The Religious Treehouse
Welcome to the Religious Treehouse! Remember when you were a kid and would have deep conversations in a treehouse-like setting? That’s what we’re trying to recreate here! Hosts, Jodie Alderette and Matthew Day, attempt to discuss the important topics surrounding religion in a fun, exciting, and academic fashion. With Matthew’s specialty in Hebrew Bible, expect lots of Hebrew Bible episodes, but we hope to present a wide variety of Religions and Religious Practices, too. This isn’t your average Bible Study!
Episodes
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the most misused stories of the Bible, often to promote homophobic ideologies despite never commenting on the topic or being associated with homosexuality anywhere in the Bible. So, Jodie and Matthew discuss what the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is actually about and how it has been interpreted by early readers of the text. Let us know what you think!
.Works Referenced and Recommended Read...
Jesus Christ, Superstar. Who are you? What have you sacrificed? Do you think you’re who they say you are? These are all fantastic questions asked by Judas, scholars of the historical Jesus, and Chrsitian theologians. Too bad we don’t really get into answering those questions from any of those perspectives (though we pontificate on how Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Judas would have thought about those questions). Jodie and Matt...
This may sound really simple, but belief may be more complicated than we would like to think. In this episode Jodie and Matthew explore what belief is in religious settings and how we have come to see other religions in terms of belief - and how that’s largely due to Chrsitianity’s influence on western culture. What is belief and what do you believe?
.Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Robert A. Orsi (2011) Belief, Mat...
The Religious Treehouse is back talking about movies! This time Jodie and Matthew look at Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt. They talk about the artistic choices made, what it may mean for Val Kilmer to voice both Moses and God, what can be gained by depicting a Biblical story, and about how this film is so beloved by many! GIve us a listen and give the movie a watch and let us know what you think about both!
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Happy Halloween! Well, it’s not Halloween, but we’re talking about monsters in the Bible: specifically the Leviathan. Jodie and Matthew briefly introduce what a monster is, where they show up in the Bible, and how modern discussions tend to tame them. Then, they get into it with the leviathan and how it’s the biggest and baddest of monsters, but also maybe God’s BFF? Take a listen and let us know what you think!!
Works Referenced an...
In honor of the recent passing of Pope Francis, Jodie and Matthew discuss the Oscar award winning movie, Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes. If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should, because we get touch on all the spoilers, following each character and how this movie portrays catholicism in all of its beautiful and problematic forms. Take a list and let us know what you think about Conclave!
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Happy Easter to all who celebrate! In honor of this celebration for Christians, this episode looks at the final meal of Jesus before his death and subsequent resurrection as celebrated on Easter. So, Jodie and Matthew talk through the 4 gospel accounts of this final dinner with a focus on the synoptic gospels and a brief discussion on the synoptic problem. Then they talk about how the last supper is celebrated through communion, th...
Jodie and Matthew have returned to Exodus to discuss the 10 plagues! Well, the first 9 at least. Well, it depends on who’s counting. Throughout Exodus 7-10, we discuss how the first 9 plagues act as a literary unit and how the plagues may have been intentionally chosen to emulate a reversal of Genesis 1, and how they may have intentionally been chosen as a sort of cosmic war between the God of Moses and the Gods of Egypt. Finally, ...
Jodie and Matthew once again investigate the exciting world of alternative religious movements. This time, they talk about The Seekers, a UFO religion from the 1950’s that was convinced the world was going to end on December 21. But what they didn’t know was that a group of Sociologists and Psychologists infiltrated the group to try to understand what happens when their predictions of the end of the world fail, and they came up wit...
Apocrypha. Deuterocanon. Those books in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles that Protestants have never heard of... That’s what we’re talking about in this episode! And then we get into Bel and the Dragon, also known as Chapter 14 of the Greek Daniel. So if Bel and the Dragon is part of your Bible, if it’s not part of your Bible, or if you don’t claim a Bible as your own, this episode will introduce you to an important and fascinating...
Moses is one of the most important, if not the most important characters in the Hebrew Bible. It’s time we talk about him. In this episode, Jodie and Matthew discuss the first few chapters of Exodus to talk about famous stories including Moses murdering an Egyptian, the Burning Bush, the name of God, and that one time when God tried to kill Moses. So, there’s a lot. Also, Matthew can’t stop talking about Source Criticism
Works Re...
Spoilers! Jodie and Matthew are diving into one of their favorite biblical musicals: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. If you haven’t seen it, watch it now, before this episode! Or instead of this episode. We don’t care. It’s that good. Matthew, of course, can’t help rambling about some biblical nerd stuff regarding the Joseph story found in Genesis, but Jodie and Matthew mainly discuss the film, what it does well, and ...
It’s time for one of the most lively and exciting Jewish holidays: Purim! Jodie and Matthew discuss the biblical origins of Purim by looking closely at Esther 9 and 10 before talking about how Purim is commonly practiced today. Whether you celebrate Purim every year or you’ve never heard of the holiday, this episode is for you! This episode pairs well with wine and Hamantaschen. Let us know what you think!
Works Referenced and Recom...
What’s new in the world of Christianity? Lent is coming up! Well, this isn’t new and it is a very old tradition for many Christians, but it’s that time of year again. If you know about Ash Wednesday and Lent, let us know what we missed out on talking about! If you don’t know much about Ash Wednesday and Lent, listen along and learn about what this season means for so many Christians!
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Judges is such an underappreciated book of the Bible, but has some of the most classic stories that most people know, like the stories of Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. Jodie and Matthew talk about none of that, though. Instead, they discuss a brief background on the book of Judges and then focus on the story of Ehud - a story of political assassination and potty humor.
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Magness, J. (202...
Song of Songs is perhaps the most steamy book in the Bible and the perfect reading material for this Valentine’s day! Jodie and Matthew discuss this most unique book of the Bible to try to give it the appreciation that it deserves by delving into the history of the book and dissecting a few passages throughout the song.
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Chapter 16: Job and Song of Songs inOpening Israel’s Scripturesby Ellen ...
Uh oh! We’re dipping our toes into politics, or at least trying to. Recently, President Trump has announced that he is creating a task force to “Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias” and he is instituting a White House Faith Office headed by Paula White. Jodie and Matthew discuss what this may mean from a religious perspective and then we flesh out a few misunderstandings some people may have, especially about Paula White’s brand of Chari...
We’ve all heard of Jonestown. But do we all know what actually happened? Do we know the story behind the massacre? And perhaps more importantly, do we know the story about after the massacre? Jodie and Matthew discuss the history behind Jonestown and the events leading up to its infamous last moments, followed by a conversation on how Jonestown has been framed by the media and others, and pontificate on potential ways it may be u...
In their first expedition into the world of Hebrew poetry, Jodie and Matthew discuss the Psalms and answer the burning questions regarding this wide collection of poetry. Using Psalm 137 as an example we examine its context, structure, and interpretations. Who wrote the Psalms? When? How are these Psalms organized? Structured? Performed? Stick around until the end to hear a tiny bit about how Psalm 137 and Rastafarianism overlap!
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We’re back in the New Testament again! Jodie and Matthew explore Jesus’s parable of The Good Samaritan and attempt to rid ourselves of the common misconceptions we may have when it comes to this passage, and it may be even more shocking than originally believed!
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy Jill Levine
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