Context Matters
Religion & Spirituality
About
This podcast is for people who are curious about the ancient context that influenced the final shape of the Bible…AND ALSO…how our modern context influences the way we understand the Bible and God and all things spiritual.
Episodes
- Healing our Imagination
How does prayer fit into the formation and healing of our imagination? As we continue our conversation with Dr. Justin Bailey, he addresses prayer as reorienting our attention, priorities, and requests within Jesus' story. We also contrast…
- Undragoning our Imaginations
In our recent conversations about spiritual formation, the use of the imagination has come up several times. Why is the imagination so significant in spiritual formation? Don't we simply need to learn more data about the Bible? Out of earl…
- No Discipleship without Justice
This is a re-edited broadcast of a conversation with Dr. Michael Rhodes from 2024. Is it possible that Western Christianity and modern American life is shaping us to become people who are NOT good at doing justice, and loving mercy, and sh…
- The Soul as Wax
This is a re-edit conversation from 2024 with Dr. Lanta Davis. Her book Becoming by Beholding is a wonderful conversation partner with some of the recent podcast episodes. Her book will prompt you to think about the connection between art,…
- The Winding Road
Today we continue the conversation with Arrabon's founder, David Bailey. We talk about what the "Gospel of the Kingdom" means along with several of Arrabon's resources to equip all kinds of audiences for understanding Scripture and spiritu…
- Public Theology with David Bailey
David Bailey is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon. As a public theologian, David helps to bring wisdom, theological imagination, and moral imagination to the way that Christians show up in the world. He created Arrabon as a w…
- Trauma Informed Reading of Isaiah 40-55
When two contradictory commands about remembering past events refused to be reconciled, Dr. Megan Roberts began exploring new theories to help her exegetical work. Trauma theory helped explain the Israelites engagement with memory. And wor…
- Remembering Isaiah 40-55
Biblical texts can be hard to read for several reasons - the poetry or images are challenging, or the emotion is strong, or the text seems to contradict itself in strange ways. In this episode, Dr. Megan Roberts from Prairie College tells…
- Women in the Salvation Story
Last week Dr. Faro introduced us to the significant literary theme of women who advance the story of salvation. Today we hear example of the Matriarch Sarah and how she and Mary the Mother of Jesus share some common characteristics. We als…
- Redeeming Eden
Dr. Ingrid Faro joins us today to talk about the "highway" that runs through the literary structure of the salvation story. Seeing women as crucial players in moving the story of God forward is not common, but Dr. Faro introduces us to why…
- Bringing Heaven Here
Brad Nelson and Brad Gray from Walking the Text continue their conversation about the rich theology embedded in every phrase of the Lord's Prayer. How does "Holy be Your name" involve the community of believers? Why is receiving and giving…
- Our Father in the Heavens
So many of us memorized the Lord's Prayer. Some congregations quote it together every week. It is so familiar that we don’t always stop to think about the theologically rich statements it is making. Today, helping us slow down to think abo…
- Christmas in Jerusalem
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but that is not the only significant location in the Christmas story. Dr. Jack Beck joins us again to talk about how the geography matters in the way we understand how Luke introduces his readers to Jesus. The…
- Nazareth's Role in Christmas
It is Christmas time and we are discovering the fullness of the Origin Story of Jesus. Matthew and Luke tell us so much more than the moment of Jesus' birth. Dr. Jack Beck joins us again to talk about how the geography matters in the way w…
- Jesus, Hillel, and Shammai
Dr. Nicholas Schaser introduces us to the fascinating world of rabbinic interpretation. Today we talk about how similar Jesus is to his contemporary sages like Hillel and Shammai. What were their views of interpretation? What kind of humor…
- Leading Sages of Jewish Thought
As we set the context for the birth of Jesus, we explore the dominant voices of Jewish thought and practice at the beginning of the 1st Century CE. Dr. Nicolas Schaser from Macalester College introduces us to the sages of Hillel and Shamma…
- Roman Republic to Empire
We are in the process of exploring the context of the birth narrative of Jesus, and we have arrived at the time of the rise of Octavian. He will lead the Roman Republic into its Empire stage. But how does he do that and how does this chang…
- Rome Appears on the Horizon
Dr. Randal Smith is the Director of Christian Travel Study Program and a virtual encyclopedia about biblical context. We are in the process of exploring the context of the birth narrative of Jesus, and while we assume Roman domination, it…
- Anticipating Advent
As we start to anticipate the time of Advent and ultimately the birth of Jesus, what are some of the contextual things we should be aware of? Each historical period had an influence on God's people. To kick off the "Advent of Advent" mini-…
- Discernment and the Spiritual Realm
Today is part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Melesse Woldetsadik. We are following up on the need for discernment when blaming problems on the spiritual realm. In our post-modern world we have a tendency to dismiss spiritual beings to focu…
- The Spiritual Realm and Learning to be a Pastor
Melesse Woldetsadik is the Pastor at Beta Selam Evangelical Church in North Carolina. He has a fascinating context of growing up in Coptic Christianity and walking away from the faith only for God to pull him back through dreams and specif…
- The Spiritual World and Spiritual Beings Part 2
We pick up the conversation with Fr. Andrew talking about Demons. Who or what are they? You may be surprised to know that the term 'demon' originally referred to lesser spiritual beings (neither positive nor negative), but the early Christ…
- The Spiritual World and Spiritual Beings Part 1
Fr. Andrew joins the Context Matters podcast again to talk about his wildly popular podcast series called The Lord of Spirits. We talk about the biblical and traditional texts to lead to this study of the unseen realm as well as why people…
- Spiritual Cosmology with Dan Darko Part 2
This is part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Dan Darko about his book Against Principalities and Powers.Today we talk about the concept of salvation and spiritual warfare as depicted in the book of Ephesians. Dr. Darko also ellaborates on t…
- Spiritual Cosmology with Dan Darko Part 1
Dr. Dan Darko takes us on a journey from Ghana to post-war Croatia, England, and the United States. Each place adds to his unique questions he asked of the biblical text. This leads us to explore the role of the spiritual realm in the lett…
- You Cannot Get Away from This Conversation...
Writer, Producer, and Filmmaker Nicholas Ma joins us to talk about his latest documentary titled "Leap of Faith". In today's episode we explore the unspoken topics that often divide communities and underscore the universal quest for mutual…
- Disagreeing with Sincerity, Vulnerability, and Discomfort
Writer, Producer, and Filmmaker Nicholas Ma joins us to talk about his latest documentary titled "Leap of Faith". We explore why documentaries captivate him and how they represent human encounter and vulnerability. In an ever-increasing di…
- Learning to Disagree Well
Today is Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. John Inazu about his book Learning to Disagree. We live in an increasingly divided world in which we resist nuance and have definitive opinions. If you look at public discourse, those who have d…
- Non-toxic Disagreements
Do you feel like it is hard to have proper conversations with people about challenging subjects? It seems to be getting harder! This is why we all need to read today's guest newest book: Learning to Disagree. Dr. John Inazu is a lawyer who…
- Exploring Literary Geography
Join us for part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Jack Beck. Learn how themes like divine identity and historical events are intertwined with specific locations like Mount Herman and Shechem. Discover how geography can illuminate scripture,…
- Historical Geography for the Win!
Dr. Jack Beck is biblical geographer, professor, and prolific author. He is also and avid outdoorsman and the first person I have known to build and fly his own plane. From sailing and traveling to working on a dairy farm, he reflects on h…
- Music and Emotional Intelligence
Dr. Mia Chung joins us for Part 2 of the conversation about the power of classical music to help with human flourishing. Today we explore the decline of musical education and its repercussions on holistic child development. Our discussion…
- Feeling the Music
Dr. Mia Chung joins us to talk about how classical music is a foundational aspect of human flourishing. Dr. Chung is an internationally renowned pianist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician. She was on the faculty of the Curtis Institut…
- Art and Spiritual Growth
Scott Erickson is an artist who uses many mediums to communicate with this audience. Today we talk about his collaborative book project with Justin McRoberts, 'In the Low, Honest Prayers for Dark Seasons,' which provides spiritual support…
- The Power of Art
Scott Erickson joins us to talk about the power of art in our spiritual lives. Scott talks about growing up in a religious family with significant exposure to Christian traditions but feeling out of place due to his inclination towards art…
- Healing from Spiritual Abuse, Part 2
Today is part 2 of the conversation with Rachel Clinton Chen about healing from spiritual abuse. Rachel discusses ways our cultural values have influenced leadership in churches, often valuing charisma over genuine pastoral care, which som…
- Healing from Spiritual Abuse, Part 1
Today we are talking about the sticky subject of spiritual abuse in the church. To lead us on the journey is Rachael Clinton Chen. Rachael is devoted to addressing the harm of abuse – especially spiritual abuse – at the intersection of tra…
- Presumption of Canaanite Guilt: Valid or Unjust?
In Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Justin Reed about his new book The Injustice of Noah's Curse, we focus on the "presumption of Canaanite guilt" and what kind of influence that has on interpreters. How can we learn to ask better quest…
- What Curse of Noah?
Dr. Justin Reed teaches at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is here to talk about his new book The Injustice of Noah's Curse. Dr. Reed starts by introducing us to his context growing up and the influence of his mother and f…
- The Preacher of Hebrews Teaches Us Today
Dr. Dana Harris joins us for part 2 of our conversation about preaching and the book of Hebrews. We explore the book's theology and its profound connection to the Old Testament (equally dispelling misconceptions that the book is anti-Semit…
- Preaching with the Epistle of Hebrews
Dr. Dana Harris joins us to talk about the profound experiences that shaped her outlook on teaching and faith. We discuss God's presence in nature and the importance of theological education. Dr. Harris specializes in the book of Hebrews,…
- Show Me Your Glory, Part 2
This is part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Rebecca Idestrom about her book Show Me Your Glory . Today Dr. Idestrom discusses God's glory in the Temple. This leads us to a conversation of the visions of God's glory in the book of Ezekiel a…
- Show Me Your Glory, Part 1
We sit with Dr. Rebecca Idestrom to discuss the themes of her latest book, Show Me Your Glory, which explores the concept of God's glory throughout the Old Testament. Dr. Idestrom explains how the notion of "glory" is multifaceted and cont…
- The Mary to Remember
We start today's episode talking about all the different Marys in the gospels and how that influences the way people interpret Mary Magdalene. Dr. McNutt also untangles how the Gospels describe Mary Magdalene and then offers insights into…
- Her Faithful Witness: Unveiling Mary's True Story
Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt talks about her new book called The Mary We Forgot: What the apostle to the apostles teaches the church today. To be honest, Mary Magdalene's story is rarely told well in churches, which leads us to dismiss…
- Deuteronomy and Advent
Today's episode flips the tables and places me in the hot seat. Wesley Arning and Ryan Presley interviewed me about the book of Deuteronomy for their podcast called The Wayside Podcast. So I am rebroadcasting it for you here to help us thi…
- The Dead Sea Scrolls and Textual Criticism
When scholars examine the writing, copying, and editing of biblical text, they can discern a complexity in the Hebrew Bible. There is scribal activity at the copying AND editing levels. What does this tell us about the development of Scrip…
- Why Do We Need Textual Criticism?
Textual criticism is about. offering a critique about what the best reading of the biblical text is, because before you can translate it, you need to know that you've got the best reading possible. And to engage in textual criticism, you n…
- Part 2: No Such Thing as 400 Years of Silence
In today's episode with the Rev. Dr. George Athas, we pick up the historic overview of what is incorrectly called the 400 years of silence. We dive into the significant historical influence of Greek culture and thought on Jewish society, e…
- Are There 400 Years of Silence?
We casually talk about 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments, but why do we say that? Who was the first to coin that phrase? What if that is an anti-Messianic statement? Then shouldn't we be more aware of the history and…