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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:

Jesus Goes to High School Jul 31, 2014

Show notes

According to a 2014 study published by the National Education Association, approximately 160,000 teens skip school every day because of bullying. In many cases, the experience of cruelty or isolation in American schools has led young people to commit suicide or worse. What are the implications of the New Testament for American high schools? How can church school teachers equip their students to confront high school life with the wisdom of Scripture? Guest speaker Thomas Drenen talks with Richard and Fr. Marc about Roman paganism, its parallels with the culture of modern high school, and the pressure that the story of Jesus Christ places on both. We encourage parents to share this week’s podcast with their teenagers. (Episode 28) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

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Do Not Heal Thyself Jul 24, 2014

Show notes

In the gospel of Luke (4:22-30) Jesus warns his own people that "no prophet is accepted in his own country." Hearers of the story usually equate this with the demeaning American expression, "who do you think are?" In fact, Jesus' people esteem his position, coveting the benefits of his honor for themselves. Working through the storyline, Fr. Marc and Richard discover that Jesus' people were enraged simply because he illustrated, through the story of Elijah and Elisha, his loyalty to his Father's teaching over loyalty to his own people. So incensed were all those in the synagogue, that they physically threw Jesus out of the city. Why was the story of Elijah and Elisha so painful? Jesus did not recognize the difference between insider and outsider; instead, he fulfilled Isaiah, bringing good news to the poor, without distinction. (Episode 27)

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Thy Kingdom Come Jul 17, 2014

Show notes

Fr. Marc and Richard lament the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in light of the biblical teaching. The episode begins with a special prayer recited by the children of Ephesus School. (Episode 26) For a translation of the The Jewish-Arab Peace Song at the end of the show, click here: http://youtu.be/5d_i2F2LlF8 View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

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Countless Teachers? Jul 10, 2014

Show notes

Fr. Marc and Richard reflect on the primacy of loyalty for the discipline of biblical wisdom. In a culture where information flows freely, why do we suffer from a deficit of wisdom? With our openness to the many treasured schools and traditions of human knowledge, why do we fail at wisdom and understanding? Beginning with Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, the podcast explores the practical implications of the biblical function, "harlot." In the end, the discussion uncovers a painful truth: the secret of our failure is our inability to commit to a single tradition of wisdom and our infidelity toward teachers and the authority of knowledge they hold for our children. (Episode 25) View our trailer: http://youtu.be/rYgeXJh1xKM

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Jacob's Folly Jul 03, 2014

Show notes

Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Hosea's reading of Genesis, exploring the biblical concept of antiheroism as expressed in Hosea's critique of the Patriarch Jacob. Along the lines of Hellenistic literature, the addresses of the Bible want to believe in its characters; they want to believe that Jacob is a good guy. Unfortunately for Jacob, and in contrast with Hellenistic literature, in the biblical tradition, there is no one who is good: there are no heroes, no champions, no protagonists and no individuals. In the Bible, there is only God and a single choice for humanity: life or death? (Episode 24)

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No Place to Lay Your Head Jun 19, 2014

Show notes

In this week's episode, Fr. Marc and Richard discuss the function of circumcision in Galatians and it's implications for human identity. What is the purpose of circumcision in the Older Testament? How does it relate to Baptism in the New Testament? Fr. Marc begins the program by reviewing the social context in Palestine during late antiquity, in which the biblical teaching of circumcision had been sabotaged by a violent expression of identity politics. (Episode 22)

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Interview with Dr. Greg Paulson Jun 12, 2014

Show notes

In this week’s episode, Richard and Fr. Marc interview Dr. Greg Paulson, a biblical scholar and text critic who was recently invited to work on the 29th edition of Nestle-Aland, the standard edition of the Greek New Testament used by scholars, Bible translators, professors, students, and pastors worldwide. In addition to discussing his up coming project, Dr. Paulson talks about the field of text criticism, and his own dissertation on the Gospel of Matthew. (Episode 21)

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Push the Text Jun 05, 2014

Show notes

Is a paralytic just a paralytic? Why did the priest in Luke walk down from Jerusalem and not up? What is the significance of being half dead, or left for dead on the side of the road? Why are we told in Luke, not once, but twice, that functionaries of the Temple passed by, specifically, on the "other side" of the road? Are all these coincidences and casual occurrences, or is something more at stake? In this week's episode, Richard and Fr. Marc explore these questions, explaining the central role of rigorous study in a disciple's life-long quest for biblical wisdom. (Episode 20)

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You Say You Wanna Teach? May 29, 2014

Show notes

In this week's episode, Richard and Fr. Marc reflect on Jesus' famous declamation against the Scribes and the Pharisees in Matthew 23. It is commonly assumed that by condemning the hypocrisy of religious teachers, Jesus is endorsing an alternative, ethically correct teacher. In reality, Matthew's beautiful and emotionally explosive woes are a universal description of flaws inescapable and endemic to human preaching and teaching. This raises important questions about the prophetic function of a teacher's sins, and how these sins are used in Matthew to expose the self-righteous attitude of disciples. (Episode 19)

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Can These Bones Live? May 22, 2014

Show notes

In this week's episode, Fr. Marc and Richard review Fr. Paul Tarazi's exegesis of the healing at Bethesda, (John 5:1-15) reflecting on the function of weakness in the New Testament and the Lord's commandment to keep the Sabbath. They discuss how these concepts relate to the purpose of the Torah in Genesis and Exodus, and how this purpose is fulfilled in John's proclamation of the Resurrection. This leads to interesting observations about the location of the biblical Promised Land and the subtle interplay in John between the function "Jew" and the function "Canaanite." (Episode 18)

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