Data Over Dogma on Steno.fm

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.

Mon, April 28, 2025
"Biblical" Marriage
HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST *AND SECOND* LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE ON SALE! To get yours, go here: First leg (Chicago, Seattle, Portland, LA): ⁠⁠https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/⁠⁠ Second leg (Dallas, Atlanta, Philly, DC): ⁠⁠https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-part-2/⁠⁠ ---- Love and marriage: it's an institute you can't disparage, as the poet once said. There's a lot of talk these days about marriage. What it is, what it should be, and whether this or that kind of marriage counts as "biblical". So what is a biblical marriage, and perhaps more interestingly, is such a marriage something you would actually want? But marriage is only one side of the coin. What happens when the relationship doesn't work out to plan? Does the Bible have anything to say about divorce, and if so... is it authoritative? ---- For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma⁠ Follow us on the various social media places: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod⁠ ⁠https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma⁠ Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book ⁠ The Bible Says So ⁠ yet??? ⁠https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 21, 2025
Immigrant Apocalypse with Yii-Jan Lin
The way many people talk about immigration in the United States, you'd assume that it was an apocalyptic event. And actually, many of the most extreme voices in our society are literally saying as much. But this is not the first time American immigration has been linked to Biblical apocalypse. This week, we're bringing in Dr. Yii-Jan Lin, whose new book Immigration and Apocalypse: How the Book of Revelation Shaped American Immigration chronicles the many twists and turns of the eschatological mindset from Columbus straight through to the present. Did the first immigrants (the Europeans) think of their own journey as hastening the end times? How did that story change as time passed and they started to think of themselves as the "natives" of the land? What happened when other, non-European, non-Christians started landing on American shores? Find Dr Lin's book here: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300253184/immigration-and-apocalypse/ ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST *AND SECOND* LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE ON SALE! To get yours, go here: First leg (Chicago, Seattle, Portland, LA): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ Second leg (Dallas, Atlanta, Philly, DC): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-part-2/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So yet??? https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA
Mon, April 14, 2025
Usurer Error
It's a sin so egregious that Christians weren't allowed to do it, BY LAW, for centuries! But now? Totally fine. Everybody participates. No big deal at all ! The next time you meet a Bible literalist who is certain that you have to follow the laws of the Bible to the letter, but who is also pretty excited about capitalism, ask them about usury, and watch them fall all over themselves to pretend like it's fine. Because MAN, the Bible is just adamant that people shouldn't do that. Like, death penalty adamant. But what, technically, is usury? Is it just charging too much interest for a loan, or is it charging any interest at all? Who does the Bible allow to engage in usury, and under what circumstances? We're going to find out! Then we're moving on to one of the most misunderstood, and possibly confusing of Jesus' parables: the parable of the talents. Is it about maximizing your God-given gifts? Is it about money? Who is God in the metaphor? What's really going on? ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST *AND SECOND* LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE ON SALE! To get yours, go here: First leg (Chicago, Seattle, Portland, LA): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ Second leg (Dallas, Atlanta, Philly, DC): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-part-2/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So yet??? https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://mega
Mon, April 07, 2025
Wandering in the Wilderness with Angela Roskop Erisman
Anybody want to take a long walk in the desert? Well, this week we've brought in Angela Roskop Erisman to guide us through the wilderness! In her new book, The Wilderness Narratives: Religion, Politics, and Biblical Interpretation, Dr Erisman discusses the exodus as you may not have heard it discussed before. Far from being the actual writings of a literal Moses, Dr Erisman uses genre analysis to propose a far more allegorical explanation for the story. Could it be that the beloved tale of Israel escaping their Egyptian captors was actually written or compiled as a means of serving far more political ends? Find Dr Erisman's book here: https://angelaroskoperisman.com/the-wilderness-narratives-in-the-hebrew-bible-religion-politics-and-biblical-interpretation/ ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST *AND SECOND* LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE ON SALE! To get yours, go here: First leg (Chicago, Seattle, Portland, LA): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ Second leg (Dallas, Atlanta, Philly, DC): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-part-2/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So yet??? https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 31, 2025
Hey Jude
This week, we don't want to make it bad, so we're going to take a sad song and make it better. The book of Jude may only be one chapter, but it's jam-packed with stuff for this show to talk about. Who wrote it, and when? Who was it written to? What grumblers is it mad about? We'll attempt to answer all these questions and more. Then, speaking of grumblers, we have some of our own to deal with! Whenever Dr. Dan says that the Bible is not a monotheistic book, people come out of the woodwork with scriptures that seem to contradict him. In our final segment, Dan will look at those verses and discuss whether they say what people are saying they say. ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST *AND SECOND* LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE ON SALE! To get yours, go here: First leg (Chicago, Seattle, Portland, LA): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ Second leg (Dallas, Atlanta, Philly, DC): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-part-2/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So yet??? https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 24, 2025
Episode 103: The Pastor Skeptic
This week we welcome "deep skeptic" pastor Jeremy Steele to the show. Jeremy has spent recent years building an online congregation of people who don't feel seen or understood by the traditional church. He's here to tell us about life as a pastor, how he gathered his flock, and why people who are deconstructing the theologies they were raised with might still need a community like his. You can find Jeremy on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@skeptic.pastor Or find links to his book How Not to Suck as a Christian , his podcast Unbelief , and other stuff here: https://jeremy-steele.com/links ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE STILL ON SALE! To get yours, go here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So yet??? https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 17, 2025
Episode 102: The Dave Ramsey Takedown
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the big fight! In the red corner: personal finance guru and guy who makes millions by making poorer people feel bad about their debt, Dave "how's your retirement fund looking?" Ramsey. And in the blue corner: with a much lighter pocketbook but much heavier t-shirt collection, Dan "alright let's see it" McClellan. What could a Bible scholarship show possibly have to say about a personal finance guy, you might ask. Well, Mr. Ramsey styles himself a Christian personal finance guy, and in that capacity makes some pretty interesting claims. So, while we are not qualified to check him on his finance advice, when he veers into our lane, he's fair game. And boy, did that guy veer! Then, the Deuteronomist abides. There may be some ten dollar words ahead (words that Dan Beecher may or may not be able to pronounce), but don't let that fool you: the Deuteronomistic history is actually fascinating. ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE NOW ON SALE! To get yours, go here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So yet??? https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 10, 2025
Episode 101: The Slave Bible
Christians have had a missionary zeal since the beginning. From the dawn of Christianity, the mandate to share the "good news" has been a central theme of Christian life. But what is a Christian to do when it is clear that the audience they want to share the gospel with would react poorly to much of what's in the Bible? Well, at least in one case, the solution was just redact the heck out of it. On this week's show, we're talking about "The Slave Bible," a heavily truncated version of the good book, created for white enslavers to share with the black people they had enslaved. Why did they cut most of the book out? What parts did they see fit to leave in? And why did they want to preach Jesus' message to people whose humanity they clearly didn't honor or even acknowledge? Then, inspired by a preacher who recently had a lot to say on the subject, we're diving into the question of wealth. Much is said in the Bible about money, and the having of it. Specifically the having of a lot of it. There are famous passages about camels going through the eyes of needles, for example. But maybe that part felt a little ambiguous... Did Jesus really say "blessed are the poor" or did he say "blessed are the poor in spirit "? Is that difference that even makes sense? ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE NOW ON SALE! To get yours, go here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So yet??? https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn mor
Mon, March 03, 2025
Episode 100: Give Me Your Slave!
Come celebrate round numbers with us as we embark on our 100th episode of Data Over Dogma! And what, you might ask, are we doing to mark this grand event? Have we carefully crafted a clips show looking back on the best moments of the last 100 weeks? Have we mindfully chosen topics that relate to the number 100? Well, no. No we haven't. It's just a regular show. Sorry. That said, it's an interesting one! First, we're covering a very interesting letter Paul sent to his buddy Philemon. Aside from revealing (rather casually, really) that he was in prison when he wrote it, Paul seems to speak out for his new helper, runaway enslaved person Onesimus. What does this letter reveal about Paul's view of slavery? What is Paul asking of Philemon? Why is everybody in prison all the time? Next we cover a topic that you hear about on this show a lot, but may not know much about it. What is the Septuagint? Why is it called that? Where did it come from? And why are we using a Greek text as an early witness to Hebrew scripture? ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE NOW ON SALE! To get yours, go here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Have you pre-ordered Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So yet??? https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 24, 2025
Episode 99: Why Can't You Be Like Your Brother?
If you think you had it rough living in your sibling's shadow, just imagine how James, the brother of Jesus must've felt! Well, today James gets his due. We'll discuss who he was, what he did, and what it might mean theologically, that Jesus wasn't an only child. Then, if you listened to this show for more than a few episodes, you're likely to have heard Dan McClellan mention "the Masoretic text". Well... what the heck is that? Never fear! We're going to get you all up to speed on one of the most important publications ever produced. ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE NOW ON SALE! To get yours, go here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 17, 2025
Did Jesus Go to Hell?
Jesus went to hell! Briefly. He gave the place a look-see after he died, and then left to go be resurrected. Or at least that's the claim that some theologies make. Where did the idea that Jesus visited hell come from? Is it Biblical? I mean, it would have to be, wouldn't it? People wouldn't just make up something like that long after the Bible had been written just because, right? Right? And speaking of hell, not every part of the Bible treats that place the same. In our second segment, we'll talk specifically about the book of Revelation and it's treatment of the bad place. Ol' John the revelator had some fascination notions and imagery to share, and his ideas about hell are particularly interesting! ---- HEY! TICKETS FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE DATA OVER DOGMA TOUR ARE NOW ON SALE! To get yours, go here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-grand-data-over-dogma-book-launch-tour/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 10, 2025
The Neighborhood of Make-Believe
Would you be mine, could you be mine, won't you be my neighbor? If you know that song, then you know that at least one person understood Jesus' answer to the lawyer. Far fewer seem to now. But that's in the second half of our show! First, we're exploring some imaginative pretending that would almost be cute if so many people hadn't taken it seriously. It's the amazing amateur (read: fake) archeology of Ron Wyatt. We've encountered Wyatt's work on the show before, because the man was prolific. This time, we're detailing his incredible "discoveries" having to do with the Exodus. Did Wyatt actually prove that it all happened? Big if true! Then, we'll dive into one of the most important parables Jesus told. And it's super topical now, because so much of world politics are revolving around the same central question: Who is my neighbor? Well, J.D. Vance knows his answer, but Jesus might disagree. It's the parable of the "good Samaritan", and we all know how it ends, but is it more ambiguous that we might have originally thought? No. No it is not. ---- For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 03, 2025
"Render Unto Caesar" with Congressperson Eric Swalwell
This week we're talking government on the Data Over Dogma show, and woof! It's a doozy! First, we're going into the belly of the beast and talking to and actual, honest-to-goodness United States congressperson. Eric Swalwell has a D next to his name, which, if you ask some in our country, means he's a godless communist. In fact, he's a professed Christian who is nevertheless concerned about the dangerous rise of Christian Nationalism here. He's come on the show to talk about secularism in government, and how his religion guides him as he makes decisions in Congress. Then the Dans will dive into a discussion of the Biblical take on the interplay between religion and government. If God is over all, then should God's people submit to a secular authority? Did Jesus have anything to say about that? (You already know he did, so why are so many Christians acting like he didn't?) ---- For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 27, 2025
Uh-Oh, Jericho
"Hey- it sure is raining a lot, do you have a boat?" "No, but I *Noah* guy." That's right, on this week's episode of Data Over Dogma, we're going diluvian all up in here. It's the story of Noah and the great... vinyard? Here's the twist: It seems that the account of Noah we get in our version of Genesis may not be exactly what we were told it was! Then, call Richard Wagner, because we're talking about the power of a strong horns section. It's Joshua's time to shine as he leads the Israelites into battle against the great city of Jericho. But, you know, did he though? ---- For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 20, 2025
Getting to Gnow the Gnostics
Sometimes on this show, big ten-dollar words show up like apotropaic or etiology or deuterocanonical, where, unless you're pretty well-versed in this stuff, you may not know what we're talking about (ok fine- you may not know what Dan M is talking about). This week we're tackling two ten-dollar concepts in one show, so buckle in and bust out twenty bucks! First, we're diving into Gnosticism. We've glanced off this topic several times, but never stopped to talk about what it is. Who were the Gnostics? Where did they come from? What did they believe? Did they know that that's what we would end up calling them? What's with the spelling? Next we're taking a look at a very important manuscript. Codex Sinaiticus--a Latin name for a Greek book about Hebrew people--is a very important manuscript. But why? Where did it come from? What is it? What makes it so vital? ---- For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 13, 2025
Banning the Bible?
Better get a lawyer, because Data Over Dogma is getting all kinds of legalistic! There are many who claim that all modern law has a direct lineage back to biblical law. This week, we're going to show several reasons why that probably isn't the case, not the least of which being that biblical law... it's really bad. We'll start by talking about the covenant code. This is the set of laws laid out in Exodus that were meant to govern how the ancient Hebrew people interacted with each other (it's all the commandments that come after the big 10). It's a fascinating series of rules that get increasingly granular to the point of preposterous specificity. After that, we dive into modern law. We're looking book bans that are cropping up around the United States (BOOOOO!), and how many of them may have accidentally caught up the banning lawmakers' favorite book in the process. Should we be protecting the children... from the Bible itself? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 06, 2025
The Curses of Cain and Ham
Genesis has no shortage of confusing, misleading, and bizarre stories, but this week we're tackling two separate stories that share a particularly ugly history. First, we tell a story in third person. Or rather, a story about the third person. It's Adam and Eve's firstborn, Cain, who killed his brother and was cursed by God. But God also gave him a mark of protection- something on his person that everyone could see, and would ensure nobody would hurt him. But what was that mark, and could the idea of it somehow be used to prop up racism? Of course it can. Then we'll discuss the curse of Noah's son Ham. Ham did a bad thing (did he, though? We talked about this in a previous episode), and was also cursed. Well, his kid was cursed. None of it makes much sense, really, but the upshot is that somehow, people found a way to deploy this story for racist purposes again. As a palate-cleanser from all this cursing, we're getting apocryphal. It's a cute little book that was once included as part of Daniel, but has been ejected by Protestants: Susanna. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 30, 2024
Star Spangled Christian Nationalism With April Ajoy
When you hear the phrase "Christian Nationalism," what do you think of? A harmful set of ideologies that threaten democracy? A buzzword phrase used by bad people to demonize good Christians? April Ajoy has had a journey of conscience from being a full-throated Christian Nationalist to someone fighting against the damage she now sees in that set of dogmas. The real trick of it was that at the time, she didn't know that phrase, or why it would have applied to her. She just thought she was being a faithful Christian. On this week's show, she'll talk about her new book Star Spangled Jesus . It tells the story of growing up the daughter of a prominent pastor, and touring the world to evangelize the gospel with her family. She went from absolute certainty in her Christian faith and it's unbreakable connection to Republican party politics, to a massive moral crisis and painful deconstruction. Find Star Spangled Jesus wherever you buy your books, and look for her online content on TikTok and Instagram @aprilajoy For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 23, 2024
With Counter-Apologies
Did NASA confirm the date of the birth of Christ? Are most translations of the Bible wrong about the order of the creation? Will Dan M ever be able to say the word smorgasbord? This week on the Data Over Dogma show, we're honoring the Bible by shredding some bad apologetics! As we say every week on the show, one of our goals is to combat misinformation. Sometimes that means that we combat bad attempts to refute the Bible, and sometimes that means we go up against bad attempts to make the Bible seem more irrefutable. This week, it's the latter. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 16, 2024
Spare the Rod... Please!
Does the Bible really say that parents should beat their children? Yes. Yes it does. AH! But couldn't that verse in Proverbs mean something else? Something a little less abuse-y? Something about a shepherd guiding their sheep? On this week's episode, we'll look at what the author of Proverbs REALLY meant when they said that a parent who spares the rod hates their child. Then, what is Satan's job? Is it to enact the eternal torment of sinners? Or is it possible that Satan's lake of fire has a far less sinister purpose? We'll explore what Paul wrote about this, and you won't be surprised to learn that it's nowhere near as obvious and clear-cut as we'd all like it to be. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 09, 2024
Josiah the Cult Killer
When you think cults, chances are you're imagining a documentary series you streamed recently where a shockingly non-dynamic person has somehow managed to convince a group of reasonably intelligent followers that they are the smartest person in the world, and now controls their lives in terrifying ways. So when we talk about "cult centralization," you could be forgiven for not immediately understanding what we're talking about. But stick with us: this one gets really interesting! On this week's show, we're talking ancient cultic practices. We've all heard about places like ancient Greece or Rome, where many gods were worshipped, each having a different set of skills and a different purview. So a weaver might pray to a different god than a farmer, because they needed different divine interventions, but everybody got along. You might think that this was very different from the way religion was practiced in biblical Judah, right? There's no way the people you read about in the Bible lived lives like the Greeks and Romans... right? Well hold on to your standing stones, because this week we're talking cults, and the Judean king who put a stop to them. Was this the work of a righteous man, doing the right thing for his god, or a megalomaniac who wanted all the power and wealth for himself? Did he bring his people together in harmony, or did he divide his country and weaken them, leading to their defeat by the Babylonians? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 02, 2024
The Dans Ruin Christmas
Haul out the holly, 'cause it's Christmas time! And what could be more appropriate for Christmas than to recount the nativity story? Or is it stories? That's right, this week we're looking at the Bible's two competing narratives of the birth of Jesus and asking "hey- what gives?" Because when you read the account in Matthew and the account in Luke, you can't help but notice that they have almost nothing to do with each other. Like... they're two totally different and unrelated tales. How is that possible? Well, if you're hoping for Dr. Dan to smooth out all the wrinkles and show you the simple solution to make it all make sense, you probably don't know the show very well. The answers are complicated and messy, and far more interesting than your sunday school teacher ever let on. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 25, 2024
Debunking Jesus?
Ooooh! It's de-bunking time! But with a twist: this time we're debunking the debunkers! That’s right, we’re coming after an idea that certain nonbelievers love to throw at Christians to put them in their place. Well, you can stay safely out of place, Christians, because it's the nonbelievers' turn to eat some humble pie. This week's show, we're looking at the theory that Jesus was just one figure in history among many others that share exactly the same story. This idea purports to show that the central figure of Christianity was just the latest in a long line of saviors, and he stole all of their best features to prop himself up. Well, we will see about that, Bill Maher! Then, we're going to have some fun looking into the only historian anywhere near the time of Jesus who actually mentions him, one Yosef ben Mattityahu, better known by his Roman gangster name: Flavius Josephus. We'll discuss his mentions of Jesus, decide if they're spurious or not, and get to the bottom of what it all means about the man of Galilee. Was there actually a historical Jesus? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 18, 2024
Purify This! With Logan Williams
The battle has begun! For a long time, scholars have said that Jesus nullified all the former Jewish laws about which foods were okay to eat and which were impure, and therefore not fit for consumption. The main passage that they used to justify this idea comes from Mark 7. Well this week our guest is going to blow your mind. Hint: your stomach might be more powerful than you knew! Logan Williams has just written a paper [ you can find it here ] that could totally change how scholars view this passage. What does his argument hinge on? Syntax and grammar! Rejoice, ye language nerds, for we're taking a deep-dive into the murky depths of participles, cases, and other complex aspects of ancient Greek. For non-nerds, just enjoy Dan B trying to keep afloat on this complicated but actually fascinating sea of linguistic parsing. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA This episode was sponsored by BetterHelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 11, 2024
The Demon Haunted Bible
DEMONS! We're at an interesting crossroads in history. As science is able to explain more and more about how the universe works, and more specifically how we humans work, we find ourselves using supernatural explanations less and less. When, for example, we understand the erratic behavior of a friend as being part of their mental health journey, we're far less likely to turn to hurtful and dangerous religious tropes for our understanding. But that doesn't stop some people from continuing to turn to the idea of demons to explain the bad things in their lives. So where did this idea come from? What are demons, and what does the Bible have to say about them? Hold on to your apotropaic amulets, 'cause we're goin' demon hunting! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGLTkpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQY4Ahs0Hi289IcnsQMh_0OAVf3oGefyUsWkLjhfB8OF8nio1fmroJbXxA_aem_v_4sISp8Zt43zsKfDjx1aA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 04, 2024
Episode 83: The God-Forsaken Psalm
Psalm 22 [according to the Deer of Dawn (don't worry- you'll get that joke later)] is not a happy ditty. It is the song of a hopeless singer, crying out to a God who doesn't seem to be there. Which seems like kind of a weird thing to include in a book of scripture about that God, but there you go. But this psalm is particularly famous, as it was quoted by a pretty famous guy, at a pretty famous moment. This week on Data Over Dogma, we're looking at the words Jesus chose to say just before he died. Why, of all the scriptures that he had access to, did he quote this bleak, hopeless lament? Or was the psalm written as a prophesy? A foretelling of Jesus' untimely end? Then, speaking of the death of Jesus, we're going to talk about a peaceful area in Israel next to an ancient burial site. They call it the Garden Tomb, and many believe it to be the actual place where Jesus was laid after his death. Was it? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 28, 2024
Deconstruction Zone with Rev Karla Kamstra
It's the boogeyman that haunts churches across the land: religious deconstruction. This is the process of genuinely questioning your religious faith, pulling apart what you've been taught (probably your whole life), sifting through it all, and deciding for yourself what actually works for you, without regard for what anyone else has to say about the matter. It can be a deeply disorienting--even terrifying--process, but more and more people are choosing this road. Well, we've got social media darling Rev Karla with us to talk about her own deconstruction journey, and give us some insights into this isolating, but also liberating process. She literally wrote the book on the topic! Karla Kamstra went from attending a small Southern Baptist church in Kentucky to being an online guide for people looking to throw off their religion, and figure out what's true for them. Find Rev Karla's book, Deconstructing: Leaving Church, Finding Faith anywhere you get your books, including here: https://shop.revkarla.com/collections/healing-and-support-collection/products/deconstructing-leaving-church-finding-faith You can find her social media posts here: https://www.tiktok.com/@revkarla?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/revkarla/ For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Hey! Don't forget to pre-order Dan McClellan's upcoming book The Bible Says So Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 21, 2024
You're Speaking My Language!
As origin stories go, the Bible's explanation for why humanity has multiple languages is... let's call it creative. Alas, it doesn't hold up particularly well in a modern, scientifically informed era. That said, there's more to the story of the so-called "tower of Babel" than immediately meets the eye. We'll discuss what other ancient questions this chapter of Genesis is attempting to answer, and how it all fit into the context of its time. Then the linguistic adventure continues, as we delve into a mystical realm that very few people have access to: the magic of the ancient languages! Because if you listen to certain people, you'll learn that there's a whole world of extra messaging packed into the original wordings of the original languages of the Bible. Is this the key to decoding the universe? Will this way of reading the text save humanity? Have we finally unlocked the code to proving the truth claims of the Bible? Well, no. But it's a fun discussion anyway. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 14, 2024
Omni Everything?
The modern concept of God (at least in the Christian context) is of an all-knowing, all-powerful, being. One who is everywhere all at once. He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake... all that stuff. But does that view of the almighty comport with what is represented in the Bible, or are those ideas more recent innovations? Where did these ideas come from? Then, we're talking Bible quotations. Or more accurately mis-quotations. Plenty of people misquote the Bible, it happens all the time. It can be especially vexing when that someone is looking at a bad translation. But what happens when the Bible misquotes the Bible? We'll be looking at Acts 15, and a moment when the author might have found a bad translation of their own. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 07, 2024
Who is a True Christian w/ David Congdon
Go to any comment section where someone has made a controversial claim about the Bible and you'll see it: someone gatekeeping the idea of who qualifies as a "true Christian". Real Christians believe in the trinity, or else decidedly DON'T believe in the trinity. Real Christians believe we're saved through works. Or through faith alone. Or neither. Or both... On this week's episode, Dr. David Congdon joins us to discuss his book Who is a True Christian. If you think that question is settled or remotely easy to answer... well you haven't paid attention to this show. Dr. Congdon walks us through the history, politics, and power struggles behind these questions, and gives us big insights into ways we can address this difficult quandary going forward. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 30, 2024
The Biblical View of Immigrants
This week Craig Mousin and Cecil Cicirello of the Lawful Assembly podcast join us to talk about one of the major hot-button issues in current world politics: immigration. Craig is not only a lawyer who specializes in immigration law, he's also an ordained minister, so we asked him on to bring his unique perspective to bear on the issue. We discuss the current state of things in the U.S., and ask what a Biblical approach might be. You can find Lawful Assembly wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://www.lawfulpod.com/ . Go give them a listen! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 23, 2024
What is an Atheist?
Regular listeners will know that Dr. Dan is not of fan of definitions. Dictionaries aren't rulebooks, he'll say, they're attempts to describe how words are being used. So when the Data Over Dogma show is all about what two words mean, you know it ain't going to be simple. The first word we're looking at is "religion". We'll cover the origin of the word, and really try to get a handle on what that conceptual category is trying to get at. Will we succeed? That's for you to decide. The next word, as the episode title suggests, is "atheist". It's a word with a somewhat surprising history, and one that is VERY charged in a modern context. We'll discuss how this word is used by people who describe themselves as atheists, and how non-atheists deploy it. It's gonna get messy! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 16, 2024
Pay Your Tithing!
Modern parishioners are often asked to pay one tenth of their money to their church. This practice, they are told, is biblical in nature. But is it really? Well, this episode we're talking tithing, and like so many ideas in the Bible it's way more complicated than you might think! Then, we're keeping the theme monetary and telling the story of Ananias and Sapphira. This New Testament couple decided that they didn't want to give ALL their money to the commune. Unfortunately, apostle Peter had set up some pretty stiff penalties for incomplete payment. Let's just say that the mafia would be proud. Yikes. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 09, 2024
Shrouded in Mystery
Oooh! We're going to poke the gauzy fabric-covered bear with this one! Well first we're going to have a delightful chat about plagues. No, not Covid 19 or the black death, we're talking frogs! If you thought the Spanish Flu was bad, wait until you hear about the great Egyptian livestock massacre. But did the great plagues visited upon Egypt by Moses and his very powerful tetragrammatonically-named accomplice really happen? Is it even logically possible that they could have happened? Then we're going to make some very certain people very sad. Hold on to your long pieces of stained fabric, because we're going to "cover" (get it?) the shroud of Turin. Have you heard that a new scientific paper has come out that proves that this was actually the sheet that was draped over Jesus as he lay in the tomb? A lot of people have heard that. Well great news! We've read that paper, and we're going to discuss it! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 02, 2024
The Fabric Conspiracies
Do you know anything at all about physics? It's fine if you don't, but hold on to your linen shirt if you do, because the sheer volume of gobbledygook that's coming is... impressive. We're going to talk about the fascinating claims of one Heidi Yellen. Yellen's famous papers revolve around Leviticus 19, and the prohibition against wearing two kinds of fabric together. She claims that she has discovered a very important reason why the Bible would warn us against this fiber mix-and-match, and it is a doozy! Then, we're switching over to Genesis 37, to discuss the owner of another famous piece of fabric. It's Joseph, owner of the coat of many colors (or coat of sleeves? don't ask). But we're not talking about the coat. We're more interested in the story of ol' Joe being sold into slavery... because it doesn't make sense. Who sold him? Who bought him? Who sold him again? Nothing lines up! Unless... For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 26, 2024
Bible Magic!
Abracadabra! Today, we're diving into the strange world of spell-casting, charms, and defense against the dark arts. No, this isn't about a school for young witches and wizards, it's the magic practiced in the Bible! And oooh, does that make some people uncomfortable! First, we're going to look at the famous priestly divining implements, the Urim and Thummim. What were they? How did they work? Did they glow? Were they more or less accurate than a Magic 8 Ball? Then we're traveling to the caves of Ketef Hinnom, to look at the oldest known witnesses to the Hebrew Bible, and their potentially magical properties. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 19, 2024
The Truth About Ruth
The biblical story of Ruth can be a confusing one for modern readers. Is Ruth a hero? Is she a schemer? She goes from gleaning in her dead husband's kinsman's field to marrying the guy in a matter of days. What are we to glean from that? And what, exactly, happened on the threshing room floor? If only we had a Bible expert on the show to help us understand it all. Oh wait--we do! That's lucky. Then, we turn to history. One of the trickiest things about reading the Bible can be how to tell what's actually historical, and what is... allegory. Some of the Bible's characters have no historical attestation other than the Bible, but not our friend Sennacherib! This neo-Assyrian king was 100% a real guy, and we're going to learn all about him! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 12, 2024
The Rapture is not Coming!
It is a source of joy for some, schadenfreude for others, and for many it is the source of deep, soul-crushing anxiety. It's the Rapture! That theoretical moment when all of God's good kiddos on Earth get to fly up to heaven, while all the naughty boys and girls get stuck here on Earth. It's a theology believed by millions around the world, but there might be a problem: is it possible that the rapture isn't actually in the Bible? On this week's show we're discussing the origins of the rapture idea. Who came up with it, what is it's scriptural basis (if there is any), why it took hold, and why not everyone embraces it. Were you "caught up" in Rapture theology? Then, we're continuing our future-prophesying theme with the baffling 10th chapter of Daniel. Ol' Danny boy had a vision involving a bunch of princes, and whoo boy! If you don't have McClellan levels of education about it, you would be forgiven for not understanding a blessed word of it. Thankfully, we have a McClellen here, so maybe we have a fighting chance! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 05, 2024
Out of Nothing
Look around you. Do you see it? It's everything. All the stuff. The earth, the sun, the stars, that sofa that you love but your partner kind of hates, the oceans, the trees, the new Taylor Swift album that they pressed into a vinyl album for some reason, even though everybody just streams... It's all here. But why? Was it always here? The stuff? Or was it created? This week, we're discussing creatio ex nihilo. It's the idea that God created everything from nothing, and if you're saying to yourself "well yes, of course that's what happened, everybody knows that," you might want to hang on to your shorts. People didn't always believe that, and you might be surprised to learn when the switch happened! Then, we switch to the apocrypha and dive into a delightful little add-on to the book of Daniel. It's Bel and the Dragon, and it is fun! You won't want to miss it. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 29, 2024
Gospel Authorship with Michael Kok
When you look at the New Testament and you see "The Gospel According to Matthew" or "The Gospel According to John", you could be forgiven for assuming that what you're getting is a book written by the apostle Matthew or John. But many scholars are convinced that this is not the case. Why don't they believe that these disciples of Jesus actually wrote the books that bear their name? This week, we're joined by bible scholar and gospel authorship expert Michael Kok. Dr. Kok will walk us through many of the reasons scholars question the traditional attributions, and give some insights into the very clever detective work that got them to those conclusions. Will this episode end like an episode of Scooby Doo, with us finally uncloaking the real authors? You'll have to listen to the end to find out! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 22, 2024
Take My Wife... Please!
It's Biblical misogyny day here at the Data Over Dogma show [well, it's one of them- this is the Bible we're talking about after all], and we've got some real doozies for you. First, we're looking at the strange, sad tale of Tamar. Things start fine(ish) for her--she finds herself married into a prominent family--but then all heaven breaks loose. Which is to say that God kills her husband. This launches her on one of the most insane paths in the whole Bible. BUT, that insane path gives us a chance to talk about a weird concept called "levirate marriage". Next, we're going to law school. We're taking as our text Deuteronomy 22, and it is ROUGH! These are laws governing extra-marital affairs, and let's just say you might find them a little harsh. Or a lot harsh. Or extremely harsh. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 15, 2024
Prophets, Kings, and Terrible Men with Aaron Higashi
Dr. Aaron Higashi is one of our favorites, and we're not alone! The folks over at The Bible for Normal People are fans, as well, and have enlisted Aaron to write a "for normal people" book about First and Second Samuel. These two books include some of the Bible's most famous and most infamous characters and moments. If you've ever read about the exploits of biblical David, and wondered if he is, in fact, a good guy... well, Dr. Higashi is right there with you. We'll ask him about his take on David and many other biblical figures and stories, and the conclusions may surprise you. Or not. This is Data Over Dogma, after all. Look for Aaron on the various social media places under the handle @abhbible. Preorder 1 & 2 Samuel for Normal People: A Guide to Prophets, Kings, and Some Pretty Terrible Men here: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Normal-People-Prophets-Terrible-ebook/dp/B0D7KBPRVN For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 08, 2024
Thou Shalt Not
Christian nationalism marches onward in the United States, and our hot take is: that's bad. Louisiana has now passed a law mandating putting a poster of The Ten Commandments™ in every classroom in the state. Lawmakers claim that they're providing historical context for the laws of the land. Historians say that's bunk. So what's really going on here? Are the Exodus 20 top-ten really the foundation that undergirds all law and order in modern society? Does it matter what version/translation is used? Is ten even the right number, according to the Bible? This week, we're diving into the the decalogue. Louisiana politicians are pretending that they apply to everybody, but we're going to question if they even apply to Christians! We'll see how things shake out... Thou shalt not want to miss it! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 01, 2024
I Got Soul, and I'm Super Bad
People talk all the time about souls. "He's my soulmate." "It was so scary, my soul left my body." "I'm going to destroy that piano if you don't stop playing Heart and Soul." But what are we actually talking about? Is there really a non-corporeal entity, an animating force inside each of us? Or are we just crude matter? And what does the Bible have to say about it? This week on Data Over Dogma, we're getting soulful. We'll discuss the development of the concept of the soul, and some very surprising ways that concept shows up in the Bible. Do NOT trust a woman with a pillowcase until you've heard this episode! For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 24, 2024
The Historicity of David
It's a judge and a king this week, and both are fascinating! First we're looking at Deborah, a prophet, a judge, and a really interesting figure whose story gets told twice in the Bible: back-to-back! Women often get short-shrift in the Bible, but Deborah's story is pretty satisfying. She's tough and her army wins the battle, and even more awesome-- she's not the only badass woman in the story! Stay tuned for the exciting (and gratuitously gorey) conclusion! Speaking of staying tuned, you're DEFINITELY going to want to stick around for our second half, where we discuss one of the most important figures in the whole book! Who was this David character? A lowly shepherd who rises to be King? A roving warlord? A bisexual rapist? DID HE EVEN EXIST AT ALL? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 17, 2024
Wrastlin' With God
It's questionable heroes week here on the Data Over Dogma show, and we've packed in some big names! How big? How about the guy they named the whole tribe of Israel after? You know... Jacob. We're asking the big questions here: do striped sticks really make sheep have spotted lambs? Is a cruel trick fair-play if the other person falls for it? And most importantly- if you beat a stranger in a wrestle, does that stranger get to change your name? Then we look at famous strong-man and the judge of Israel with possibly the poorest judgement, Sampson. Yes he was absurdly foolish with Delilah, but more importantly: what's the deal with all those foxes? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 10, 2024
The Book of Enoch
It's the book that didn't make the cut. Enoch (or first Enoch, if you're nasty) is an important book, both historically and religiously. As a matter of fact, New Testament writers considered it scripture. So why, when you open your Bible at home, is Enoch nowhere to be found? This week we're exploring the mysteries of the book that got the boot. Where did it come from? Was it really written by Enoch the patriarch (hint: no)? Why was it not included in the popular canons? Is there anyone that still considers it scripture (hint: yes)? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 03, 2024
Christmaker! With James McGrath
Get ready for some fascinating stuff! It won't be a baptism by fire, but we will be immersed in some cutting edge information about John the Baptist. Dr. James McGrath joins us to discuss John and his new book Christmaker. And trust us- you're going to learn some cool stuff. Many people's image of John is just a wild-haired itinerant preacher dressed like a cave man and roaming the desert and dunking people in water every chance he got. It turns out, he was likely a far more important and more interesting figure than that. Was he a disciple of Jesus, or was it the other way around? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 27, 2024
Silence, Woman!
Well, strap in y'all, because we're going after two of the most famous passages in all of the Bible. One of them is a nice story of Jesus and his mercy, the other is... less nice. Both are about women. And look out, M. Night Shyamalan, because we have a twist ending for both! We start it off with the story of the woman taken in adultery. This is the beloved tale that Jesus ends with "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." A lovely, poetic moment for the prince of peace. Did it really happen? You'll have to tune in to find out. Then we turn to one of the more pernicious of all scriptures. It's the bit about women being silent in the church. To this day, this scripture is a favorite of those who want biblical support for their oppressive ideas about gender roles. Are these people justified? For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 20, 2024
The End(s) of Monotheism W/ David Burnett
They said they were going to do it, and doggonit, it got did! This week David Burnett makes his triumphal return to Data Over Dogma to discuss the recent academic conference on monotheism that he, Dan McClellan and others organized at Brown University. And if that sounds boring or dry to you, hold onto your butt, because—fire in the hole!—they were dropping bombs! The whole goal of this conference was to challenge any notion that the people of ancient southwest Asia (meaning the people who wrote the Bible) were monotheists in any meaningful way. Christian and Jewish people today may only believe in a single God, but the same probably couldn't be said for the people who wrote their scriptures. David and Dan will report on papers from some heavy-hitter scholars that discuss this incendiary topic, and honestly they might just blow your mind. Unless you're a regular Data Over Dogma listener. Then, they might just be super interesting. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 13, 2024
Translation Frustration
When people say they've read "the Bible," what do they mean? Well generally what they DON'T mean is that they read source texts in their original languages. Most of us don't have the time or desire to learn how to read ancient Hebrew or Greek, so we're at the mercy of other people to figure out how to render the two thousand plus year old writings into our language. That leaves us with a problem: how do we know which translation to use? This week, Dr Dan is going to give the low-down on the many, many translations and version we have. We'll talk about why different versions popped up, and what the biases and goals of the various translators might have been. And we'll give specific examples of the differences between versions, exploring the massive difference a small word choice can have. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 06, 2024
Does the Bible say the Earth is Flat?
It's perhaps the most surprising conspiracy theory to pop up in this century. Humans have known that our planet is a sphere for literally thousands of years. Why, in a day of more advanced science than ever before, would people suddenly abandon that knowledge? Well, before our collective eyeballs all get too strained from rolling them, let's all pause to look at the probable origin of the flat-Earth insistence: The Bible. Does the Bible actually say that the Earth is flat? If it does, are readers meant to take that claim seriously? Are Bible-believing Christians obligated to deny the sphere? Then, it's Mea Culpa time! Dan McClellan has been convinced that a position he has espoused on social media and on this very podcast was incorrect. It's a minor thing with very little theological importance, but it actually has some interesting implications. It's to do with two jackasses. Or maybe three, if you count Dan. For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 29, 2024
The Genesis of Genesis with Dr David Carr
If you've been listening to the show for any length of time, you know that the Bible did not come from any single source, nor does it speak with one voice. This week, we have Dr. David Carr with us to discuss "the primeval history" of Genesis 1-11, and and the sources from which those chapters sprung. Were these stories taken and modified from other myths and legends in that part of the world? Were they actual history? What should we think when the stories repeat/conflict with themselves? Join us for a fascinating journey through the origin story of the origin story. For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 22, 2024
Can Jesus Forgive Sin?
This week, we're going to point out a blatant contradiction in the Bible, and if you don't like it... you'll just have to forgive us! In our first segment we'll talk about the epic end(s) of the the reign of king Ahaziah. There are two stories, and boy howdy- they do NOT line up! Then, we're talking new-testament forgiveness. Does Jesus have the right to forgive sins? The rabbis say no. He says yes. The disabled guy who was lowered into Jesus' house through a hole in the roof would just like to make it out of there in one piece. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion! For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 15, 2024
Black Hole Sun
You ever wonder if nefarious scientists are feverishly working to open a portal to allow demons out to begin the apocalypse? Well don't. That's silly. Nevertheless, some people ARE worried about that. And so many other silly things! This week, we look at the hysteria brought on by the recent total solar eclipse here in the U.S. and what Biblical implications (if any) it might have had. Also, we talk about the Jerusalem council in the book of Acts, and the impact it had on the formation of early Christianity. As the early followers of Jesus sorted out what it means to allow gentiles into the fold, they had some decisions to make about what rules all the new kids had to follow. They had no idea how big an impact they were going to have! To all the Christians who love bacon- they say "you're welcome." For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 08, 2024
The Holy Ghost (and Bears!)
This week, it's a deep dive into the Biblical ideas of spirits, souls, trinitarian thought, evolutionary agency detection, demons... and that's just the first segment! What is a spirit or a soul, anyway? Where did that idea come from? And after we answer ALL those questions, who or what is the Holy Spirit? And then, you know, we talk about Elisha and the bears murdering a bunch of kids. For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 01, 2024
What is a Woman... Biblically?
It's a big question these days. A deeply personal issue for many, a wedge issue for politicians (and that doofus Matt Walsh), and a point of A LOT of misinformation when it comes to the position of the Bible. Well, we're not qualified to talk about the personal or the political much, but on this week's show, we'll definitely be able to dive head-first into what the Bible has to say about the question of "what is a woman"? But before we get to that, we're diving into a murder mystery! An actual Biblical whodunnit. We all remember the story of when David killed Goliath, right? Well, what if that's not right? What if the giant Philistine was killed by someone else entirely, and David is just taking the credit? It's an episode of Law and Order: Bible Unit, and we're on the case. *Dun Dun* For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 25, 2024
Is Religion Make-Believe? With Neil Van Leeuwen
It doesn't sound very nice, but this week we're asking the question: is religious belief the same as factual knowledge, or is closer to imagination? Cognitive scientist and philosopher Neil Van Leeuwen is here to walk us through the theory he puts forward in his book Religion as Make-Believe A Theory of Belief, Imagination, and Group Identity. And it is fascinating! Dr. Van Leeuwen dives deep into how our minds relate to the world around us. What distinguishes our understanding of what's in the room next to us from our ideas about who or what controls the universe? Is there a difference between what he calls a "religious credence" that God is present in your life and the factual belief that you're currently sitting on a soft brown sofa? What's going on in our brains when we believe something versus when we know it? Find the book here (or ask your local bookshop to order it for you): https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Neil-Van-Leeuwen/dp/067429033X For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 18, 2024
Easter and the Undead
It's time for bunnies and chocolate, and recounting stories of brutal murder! For Christians around the world, Holy Week is an incredibly important time. But how well do you actually know the good, the bad, and the ugly of the last days of Jesus? But also... they weren't the last days, were they? This week, we're going through the Holy Week timeline and events to get some perspective on it all. Then, it's all about re-enlivening. Where did the idea of resurrection come from? What's its history? And did ancient Jewish people think of it the way we do now? For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 11, 2024
Christian Slavery with Candida Moss
Did Paul use slave labor to help him write his epistles? Would we even have a Bible without the work of enslaved people? This week, we welcome New Testament scholar Candida Moss, whose new book, God's Ghostwriters: Enslaved Christians and the Making of the Bible comes out later this month. In this book, Dr. Moss explores the widespread use of highly skilled enslaved people, not only as scribes or human dictation machines, but likely in much more creative capacities. Was your favorite passage of the Bible actually written or edited by an enslaved person? You can pre-order the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Ghostwriters-Enslaved-Christians-Making-ebook/dp/B0C9ZP7FB8 For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, March 04, 2024
Jesus in History with Helen Bond
What do we know about Jesus? Not the character who is the subject of the Christian Bible, but the actual historical figure? Who was that person? What can we know about him? Do scholars even believe that he actually existed? This week, we welcome Helen Bond to walk us through the actual history, or as much of it as we can piece together. On another just as fascinating front, we'll talk to Dr. Bond about the women of the New Testament. Did Jesus have female disciples (beyond his mom and Mary Magdalene)? Who were they? Did they fill important rolls in early Christianity? And if they were there, why weren't they included more in the text? For more Helen, check out the Biblical Time Machine podcast! For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 26, 2024
Introducing History Daily
This week we're doing something a little different. We're working with our friends over at History Daily to bring you some content that, though it is not Bible related, we think you'll really enjoy! Every weekday on History Daily, host Lindsay Graham ( American Scandal, American History Tellers ) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history. Give it a listen, and if you like it, subscribe! ***PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING OUR SURVEY! For a limited time, you'll be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card!*** https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DATAOVERDOGMA For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 19, 2024
GENOCIDE!
It's a big, scary topic, but it's one that you can't avoid if you want to talk honestly about the the Bible and its contents: does the Bible contain genocide? And if so, does it condone the genocide it contains? On this week's show we're looking at mass destruction, and wrestling with what it is, and what it means in a biblical context. Is the story of the ordered annihilation of the Amalekites genocide, or is it something else? What about God destroying Sodom and Gomorrah? Or the flooding of the entire world? Did any of this even actually happen? But also, we talk about Jesus riding two donkeys. 'Cause that's just fun. ***PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING OUR SURVEY! For a limited time, you'll be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card!*** https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DATAOVERDOGMA For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 12, 2024
The Dead Sea Scrolls With Kipp Davis
You've probably heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but how much do you really know about them? Where did they come from, when were they discovered, and what can they tell us about the Bible as it was handed down to us? Also, are all the scrolls and fragments that have found their way into private collections and museums legitimate? This week we talk to expert Dr. Kipp Davis, who gives us the skinny on the scrolls. It's all the history and mystery surrounding what some have called the most significant archaeological find of all time. To see more of Kipp's work, head over to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DrKippDavis Or check out his course on ancient Israelite religions: https://sales.mvp-courses.com/israelite-religions/ ***PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING OUR SURVEY! For a limited time, you'll be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card!*** https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DATAOVERDOGMA For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, February 05, 2024
Biblical Marriage With Jennifer Bird
One man, one woman. That's what many pastors, priests, and politicians claim the Bible prescribes for marriage. Are they right? Can it be actually be boiled down to that one simple dynamic? Well, if you've been listening to our show, you know how completely unlikely that is. But don't just take our word for it, we've brought in a ringer on the subject! Dr. Jennifer Bird is the author of Marriage in the Bible, What Do the Texts Say? Dr. Bird is going to set us straight on biblical conceptions of marriage, what it means to be a husband or wife, and whether these ancient ideas of marriage are even applicable in a modern concept. Find Dr. Bird's book and more info about her on her website: https://www.jennifergracebird.com/ For early access to an ad-free version of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 29, 2024
Jesus Murders A Tree
It's one of the most baffling moments of the new testament. Jesus talks to, and kills, foliage. Because he was hungry, and it was out of season, so it didn't have fruit. Dr. Dan does his best to make it make sense. Then we get into some really fascinating textual analysis! Don't let the fancy name intimidate you, this dive into deutero-Isaiah is super interesting. What do you think? Do you buy the hypothesis? Many have challenged the idea, but the Deut abides. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 22, 2024
Is Jesus God?
Hooooo boy. This week, we're asking one of the biggest questions in Christianity. Is Jesus God? Specifically, we'll be looking at two questions. First, we examine the gospel most frequently cited to support the idea: the gospel of John. Literally, the first verse of John says "The Word was with God, and the Word was God", doesn't that kind of end the debate? Well, if you know this show, you KNOW it's going to be more complicated than that! We'll go verse by verse discussing why what you've always been told may not be the full story. It may not be the story at all! And since we're courting controversy already, why not go whole-hog? In our second segment, we're going after the Trinity. Where did the concept of a triune God come from? Is it in the Bible? If not, is it at least the best solution to the problem it was trying to solve? How did the idea become canon? Are we finally going to talk about something that actually happened at the Council of Nicaea? For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 15, 2024
Modest is Hottest?
Brace yourselves, friends, 'cause this week's episode is getting racy! First, we're uncovering Noah in his tent, and his poor son Ham is going to regret going in there! It seems unfair, but apparently seeing your dad naked is a really big deal in the book of Genesis. Is it big enough to curse an entire lineage forever? Maybe. Hopefully Dr. Dan can help us figure out what's going on there. Next, we're kicking the Biblical legs out from under the pernicious cultural phenomenon of "modesty culture"! When pastors and preachers and priests (oh my!) get behind the pulpit and talk about how people should dress--and by "people" we obviously mean "women", because they never seem to have much to say about men's clothes--are they in line with the good book? What do all those verses they're quoting really mean? Well, this week we're going to determine exactly how short a skirt is allowed to be, how much shoulder is too much, and what offended parties should do when they see someone dressing in a way they don't approve of. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 08, 2024
The Joel McHale Episode!
That's right, kids. We got an honest-to-goodness celebrity to come talk to us. Joel McHale, the dashing star of hit shows like Community, The Soup, and Animal Control has inexplicably decided to join us this week to talk about his experience as a believing Christian in Hollywood, and what it means to him to hear Bible scholarship like what we have here on Data Over Dogma. We also spend some time talking about one of the wilder stories from the Bible: the necromancer of Endor! Sadly, this is not the story of the most interesting Ewok. But it is about a king breaking his own laws to talk to his best prophet, despite the fact that he's dead. We're cooking up celebrity fun in the D/D crime scene kitchen. Join us! For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, January 01, 2024
Revealing Revelation
Beasts! Dragons! Blood! This week, we're talking about the last book of the New Testament, that wacky troublemaker of a book, Revelation. Who wrote it and why? Was it a fever dream? What era is it talking about? IS ARMAGEDDON COMING TO CLAIM US ALL TOMORROW? For the definitive answers to these questions... well, you'd have to ask a time traveler or sorcerer. But if you want the best answers modern scholarship has to offer, this is the place! For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 25, 2023
The [Three] [Wise Men] With Eric Vanden Eykel
Magi- they're the gift that keeps on giving! Last week we talked about a star, this week we're unpacking the mysteries of the fellas who followed that star. We've all seen them represented in nativity scenes: three men in elaborate dress, each bearing a different gift for the infant king, but is any of that actually biblical? What do we actually know about the Magi? What role did they play in the story? Fortunately, we have Dr. Eric Vanden Eykel with us to unpack it all. He literally wrote the book on the subject. His book The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate delves deep into these enigmatic easterners. He'll help us dispel some common myths, and get a deeper understanding of Jesus' most baffling visitors. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 18, 2023
Follow That Star!
A physicist? On a Bible podcast? At Christmas time? Well, there are a couple of ways that could go! This week, we welcome Dr. Aaron Adair onto the show. Dr. Adair's book, The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View, discusses the famous star that led the wise men to baby Jesus in the book of Matthew. What could such a star have been? Is there a known heavenly body that could be used to guide someone to a specific place? How did it appear? Well, we got the guy who wrote the book on the subject, so buckle up. This one's going to be fun! For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 11, 2023
The Why Question- With Jacob Wright
This week we're joined by Dr. Jacob Wright of Emory University. His new book Why the Bible Began leaves aside the questions of who wrote the Bible, what it is, when it was written, and how the Bible came to us, and instead focuses on the why. Why did the writings of this one small group of people survive and persist, when the records of much larger and more successful empires were often buried, forgotten, or lost to time? For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, December 04, 2023
Who ACTUALLY Wrote the New Testament?
Will the real authors of the Bible please stand up? This week on Data Over Dogma, we dig deep into who wrote what and why we know what we know. Did someone named Matthew write the gospel of Matthew? Did Paul actually write ALL the Pauline epistles? Authorship is a big question when it comes to the Bible, and it can be a very contentious topic. But don't worry. We'll get through this together. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 27, 2023
The Lion's Den
This week, Dan and Dan discuss Dan! That's right, it's time to discuss the book of Daniel, and hoo boy- it's a doozy! If you thought being chucked in with a bunch of lions is all there is to this book, you're in for a wild ride. Sure, the first half of the book is some fun stories about dream interpretation and lions and furnaces, but then things take a turn for the apocalyptic! Will the Dans survive this descent into madness? Will the Biblical book of Daniel survive Data Over Dogma? Who is Belteshazzar? Tune in to find out! For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 20, 2023
The Bible and Disability with Isaac Soon
Was the apostle Paul disabled? His letters may well point in that direction. But the more interesting question is: how much would it matter if he had been? This week, we welcome Dr. Isaac Soon to discuss disability--both now and in the ancient world--and how the lens of disability can provide stunning insights into the Bible, theology, and our own outlooks in our daily lives. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 13, 2023
The End is Near?
Is the second coming... coming? This week we're exploring the end. Not the end of the Bible, but the end of us! It's eschatology time, baby, and we're digging deep. Is the apocalypse described in the New Testament upon us? How will we know when it's coming? DID IT ALREADY HAPPEN? If you're anxious that current events might bring about the end of the world, don't be. But if you're not convinced, check out this episode. And then relax. And be kind to your neighbors. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 06, 2023
The Ten (ish) Commandments
How well do you know the ten commandments? Could you list them out in order? Which number is “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk?" This week we're tackling the decalogue (decalogues?), and if you think that is a simple topic, you're in for a crazy ride. We explore the multiple lists of laws that have been called "The Ten Commandments" (you'll be surprised by which one is actually called that in the Bible), and we'll go over differences of opinion even in the most famous ten words. Strap in, because like so many Biblical things you thought you knew, God's top ten may not be what you always thought it was. For early access to an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 30, 2023
Christian Nationalism Ain't Christian: With Andrew Whitehead
This week Data Over Dogma gets political as we welcome Dr. Andrew Whitehead. Dr. Whitehead is an Associate Professor of Sociology at IUPUI, director of the Association of Religion Data Archives, and author of the incredibly timely book American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church. As a sociologist, Whitehead is bringing receipts as he discusses the current rise of racist, xenophobic power-seekers within American Christianity, and why that rise is... you know... bad. Bad for the country and democracy, but also very possibly bad for Christianity. We'll also discuss some of the Bible verses that have been used by Christian Nationalists, and figure out if those verses actually support the arguments they're making. For more Andrew: https://andrewwhitehead.substack.com Also look out for the American Idols podcast series. For an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 23, 2023
God's Big Fish Story
Is it possible for God to lie? The Bible says no. Multiple times, actually. But this is the Bible we're talking about, so even when it says no, yes might also be true... We start this week with the famous story of the Bible's worst mariner, Jonah. Why was he running away from God? Why did he spend some time in a fish? What did he smell like after? Then things get a little dicey as we dive into whether the God of the Bible might tell the odd fib (spoiler alert... yup) For an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 16, 2023
Angels and Demons
Do you find yourself worried about a demon-haunted world? Do you look to angels for protection? This week, we're going to the source to see what the Bible actually says about all that. Forget the adorable winged toddlers your mother in law has hanging in her kitchen, because biblical angels are a whole 'nother type of celestial being! And as for demons... well, maybe you don't have to worry quite as much as certain megachurch pastors want you to believe you do. For an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 09, 2023
Where Angels Fear to Swim
Welp, armageddon is coming. Again. At least according to people who are watching for signs in the Euphrates river. This week the internet is taking biblical stories and really running with them, and we're here to check the facts and do the math. First, it's the great escape as angels attempt to free themselves from from their fluvial Alcatraz. Then, we fee-fi-fo-fum our way through the story of the Nephilim. Did divine beings really have sex with human women? What did they have to talk about? For an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 02, 2023
A Jewish Paul with Matthew Thiessen
This week we welcome scholar and author Matthew Thiessen to talk about his new book A Jewish Paul: the Messiah's Herald to the Gentiles. Thiessen goes into the hotly contested realm of Pauline interpretation, and discusses how deeply problematic (read: antisemitic) some of those interpretations can be. You can find Dr. Thiessen's books wherever you find your great books. Go follow him on Twitter https://twitter.com/MattThiessenNT For an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 25, 2023
A Beatitude Adjustment for Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson is a monster. Or at least he wants to be, and he wants you to be one too! This week on Data Over Dogma, we discuss the most famous sermon given by Jesus, and incredibly inaccurate (and frankly disgusting) way that J.P. decided to interpret it. We'll go through the sermon on the mount beatitude-by-beatitude, to explicate what each of them mean. We'll learn about how Jesus valued kindness and gentleness and yes, meekness. And then we'll learn that Dr. Peterson absolutely HATES that message. For an ad-free version of the show, exclusive content, and an opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 18, 2023
Tiptoe Through the Talmud with Miriam Anzovin
This week we say shalom to TikToker and self-proclaimed "massive Jewish nerd" Miriam Anzovin. Miriam has delighted many and enraged others in the Jewish world with her unorthodox (in all the ways) take on important Jewish texts. In her TikTok series "Daf Reactions" Miriam goes through the Daf Yomi, a page-a-day cycle of Talmudic study, tying the Talmud in to her daily life as a milennial in modern society. Her videos take a critical look at the writings of the ancient sages, and connect the stories to what's happening in modern pop culture, politics, and society. Sometimes a lightning rod for controversy, and sometimes just the breath of fresh air that those studying the Talmud need, her work has gotten attention from around the world. For more Miriam, you can visit her website https://www.miriamanzovin.com/ Or check her out in the various places: TikTok Instagram Youtube BlueSky Threads Mastodon If you want to support our show, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 11, 2023
Abortion and the Bible
It's one of the big issues of our time. A great dividing line in our society. In fact, at this point it's almost impossible not to have big feelings about the issue of abortion. And one of the big weapons used in galvanizing people in the culture war is the Bible. But does it actually say what people on both sides of the issue claim it says? This week, Data Over Dogma dives into the deep end of this controversial pool to explore whether the Bible actually takes a stance on abortion. Many in the pro-life (or more accurately the anti-abortion) camp are absolutely certain that the Bible is in their corner. How defensible is their position. On the other side, many pro-choice folks say that the Bible not only doesn't condemn abortion, it actually has at least one place where it actually condones it. Are they misreading that passage? The abortion debate can feel very black and white in our time, and people are making biblical arguments about it left and right. On this week's show, we're stepping into the fray to see whose arguments hold up, and whose should be terminated. If you want to support our show, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, September 04, 2023
Connecting With Source
Want to know why the first two books of the Bible conflict with each other? Confused by the story of Joseph that seems to keep switching its narrative mid-stream? Looking for an explanation for why the pentateuch (that's the first five books of the Bible) seems like it's a bunch of different traditions all smashed together? Well, this week on D>D, we've brought in Princeton University's Dr. Liane M. Feldman to talk about--brace yourself--neodocumentarianism! That's right, neodocumentarianism. That's a MINIMUM of 26 Scrabble points, but it would take some extraordinary events to be able to play it... Anyway, if you don't know anything about the Neo-Documentary Hypothesis (and really, who does?), you're not alone. But you're definitely going to have some fun learning about it! If you want to support our show, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 28, 2023
Did the Exodus Really Happen?
Look out, Cecil B. DeMille, because the Dans are coming for you! That's right--making absolutely zero apologies to Messrs DeMille, Heston, or even Kilmer (for all you Dreamworks fans), we're letting the data run roughshod over the story of the biblical exodus. The tale is beloved: a man of lowly birth but raised among royalty returns to his roots to save his enslaved people from bondage, but did any of it actually happen? How much do we actually know, and how do we know it? Then we dive deep into Exodus 22:29... because it's horrifying. Is it possible that God commanded his chosen people to sacrifice their own children to Him? That doesn't sound right. Maybe there's another way to interpret that, right? Right??? If you want to support our show, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 21, 2023
I Knew a Guy Who Was SO OLD...
How old was he? Well, he was so old that Dr. Dan is sick of getting asked about him all the time! That's right, this week we're starting the show discussing the ages of the patriarchs. Did Noah and his ancestors really live over nine hundred years each? Could Adam actually have celebrated his great, great, great, great, great, great grandson's 50th birthday with him? If not, why would the Bible say that? Then we move on to another tricky topic: the apocrypha! Why were some books kept in the Bible, and others rejected? Who gets to make the call when a book is called into question? Are there set criteria? Are those criteria better than just "Martin Luther didn't like that one"? Find out the answer to these questions and more! If you want to support our show, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 14, 2023
I'll make you a STAR! With David A. Burnett
You're not going to want to miss this one! This week, the Dans are resurrected as star stuff when they interview scholar and friend David A. Burnett. You're not going to want to miss this one, as David connects Paul's ideas of the afterlife with the deposing of the divine council, and a new arrangement in the firmament. Will you make the cut as a celestial body? They'll also dig deep into the scholarship to discover whether monotheism was ever actually a thing in ancient southwest Asia, or if that was an imposition of much later interpreters of the text. To find more of David Burnett, check out his academia.edu page here: https://www.edinburgh.academia.edu/DavidBurnett Or follow him on the socials: https://twitter.com/dburnett51 https://www.facebook.com/david.burnett.50 If you want to support our show, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, August 07, 2023
The Devil Made Us Do It
Move over Shrek, because Data Over Dogma got their own talking donkey. That said, this is D>D, so you won't be surprised to learn that the verbose ass may be the least interesting thing about the story of Balaam. You'll have to listen to find out what twists and turns the discussion takes, but you know you're in for some fun when we tell you that at some point, God might be labeled "satan". Speaking of... what's up with the devil anyway? In our second segment "Could it be... SATAN?" (you're welcome, Gen Xers), Dr Dan will do his best to make sense of exacty who or what the Bible is talking about when it brings up the adversary. Is it Lucifer? Is it Beelzebub? Is it a snake? Are these the same being, or a bunch of different entities getting lumped in together? We'll sort it all out for you or else make it more confusing. One or the other. It's just our way. If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 31, 2023
The Case of the Missing Verses
First off this week, we're talking KJV. Where did the King James version of the Bible come from? Why is it a "version" and not a "translation"? Why did King James decide a new version was necessary, and was he actually involved in its creation? Is there-gasp-more than one King James Version? Then, the Dan's grab their magnifying glasses and deerstalker caps to investigate why some versions of the Bible seem to have missing verses. Is foul play afoot? Tune in to find out! If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E16 · Mon, July 24, 2023
Apostlepalooza!
Do yo think you know your apostles? Can you name the original twelve? Is that even a thing that can actually be done? It seems like it should be a simple task, but this week the Dans dive in to the apostolic deep end, and find a total mess waiting. First, it's "what's in a name?" when Dan B can't figure out who is who. Fortunately, Dan M is there to step in and explain all the name-changes, the translations and transliterations, and possible substitutions in the original apostle roster. Then, it's "whatever happened to baby Junia?" We look at Paul's epistle to the Romans, and ask... did he just mention a woman apostle? 'Cause it seems like he just mentioned a woman apostle! If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 17, 2023
The Dans Go to Hell
Call Ted Danson, because this week we're going to the bad place. Does the Bible really threaten sinners and nonbelievers with eternal torment? Was the idea of hell made up long after the Bible was written? Get out your asbestos snorkle and mask, because we're going to probe deep into the lake of eternal fire, and see what we can find. Then, it's "what ever happened to baby Judas" as we look at two Biblical accounts of how brother Iscariot met his earthly end, and realize they don't quite match up. Do you yearn for redemption for the wayward apostle, or are you hungry for revenge? There's a story to fit any appetite. If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 10, 2023
Lilith Unfair
This week we're delving into the legends, myths, misunderstandings, and slanders surrounding Lilith. Who or what is Lilith? Feminist icon? First wife to Adam? Night demon? Owl? We break down the origin stories, and get to the bottom of this mysterious and fascinating character. Then, "stele" Dan McClellan gives the inside scoop on the standing stones of ancient southwestern Asia. We discuss their archaeological importance, their cultural and religious significance, and where you can get one of your own (if you're the unscrupulous enterprising type). If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, July 03, 2023
Does God Regret this Podcast?
This week Dr. Dan says "alright, let's see it" to claims about whether or not God can regret. Does Genesis actually say that God repented for making humanity? Then, hot on the heels of a big trip to Israel, the Dans discuss modern archaeology and what it can tell us about the ancient world. If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 26, 2023
The Blessing of the Magdalene w/ Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
This week Bible scholar (and singer/songwriter) Elizabeth Schrader Polczer joins us to discuss Mary Magdalene. Dr Schrader Polczer plumbs the depths of textual criticism to explore a fuller and possibly more accurate view of the mysterious and often misunderstood character. Could it be that she was a much more prominent figure than we previously thought? If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 19, 2023
Will the Best Bible Please Stand Up?
So many of our listeners have asked "which translation of the Bible is the best?" Well this week, the Dans do a deep dive into the Bible's journey from ancient Hebrew and Greek into English. We're tackling the twists and turns and socio-political machinations that led to the words we read in today's versions of the text. If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 12, 2023
Adam and Steve (what the Bible says about homosexuality)
Happy Pride month, everybody! This week, Dr. McClellan takes a deep dive into gayness. Wait. That doesn't sound right... He takes a deep dive into the Bible's view on gayness. Yeah, that sounds better. What does the Bible actually say? What DOESN'T it say? And how much of what it says actually applies in a modern context? Homosexuality is one of the great dividing issues of our time, and much of that division is driven by Christian leaders using the Bible to condemn members of the LGBTQIA+ community. But are they interpreting the Bible correctly? If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 05, 2023
The Mark of the Best
This week, Dan B looks to the book of Revelation to explain why UPC bar codes and covid vaccines are bad. But Dan M steps in with his decoder ring, and with just a little sleuthing, they finally solve the mystery of the mark of the beast (hint: it was old man Caruthers, the spooky mansion's caretaker, and he would've gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids!) Then, Dan M digs into his dissertation grab-bag and pulls out Prototype Theory. And somehow in the process, he manages to ruin dictionaries for everyone. If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 29, 2023
Contextual Healing with Aaron Higashi
This week, the Dans are joined by scholar and fellow biblical TikToker Aaron Higashi. In this interview Dr. Higashi talks about theological context, and the fact that every believer is coming from a particular perspective. He also discusses the perils and rewards of turning biblical scholarship out toward the public. Find Dr. Higashi's work at: https://www.tiktok.com/@abhbible https://www.instagram.com/abhbible/ https://www.youtube.com/@abhbible If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 22, 2023
So Many Gods!
This week we dive into the deep end of biblical polytheism. First, we go "chapter and verse" discussing 2 Kings, chapter 3. It's a war campaign with a VERY surprising ending. Next it's a fascinating look at what's happening in Psalm 82 and the cultural and historical context of the divine council. If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 15, 2023
God Breathed?
Is all scripture written (or breathed) by God? This week we use big words like "univocal" to explore the implications of the Bible having only one author. Is every verse divinely inspired? And if not, what are the implications of a fallible text? If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 08, 2023
Betrayed by Dan Brown
This week it's misconceptions all the way down! First, the Dans go out to the backyard and hunt for brightly colored misconceptions about the origins of Easter. Then, risking life and limb from melanin-challenged monks sent by Opus Dei (or maybe Doubleday publishing), Dr. McClellan directly challenges his holiness, Dan Brown about the purpose and accomplishments of the Council of Nicaea. If you enjoy the Data Over Dogma podcast, and feel like helping out, please consider becoming a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, May 01, 2023
Ehrmageddon! With Bart Ehrman
On this week's show, the Dans talk apocalypse with Bart Ehrman. Ehrman's new book Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says About the End is a deep-dive into one of the Bible's most confounding books, Revelation. We talk about the rapture (and all the missed predictions of it), predictions of doom, and whether Revelation was meant to be talking about the future at all. You can subscribe to Dr Ehrman's blog at: https://ehrmanblog.org/ To take one of his online courses, check out https://www.bartehrman.com/ If you enjoy the Data Over Dogma podcast, and feel like helping out, please consider becoming a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 24, 2023
Why Is She Salt?
This week the Dans dive back into Chapter and Verse with the story of Lot, the angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Then, they dive in to the problem of provenance. How do we know when an artifact is legit, and if we're not sure... what do we do about it? If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 17, 2023
God's Wife with Francesca Stavrakopoulou
This week we interview the inimitable Francesca Stavrakopoulou. Author, scholar, and BBC documentary presenter, Dr. Stavrakopoulou discusses some big questions about the God of the Bible. Did He have a body? Did He have a wife? Did He demand child sacrifice? It's all big questions and some potentially surprising answers on this week's Data Over Dogma! Find Dr. Stavrakopoulou on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/ProfFrancesca If you want to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at patreon.com/DataOverDogma Also, follow us on the various social media places: facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod twitter.com/data_over_dogma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, April 08, 2023
In the Beginning*
It's the beginning of the podcast, and we couldn't be more excited! In our inaugural episode, the Dans go "Chapter and Verse" with the creation story--sorry, stories--in Genesis 1, 2, and 3. Then, in "What does that Mean?" we discuss the tetragrammaton, and what the Bible says about God's name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Data Over Dogma

"Biblical" Marriage

Immigrant Apocalypse with Yii-Jan Lin

Usurer Error

Wandering in the Wilderness with Angela Roskop Erisman

Hey Jude

Episode 103: The Pastor Skeptic

Episode 102: The Dave Ramsey Takedown

Episode 101: The Slave Bible

Episode 100: Give Me Your Slave!

Episode 99: Why Can't You Be Like Your Brother?

Did Jesus Go to Hell?

The Neighborhood of Make-Believe

"Render Unto Caesar" with Congressperson Eric Swalwell

Uh-Oh, Jericho

Getting to Gnow the Gnostics

Banning the Bible?

The Curses of Cain and Ham

Star Spangled Christian Nationalism With April Ajoy

With Counter-Apologies

Spare the Rod... Please!

Josiah the Cult Killer

The Dans Ruin Christmas

Debunking Jesus?

Purify This! With Logan Williams

The Demon Haunted Bible

Episode 83: The God-Forsaken Psalm

Deconstruction Zone with Rev Karla Kamstra

You're Speaking My Language!

Omni Everything?

Who is a True Christian w/ David Congdon

The Biblical View of Immigrants

What is an Atheist?

Pay Your Tithing!

Shrouded in Mystery

The Fabric Conspiracies

Bible Magic!

The Truth About Ruth

The Rapture is not Coming!

Out of Nothing

Gospel Authorship with Michael Kok

Take My Wife... Please!

Prophets, Kings, and Terrible Men with Aaron Higashi

Thou Shalt Not

I Got Soul, and I'm Super Bad

The Historicity of David

Wrastlin' With God

The Book of Enoch

Christmaker! With James McGrath

Silence, Woman!

The End(s) of Monotheism W/ David Burnett

Translation Frustration

Does the Bible say the Earth is Flat?

The Genesis of Genesis with Dr David Carr

Can Jesus Forgive Sin?

Black Hole Sun

The Holy Ghost (and Bears!)

What is a Woman... Biblically?

Is Religion Make-Believe? With Neil Van Leeuwen

Easter and the Undead

Christian Slavery with Candida Moss

Jesus in History with Helen Bond

Introducing History Daily

GENOCIDE!

The Dead Sea Scrolls With Kipp Davis

Biblical Marriage With Jennifer Bird

Jesus Murders A Tree

Is Jesus God?

Modest is Hottest?

The Joel McHale Episode!

Revealing Revelation

The [Three] [Wise Men] With Eric Vanden Eykel

Follow That Star!

The Why Question- With Jacob Wright

Who ACTUALLY Wrote the New Testament?

The Lion's Den

The Bible and Disability with Isaac Soon

The End is Near?

The Ten (ish) Commandments

Christian Nationalism Ain't Christian: With Andrew Whitehead