Episode Details

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In this episode I talk with Dr. Scot McKnight about his brand-new book Jesus, People, Pharisees: Exploring the Conflict in Galilee, out now on Fortress Press. In this book Dr. McKnight argues that the popular conception of the Pharisees as legalistic, rigid, and hypocritical is fundamentally flawed and seeks to reassess who the Pharisees were historically and the actual nature of their conflict with Jesus. We discuss the popularity of the Pharisees and how they were actually the progressives of their day, connected to the Jerusalem establishment but offering a more liberal interpretation of the law. They were very attractive to the large crowds in Galilee, but when the charismatic prophet Jesus begins proclaiming the kingdom of God and the possibility of economic justice, he finds a receptive audience. The real source of the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees is the nexus of the people, and McKnight explains how this conflict works and how to more accurately interpret Jesus’ words against the Pharisees in Matthew 23. Finally, he explains how the church and the academy need to reevaluate their conceptions of the Pharisees based on the historical evidence. 

Media Referenced:

Jesus, People, Pharisees: https://a.co/d/0c8tRaK2

Scot McKnight Substack: https://scotmcknight.substack.com/

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 The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

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