Rule Your Tech: Jedd Medefind

TheologyU hosts Christian academics and authors to talk about their work in a way that anyone can understand. Jedd Medefind is president for the Christian alliance for Orphans, which brings together over 300 different organizations to unite in shared initiatives to inspire and equip families, churches, and organizations for service to vulnerable children and families- including adoption and foster care programs. He previously served in the white house as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and led the office of faith based and community initiatives. He’s been published in places like the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and the Gospel Coalition. How should Christians think about technology?Are smart phones evil?When should kids get a smart phone?How can Christians consider new technology?

TheologyU hosts Christian academics and authors to talk about their work in a way that anyone can understand. Today’s guest is Dr. John Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School. He’s from Ireland and did his Phd at Harvard. Since then, his career as a Bible scholar has been prolific. He’s general editor of the extremely famous Anchor Bible Series and has served as president of the Society of Biblical Literature, the foremost and largest collection of Bible scholars in the world. He’s written about many different things in more than 25 books and many more academic articles. His latest book is the subject of our conversation today, a book called Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism. Often, when we think of the word apocalypse, we think of the book of Revelation and the end of the world. Apocalypses in movies and pop culture are always a kind of climactic ending. But for Collins, this is a distortion of a much more ancient worldview, one which envision history as composed of various ages. An apocalypse to ancient Jews was never the end of history but was rather defined by the world which followed a certain apocalyptic ending just as much as the event itself. Apocalyptic literature is a genre or category of ancient writing which reflect on the end of the world as we know it and what might come next. Authors often used dramatic imagery and symbols. The book of Daniel includes a few chapters of apocalyptic literature, but most of this material from ancient Judaism doesn’t appear in modern Christian bibles. The most prominent example is the book of Enoch, which we talk about in some detail in this episode. Dr. Collins definitely won’t tell you when the world is going to end or how, but he can definitely help you understand where this literature comes from and how to think about it. 

Dr. Jason Hentschel is senior pastor of Wyoming Baptist church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has a PhD in theology from the university of Dayton and an MDiv from Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He edits a journal for the American Baptist Historical Society and recently published a book, the subject of our conversation today, called “Desiring Certainty: The Making of Biblical Inerrancy. 

Dr. Michael C. Legaspi is associate professor of Old Testament at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological seminary in New York. He was raised a Roman Catholic, attended Protestant churches as a teenager and young adult, and later became Orthodox. Dr. Legaspi went to Johns Hopkins before getting his masters and Phd at Harvard.Today, we talk about his most recent publication- a commentary on the book of Job. We talk about what Job is about- it's value as wisdom for all parts of life, not just grief and loss, and the broader "Joban" tradition which emerges from teh book of Job.We also talk about the role of Satan, or "the Satan," in the book and his relationship to God. God calls Job blameless, but he suffers anyway, faces many accusers, and eventually talks directly with God before getting all his stuff back- doubled! Job is a wonderful story, and deep well of theological reflection. Dr. Legaspi invites me, and you, into this exercise.

TheologyU hosts Christian academic and authors to discuss their work in a way that anyone can understand. Today's guest is Dr. William J. Davidson, a pastor at Tabernacle Church of Norfolk, Virginia, and a recent PhD grauduate from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We talk about his new book which is called "Putting on Christ: Spiritual & Bodily Transformation in Pauline Theology"- basically talking about how Paul, and other Biblical authors, discuss about clothing and its role in explainng a life of faith. Clothing is a frequent image- starting in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve only realize their nakedness, or lack of clothing, after taking the forbidden fruit. Later, clothing becomes an image of God's goodness, adn righteousness, which he graciously clothes us with.

Dr. J. Warren Smith (PhD, Yale University) is professor of historical theology at Duke Divinity school. He’s written books about several periods in church history, focusing on important figures like Augustine, Ambrose, and Gregory of Nyssa. His most recent book is called “Early Christian Theology: A History,” which basically narrates the first 400 years of Church History. There are 14 chapters, all of which could make for a great conversation, but today I asked Dr. Smith about one particularly important moment in the history of Christianity called the council of Nicaea. Over 300 bishops met to settle some ongoing debates among Christians in the year 325, almost 300 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. By this point, Christianity had spread to many parts of the world, and it became increasingly important for Christian leaders to establish some common shared beliefs, establishing some guard rails on what was now a rapidly growing religion. 

TheologyU hosts Christian academics and author to talk about their work in a way that anyone can understand. Historian Dale Allison joins TheologyU for the third time to discuss Jesus and his portrayal as a “new Moses” in the New Testament. Dr. Allison is among the most famous and well-respected Biblical scholars in the world, widely publishing work about the Old and New Testaments. He’s still Dearborn professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. He’s a brilliant scholar and a gracious conversation partner. Moses is among the most important and commendable people in the Old Testament. He speaks directly with God, confronts Pharoah, and leads the people out of Egypt- serving as their mediator with God throughout.It makes sense that Jesus, the liberator of all people and our permanent mediator with the Father, would resemble Moses in some ways, but the parallels go much deeper. Both Jesus himself and the Gospel writers who recount his life picked up on and emphasized the ways that he re-enacts many of the things Moses did. At the end of this episode, we also talk about some of the critical ways Jesus is differentiated from Moses, and anyone else for that matter, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth noticing and learning from the similarities, too. What is Biblical typology?Is Jesus like Moses?Does Jesus fulfill prophecy?How does Jesus relate to Deuteronomy 18?Did Jesus believe he was the Messiah?Does Matthew create the Jesus-Moses typology?Is the New Testament reliable?

TheologyU hosts Christian academics and authors to talk about their work in a way that anyone can understand. Dr. Max Botner is associate professor for the school of theology and leadership at Jessup University and the director of their center for bible study. His PhD in New Testament Studies is from the University of St. Andrews.Dr. Botner's newest book is called: How then shall we read? A Students Guide to Interpreting the New TestamentWhy should I read the Bible?How do I read the Bible?Acts 8 and the Ethiopian Eunuch

TheologyU hosts Christian academics and authors to talk about their work in a way that anyone cane understand. Today, we walk through a close reading of the book of Daniel, chapter 5. Dr. John Walton is emeritus professor of Old Testament at Wheaton college and a true legend in the world of Evangelical study of the Bible. His PhD is from Hebrew Union college and he specializes in the Old Testament and its cultural background- what scholars refer to as the Ancient Near East. Dr. Aubrey Buster is associate professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. Her PhD is from Emory University and she joins TheologyU for the second time to talk about the book of Daniel. 

TheologyU hosts Christian academics and authors to talk about their work in a way that anyone can understand. Dr. Joel B. Green is senior professor of New Testament interpretation at fuller seminary. His PhD is from the university of Aberdeen in Scotland. He’s written or edited 55 books along with countless essays and reviews. Today's conversation is based on his new book, Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology.Who wrote the New Testament?Is the Bible reliable?Where did the New Testament come from?Who decided on the New Testament books?What does the Bible teach?