What makes biblical studies different from theology, and vice versa? Why does it matter? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared ruminate on the goals, methods, and focus of each distinct field and why it’s important to understand the difference when engaging with the Bible and faith.

Who was really responsible for the execution of Jesus—Roman soldiers or Jewish leaders? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, J. Christopher Edwards joins Pete and Jared to explore early Christian narratives that began shifting culpability for the crucifixion from Roman soldiers to Jewish leaders, and highlighting how these misconceptions rooted in the New Testament have contributed to anti-Judaism throughout Christian history.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jennifer Garcia Bashaw joins Pete and Jared to discuss how various atonement theories attempt to explain Jesus’s death. This is a reissue of The Bible for Normal People Episode 183 from October 2021.

Is the biblical author John the person we think he is? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Hugo Méndez joins Jared and Jennifer Garcia Bashaw to talk about some of the theories on the authorship of the Gospel and Letters of John, diving into an alternative to the traditional ideas about who wrote the texts and the implications for how we approach the Bible as a whole.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Charles Halton joins Pete and Jared to discuss how the Bible portrays God as being humanlike, the origin of resistance to seeing humanlike characteristics of God, and the implications of embracing this perspective.

Cain is a cannibal, Eve tells her own version of the fall of man, and the Garden of Eden has a dividing wall? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk to Jack Levison about the ancient text the Greek Life of Adam and Eve, also known as the Apocalypse of Moses, an intriguing and dramatic retelling of the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Seth, and the origin of sin.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and co-host Cynthia Shafer-Elliott learn from Jamal-Dominique Hopkins about the history of sacrifice in the Qumran community and the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls in understanding Judaism during the Second Temple period, exploring the interplay of tradition and innovation in ancient Jewish communities.

Whose contributions to the production of the Bible have been historically overlooked? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared have a fascinating conversation with Candida Moss about enslavement in the Roman Empire, challenging our perception of biblical authorship and shedding light on the roles of enslaved people as scribes and translators of ancient texts.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Aaron Higashi joins Pete to talk about five key points in understanding 1 & 2 Samuel—and why our reading of this biblical tragedy doesn’t have to be tragic.

We’re back for our eighth season of the podcast! In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman joins Pete and Jared to discuss the historical reliability of the Gospels, highlighting the roles of oral tradition, authorial bias, and contradictions within the texts.

Is the phenomenon of speaking in tongues purely ecstatic or purely linguistic? Join Pete and Jared in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as guest Ekaputra Tupamahu analyzes the history and interpretation of speaking in tongues in the Bible, exploring how this understanding has influenced modern Pentecostal and charismatic movements.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Jacob L. Wright joins Pete and Jared to discuss the origins of the Hebrew Bible, moving beyond just the “how” and asking the deeper question of “why” the Bible began, revealing the quest to unite a people group in the midst of defeat.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Robyn Whitaker to discuss the themes, movements, and symbolism found within the book of Revelation, as well as the various ways the text has been interpreted (and misinterpreted) throughout Christian history.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Marc Brettler and Alan Lenzi join Pete and Jared to discuss the context of evil in the Bible and other ancient Mesopotamian texts, giving insight into how people thousands of years ago wrestled with divine sovereignty and human suffering. This is the first of two episodes on the problem of evil—don’t miss part two on Faith for Normal People as Pete and Jared discuss theological frameworks with Tom Oord.

Nerd alert—we’re diving into biblical studies in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Pete and Jared talk with Barbara Leung Lai about her work studying the inner life of characters in the Hebrew Bible. Combining psychological exegesis, perspectives of personality, and Bakhtinian views of polyphony and dialogism, Barbara helps give Bible readers insight into what biblical characters might have thought and felt.

Pete and Jared are joined by renowned scholar John Dominic “Dom” Crossan in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as they take a tour of the gospels that didn’t make the cut for the New Testament. Together they explore three different types of non-canonical gospels and what those texts can teach us about the creation of the Bible.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Richard Kalmin about the origins and history of the Talmud, why it was written, and how the text has functioned not just within Jewish history, but also in various modern denominations of Judaism.

We’re uncovering more than Boaz’s feet in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as Judy Fentress-Williams joins Pete and Jared to take a historical-critical look at the symbolism, cultural context, and subversive embrace of the other within the book of Ruth.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Steed Davidson joins Pete and Jared to explain the origin of postcolonial biblical studies, the outcome of reading Scripture through a postcolonial lens, and how ancient empires could have used the biblical text to endorse their own imperialism.

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Safwat Marzouk joins Pete and Jared for a deep dive into the book of Ezekiel, exploring its historical and geopolitical context, the dual callings of Ezekiel as priest and prophet, and how holiness and justice aren’t at odds when it comes to faithfulness as God’s people.