The Bible For Normal People [Bible] Bonus Episode: Jennifer Garcia Bashaw & Aaron Higashi - Nobody “Just Reads” the Bible
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Feb 27, 2026 Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, New Testament professor and pedagogy expert, joins to explore how we always interpret Scripture. She uses cooking as a metaphor for reading, teases why nobody simply reads the Bible, and digs into how tradition and claims of inerrancy shape interpretation. Short, lively reflections on context, rules, and what it means to bring questions to the text.
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Interpretation Is Like Cooking
- Interpreting the Bible is like cooking: personal history, tastes, culture, and available ingredients shape outcomes.
- Jennifer Garcia Bashaw explains this metaphor reveals why different readers arrive at different valid interpretations rather than error.
Nobody Just Reads The Bible
- Many people say they 'just read' the Bible but are actually interpreting because they choose which questions to ask of the text.
- Jennifer Garcia Bashaw says awareness of that choice empowers readers to examine their assumptions and frameworks.
Learn The Recipe Behind Interpretations
- Don't treat interpretive rules as the whole story; learn the culture and history behind 'the recipe' so you can revise it if it's harmful.
- Jennifer Garcia Bashaw urges remembering origins so communities can adapt or improve problematic practices.