In this week’s episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Chris Hoklotubbe and Danny Zacharias about biblical interpretation through an Indigenous American perspective. They explore how cultural identity, history, and social location shape the way people read Scripture, and why Indigenous perspectives challenge assumptions many Christians take for granted. Together, they invite listeners to read the Bible more thoughtfully, remaining aware of their own context and open to voices that have too often been overlooked.

In this week’s episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared welcome back Season 1 favorite Matthew Vines to discuss how conversations about the Bible and same-sex relationships have shifted over the past decade. Matthew revisits common biblical arguments against same-sex marriage and offers thoughtful counterpoints grounded in Scripture and church history. The conversation explores how a deeper understanding of the Bible’s context can invite Christians to think more expansively about faith, love, and partnership.

In this week’s episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with theologian and ethicist Jared Stacy about the rise of conspiracy thinking, especially within American evangelicalism. Drawing on his research, Jared Stacy explains how conspiracy theories tap into fears of cultural decline, offer a sense of control, and become spiritually charged narratives about good and evil. He also explores opportunities for people to recognize these patterns and consider more grounded, truth-seeking ways of engaging faith and public life.

In this week’s episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Diana Butler Bass to talk about the Christian calendar. Diana walks through the history of how the Christian calendar came to be, what levels of importance different traditions give it, and how the Christian calendar can serve as a symbol of resistance against other timelines that might be dominated by capitalism and imperialism.

In this episode of Faith For Normal People, Pete and Jared revisit a conversation with Kristin Kobes du Mez, author of the bestselling book Jesus and John Wayne. The conversation explores the history of “toxic” masculinity in both the church and American pop culture, and how Christians in 2025 can be part of the resistance efforts against harmful cultural structures. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 170 from June 2021.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared sits down with media psychologist Dr. Angela Patterson to discuss the trends she studies in the spiritual lives of Gen Z, or people born between 1997 and 2012. Angela explains how the typical timeline of faith progression has become much less linear with Gen Z, and encourages parents, church leaders, and older generations to create a space for young people to ask tough questions, wrestle with doubts, and find new ways of living out faith. This episode also includes a special ending segment in which anonymous members of our Gen-Z cohort share their thoughts on faith.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with lawyer, lecturer, and author James Kimmel, Jr. about our primal desire for revenge against the people we feel have wronged us. James shares the science behind the belief that revenge is an addiction tied to gratification, and offers alternative strategies to break the revenge cycle and move towards a forgiveness-oriented approach to living.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Drew G. I. Hart and Jarrod McKenna to talk about rethinking power and nonviolence. Through practices inspired by Anabaptism, the Black church, and the teachings of Jesus, Drew and Jarrod explore how Christians can contribute to social change through their own nonviolent resistance as individuals and communities.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Dr. Julie Faith Parker joins Pete and Jared to reexamine the story of Eve through a feminist lens, challenging the long-held belief that Eve is the source of original sin. She unpacks how patriarchal interpretations have shaped cultural attitudes toward women for centuries—often in ways the biblical text doesn’t actually support.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Malcolm Foley to explore the connection between racism and greed in American history, and the calling of Christians to live differently. Drawing from his book The Anti-Greed Gospel, they discuss how economic self-interest has fueled racial injustice, how the church has been both complicit and resistant, and what it means to practice economic solidarity rooted in the life of Jesus.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared sit down with Adis Duderija to discuss the rich diversity of belief within Islam. Adis outlines various expressions of the faith, challenges the idea of Islam as monolithic, and explores some of the history behind how these iterations came to be.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and co-host Cynthia Shafer-Elliott talk with Alexiana Fry about reading the Hebrew Bible through the lens of trauma, gender, and migration. Reflecting on texts like Hosea and Judges 19, Alexiana challenges traditional interpretations and highlights the importance of reckoning with the pain and complexity woven into the text.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, nerds-in-residence Anna Sieges-Beal and Dr. Angela N. Parker talk with Dr. Wylin D. Wilson about the intersection of faith, justice, and healthcare through the lens of womanist bioethics. They explore how Black women’s lived experiences reveal deep ethical gaps in the medical system and how centering the most vulnerable offers a path toward collective healing and solidarity.

Episode 5 of All the Buried Women podcast.

Episode 4 of All the Buried Women podcast.

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Matthew Paul Turner, co-author of the new kids’ book “What Is the Bible?” alongside the late Rachel Held Evans. Matthew opens up about how parenting has shaped him, from questioning his own beliefs to embracing a more open, loving approach. He talks about learning from his kids, unlearning old mindsets, and creating a space where curiosity and kindness lead the way.

Episode 3 of All The Buried Women podcast.

Episode 2 of All The Buried Women podcast.