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
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...
Mark as Played
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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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...
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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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July 21, 2025 • 64 mins
What does it mean to be "saved" in that uniquely Christian sense? It makes sense, if you're going to talk about a savior, that you would have people that that savior is saving. But where does this idea come from, and to whom does it apply. Heaven knows, even various Christian sects can't agree on this, but as is our wont here on the Data Over Dogma show, we're going to dig in to the topic, and make a big mess.
Then, we dive face...
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July 14, 2025 • 58 mins
Have all of the prophecies about Jesus' death and resurrection already happened? Did the apocalypse come and go, and now we're just coasting?
Here's the thing about prophecies: the good ones are never specific enough! Sure, every now and then someone will come along and give exact dates and times for when some apocalyptic event is going to happen, but those guys are inevitably just proven wrong.
Then there are the other pro...
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July 7, 2025 • 55 mins
Forget the fourth of July- if you want real fireworks, you gotta check out the incendiary interview between Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz. It was... a lot. But when two insufferable gasbags collide that hard, you're going to get a gas giant explosion. Just be glad you couldn't smell it.
One of the points of contention had to do with Israel, and Cruz's insistence that the Bible commanded him (and all believers) to take care of it. ...
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June 30, 2025 • 61 mins
Ooooh! Dan McClellan has a bee in his bonnet, and her name is Allie Beth Stuckey!
This week we're looking at the parable of the sheep and the goats. In it, sheep are good, and goats are bad, and the Lord has some sorting to do. How do you get to be a sheep? Feed, house, clothe, and generally take care of your brothers and sisters. But that presents a problem for Allie Beth: who are her brothers and sisters?
Well, let's just ...
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June 23, 2025 • 66 mins
What's your ethnicity? Who else is included in that group, and why do you draw those boundaries where you do? Well, this week we're bringing in hired-gun Bible expert Dr Aaron Higashi to walk us through the rich and sometimes confusing concept of ethnicity, and some of the surprising ways ethnic heritage plays out in the Bible (the Israelites ARE Canaanites? Whaaaaa???!) .
Then, we're going to delve into Biblical law. There's a ...
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June 16, 2025 • 62 mins
Were the authors of the Bible just writing firsthand accounts of events that actually happened? That's a pretty tough case to make. As a matter of fact, we have very good reason to believe that many of the stories of the bible have shared roots with many other stories/myths of ancient southwest Asia and northern Africa.
This week, we'll look at many of those stories, and discuss their parallels and origins from around the regio...
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June 9, 2025 • 62 mins
Welp it's June, and that means LGBTQIA+ Pride month! At least that's what it means for many. For a minority of people, June is national grumpy homophobe month.
One thing about the grumpy set is that they really love to use the Bible to shore up their dogmatic belief that gay folks (and trans and bi and all the other acronym-represented people) are going against God. So let's talk about it.
Our first segment is about pride its...
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June 2, 2025 • 65 mins
For episode 116, we're venturing into the spooky world of divination! Many a Christian pastor has railed against this practice, but what if the medium used for divining isn't a rod or a stick, but THE BIBLE ITSELF!? Does that take the curse off it? Make it worse? Will it work to provide other-worldly guidance in your life? Is it forbidden? We... well, we might answer some of these questions...
But first, we take issue with one M...
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