Pete Enns+

[Bible] Episode 335: Phillip Lasater - The Self & Personal Agency in the Hebrew Bible

In this week’s episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Phillip Lasater about how ancient Israelite and Jewish writers understood the self, personal agency, emotion, and human flourishing in ways that can be very different from modern assumptions. They explore how concepts like fear, the heart, and individuality function in the Hebrew Bible, how texts such as Ruth and Genesis 22 invite readers to engage the interior lives of biblical characters, and how ancient Jewish traditions understood human beings as having the capacity for godlikeness and ethical transformation. T

A lesson on biblical interpretation! 💭 #b4np #podcast #shorts

What is truth? 💭 #b4np #shorts

How do New Testament authors interpret the Old Testament? 💭 #B4NP #shorts

The Weird Ways the NT Interprets the OT with Rony Kozman - The Bible for Normal People Ep. 334

In this week’s episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Rony Kozman about how the New Testament interprets the Hebrew Bible, and why the apostles’ approach to Scripture often looks very different from the historical-grammatical method many readers have been taught. They explore how Matthew creatively reads the story of Jesus alongside Israel’s story, how Paul rereads Scripture in light of his encounter with Christ, and how New Testament authors draw on the interpretive traditions of their Second Temple Jewish context. Together, they invite listeners to embrace the Bible

Why are only certain biblical interpretations seen as objective? 👀 #B4NP #podcast #shorts

Can we take any parts of the Bible literally? 🤔 #B4NP #shorts #Bible

Who gets to interpret God? 🤔 #B4NP #shorts #podcast

Who Gets to Decide What The Bible Means? with Ciarra Jones - Faith for Normal People Ep. 73

In this week’s episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with theologian and ethicist Ciarra Jones about who gets to decide what the Bible means and how our identities, experiences, and social locations shape the ways we interpret Scripture. Drawing on her own journey from Pentecostal Christianity to Black, queer, womanist, and liberation theology, Ciarra explores how dominant interpretations of the Bible have been used to justify slavery, white supremacy, sexism, and the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people. She also introduces the practices of biblical refusal and biblical reversal

How literally should we take the Bible? 🤔 #B4NP #shorts #Bible

How can we still trust the Bible? 🤔 #B4NP #shorts

What is the nature of holiness? 🪽 #B4NP #shorts #podcast

Can I be Christian without Christianity? 🤔 #B4NP #shorts

Nathan MacDonald on Levites and priests 💭 #B4NP #shorts

Why Does Leviticus Disagree About Priests? - The Bible for Normal People Ep. 333: Nathan MacDonald

In this week’s episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Nathan MacDonald about the origins of Israel’s priesthood, the role of the Levites, and why the Bible’s accounts of priests are far more complex than they first appear. They explore how biblical texts often function less as straightforward historical records and more as theological interpretations that seek to explain, shape, and reconcile Israel’s traditions. Together, they invite listeners to reconsider familiar assumptions about the priesthood, the development of the Torah, and how the Bible constructs meaning t

[Bible] Episode 332: - Pete Ruins Everything with Dale Allison

In this week’s episode of Pete Ruins Everything, Pete talks with Dale Allison about the strengths and limits of biblical scholarship. They explore what historical research can and cannot tell us about Jesus, the Bible, and the ancient world, while reflecting on the value of expertise, intellectual humility, and the challenges of interpreting the past. Together, they discuss why scholars often disagree, how new evidence and perspectives can change long-held conclusions, and why faith and curiosity can coexist with uncertainty. Throughout the conversation, they invite listeners to embrace the co

What does the Bible say about same-sex relationships? 💭

What does the Bible say about same-sex relationships? 💭 From episode 319 of B4NP with Matthew Vines! #B4NP #shorts

The Bible's stories are not frozen in time. 👏

The Bible's stories are not frozen in time. 👏 #B4NP #shorts

Happy Father's Day from B4NP!

If your Father's Day plans don't involve these red flags, you're already doing better than some of the Old Testament's infamous dads. 🚩 #B4NP #shorts

Let's think about biblical chronology in a different way!

Let's think about biblical chronology in a different way! #B4NP #shorts

The Scholar Who Quit Because His Students Lost Their Faith

🤯 Imagine discovering something so mind-blowing you feel forced to resign. In 1882, pioneering biblical scholar Julius Wellhausen did just that. He stepped down from his professor position because he realized his scientific, critical approach to the Bible was making his students ""unfit"" to be traditional pastors. He saw firsthand the massive gap between academic scholarship and everyday church life—a tension we are still navigating today! From decoding how the text was actually put together to questioning why it was written, biblical history is packed with these paradigm-shifting realizat

If Israel’s Religion Developed, What Does That Mean for the Bible_

💣 This is a total bombshell. If absolute, universal truth is supposed to be static—the same yesterday, today, and forever—what happens when we realize ancient Israel’s religion actually changed over time? Think about it. The text shows a massive evolutionary shift: From flexible, local worship ➡️ to rigid, centralized control. From informal practices ➡️ to highly structured rituals. From simple instructions ➡️ to incredibly complex laws. If the religion developed, what does that mean for the Bible we are reading today? Modern biblical scholarship has blown this wide open. By mapping out di

Modern Biblical Scholarship Started With an ...

Modern biblical scholarship starts exactly where your youth pastor warned you it would: with an expert on STDs. In 1753 France, a medical professor and minister's son named Jean Astruc published a book that completely revolutionized how we read Scripture. The funny part? He was proud to attach his name to a massive medical treatise on syphilis—but when it came to his radical new ideas about the Bible, he chose to stay completely anonymous. Astruc sparked the very first ""Aha!"" moment of modern biblical scholarship by shifting one fundamental question: The Old Way: ""What does this unexpecte