Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchChristianity's Earliest Witness: Paul Writes to the Thessalonians
Season 2 Episode 26
Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians is the earliest surviving document of Christianity. I drop in on the Thessalonian Jesus-club to discover how…
7 years, 11 months ago
Quest for the Historical Jesus
Season 2 Episode 25
Keynote ep: Since the Enlightenment, three great academic attempts have been made to make sense of the life of Jesus: the first, second, and third qu…
8 years ago
Battle for the New Testament IV: Modern Times
Season 2 Episode 24
The discovery of the ancient Codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus in the 19th century revealed that the New Testament circulated in three different textu…
8 years ago
Battle for the New Testament III: the Reformation
Season 2 Episode 23
Unlike the Jews, Christians preserved many versions of their scriptures. The invention of printing spurred European scholars to revisit ancient Greek…
8 years, 1 month ago
Battle for the New Testament II: Against Marcion
Season 2 Episode 22
The Jesus-clubs reacted against Marcion's tiny list of sacred works. The invention of the codex, the book, brought the issue of the canon to the fore…
8 years, 2 months ago
Battle for the New Testament I: Earliest Times
Season 2 Episode 21
Christians in the first two centuries did not have a sacred canon of books. In this first of four parts, I discuss what the earliest church fathers C…
8 years, 2 months ago
Bonus: Samson on Trial
Season 2
We all know of the biblical hero Samson, known to his friends as Shimshon ben Manoah, and to his enemies as "that bastard". Samson of the long hair, …
8 years, 3 months ago
Herod's Heirs
Season 2 Episode 20
Herod's kingdom was divided. The Romans took their own chunk. His sons Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Philip received portions. Their success was mixe…
8 years, 3 months ago
What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us?
Season 2 Episode 19
Rome created an efficient economic system that enabled even middle-strata Judeans to buy goods from far-distant places. Rome introduced new social st…
8 years, 4 months ago
Modern Debates: Scandal of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Season 2 Episode 18
The Biblical find of the century, the Dead Sea Scrolls, were turned over to an international committee for study. Bad idea. The cabal refused to let …
8 years, 4 months ago