The Two Cities

In this episode we’re joined by Professor Stephen R. Haynes, who is Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and the author of several books, including the one we’re excited to discuss in this episode, Why Can’t Church Be More Like an AA Meeting? And Other Questions Christians Ask about Recovery (published by Eerdmans). Over the course of our conversation, Professor Haynes tells us about his own journey, the history of alcoholics anonymous and its relationship to other recovery groups, how best to think scientifically as well as theologically about addiction, and what the church could learn about the ethos of alcoholics anonymous. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we're joined by Professor Michael Foley, who is Professor of Patristics in the Great Texts program at Baylor University, and the author of Drinking with the Saints: The Sinner's Guide to a Holy Happy Hour (published by Regnery History). Professor explains how is book is designed to pair beer, wine, and cocktail recipes with the feasts days of the church calendar that honor various saints. Along the way we talk about interesting pairing choices that he made for different saints and nerd out about various cocktails and craft cocktail techniques. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Professor Jordan Rosenblum, who is the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Director of the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies, and he’s also the author of Rabbinic Drinking: What Beverages Teach Us About Rabbinic Literature (published by the University of California Press). In our conversation we discuss how the Talmud relates to the Mishnah, how topics of drinking in the Talmud provide a helpful in-road into the wider sea of Talmud, key Rabbis that feature prominently with reference to wine and beer, and the matter of the four cups of the Passover seder. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Rabbi Drew Kaplan, who is Campus Rabbi for Cincinnati Hillel, hosts The Jewish Drinking Show podcast (over 175 episodes and counting), and publishes a weekly newsletter and Torah portion sheet on drinking that covers the Tanakh, Rabbinic Literature, Jewish history, Jewish practice, and more. In our conversation we talk about the appearances of wine and beer in the Mishnah, when wine is particularly a matter of controversy for the Rabbis, and how the Mishnah relates to contemporary normative practices among different Jewish denominations. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Stanley Ng. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, we’re joined by Professor Courtney Friesen, who is Professor of Classics and the Director of Graduate Studies in Classics at the University of Arizona and the author of Reading Dionysus: Euripides’ Bacchae and the Cultural Contestations of Greeks, Jews, Romans, and Christians (published by Mohr Siebeck). In our conversation we talk about the Bacchae and its interpretation as well as other legends and myths about Dionysus. This leads us to several topics of relevance in the New Testament, especially the alleged drunkenness at Pentecost in Acts 2 and Jesus turning water to wine at Cana in John 2. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Rebekah Welton, who is Lecturer in Hebrew Bible at the University of Exeter and the author of ‘He Is A Glutton and a Drunkard’: Deviant Consumption in the Hebrew Bible (Published by Brill). In our discussion we talk about broader conceptions in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible of feasting, excessive consumption, and drunkenness, as well as look closely at passages like Deuteronomy 21 and the law about the rebellious son. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities: Dr. John Anthony Dunne and Dr. Brandon Hurlbert. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Rev Dr Mark Scarlata, who is Tutor and Senior Lecturer in Old Testament at St. Mellitus College, the Vicar-Chaplain at St. Edward, King and Martyr Church in Cambridge, and the author of Wine, Soil, and Salvation in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament (published by Cambridge University Press). In our conversation we discuss the broader role of wine in the Bible and its theological significance throughout in terms of both salvation and judgment. In particular, Rev. Dr. Scarlata emphasizes the ecological themes of land, soil, and creation that relate to the biblical imagery of wine. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities includes: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Stanley Ng. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’re joined by Dr. Tate Paulette, who is an Archeologist and Associate Professor of History at NC State University and the author of In the Land of Ninkasi: A History of Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia (published by Oxford University Press). Kicking off our series on ancient wine and beer in biblical literature and relevant traditions, we begin by talking with Dr. Tate Paulette about the world’s oldest beer culture—ancient Mesopotamia. We discuss brewing techniques as well as the role and value of beer in Mesopotamian culture, economics, and religion. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, and Stanley Ng. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Mark Glanville, who is an Old Testament scholar and jazz pianist, the Director of The Center of Mission and Leadership at St. Andrews Hall at the University of British Columbia, the host of the podcast, Blue Note Theology, and the author of Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Communities (published by IVP Academic). In our conversation, full of spontaneous and improvised jazz piano, Dr. Glanville talks to us about the importance of sprucing up the creativity of our preaching to meet the needs of our Post-Christian world. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Stephanie Kate Judd and Dr. Logan Williams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spoiler alert and content warning! In this episode we review the third season of the smash hit Korean show on Netflix, Squid Game. As we debrief our experience watching the third season, we talk about the crazy ending, what surprised us the most about what the third season did and didn't do, what we appreciated and disliked about the season, and how this season fits alongside the first two seasons and how it carried over its core themes. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Brandon Hurlbert, Dr. Grace Sangalang Ng, Stanley Ng, and Dr. Kris Song. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.