The Two Cities

In this episode we're joined by Professor Mark Goodacre, who is Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Duke University and the author of The Fourth Synoptic Gospel: John’s Knowledge of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (published by Eerdmans). In this episode we discuss Prof. Goodacre's thesis that John knew and used each of the Synoptic Gospels. We consider how NT scholarship came to view John as independent of the Synoptic, matters of dating and how that affects the thesis, as well as alternative proposals. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Logan Williams.

In this episode we're joined by Professor Brandon Grafius, who is academic dean and professor of biblical studies at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan, and he’s the author of several works on religion and horror, including the book that we’re excited to talk about in this episode, Scared by the Bible: The Roots of Horror in Scripture (published by Morehouse publishing). We discuss horrifying images in the Bible and how different sub-genres of horror films can help us think through the function and meaning of various stories in the Bible and what the terror might be doing rhetorically. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Rev. Dr. Christopher Porter.

In this episode, we're celebrating our 300th episode, which means that this episode is full of listener comments and questions, our responses to those questions, several examples of bloopers over the past two years, new music for the next 100 episodes, some exciting announcements and updates from the team, and the names of the winners of our nine book-bundle giveaways!Many thanks to publishing partners: Baylor University Press, Eerdmans, IVP UK (Apollos), Wipf & Stock, Zondervan, and the Pop Culture and Theology series.Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Warne Adishian, Dr. Amber Bowen, Rev. Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Grace Emmett, Jennifer Guo, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Stephanie Kate Judd, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Stanley Ng, Rev. Daniel Parham, Rev. Dr. Madison Pierce, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Kris Song, Dr. Sydney Tooth, and Dr. Logan Williams.Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we celebrate the release of our very own Dr. John Anthony Dunne’s new book on wine in the Bible as we conclude our series on alcohol in the Bible and Jewish/Christian traditions. As we talk about the topic of wine and beer in the Bible, John shares many stories with us about his interests in wine and beer, his family background and upbringing, his experience making beer and volunteering at a vineyard, and why he was interested in writing about his topic. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Rev. Dr. Josh Carroll, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Stanley Ng, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, Dr. Kris Song.

CW: Adult themes and language. In this episode we're joined by Professor Edward Slingerland, who is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Distinguished University Scholar and Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia, and the author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization (published by Little, Brown Spark). In this conversation we discuss the role of alcohol relationally in the development of society through deepening trust and cooperation between people. Our conversation focuses on alcohol from its original developments on through to the present. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Gisela Kreglinger, who is the author of several books on wine, namely, The Spirituality of Wine (with Eerdmans), The Soul of Wine (with IVP), and most recently, Cup Overflowing: Wine’s Place in Faith, Feasting, and Fellowship (with Zondervan Reflective). In this conversation we discuss the nature of wine as a blessing, America's fraught history with alcohol, and how we can cultivate better attitudes towards drinking today. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Kris Song.

In this episode we're joined by the Very Rev’d Dr. Andrew McGowan, an Anglican priest, Dean and President of the Berkeley Divinity School of Yale University and the McFaddin Professor of Anglican Studies and Pastoral Theology, and he’s the author of Ascetic Eucharists: Food and Drink in Early Christian Ritual Meals (with Oxford University Press). In this conversation we talk about eucharistic practices that used water instead of wine or no cup at all in the eucharist, and we think about eucharistic norms and ideals for modern practices today. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. Josh Carroll and Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

In this episode we’re joined by Rev. Erin Jean Warde, who is an episcopal priest and recovery coach, as well as the author of the book we’re excited to discuss in this episode, Sober Spirituality: The Joy of a Mindful Relationship with Alcohol (published by Brazos). Over the course of our conversation, Rev. Warde shares a bit of her story with us and talks about the difficulty of being sober in Christian spaces. Among other things we also discuss the eucharist, some matters of hermeneutics, and whether all Christians are called to sobriety. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne.

In this episode we’re joined by Professor Stephen R. Haynes, who is Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and the author of several books, including the one we’re excited to discuss in this episode, Why Can’t Church Be More Like an AA Meeting? And Other Questions Christians Ask about Recovery (published by Eerdmans). Over the course of our conversation, Professor Haynes tells us about his own journey, the history of alcoholics anonymous and its relationship to other recovery groups, how best to think scientifically as well as theologically about addiction, and what the church could learn about the ethos of alcoholics anonymous. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne.