have it over their wives? This week we're looking at Ephesians 5 where it very clearly says that wives should be subject to their husbands as to the Lord. OR DOES IT?!? We're going deep into Doc McClellan's linguistic grab-bag to parse out what it actually says. Because ancient Greek is tricky, and doesn't operate the way modern English does. Then, it's ANCIENT ALIENS!!! Were people in antiquity visited by extra terrestrials? Are the gods and angels written about in the Bible ac...
Nov 03, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 135
Giving you good biblical data is our cross to bear, but what that cross looks like and what it symbolizes is a question! We're all very aware of the traditional crucifix or cross as a symbol of Christianity, but how did the thing that killed Jesus come to represent his followers? And why? And is it possible that Jesus didn't die on a cross at all (that's what Jehova's Witnesses believe)? Then, we're looking at "the way of the spirit," and no, that's not a self-help book by a hippie mystic. It's ...
Oct 27, 2025•53 min•Ep. 134
Ooooh... this week's show is keeping it SPICY! First we're going to tackle what might at first feel like one of the least controversial of the Ten Commandments. But if you've listened to this show, you know that's almost never the case. So when the Bible says "thou shalt not commit adultery," what is it really getting at? Then we dive into the book of Hosea, which comes out swinging, and only gets weirder. What does it mean that God tells Hosea to take a wife of prostitution? And why would God w...
Oct 20, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 133
The antichrist is coming! According to Peter Thiel, anyway. But who or what he thinks the antichrist actually is seems a little fuzzy. Well, this week on the Data Over Dogma show, we're looking at Thiel's odd take on the end times to see if it stacks up with what's in the Bible. Then, we're looking at the star of David. Where did it come from? How did it come to be the symbol of Judaism? And are the conspiracy theories online about it based in truth, or just more silly antisemitism? ---- For ear...
Oct 13, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 132
This week, it's the story of Noah's ark! But WHICH story? Is it possible that there was more than one ark narrative floating around in the sea of antiquity? If so, how did the biblical authors handle the differences? We're taking the differing (even conflicting?!) narratives two-by-two onto our ship, and seeing what we can sort out. Here's hoping it's a sufficient number of cubits long! Then, eat, drink, and be merry, because it's parable time, and if you're wealthy, this one doesn't work out so...
Oct 06, 2025•56 min•Ep. 131
This week, we're grabbing hold of the apocrypha with both hands and not letting go! Or is it deuterocanonical? I guess that depends on whose tradition you're looking at. Regardless, it's a weird book and there's a lot of interesting stuff to talk about. Was it written during the exile, as it claims? What insights does it give us into the mindset of the time? Who the heck is Baruch??? ---- For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the oppor...
Sep 29, 2025•49 min•Ep. 130
This week should be sponsored by that "adult play" company, because we're getting a little naughty! Or rather- the Bible got a little naughty (maybe), and we're just talking about it. First, though, we're going to talk about one of those famous "judges" that the book of Judges was named for. It's the story of Gideon, and it has a lot going on! Did Gideon see God or an angel? Why did he ask for signs? Why is my hotel Bible named after him? Then, it's time. We're going to talk about the... thing i...
Sep 22, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 129
This week it's a johannine deep dive, and we brought in the big guns! Our guest is Hugo Méndez, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and all-around nice guy. Hugo's book, The Gospel of John, a New History, is making waves in the world of Bible scholarship, and we're here for it. Grab a board, and let's surf those waves together! Get the book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-gospel-of-john-9780197686126?cc=us&lang=en&...
Sep 15, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 128
That's right- this week, we're going full Indy! Well... it's not like we're traveling to the ends of the Earth to keep the bad guys away from precious ancient artifacts, but we are going to talk about two of Dr. Jones' most important archaeological finds (thefts): the Ark of the Covenant, and the Holy Grail! First, we're going to look at the Ark, that big box that Moses built. What is it? What's in it? What was it for and what did it do (other than melt N@zi faces off, obviously). We'll give you...
Sep 08, 2025•58 min•Ep. 127
It is one of the most important verses of the Hebrew Bible, and it's only six words! Well, six in Hebrew. In English, it's anywhere from nine to twelve words, depending on who's doing the translating. It's the Shema, a prayer from Deuteronomy still holy in Judaism. But why is it so important? What makes that one verse so special? And for the love of all that's holy- why is it so hard to translate? What exactly do those six Hebrew words mean? Then, we're heading back into the dark regions of the ...
Sep 01, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 126
Was there prostitution in the temple? For a long time, there have been claims that the holy temples of ancient Judea included some form of sacred sex work. Where did this idea come from? Is it valid? And what does this conversation have to do with hate pastor and frequently wrong guy Doug Wilson? Then, get out your magnifying glasses and call in Poirot, Sherlock, and the whole Scooby gang, because we're diving into a mystery! It's the case of the hidden Psalm, and it's a fun one. Have you finall...
Aug 25, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 125
Will the real Christians please stand up? This week, we're getting to the bottom of a very divisive issue. In a world where people in different sects of Christianity are constantly drawing lines in the sand, and declaring who counts as a "real Christian", can we look to the Bible itself to help us determine the truth? Or will the Dans just muddy the waters again? In the second half of our show, we'll talk about the sons of God. Not the son, the sons. Plural. Who are these divine beings? And why ...
Aug 18, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 124
Ooooh MAMA! For a story that's thousands of years old, we sure do hear a lot about Jezebel. Or do we? Pastors and Christian influencers like Mark Driscoll and Charlie Kirk love to invoke the idea of "Jezebel spirit" whenever they don't like what a woman is doing. But is their portrait of the character of Jezebel honest, or are they just looking for a bludgeon to beat up women? Then, we're looking at two groups that get mentioned a lot in the New Testament. Who are the Pharisees and Sadducees? We...
Aug 11, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 123
Atonement! It's one of the central ideas of Christianity, and is absolutely essential to Christian theology... so what is it? You might be surprised to know that throughout Christian history, atonement has meant many very different things. On this week's show, we'll discuss the twists and turns this idea has taken, as influential thinkers have grappled with the idea of the atonement of Jesus. Then, it's time to get lost in translation! Very few of us have put in the effort to actually learn to r...
Aug 04, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 122
It's a lie! This week we're looking at a very odd falsehood in the Bible. And the really weird part is that it's told multiple times, by multiple important biblical people, including the grand-daddy of the biblical lineage himself, Abraham. Then, we'll look an interesting little bit of home decor from biblical times. Teraphim seem to be little humanoid icons that folks kept around the house, but what was the purpose of them? Were they small? Big? Both? Were they decorative art pieces, or importa...
Jul 28, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 121
What does it mean to be "saved" in that uniquely Christian sense? It makes sense, if you're going to talk about a savior, that you would have people that that savior is saving. But where does this idea come from, and to whom does it apply. Heaven knows, even various Christian sects can't agree on this, but as is our wont here on the Data Over Dogma show, we're going to dig in to the topic, and make a big mess. Then, we dive face-first into Isaiah 6, which is one of those prophecies that reads li...
Jul 21, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 120
Have all of the prophecies about Jesus' death and resurrection already happened? Did the apocalypse come and go, and now we're just coasting? Here's the thing about prophecies: the good ones are never specific enough! Sure, every now and then someone will come along and give exact dates and times for when some apocalyptic event is going to happen, but those guys are inevitably just proven wrong. Then there are the other prophets. The biblical ones. They use heavy metaphors, preferring to talk ab...
Jul 14, 2025•59 min•Ep. 119
Forget the fourth of July- if you want real fireworks, you gotta check out the incendiary interview between Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz. It was... a lot. But when two insufferable gasbags collide that hard, you're going to get a gas giant explosion. Just be glad you couldn't smell it. One of the points of contention had to do with Israel, and Cruz's insistence that the Bible commanded him (and all believers) to take care of it. Ol' Ted might not have known what the exact scripture was, but he wa...
Jul 07, 2025•56 min•Ep. 118
