The Biblical Mind

Jeffrey Garcia, a scholar of first-century Judaism and Christianity, explains who the Pharisees really were. He examines how modern rhetoric and media caricatures misrepresent them. The conversation explores scriptural, historical, and Dead Sea Scrolls evidence and cautions about language that echoes anti-Jewish tropes.

Steven Garber, author and L'Abri-formed thinker on vocation, explores how calling differs from career. He challenges the spiritual/ordinary work split. Short, vivid conversations unpack Protestant views, the dignity of everyday labor, money versus meaning, seasons of life, and learning to live with vocational coherence.

Leslie Baynes, New Testament and Hellenistic Judaism scholar and author, explores C.S. Lewis’s complex relationship with scripture. She discusses Lewis’s memorable misquotations, moments where he attributes lines to Jesus that are not in the Gospels, and the cultural tendency to shield his work from critique. The conversation balances admiration with careful scholarly scrutiny.

Preston Sprinkle, biblical scholar and author who traced an extended exegetical study on women in leadership. He walks through Genesis to Paul, questions modern cultural assumptions, and highlights women’s prominent roles across Scripture. They explore early church leadership structures, Romans 16, and careful steps for churches wrestling with policy and practice.

Paul Caminiti, former Zondervan Bible publisher who led NIV and Immerse Bible projects, gives an insider tour of Bible translation, marketing, and industry scale. He recounts the NIV’s creation, the costly scholarly work behind translations, the fierce debates over gendered language, and why millions buy Bibles even as reading declines. He shares the origin of Immerse and a push for communal, uninterrupted Scripture reading.

Dr. Joseph Dodson, scholar and author of Paul, the Rabbi-Philosopher, reads Paul as both rabbi and thinker rooted in Hebrew Scripture. He explores Paul's blending of Jewish interpretation with Greco-Roman philosophical forms. Conversations cover Paul’s rhetorical strategies, apocalyptic shape, political theology, and how Hellenistic Judaism and philosophy shaped his letters.

A lively recap of a conference trying to place Scripture at the start of political thinking. They grapple with defining contested terms like Christian nationalism and whether modern states fit biblical categories. Discussion focuses on nationhood, law, kingship, and the often-neglected role of Torah in political ethics. They end by naming gaps and proposing sharper, Scripture-driven conversations next time.

Dr. Farhad Rezaei, political scientist and Iranian Christian commentator, offers an insider view of religion and power in modern Iran. He discusses surprising survey findings on secular identity. He describes the dramatic rise of Christian conversions and the spread of secret house churches. He explains how state-enforced Islam has fueled cultural pushback and political consequences.

Dr. Chris McKinny, archaeologist and filmmaker behind Legends of the Lost Ark, explores the mystery of Israel’s sacred chest. He contrasts serious study with religious pseudo-archaeology and popular myths. Conversation covers legendary claims, possible fates of the Ark, linguistic links to Noah’s Ark, and how its absence shaped Israel’s theology and ritual life.

They explore Michael Polanyi’s idea that knowing is embodied, communal, and shaped by tradition. Conversation shows how ritual, apprenticeship, and practice train perception and reveal meaning. Biblical passages and practices are linked to epistemic formation. They discuss implications for discipleship, evangelism, and how communities teach people to see.