Summary

We look in this episode at Schiess' chapter on the civil rights movement, and discuss in particular the use of the Christian message in social issues, and the death of Christendom. We also discuss whether the career of "panda pastor" is more or less justified than the belief that America is a Christian nation.

Notes

Our thanks and appreciation to our partners:

A production of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/


Huge appreciation to Kitchener Public Library for the use of their recording studio.
https://www.kpl.org/


Podcast cover art by Studio of Broken Things
https://www.facebook.com/ISA4048


Intro music "Br1ghter" by Tape Machines (feat. Le June & Nbhd Nick)

Summary

In this episode, we look at chapters 3 and 4, in which Schiess looks at the use of scripture in both the defense of American slavery and in the social gospel. We look at how we use the stories of scripture to form our identities, where that can fall short and be misused. We talk about how easy it is to find what one wants to find in scripture, as well as the ways in which deep engagement with scripture tends to lead people to God's heart for reconciliation and liberation.

Notes

Our thanks and appreciation to our partners:

A production of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/


Huge appreciation to Kitchener Public Library for the use of their recording studio.
https://www.kpl.org/


Podcast cover art by Studio of Broken Things
https://www.facebook.com/ISA4048


Intro music "Br1ghter" by Tape Machines (feat. Le June & Nbhd Nick)

Summary

In this first episode of Season 2, new host Gabe Magnus joins Ashley to talk about the introduction and first two chapters of The Ballot and the Bible: how scripture has been used and abused in American politics, and where we go from here. We discuss the importance of context, responsible application, and how this book of political theology is in fact a book that encourages us to do biblical interpretation well and carefully in any sphere. We discuss Schiess' helpful investigation of the use of religious language in America's early colonial period. Finally, we also start to consider our own position on the interaction between politics and scripture, a thread that will continue through this season.

Notes

Our thanks and appreciation to our partners:

A production of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/


Huge appreciation to Kitchener Public Library for the use of their recording studio.
https://www.kpl.org/


Podcast cover art by Studio of Broken Things
https://www.facebook.com/ISA4048


Intro music "Br1ghter" by Tape Machines (feat. Le June & Nbhd Nick)

During this between season break, guest Gabe Magnus joins Ashley to discuss a small but profound meditation on war, militarization, and neighbour love found in the story of Aldarion and Erendis, from the the Unfinished Tales of J. R. R. Tolkien, as well as some of the implications that we see as citizens of the peaceable kingdom.


Our thanks and appreciation to our partners:

A production of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/


Podcast cover art by Studio of Broken Things
https://www.facebook.com/ISA4048


Intro music "Br1ghter" by Tape Machines (feat. Le June & Nbhd Nick)

During this between season break, guest Gabe Magnus joins Ashley to discuss a small but profound meditation on war, militarization, and neighbour love found in the story of Aldarion and Erendis, from the Unfinished Tales of J. R. R. Tolkien, as well as some of the implications that we see as citizens of the peaceable kingdom.


Our thanks and appreciation to our partners:

A production of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/


Podcast cover art by Studio of Broken Things
https://www.facebook.com/ISA4048


Intro music "Br1ghter" by Tape Machines (feat. Le June & Nbhd Nick)

Summary

We were delighted and honoured that Bill Webb and Gord Oeste, the authors of this excellent work, were willing to take a substantial amount of time to sit down and chat with us about many of the questions that have occurred to us in our study.

Time Stamps

00:01:30 Introduction of Bill Webb and Gord Oeste

00:02:55 How do your dual vocations of pastor and scholar connect for you?

00:08:40 If you had the chance to re-write the book, what would you do differently, or do the same?

00:12:35 What do you wish you'd had time to examine? What's the best thing you left on the cutting room floor?

00:15:45 On what issue did you differ the most (if any)?

00:21:10 In Chapter 3, you say most Christians have a deficient concept of God. How did you come to that conclusion? How did your own understanding of God become bigger or deeper in the process of writing the book?

00:37:55 If you could only share one small piece of this book with someone who is struggling with their faith due to the war texts, what would you say?

00:47:20 You demonstrate well that 1 Samuel 15 provides more support for your hyperbole thesis than challenge to it. But one listener asked: if that is true, how would the first audience have understood the command in 1 Samuel 15:3 the command to destroy all children and infants?

00:54:45 When you hear about modern war atrocities, such as Ukraine or Sudan, what connections do you make between your research in the book and what you see happening?

01:05:30 In the book, you suggest that there isn't a focus on literal people-killing genocide, but rather the removal of culture. Has the power of this point been weakened in light of recent understandings of cultural genocide, especially for those of us in Canada who have been confronted with the realities of our residential schools?

01:20:10 In light of the suffering and evil in the world, what part of eschatological hope is most meaningful for you?


Notes

1) Many thanks to Bill and Gord for taking the time to answer so many of our questions!


2) Our thanks and appreciation to our partners:

A production of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/


Podcast cover art by Studio of Broken Things
https://www.facebook.com/ISA4048


Intro music "Br1ghter" by Tape Machines (feat. Le June & Nbhd Nick)

Summary

In this final episode, we look at Webb and Oeste’s insightful final chapter. Here, they look at how the death, resurrection, and final victory of Jesus forever changes – and in fact undoes – the place of warfare and violence in God’s kingdom. Jesus’ death undoes ethnic strife and conflict, but rather makes for peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness. We think about the power of having a God who meets us and even suffers with us in our hurt, and in the hurt and torment of the world. We look at the way that war in the New Testament is conceived of as spiritual struggle, and especially at the way that Revelation (though often used wrongly!) provides the ultimate subversive war text as Jesus himself on the last day speaks defeat of the enemies of God, and speaks peace into existence.


Notes

1) Exodus 26:31-37 gives instruction for the creation of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. The Holy Place was where the priests performed their regular duties, and contained the altar of incense, the table for the bread, the lampstand. The Holy of Holies held only the Ark of the Covenant, and only the High Priest could go there, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence. He was envisioned as enthroned upon it, "between the cherubim" (Isa 37:16). The direct, unmediated presence of God was dangerous to sinful humans. The instructions in Leviticus 16 that detail how the high priest is to enter the holy place is closer to hazmat protocols than what we perceive of as worship. Thus when the curtain tears at Jesus' death, access to the divine is suddenly, vividly, and even (one might say) violently restored.


2) Webb and Oeste scooped up much that they had to leave on the cutting room floor and included it in a fabulous set of appendices, which are available for free (link below). They are well worth the read to investigate many of these issues further.

https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/Excerpts-and-Samples/5249-Appendixes.pdf


3) Our thanks and appreciation to our partners:

A production of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/


Podcast cover art by Studio of Broken Things
https://www.facebook.com/ISA4048


Intro music "Br1ghter" by Tape Machines (feat. Le June & Nbhd Nick)

Summary

In this episode, we look at a number of the texts that describe God in the Old Testament as a warrior, and then at many of the texts that suggest that God is uncomfortable being associated with physical violence. We also delve deeply into a few particular texts. We look at the unique quality of the biblical creation story, and what it says about Israel’s God. We examine the gut punch that is the violence and suffering in the book of Lamentations. And we consider what the book of Jonah has to say about the universality of God’s love.

Notes

1) Other nations whose destruction God grieves include Tyre (Ezek 27-28), Egypt (Ezek 32:1-16), and Moab (Isa 15:5-6; 16:7-9; Jer 48:30-36).

2) Our thanks and appreciation to our partners:

A production of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence.
https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/


Podcast cover art by Studio of Broken Things
https://www.facebook.com/ISA4048


Intro music "Br1ghter" by Tape Machines (feat. Le June & Nbhd Nick)