Data Over Dogma
This ain't your pastor's Bible podcast. This is a deep interrogation of the book, and we're bringing receipts. Bible scholar Dr. Dan McClellan and atheist podcaster Dan Beecher team up to discover what the Bible actually says, what it decidedly doesn't say (even if everyone thinks it does), and explore the history of the most popular book of all time.
Episodes
December 8, 2025 • 61 mins
Tucker Carlson and Jeremiah Johnston don't know what they're talking about when it comes to history. Johnston recently went on Tucker's show (he still has a show- weird, right?), and claimed, among many other things, that Jesus and his crucifixion are better attested by the evidence than Julius Caesar. It's an odd apologetic, but is it possibly true?
Then we'll discuss the immaculate conception, which everybody thinks they under...
Mark as Played
December 1, 2025 • 62 mins
Look out! 'Cause this week we're looking at a controversial issue, and perhaps strangely for us, the impetus for this has nothing to do with Mormonism. No, recently a Missouri pastor named Rich Tidwell made waves in Christian circles by claiming that the Bible--yes, even the New Testament--is pro polygamy. And, really putting his matrimony where his mouth is, he has the wives to prove it.
So is the Bible as positive about plural...
Mark as Played
November 24, 2025 • 55 mins
Remember when Jesus told the poor to get off their butts and pull themselves up by their bootstraps? I don't either, but lots of people think they remember when Paul said it.
This week, we're looking at 2 Thessalonians, 3:10. It's one of those passages that, if someone's bringing it up, you know you're about to hear something wild. It's the bit about anyone unwilling to work shall not eat. Which sounds straightforward (if cold-...
Mark as Played
November 17, 2025 • 59 mins
Its Jubilee time- and what are we celebrating? A no-longer-canonical book, I guess. Jubilees is a Second Temple rewrite of Genesis that reshapes creation stories, adds angelic narration, and updates the calendar to aaaaaalmost get the number of days in the year right.
Then we tackle the viral claim that the Bible has 63,779 perfect cross-references. Does it prove divine authorship? Maybe! Ok, no. But we still have a lot of fun ...
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November 10, 2025 • 67 mins
Catholics don't read the Bible! Or at least, according to studies most don't read it in their homes. But according to our guest, Michael Peppard, that doesn't mean that they don't have a deep and meaningful relationship with it.
This week, we're talking with Dr Peppard about his book How Catholics Encounter the Bible". It's a fascinating look at the world of Catholicism: the culture, the theology, and specifically the ways in w...
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November 3, 2025 • 64 mins
Dominion! Do men have it over their wives? This week we're looking at Ephesians 5 where it very clearly says that wives should be subject to their husbands as to the Lord. OR DOES IT?!?
We're going deep into Doc McClellan's linguistic grab-bag to parse out what it actually says. Because ancient Greek is tricky, and doesn't operate the way modern English does.
Then, it's ANCIENT ALIENS!!! Were people in antiquity visited by ...
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October 27, 2025 • 52 mins
Giving you good biblical data is our cross to bear, but what that cross looks like and what it symbolizes is a question! We're all very aware of the traditional crucifix or cross as a symbol of Christianity, but how did the thing that killed Jesus come to represent his followers? And why? And is it possible that Jesus didn't die on a cross at all (that's what Jehova's Witnesses believe)?
Then, we're looking at "the way of the s...
Mark as Played
October 20, 2025 • 71 mins
Ooooh... this week's show is keeping it SPICY!
First we're going to tackle what might at first feel like one of the least controversial of the Ten Commandments. But if you've listened to this show, you know that's almost never the case. So when the Bible says "thou shalt not commit adultery," what is it really getting at?
Then we dive into the book of Hosea, which comes out swinging, and only gets weirder. What does it mean ...
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October 13, 2025 • 61 mins
The antichrist is coming! According to Peter Thiel, anyway. But who or what he thinks the antichrist actually is seems a little fuzzy. Well, this week on the Data Over Dogma show, we're looking at Thiel's odd take on the end times to see if it stacks up with what's in the Bible.
Then, we're looking at the star of David. Where did it come from? How did it come to be the symbol of Judaism? And are the conspiracy theories online ab...
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October 6, 2025 • 55 mins
This week, it's the story of Noah's ark! But WHICH story? Is it possible that there was more than one ark narrative floating around in the sea of antiquity? If so, how did the biblical authors handle the differences? We're taking the differing (even conflicting?!) narratives two-by-two onto our ship, and seeing what we can sort out. Here's hoping it's a sufficient number of cubits long!
Then, eat, drink, and be merry, because it...
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September 29, 2025 • 49 mins
This week, we're grabbing hold of the apocrypha with both hands and not letting go! Or is it deuterocanonical? I guess that depends on whose tradition you're looking at. Regardless, it's a weird book and there's a lot of interesting stuff to talk about.
Was it written during the exile, as it claims? What insights does it give us into the mindset of the time? Who the heck is Baruch???
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For early access to an ad-free vers...
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September 22, 2025 • 62 mins
This week should be sponsored by that "adult play" company, because we're getting a little naughty! Or rather- the Bible got a little naughty (maybe), and we're just talking about it.
First, though, we're going to talk about one of those famous "judges" that the book of Judges was named for. It's the story of Gideon, and it has a lot going on! Did Gideon see God or an angel? Why did he ask for signs? Why is my hotel Bible named...
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September 15, 2025 • 59 mins
This week it's a johannine deep dive, and we brought in the big guns! Our guest is Hugo Méndez, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and all-around nice guy.
Hugo's book, The Gospel of John, a New History, is making waves in the world of Bible scholarship, and we're here for it. Grab a board, and let's surf those waves together!
Get the book here:
https://global.oup....
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September 8, 2025 • 58 mins
That's right- this week, we're going full Indy! Well... it's not like we're traveling to the ends of the Earth to keep the bad guys away from precious ancient artifacts, but we are going to talk about two of Dr. Jones' most important archaeological finds (thefts): the Ark of the Covenant, and the Holy Grail!
First, we're going to look at the Ark, that big box that Moses built. What is it? What's in it? What was it for and what ...
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September 1, 2025 • 63 mins
It is one of the most important verses of the Hebrew Bible, and it's only six words! Well, six in Hebrew. In English, it's anywhere from nine to twelve words, depending on who's doing the translating. It's the Shema, a prayer from Deuteronomy still holy in Judaism.
But why is it so important? What makes that one verse so special? And for the love of all that's holy- why is it so hard to translate? What exactly do those six Hebr...
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August 25, 2025 • 62 mins
Was there prostitution in the temple? For a long time, there have been claims that the holy temples of ancient Judea included some form of sacred sex work. Where did this idea come from? Is it valid? And what does this conversation have to do with hate pastor and frequently wrong guy Doug Wilson?
Then, get out your magnifying glasses and call in Poirot, Sherlock, and the whole Scooby gang, because we're diving into a mystery! I...
Mark as Played
August 18, 2025 • 65 mins
Will the real Christians please stand up?
This week, we're getting to the bottom of a very divisive issue. In a world where people in different sects of Christianity are constantly drawing lines in the sand, and declaring who counts as a "real Christian", can we look to the Bible itself to help us determine the truth? Or will the Dans just muddy the waters again?
In the second half of our show, we'll talk about the sons of G...
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August 11, 2025 • 60 mins
Ooooh MAMA! For a story that's thousands of years old, we sure do hear a lot about Jezebel. Or do we? Pastors and Christian influencers like Mark Driscoll and Charlie Kirk love to invoke the idea of "Jezebel spirit" whenever they don't like what a woman is doing. But is their portrait of the character of Jezebel honest, or are they just looking for a bludgeon to beat up women?
Then, we're looking at two groups that get mentioned...
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August 4, 2025 • 74 mins
Atonement! It's one of the central ideas of Christianity, and is absolutely essential to Christian theology... so what is it? You might be surprised to know that throughout Christian history, atonement has meant many very different things. On this week's show, we'll discuss the twists and turns this idea has taken, as influential thinkers have grappled with the idea of the atonement of Jesus.
Then, it's time to get lost in trans...
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July 28, 2025 • 65 mins
It's a lie! This week we're looking at a very odd falsehood in the Bible. And the really weird part is that it's told multiple times, by multiple important biblical people, including the grand-daddy of the biblical lineage himself, Abraham.
Then, we'll look an interesting little bit of home decor from biblical times. Teraphim seem to be little humanoid icons that folks kept around the house, but what was the purpose of them? Wer...
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