Data Over Dogma

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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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

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