Best Textual Criticism Podcasts (2025)

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In the Ring pt. 1: Responding to the KJV Only Movement via Textual Criticism 1:03:02

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34m ago1:03:02

1:03:02

Textual criticism is basically the process of comparing all the oldest and best ancient copies of the Bible we’ve discovered, so we can get as close as possible to the original words the biblical authors wrote. Properly understood- it’s not scary, it’s not anti-faith, and it doesn’t deny the inspiration of Scripture — it’s simply good scholarship. …

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Ep 96 - Kims of the Roundtable 1:45:36

20m ago1:45:36

1:45:36

The gang's all here! On the first classic Proles episode in a while, the crew reads through texts written by Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. We unpack what makes Juche and the DPRK unique inheritors of the tradition of Marxism-Leninism as well as dialectical and historical materialism. Jeremy covers the Juche Idea, Tony talks governance and reuinifica…

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Creative Work and Sustaining Work, with Baruch Kvasnika: Genesis 2:1-3 and Exodus 20:8-11 11:47

2h ago11:47

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What sort of work do the Scriptures forbid on the Sabbath? What sort of work is allowed? Attention to the Hebrew words used in connection with the Sabbath and in other contexts sheds some light on these questions. Dr. Baruch Kvasnika is President of Jerusalem Seminary, which equips believers to understand their faith in and through the land of the …

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Why Don't Young People Want to Drive or Women Want to Get Married? (Ep 216) 54:05

5h ago54:05

54:05

In this episode, we do a brief cultural analysis on three articles that have been published over the last few months. Why is it that Gen Z doesn't want to drive? Why are women less likely to want to get married now than men? These are important cultural questions that Christians need to be able to understand. Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction 01:24 Fi…

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drea brown on Conjuring the Haint: The Haunting Poetics of Black Women 54:51

9d ago54:51

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Dr. drea brown is a queer Black feminist poet-scholar whose writing has appeared in journals and anthologies such as Stand Our Ground: Poems for Marissa Alexander and Trayvon Martin, the Smithsonian Magazine, Southern Indiana Review, Bellingham Review and About Place Journal. drea is the author of dear girl: a reckoning, winner of the Gold Line Pre…

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Saying What is Unsaid, with Seth Ehorn: Philemon 19 8:39

5h ago8:39

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Toward the close of his short letter to Philemon, Paul offers to pay any debt Onesimus may owe Philemon, and adds (ESV), "I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self." The last words are often viewed as heavy-handed, but are better understood as an instance of paralipsis in which Paul "br…

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Vintage Clip: Is AD 70 The End of The Age? 18:58

5d ago18:58

18:58

Some postmillennialists have taught that the end of the age happened in AD 70 and that is when Satan was bound. What does the Bible say about the end of the age? Time Stamps: 00:00 Intro to View that AD 70 is Age to Come 03:40 Begin Four Brief Responses 03:55 (1) End of Age Identified with 2nd Coming of Christ 09:44 (2) End of the Age Identified wi…

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Ep 95 - Critical Psychology and Marx (w/ Frank, of r/counterpsych) 1:04:59

13d ago1:04:59

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Rae and Jeremy are joined by returning guest, Frank Gruba-McCallister, for a meander through the philosophy that drives Frank's own, expanding on the role of capitalism in the human experience, as well as the ways in which Marx overlaps and applies to interpretations of mental health and healing. Frank is the co-author of The Revolutionary Psycholo…

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Atiya Husain on No God but Man: On Race, Knowledge, and Terrorism 55:22

16d ago55:22

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Dr. Atiya Husain is Associate Professor of Africana Studies and a faculty affiliate in Anthropology/Sociology at Williams College. Her work has been published in scholarly journals such as Ethnic and Racial Studies, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, as well as popular outlets including Boston Review, Slate, and Adi Magazine. She is a founding co-edi…

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Superordinated Duty and the Law, with Paul Sloan: 1 Corinthians 9:21 12:56

7d ago12:56

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In an important line, Paul is frequently understood to be referring to at least two laws, the law of Moses, which the apostle is no longer "under," and a law of Christ, which he is still "under" (1 Cor. 9:21). Jewish parallels and the Greek words Paul uses suggest, however, that it is Paul's commission to preach the gospel that can override some Mo…

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One of the Most Inconvenient Truths against Postmillennialism (Ep 215) 1:09:24

7d ago1:09:24

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In this episode, we look at one of the most inconvenient passages for postmillennialism. Neopostmillennialism teaches that eventually the whole world will follow Jesus, but this seems to contradict Jesus's statement about the broad and narrow way in Matthew 7:13-14. Stay tuned for an interesting discussion!Time Stamps00:00 Introduction02:22 Matt 7:…

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Celina de Sá on Diaspora without Displacement: The Coloniality and Promise of Capoeira in Senegal 1:07:06

23d ago1:07:06

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Dr. Celina de Sá is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the SF Bay Area, she received her PhD with distinction at the University of Pennsylvania in Africana Studies and Anthropology. Outside of her professional life, she is also a capoeirista and training to be a flamenco dancer. In today’s c…

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Jesus, Son of God, with Christopher M. Hays: Mark 1:1 and 15:39 13:00

14d ago13:00

13:00

In the opening line of Mark's Gospel Jesus is referred to as "the Son of God," except that the Greek phrasing in this instance, somewhat non-typically, lacks any definite article. That this idiom echoes imperial propaganda is seen to be likely when a Roman centurion employs the same wording as he observes how Jesus died on their cross. Dr. Christop…

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Does God Still Speak Through Dreams and Visions? 1:04:22

22d ago1:04:22

1:04:22

Are dreams and visions a genuine way the Holy Spirit still speaks today—or are we in danger of fooling ourselves when we put too much weight on them? What do you do with a dream that feels significant? How do you discern between God’s prompting, your own subconscious, and something that could actually mislead you? And why do some Christians seem to…

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Julia Elyachar On the Semicivilized: Coloniality, Finance, and Embodied Sovereignty in Cairo 49:05

21d ago49:05

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Dr. Julia Elyachar is an author, anthropologist, and political economist. She was trained in anthropology, economics, history of political and economic thought, political economy, social theory, Middle Eastern Studies, and Arabic language. At Princeton, she is an associate professor of anthropology, and associate professor at the Princeton Institut…

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Ep 94 - A Textual Foundation for Aspiring Marxists (ft. Andre from Weeb Revolution) 1:30:37

27d ago1:30:37

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This is a bit of a departure from our usual format. Rather than having a specific topic, our guest Andre will give brief summaries and reviews of a number of texts which they recommend as a foundation for anyone who is interested in Marxism or Marxism-Leninism. I would say that this is a great episode for you to share with left-n00bs who you don't …

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Canceling a King, with Oliver Hersey: Exodus 1:8-9 13:52

21d ago13:52

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When the king of Egypt is first introduced in our OT book of Exodus he is not named, nor thereafter. But the book itself in Hebrew is called "Names," and even the midwives are named (Exod. 1:15). Egyptians tended to treat the kings of their enemies the same way. Dr. Oliver Hersey is the 11th president of Jerusalem University College. This college, …

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The Bible Storyline with Mike Vlach (Ep 214) 48:04

1M ago48:04

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Many people struggle to understand the storyline and themes of the Bible. We are joined by special guest Mike Vlach, who introduces us to his newest book, The Bible Storyline. He walks us through some of the major themes of Scripture and how those are often misunderstood. You won't want to miss this conversation! Time Stamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:…

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Élika Ortega on Binding Media: Hybrid Print-Digital Literature from across the Americas 52:45

1M ago52:45

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Dr. Élika Ortega is assistant professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Ortega writes about the intersection of digital and print publishing, digital literature, cultural hybridity, digital humanities, and multilingualism in academia. Her work on these topics has been published in venues like …

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Ian Mills, The Hypothesis of the Gospels 13:33

25d ago13:33

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How did the first readers of the gospels think about their relationship to one another? A discussion of Ian's first book, The Hypothesis of the Gospels: Narrative Traditions in Hellenistic Reading Culture (2025).By New Testament Review

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What Was From the Beginning, with Elizabeth Mburu: 1 John 1:1-4 15:30

28d ago15:30

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John's longer letter begins with a series of clauses headed by neuter relative pronouns without clear antecedents. In particular, the neuter gender draws our attention. To what do they refer and how does this relate to John's larger concerns? Dr. Elizabeth Mburu, who contributed earlier to this podcast, is Associate Professor of New Testament and G…

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Ep 93 - Soviet Law: From Lenin to Stalin (ft. The Leninist Lawyer) 1:13:25

1M ago1:13:25

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In this whirlwind episode, The Leninist Lawyer (@LovelyLeninist) takes us deep into the world of Soviet law from the 1917 Revolution to end of Stalin's life in 1953. What exactly is socialist law? Did the USSR have a jury system? And how did the Soviet legal apparatus differ from so-called Western justice? We answer all and more in this intriguing …

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Critical Conversations, Confrontation and Holding other Believers Accountable 1:02:44

1M ago1:02:44

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We’ve all heard it — “Judge not, lest you be judged.” But what did Jesus really mean by that? Is it ever right to confront another believer about sin or unhealthy behavior? And if so, how do we do that without becoming hypocritical, self-righteous, or unloving? In this episode, we’re diving into one of the hardest parts of Christian community — hol…

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64. Ramsay MacMullen, "Persecution" from Paganism and Christianity in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries 19:58

1M ago19:58

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Where did all the pagans go? A discussion of Christian persecution of pagans from Ramsay MacMullen's book, Paganism and Christianity in the Fourth to Eighth Century (1999).By New Testament Review

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Cranky, Bald Donkeys and Textual Criticism, with Andrew Perrin: Jeremiah 14:6 11:50

1M ago11:50

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Looking at ancient copies (manuscripts) of the Old Testament is necessary if we are to reconstruct the earliest wording of the texts, but the manuscripts can also shed light on the ancient scribes, their work, and perennial challenges of interpretation. For example, 4Q Jeremiah A (dates to around 225-175 B.C.E.), one of the Qumran Scrolls, has some…

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A Review of Tucker Carlson and Gavin Ortlund on Israel (Ep 213) 58:28

2M ago58:28

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In this episode, we look at two videos: one by Tucker Carlson, who argues Israel cannot be the chosen people of God, and one by Gavin Ortlund, who argues that Gentiles are now the true Israel, therefore Israel as a nation loses its significance. We break both of these arguments down and look at what Scripture has to say on the issue. Time Stamps 00…

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Margaret J. Wiener on Magic's Translation: Reality Politics in Colonial Indonesia 1:00:16

2M ago1:00:16

1:00:16

Dr. Margaret J. Wiener is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her book Visible and Invisible Realms: Power, Magic, and Colonial Conquest in Bali (University of Chicago Press) won the 1995 Victor Turner Prize for Ethnographic Writing, awarded by the Society for Humanistic Anthropology. Her publications hav…

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The Messianic Whipper Snapper, with N. Clayton Croy: John 2:15 11:53

2M ago11:53

11:53

The RSV's translation of the "cleansing of the temple" in John 2:15 is in part, "And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple." John's Greek, however, suggests that Jesus was using the whip only on the animals, which might have other implications for interpretation. Dr. Croyis the author of a widely used…

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Understanding Our English Translations (How We Got the New Testament) - Part 7 (Ep 212) 57:33

2M ago57:33

57:33

We are happy to team up with Denis Salgado from The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) and discuss the history and transmission of the New Testament documents. The CSNTM is an organization started by Dan Wallace that exists to preserve and digitize NT manuscripts, studying their background and transmission. As part of their s…

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Consumer Christianity and How to Spot it in Ourselves 1:05:17

2M ago1:05:17

1:05:17

The New Testament is full of commands for Christians to gather together regularly for encouragement, discipleship and community. Not only that, we’re told as Christians 59 separate times to honor, care, love and serve one another within the context of the Church. According to the Bible, being involved in a local church and pouring our lives out for…

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Ep 92 - Anti-intellectualism, Empathy, and Hand Tattoos w/ Schizophrenic Reads 1:19:03

2M ago1:19:03

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Rae and Jeremy sit down with Nathan from Schizophrenic Reads to talk about anti-intellectualism, radical empathy, and the ways in which our consumer culture turns us into hedonistic assholes. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO …

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Mary Poole and Meitamei Olol Dapash on Decolonizing Maasai History: A Path to Indigenous African Futures 52:27

2M ago52:27

52:27

Dr. Mary Poole is a historian of U.S. and African history, with an emphasis on histories of social movements, racial capitalism, colonialism, feminist and other critical social theory, and Indigenous decolonizing research methods. She has served on the faculty of Prescott College in Arizona since 2003. In the 1980s, she served as a fiscal analyst f…

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The New Creation Story of Jesus Christ, with David Capes: Matthew 1:1 9:18

2M ago9:18

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The opening words of Matthew's Gospel are translated as, "An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah" (NRSV), or "This is the genealogy . . ." (NIV), or "This is a record of the ancestors . . ." (NLT). A comparison with the parallels in Genesis and a look at what Matthew actually composes suggest that Matthew had something else in mind. David…

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Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament (How We Got the New Testament) - Part 6 (Ep 211) 1:01:20

2M ago1:01:20

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We are happy to team up with Denis Salgado from The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) and discuss the history and transmission of the New Testament documents. The CSNTM is an organization started by Dan Wallace that exists to preserve and digitize NT manuscripts, studying their background and transmission. As part of their s…

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The Stalin Eras: One Year Anniversary Message 2:17

2M ago2:17

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The Stalin Eras: Sources & Supplemental Material: https://www.patreon.com/posts/141308561 The Stalin Eras: Bonus Episodes: https://www.patreon.com/collection/798550 The Stalin Eras: Link Tree with Playlist https://linktr.ee/thestalineras

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Wendell H. Marsh on Textual Life: Islam, Africa, and the Fate of the Humanities 1:27:58

2M ago1:27:58

1:27:58

Dr. Wendell Marsh is an Associate Professor of African Literature and Philosophy at Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique in Morocco. His work bridges Global Black Studies, African Studies, and Islamic Studies, with a focus on how African and diasporic intellectual traditions and expressive cultures reshape our understanding of knowledge, religion, …

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At the Doorstep of Nicaea, with Malcolm Yarnell: Colossians 2:9 11:35

2M ago11:35

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The Colossian churches had shifted their attention from Christ to calendrical matters, mediatorial figures, mystical visions, and philosophical notions. Paul is calling them to focus on Christ, who is the center and circumference of reality. In 2:9, Paul's language makes Christ's full deity unavoidable and unmistakeable. Dr. Malcolm Yarnell III, wh…