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The Bible as Literature — Education
The Bible as Literature

Each week, Fr. Marc Boulos discusses the content of the Bible as literature. On Tuesdays, Fr. Paul Tarazi presents an in-depth analysis of the biblical text in the original languages.

Latest Episodes:

Knock Yourself Out Sep 10, 2015

Show notes

A recent article in Salon magazine views the ongoing decline in American religion "in part, as an inevitable result of the politicization of Christianity." Where does the temptation to infuse church with political ideology come from? What does politicized religion hope to achieve and what are its consequences? Are there examples of politicization in the Bible? Is there a biblical alternative that can avoid politics and ideology without ignoring current events? Richard and Fr. Marc reflect on these questions as they discuss 1 Samuel. American Christians, take heed: the Lord is patient and ready to give you exactly what you want; so be careful what you ask for. (Episode 86; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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The Empire Strikes Back Sep 03, 2015

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Often and wrongly promoted as a biblical precept, unconditional love works against the purpose of Jesus in the New Testament. Nowhere is this point more clearly expressed than in the parable of the wicked vinedressers in Matthew 21. What does Matthew’s parable reveal about biblical grace and the problem of entitlement? Why does God allow the vinedressers to commit such violent crimes, against not only his servants, but his own son? What implication do God’s actions in the story have for human parents and teachers? As always, the pastoral wisdom gleaned from Scripture looks foolish to human eyes; but then, so too looked the stone in the eyes of the builders. (Episode 85; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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The Tower of Babel Aug 27, 2015

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Of language diversity in the United States, Saul Bellow once quipped, "A melting pot, yes. A tower of Babel, no." The Nobel Laureate's comment, indicative of American norms, undermines the meaning of the parable he invokes. Where human institutions (in line with Bellow's axiom) consolidate and unify, the biblical God imposes diversity. Where powerful nations go beyond lingua franca to demand una lingua, in Genesis, the Lord deliberately confounds human speech. Proponents of institution sometimes assert that multilingualism in Genesis is a negative outcome, but this assumption falls out of step with the story's plot. In Genesis, God's victory at the Tower of Babel is part of a larger war against the strategic agendas of human empire. This week, Richard and Fr. Marc reflect on the Tower of Babel in Genesis and its implications for multilingualism in North America. (Episode 84; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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The Problem of the Justified Aug 20, 2015

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A culture's moral platitudes expose the sins for which its adherents hope to atone. This tension is present in popular critiques of the biblical commandment, "an eye for an eye." But what happens when our assumed high ground amplifies the sins we want to erase? Worse, what if the people harmed by our platitudes respond to our abuse with a counter-morality? What happens when society disintegrates into a community of justified ideologues and entitled victims? Richard and Fr. Marc discuss St. Paul’s compensation in 1 Corinthians, the merciless servant in Matthew, and the problem of vengeance in the book of Judges and 1 and 2 Kings. Given the state of the world, the instruction, "an eye for an eye," may be a goal beyond our reach. (Episode 83; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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Until the Lord Comes Aug 13, 2015

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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens: Lo, it is better to be patient than arrogant, for the end of something is better than its beginning--not because your toil has ended, but because the reward for patience is wisdom and understanding. So admonishes the Preacher's eulogist, who shames us with the Preacher's labours, goading us with his instruction: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and this fear is man's duty during his brief season under the sun. Remember to keep this commandment, for God will bring every deed into judgment, whether good or evil. This week's episode brings our 12 week series on Ecclesiastes to its conclusion. But don't worry, we'll keep turning the pages with you on this podcast for as long as we can, God willing, until the Lord comes. Until then, turn, turn, turn! (Episode 82; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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Famous for Scrubbing Toilets Aug 06, 2015

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Since everything you have is already passing away, why hold onto it? Since you can't control the weather, why worry about? Since everything you do is vanishing breath, why not do it? Yes, it's true, you can't add a single hour to your life span by worrying. But look a the bright side: if God cares for the prairie grass of Minnesota's rolling plains, which today is alive and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he care for you, O ye of little faith? Yes, all is still vanity for both the Preacher and the Gospel of Matthew, but don't worry. You can still become famous for scrubbing toilets. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Ecclesiastes 11. (Episode 81; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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Man Cannot Judge Jul 29, 2015

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Ecclesiastes 10 presents a world in which two paths, one foolish and one wise, both lead to the same outcome. Where temporal human eyes see the benefits of wisdom, the Preacher exposes folly. Where men see failure and assume folly, the Preacher proclaims great dignity; but not always, he argues, since the reverse is often true. So how is man to judge? What is man to do? The answer, my friend, is not blowing in the wind, it’s handed down in the content Scripture, open only to those who surrender themselves to its pages. (Episode 80; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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Play the Cards You're Dealt Jul 23, 2015

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According to the Preacher, no matter what you do, you are doomed to the one fate that awaits everyone. Are you a righteous man? Are you wicked? Can you, by your actions, determine the outcome of your life? Since all share the same fate, does it matter? For the author of Ecclesiastes, it does matter, but not in the way that you imagine and not in a way that makes sense—unless you accept that all deeds (and all things), both good and evil, are in the hand of God. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Ecclesiastes 9. (Episode 79; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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Judgment As Hope Jul 15, 2015

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When a human judge seeks meaning in the abuses of the wicked or in the misfortunes of the righteous, if he is as honest with himself as the Preacher in Jerusalem, his pursuit of wisdom leads nowhere. As each door closes in his face and each path turns to vanity, he comes to a realization: every possibility he considers is judged by God. "Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life," says the Preacher, "still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, and who fear him openly." (Episode 78; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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Stick To It, Don’t Stick It To Yourself Jul 09, 2015

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If, for the sake of wisdom, death is better than birth, sorrow is better than laughter and mourning is better than feasting, what hope has the wise man of escaping ruin? Is such wisdom truly wise, or is it better to grasp righteousness without abandoning wickedness? God, the Preacher explains, has made the one as well as the other; the person who embraces this contradiction is the one who fears the Lord. This week, Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Ecclesiastes 7. (Episode 77; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature)

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