The Bible For Normal People
A weekly podcast talk show having serious talks about the sacred book. Hosted by Peter Enns and Jared Byas.
Episodes
May 20, 2024 • 53 mins
In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete ruins the book of Ezra by examining the themes, characters, issues, and connections found within the text; diving into the Moses-like leadership of Ezra, the historical context of the Persian empire, and Ezra’s seemingly strange opinions on intermarriage.
Show Notes →
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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use co...
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May 13, 2024 • 50 mins
Tamice Spencer-Helms joins Jared in this episode of Faith for Normal People for a conversation about the integration of faith and identity. Tamice shares their journey of navigating life as a queer and Black Christian, emphasizing the power of authenticity and agency in leaving toxic theologies behind.
Show Notes →
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May 6, 2024 • 44 mins
In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Charles Halton joins Pete and Jared to discuss how the Bible portrays God as being humanlike, the origin of resistance to seeing humanlike characteristics of God, and the implications of embracing this perspective.
Show Notes →
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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMALPEOPLE to get free shipping and 30% ...
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April 29, 2024 • 55 mins
In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared and Pete have a candid conversation with Sarah Bessey about the highs and lows of her own evolving faith journey and how we can learn to embrace the wilderness of deconstruction—seeing it not as a place of desolation and doubt, but as an opportunity for growth and renewal.
Show Notes →
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April 22, 2024 • 45 mins
Cain is a cannibal, Eve tells her own version of the fall of man, and the Garden of Eden has a dividing wall? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk to Jack Levison about the ancient text the Greek Life of Adam and Eve, also known as the Apocalypse of Moses, an intriguing and dramatic retelling of the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Seth, and the origin of sin.
Show Notes →
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This episo...
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April 15, 2024 • 61 mins
In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete makes the case for why you shouldn’t skip 1 and 2 Chronicles after slogging through Samuel and Kings. He explores the Chronicler’s distinct theology, uncovers themes of hope and divine sovereignty, and explains what Chronicles reveals about ancient Israelites’ ideas about God.
Show Notes →
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April 8, 2024 • 41 mins
In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and co-host Cynthia Shafer-Elliott learn from Jamal-Dominique Hopkins about the history of sacrifice in the Qumran community and the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls in understanding Judaism during the Second Temple period, exploring the interplay of tradition and innovation in ancient Jewish communities.
Show Notes →
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April 1, 2024 • 54 mins
In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Jared talks with J.S. (Joon) Park about his experiences with death, grief, and loss as a hospital chaplain for a Level 1 Trauma Center. Together they discuss the varying manifestations of grief, practical advice to help those who experience loss, and how we can develop a holistic approach to grief.
Show Notes →
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This episode is sponsored by Fast Growing Trees. Right now, they ha...
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March 25, 2024 • 43 mins
Whose contributions to the production of the Bible have been historically overlooked? In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared have a fascinating conversation with Candida Moss about enslavement in the Roman Empire, challenging our perception of biblical authorship and shedding light on the roles of enslaved people as scribes and translators of ancient texts.
Show Notes →
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March 18, 2024 • 53 mins
In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared tackle your questions about faith, identifying a common theme of the tendency toward dualism and binary thinking and exploring how to think more critically when faced with either/or theological questions.
Show Notes →
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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/bnp and get on your way to being your best self.
Learn more ab...
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March 11, 2024 • 70 mins
In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete is back to his usual antics ruining a book of the Bible. This time he’s conquering 2 Kings, uncovering the historical context, socio-political influences, and bigger picture of the biblical narrative as told through the text.
Show Notes →
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March 4, 2024 • 53 mins
In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Grace Baldridge (known by the artist name Semler) joins Pete and Jared to talk about the moving target of faith, whether leaving church is leaving God, and Grace’s journey as a queer person in Christian music.
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February 26, 2024 • 42 mins
In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Aaron Higashi joins Pete to talk about five key points in understanding 1 & 2 Samuel—and why our reading of this biblical tragedy doesn’t have to be tragic.
Show Notes →
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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/BNP and get on your way to being your best self.
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February 19, 2024 • 55 mins
We’re back for our second season of Faith for Normal People! Comedian Pete Holmes joins Pete and Jared to contemplate oneness with God, what it means to identify as a Christian, the parable of the prodigal son, and how awareness can grow our sense of connection with God.
Show Notes →
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February 12, 2024 • 45 mins
We’re back for our eighth season of the podcast! In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman joins Pete and Jared to discuss the historical reliability of the Gospels, highlighting the roles of oral tradition, authorial bias, and contradictions within the texts.
Show Notes →
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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NORMA...
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December 25, 2023 • 22 mins
Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Podcast producer Brittany and audio engineer/editor Stephen have joined forces to bring you a special blooper episode with behind-the-scenes clips from Season 7 of The Bible for Normal People and Season 1 of Faith for Normal People. From all of us at B4NP, we wish you a joyful, hopeful end to 2023. See you next year!
Note: This episode contains swearing, so maybe not the one to play with little e...
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December 18, 2023 • 45 mins
Join us for the final episode of The Bible for Normal People Season 7 as Pete and Jared end the year on an easy note by tackling the cultural, historical, and societal context of the birth of Jesus as found in the Bible.
Show Notes →
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December 11, 2023 • 48 mins
In this episode of Faith for Normal People, Pete and Jared are joined by Adil Hussain Khan to talk about the story of Abraham in the Islamic tradition, how Islam differs from Judaism and Christianity, and whether the concept of interreligious dialogue is really as effective as we think.
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December 4, 2023 • 39 mins
Is the phenomenon of speaking in tongues purely ecstatic or purely linguistic? Join Pete and Jared in this episode of The Bible for Normal People as guest Ekaputra Tupamahu analyzes the history and interpretation of speaking in tongues in the Bible, exploring how this understanding has influenced modern Pentecostal and charismatic movements.
Show Notes →
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November 27, 2023 • 55 mins
In this episode of Faith for Normal People, hosts Pete Enns and Jared Byas speak with Irish poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama, delving into the appreciation and understanding of the Bible through the lens of poetry and exploring how poetry can offer alternative perspectives on theological questions.
Show Notes →
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This episode is sponsored by Lumi. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to Microdose.com and use code NOR...
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