Dr. Eric J. Tully: On Science Fiction, Prophets, and PhDs

11/16/21 • 43 min

Dr. Eric Tully joins Dr. Michelle Knight and Dr. Josh Jipp for this week’s episode. Eric is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and he also directs the PhD. in Theological Studies. He completed his MDiv. at TEDS and also holds a BA from Moody Bible Institute and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Eric begins with a recounting of his childhood in the mission field in central Africa, a time during which he grew to appreciate the spiritual benefits of the Old Testament. From that point onward, he was committed to helping the church understand it well. This leads into a discussion of Eric’s course on the “Book of the Twelve,” commonly known as the “Minor Prophets,” and the most coherent reasons we have for reading them as a unified set of texts. There is also an insightful conversation about the eschatological vision of the prophets, and how one’s relation to God determines where one stands in relation to such a vision. Eric also expatiates on the importance of focusing on the Hebrew text for interpretation, both in his work in Hosea and in his co-taught course on the Psalms with Dr. David Luy. Finally, Eric shares his wisdom about the benefits of getting a PhD., especially the kinds of intellectual virtues one is able to cultivate through the process.

Along the way, listeners will discover...

Who shot first, Han or Greedo, and why?
Eric’s favorite drink.
What the prophets uniquely contribute to what we know about God, and what we’d lose without them.

To learn more about Dr. Eric Tully, visit his faculty page, or explore one of his many books, whether his Hosea commentary, his introduction to textual criticism, or his forthcoming work on the prophets, due March 2022. He has also done a recent chapel message. Thanks for listening!

Along the way, listeners will discover...

Who shot first, Han or Greedo, and why?
Eric’s favorite drink.
What the prophets uniquely contribute to what we know about God, and what we’d lose without them.

Previous Episode

Dr. Manuel Rauchholz: On Anthropology, Trauma, and Understanding Our World

Dr. Fellipe do Vale and Dr. Madison Pierce interview Dr. Manuel Rauchholz, who is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Manuel has been teaching at TEDS for three years, and he also is an alumnus. He completed a ThM under Paul Hiebert at TEDS before going on to doctoral work in cultural anthropology at Heidelberg University.

The episode begins with Manuel sharing the fascinating trajectory his life has taken, beginning with his birth in Germany, through to his family’s missions work in Micronesia (especially the island of Chuuk), and followed by stretches of time in Illinois, Germany, and Japan. Manuel brings his cultural expertise and curiosity to his work, and in the episode, he emphasizes the importance of a careful and detailed understanding of human communities, both in their beauty and in the difficult things one encounters therein. Such a practice enriches seminaries and churches, for it is a way to become “all things to all people,” maintains Manuel, and doing so demonstrates love and self-giving to those communities. Manuel himself has exhibited this nuanced anthropological work in his studies on human trafficking in small island communities, and concludes with some recommendations for how Christians can be agents of good in such spaces.

Along the way, listeners will discover...

Why Manuel thinks his wife is more German than he is
Some of the challenges of being a cultural anthropologist, especially since people, unlike books, do not stay in one place
How theologians, pastors, and ministers can learn from the study of culture

To learn more about Dr. Manuel Rauchholz, visit his faculty page, read one of his publications in journals like the Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, watch his recent interview on abuse and the church with the Koinonia network, or better yet, come study with him at TEDS!

Next Episode

Cliff Nellis: On Restorative Justice, Holistic Healing, and Practicing Law as a Christian

TEDS MDiv alumnus Cliff Nellis joins Dr. Madison Pierce and Dr. Fellipe do Vale this week to speak about his work as executive director of Lawndale Christian Law Center, located on the westside of Chicago. Cliff holds a BA in Philosophy and English from Illinois Wesleyan University, a law degree from the University of Chicago, and is working toward an MBA at the Booth School of Business, also at the University of Chicago.

Cliff’s rich and diverse training distinctively equips him for his work at LCLC, which provides care to the youth of north Lawndale in the form of legal services, social services, and other opportunities for healing in the community. Cliff elaborates upon the holistic approach preferred by LCLC throughout the episode, an approach that takes into account both social and legal aspects of the lives of the young people they serve, which he calls “wrap-around supports.” Through these services, Cliff and his team (most of whom live alongside those they serve in Lawndale) hope to enable and equip those they help not to recidivate. The ultimate outcome for which they work is restorative justice, or a state of affairs of broader reconciliation and restitution beyond the distribution of punishment. This approach is both motivated by distinctly Christian impulses and better addresses questions of racial and criminal injustice. Cliff describes how he got into this kind of work, and what Christians can do to cultivate practices that benefit the communities in which they find themselves.

Along the way, listeners will discover...

How God can change someone’s life during a very long bike ride
How arguing with your sibling is a tool for sanctification
What resources are helpful for learning about the criminal justice system in the United States

To learn more about Cliff Nellis and the work being done at Lawndale Christian Legal Center (and to work alongside them!), look around their website (where you can make a donation), read the book that originally inspired Cliff, Real Hope in Chicago, or watch the news piece done on LCLC on ABC News.