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The Two Cities
Episode #215 - PIVOT with Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
CW: adverse religious experiences, church-related trauma, narcissistic leaders
Dr. Scot McKnight is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and Laura Barringer is an author and a Kindergarten Teacher.
In this episode, they summarize their two recent books (A Church Called Tov and Pivot). In the first part, in the light of abuse related to Willow Creek Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, they describe harmful dynamics and harmful responses when abuse is brought to light. And in the second part, our primary focus for the episode, they put forward a vision for transforming church cultures. They also give tips for identifying unhealthy cultures, addressing those unhealthy cultures, and understanding deconstruction in light of these things.
Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Madison Pierce.
Series Disclaimer: This series explores the concept of “trauma,” its sources, and its expressions from a range of perspectives. Some of our guests are licensed mental health professionals; some are those with formative experiences of trauma; and others are those who explore trauma through various theoretical frameworks. We hope that this series provides useful information to all that enables them to begin to be trauma-informed and to love others and themselves better. Our series is by no means meant to replace the important work of one-on-one time with a trauma-informed professional.
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Episode #330 - Contextual Theological Interpretation with Dr. Bo Lim
57:02|In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Bo Lim, who is professor of Old Testament at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington, and the author of Contextual Theological Interpretation: An Integrated Model for Reading the Bible (published by Baker Academic). In the course of our conversation we talk about the value and importance of contextualizing our interpretations of scripture to our theological and cultural backgrounds, and we also discuss the relationship between contextual interpretation and historical critical exegesis. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert.
Episode #329 - Grounded Theology in the Hebrew Bible with Dr. Elizabeth Backfish and Dr. Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
49:10|In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Elizabeth Backfish (PhD, Trinity International University), who is associate professor of biblical studies at William Jessup University, and Dr. Cynthia Shafer-Elliott (PhD, University of Sheffield), who is associate professor of Hebrew Bible / Old Testament at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. And together they're the authors of Grounded Theology in the Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Cultural Context That Formed Ancient Israel (Baker Academic). In our conversation we discuss the relationship between our biblical texts and material culture on a whole host of issues, highlighting how the two need to be understood together for proper interpretation. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert.
Episode #328 - Hesed, the Seed of the Biblical Story with Dr. Jennifer Matheny
48:18|In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Jennifer Matheny, who is associate professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Seminary, Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, and the author of Hesed, the Seed of the Biblical Story: New Life for Old Testament Theology (published by Baker Academic). As we discuss, the term Hesed is notoriously difficult to translate, but by situating its variegated meanings within the stories and the Story of scripture, Dr. Matheny helps to shed new light on its significance. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert.
Episode #327 - Lamb of the Free with Dr. Andrew Rillera
01:00:48|In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Andrew Remington Rillera, who is assistant professor of biblical studies and theology at The King's University in Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada, and the author of Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus's Death (Cascade). Over the course of our conversation, we discuss what the sacrificial death of Jesus means in the NT, how it relates to sacrifices in the Torah, and why Dr. Rillera finds Penal Substitutionary Atonement to be unbiblical and theologically problematic. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Adishian, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Daniel Parham, and Dr. Logan Williams.
Episode #326 - Baal and the gods of More with Prof. Andrew Root
56:59|In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Andrew Root, who is Professor and Carrie Olson Baalson Chair of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, MN. He’s the author of several books, including: Baal and the gods of More: Rescuing Church Growth from Idolatry (published by Baker Academic). In our conversation, we discuss how capitalism has co-opted church growth discussions and turned it into a fertility idol. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Adishian, Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, and Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng.
Episode #325 - Imitation in Early Christianity with Prof. Cor Bennema
01:06:12|In this episode, we're joined by Prof. Cor Bennema, Professor of New Testament at London School of Theology and the author of Imitation in Early Christianity: Mimesis and Religious-Ethical Formation (published by Eerdmans). Prof. Bennema talks about the distinctives of mimesis relative to other kinds of ethical formation/development, and where early Christianity is situated relative to mimesis in Greco-Roman philosophy. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Adishian, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Sydney Tooth.
Episode #324 - How Then Shall We Read? With Dr. Max Botner
54:31|In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Max Botner, associate professor of New Testament at Jessup University, host of the On the Way podcast, and the author of How Then Shall We Read?A Student's Guide to Interpreting the New Testament (published by Eerdmans). Over the course of our conversation, we talk about how Dr. Botner's book compares to other primers on interpretation and how his book emphasizes the locationality of the interpreter, and the overall aim of faithful interpretation rather than "correct" interpretation. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.
Episode #323 - The Best Worst Movies Ever
55:26|In this episode, we indulge in a little April Fool's fun by discussing the best worst movies we've ever seen, and why we absolutely love to watch them ironically and in some cases even unironically. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Rev. Dr. Chris Porter.
Episode #322 - Beyond Deconstruction with Professor James McGrath
58:33|In this episode we're joined by Professor, James F. McGrath, who is Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, and the author of the book that we're discussing in this episode, Beyond Deconstruction: Building a More Expansive Faith (published by Eerdmans). In our conversation, Prof. McGrath says about his own journey of deconstruction and how he wanted to write this book to leave behind "bread crumbs" to help people navigate faith on the other side towards a faith that is more expansive. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng.