Episode: Matt and Dru go on a myth-busting spree of Josianic proportions. The topic? Sacrifice in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and several ways that modern readers "butcher" the subject. Enjoy the host-only back-and-forth discussion of sacrifice, decoding Leviticus, ritual, Girard, law, and more!

Hosts: Matthew Lynch (Ph.D., Emory University) is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Regent College, and is a co-founder of OnScript. He’s the author of Portraying Violence in the Hebrew Bible (Cambridge, 2020), Monotheism and Institutions in the Book of Chronicles (Mohr Siebeck, 2014), First Isaiah and the Disappearance of the Gods (Penn State University Press/Eisenbrauns, 2021) and Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God (IVP). Matt is particularly interested in helping students grasp the theological and literary contours of the Old Testament, wrestle through its ethical and historical challenges, and understand its ongoing significance. With Matt Bates, he’s the co-founder of OnScript.

Dru Johnson (Ph.D., University of St Andrews) is the Templeton Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, adjunct professor at Hope College, and the director of the Center for Hebraic Thought. His main area of research has focused on the philosophical and intellectual world of biblical literature. His recent books include What Hath Darwin to Do with Scripture? Comparing Conceptual Worlds of the Bible and Evolution (IVP Academic); Biblical Philosophy: A Hebraic Approach to the Old and New Testaments (Cambridge University Press); Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, andSacraments (Eerdmans); The Universal Story: Genesis 1–11 (Lexham); Epistemology and Biblical Theology: From the Pentateuch to Mark’s Gospel (Routledge); and Knowledge by Ritual: A Biblical Prolegomenon to Sacramental Theology (Eisenbrauns). More at his website: drujohnson.com. He is an editor for the Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biblical Criticism monograph series, so you can also send him proposals for monographs!

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Image Attribution: By Illustrator of Henry Davenport Northrop's 'Treasures of the Bible', 1894 - http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures/Treasures%20of%20the%20Bible%20(Moses)/target20a.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6611903

Episode: In this episode Chris Tilling interviews Jonny Rowlands about his new book, The Metaphysics of Historical Jesus Research. In many ways it builds on earlier discussions with Seth Heringer, Austine Stevenson, and others here on OnScript. We dive into his fascinating thesis and his take on some big questions in historical Jesus studies, challenging secular approaches that are often taken to shape the field. He argues that our worldview assumptions come first, shaping how we interpret history, and calls for a broader range of metaphysical perspectives in this kind of research. We get into Rowlands’s push for embracing faith-informed approaches and how that might change the way we think about Jesus’s life. He shares sharp insights on why objectivity in historiography is impossible and discusses how we could better assess historical events by considering different philosophical perspectives. Our conversation also touches on the various “quests” for the historical Jesus and the philosophies of history that shape the field. Overall, the episode invites listeners to rethink how theology, metaphysics and historical research connect and what that means for biblical scholarship today. Also, stay tuned to hear a song from our producer, Jason Stark (details below)!

Guest: Jonathan Rowlands is Graduate Tutor, Lecturer in Theology, and Lead Tutor for Assessment at St. Mellitus College. He is the author of The Metaphysics of Historical Jesus Research (London: Routledge, 2022) and his second monograph - Reading Holy Scripture: Rethinking Theological Interpretation of Christian Scripture – is forthcoming with T&T Clark. His research has appeared in Journal of Biblical Literature, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Novum Testamentum, Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, Modern Theology, Scottish Journal of Theology, Journal of Theological Interpretation, and Journal of Pentecostal Theology. He has also written for more accessible publications such as Church Times, Premier Christianity, and Seen & Unseen, and is a contributor to BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought programme.

Song: "Travel Light" by Jason Stark. Enjoy Jason's new song on various platforms. Links available HERE.

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Episode: We are culturally embedded and socially embodied, and this impacts how we interpret Scripture. Esau McCaulley and Amy Peeler, who form part of the editorial team for The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary, answer questions about the book's origins, scope, and unique features. They also anticipate possible objections to the project and speak of its power to transform the church. Listen, and discover how our monochromatic readings can receive an exciting technicolor adjustment. Cohosted by Matt Bates.

The Book: Esau McCaulley (Editor), Janette H. Ok (Co-editor), Osvaldo Padilla (Co-editor), Amy L. B. Peeler (Co-editor), The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary (IVP Academic, 2024). In a first-of-its-kind volume, The New Testament in Color offers biblical commentary that is:

• Multiethnic
• Diverse
• Contextual
• Informative
• Reflective
• Prophetic
• Inspiring

“I wish someone had handed The New Testament in Color to me twenty-five years ago, and I hope many will read it now.” ―Nijay Gupta, bestselling author of Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church.

Historically, Bible commentaries have focused on the particular concerns of a limited segment of the church, all too often missing fresh questions and perspectives that are fruitful for biblical interpretation. Listening to scholars from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities offers us an opportunity to explore the Bible from a wider angle, a better vantage point.

The New Testament in Color is a one-volume commentary on the New Testament written by a multiethnic team of scholars holding orthodox Christian beliefs. Each scholar brings exegetical expertise coupled with a unique interpretive lens to illuminate the ways social location and biblical interpretation work together. Theologically orthodox and multiethnically contextual, The New Testament in Color fills a gap in biblical understanding for both the academy and the church. Who we are and where God placed us―it's all useful for better understanding his Word. (Publisher’s description).

Guests:

Rev. and Dr. Esau McCaulley is the Jonathan Blanchard Associate Professor of New Testament and Public Theology and a contributing opinion writer on religion for the NYT. He has previously been our guest on OnScript for his book, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope (IVP Academic). He also penned a memoir, How Far to the Promised Land (Convergent Books). Dr. McCaulley holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from the University of St. Andrews, 2017.

Rev. and Dr. Amy Peeler. Amy is the Kenneth T. Wessner Professor of New Testament at Wheaton, where she serves in the Graduate program. She holds a PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary. She has previously been our guest on OnScript for her book, Women and the Gender of God (Eerdmans). She also has a new commentary on Hebrews (Eerdmans) in the Commentaries for Christian Formation Series.

OnScript’s Review: The New Testament envisions the gathering of people from all tribes, tongues, and nations under the banner of King Jesus. The New Testament in Color provides a unique blend of theory and commentary from a multiethnic perspective. It exposes the guild's monochromatic biases, allowing us to reframe the New Testament in accordance with its multiculture aims. I'm eager to use it in the seminary classroom. — Matthew W. Bates, author of Why the Gospel?; professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary.

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