The Parable of the Dishonest Manager (or Shrewd Manager), found in Luke 16:1-8, is a notoriously difficult text to interpret. Why does Jesus appear to praise the dishonest steward, and does he intend for us to imitate such actions? In this epis

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Nov 18th, 2020 22m 46s

Of all Jesus' parables concerning wealth and poverty, perhaps none has a more scathing denunciation of the excesses of the wealthy than the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, found in Luke 16:19-31. In this episode, we find that the parable p

The Talents

Nov 4th, 2020 22m 5s

The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the Parable of Minas (Luke 19:11-27) are two similar stories. They both involve a master going away on a journey and entrusting different sums of money to his servants. Almost invariably, popul

The Workers in the Vineyard

Oct 20th, 2020 19m 22s

The parable of the workers in the vineyard, found in Matthew 20:1-16, is a story about a vineyard owner, a group of workers, and the wages they are paid. In both scholarly interpretation and popular preaching, this parable is often made into a

The Anti-Colonialist Christ with Alex Gapud

Oct 6th, 2020 37m 59s

On this special episode, I am joined by Alex Gapud to discuss Jesus and empire. We look at Mark 5:1-20, the story of Jesus and the Gerasene Demoniac, and Ched Myers’ interpretation of it. We also lean on Alex’s expertise as a scholar of the Bri

Revelation Part 5: Babylon

Sep 22nd, 2020 30m 45s

In Revelation, Babylon is a code word for Rome and serves as a parable for understanding the oppression of empire in all times and places. This episode, my final one on the book of Revelation, explores the image of Babylon, why its fall is good

Bonus: Feminist Readings of Revelation

Sep 15th, 2020 15m 17s

What does feminism have to do with Revelation? A lot, actually! In this bonus episode, I walk us through some of the female imagery in the book and discuss how feminist interpretation can help us understand the book in ways that lead to justice

Revelation Part 4: This Calls for Resistance

Sep 9th, 2020 37m 59s

What is the “mark of the beast?” And what about 666? In my fourth full episode on Revelation, I take a look at these symbols and how they were meant to encourage and inform early Christians resisting the Roman Empire. We’ll see how empire and i

Bonus: Let’s Stop Calling People the Antichrist

Sep 1st, 2020 14m 28s

In this bonus episode, I take a look the concept of “the Antichrist,” offering an exegesis of some of the key Scriptures in the development of this idea.https://www.hermeneuticofresistance.com/Episode BibliographyBeverly Roberts Gaventa, First

Revelation Part 3: Behold, A Pale Horse

Aug 25th, 2020 36m 27s

In my third full episode on Revelation, I cover a couple of the most famous images in the book, the Four Horsemen and Armageddon, with an eye as always towards John of Patmos’ anti-imperial message. https://www.hermeneuticofresistance.com/Episo

Bonus: Are You Rapture Ready? I'm Not

Aug 18th, 2020 14m 19s

This short bonus episode is about the rapture, a future, end-time event during which, some believe, all Christians will be suddenly taken out of the world. It includes an explanation of what the rapture is and what kind of theological system it

Revelation Part 2: A Door Standing Open

Aug 11th, 2020 39m 12s

The second in a series on Revelation, this episode covers the letters to the seven churches from chapters 2-3 and the "throne room" vision of chapters 4-5, with a special focus on the meaning of heaven and earth in the book.https://hermeneutico

Bonus: Civil Religion, Roman and American

Aug 4th, 2020 12m 8s

A bonus episode elaborating on last week's introduction to the book of Revelation.Episode Bibliography:Daniel Berrigan, The Nightmare of God: The Book of RevelationM. Eugene Boring, Revelation (Interpretation)Wes Howard-Brook and Anthony Gwythe

Revelation Part 1: Your Brother in the Resistance

Jul 28th, 2020 39m 59s

The first in a series on Revelation, this episode introduces the book of Revelation as a “handbook for resistance.” I give an overview of the methods for interpreting the book and discuss its literary genre and historical context, with a focus

Daniel Part 2: The Resistance of the Wise Teachers

Jul 14th, 2020 21m 58s

The second in a two-part series on Daniel, this episode looks at responses to the oppressive regime of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, comparing and contrasting the resistance of the Maccabees and the community that produced the book of Daniel.https://

Third Isaiah Against Ezra and Nehemiah

Jul 14th, 2020 19m 8s

Ezra and Nehemiah are often held up as heroes of post-exilic Israel, but do their actions justify this positive reception? This episode casts a critical eye on the projects of Ezra and Nehemiah, especially Nehemiah's wall, and proposes that the

Daniel Part 1: Oppression Under Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Jul 14th, 2020 22m 53s

The first of two covering the book of Daniel, this episode looks at the brutal oppression of the Jewish people under Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Seleucid Empire through the lens of the apocalyptic vision of Daniel 10-11.http://hermeneuticofr