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PODCAST

The Biblical Mind

Center For Hebraic Thought

The Biblical Mind is dedicated to helping its audience understand how the biblical authors thought, promoting Bible fluency through curious, careful reading of Scripture. It is hosted by Dr. Dru Johnson and published by the Center for Hebraic Thought, a hub for research and resources on the intellectual world of the Bible.

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

45:38

The Truth About Iran: Religion, Power, & the Rise of...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/03/26

Is Iran truly an Islamic nation—or is that a misconception shaped by politics and media?In this episode, Dru Johnson speaks with political scientist Dr. Farhad Rezaei, who offers an insider’s perspective on religion, culture, and power in modern Iran. Contrary to common assumptions, Rezaei explains that only a minority of Iranians actively identify as Muslim, with many describing themselves as secular, non-religious, or spiritually unaffiliated. At the same time, Iran is experiencing what Rezaei

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46:53

Where Is the Ark of the Covenant? Legends, Evidence,...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/03/19

What happened to the Ark of the Covenant—and why does it still capture the imagination of both scholars and the public?In this episode, Dru Johnson speaks with archaeologist Dr. Chris McKinny about his documentary Legends of the Lost Ark and the enduring mystery surrounding Israel’s most sacred object. McKinny explains that while many assume the Ark was destroyed in the Babylonian invasion, the biblical text never explicitly says so—leaving open a range of historical and legendary

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45:16

Embodied Knowing: Polanyi, Scripture, and the End of...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/03/12

Why does Michael Polanyi matter—and why should Christians care?In this episode, Dru Johnson and Mike Tolliver reflect on the Hebraic Thought Community’s recent book study of Personal Knowledge and explore why Polanyi’s work remains so influential. A chemist-turned-philosopher, Polanyi challenged the modern view of knowledge as detached, purely mental, and objective. Instead, he argued that all knowing is embodied, communal, and tradition-shaped. Science, he insisted, is not merely the collection of

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62:48

Antisemitism and the Holocaust: Or, How Normal People...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/03/05

Is the Holocaust fading from living memory—and if so, what are the consequences?In this sobering and historically grounded conversation, Dru Johnson speaks with longtime Jerusalem resident and Anglican rector David Pileggi about why the Holocaust must be understood not merely as Jewish history, but as a defining event in modern human history. Pileggi argues that the Holocaust was not simply a tragic episode within World War II—it was central to the war’s origins and its catastrophic

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34:28

Syndicated: The Bible Bar - Genesis 1 (Joshua Berman...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/02/26

In this syndicated episode, The Biblical Mind features the inaugural release of The Bible Bar, a new podcast from Bar-Ilan University hosted by Dr. Joshua Berman. The first episode dives into one of the most debated chapters in Scripture: Genesis 1.Dr. Berman welcomes eminent Assyriologist and Old Testament scholar Lawson Younger to explore how the biblical creation account relates to ancient Near Eastern cosmogonies and theogonies. What makes Genesis similar to Egyptian and Mesopotamian creation

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39:12

Is “I’m Sorry” Biblical? Honor, Social Order, and...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/02/19

Does it matter whether we feel sorry when we ask for forgiveness?In this conversation, Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman returns to discuss the surprising findings of his long-term research into forgiveness in the Hebrew Bible. The biblical word slicha (“forgiveness”) appears only in relation to God—not between people. In fact, there is no word for “apology” in biblical Hebrew. So how were offenses resolved? Drawing on honor culture studies and examples ranging from Jacob and Esau to Judah and Tamar, Dr

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36:34

Love, Justice, and the American Prison System: A...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/02/12

**********We recently uploaded the wrong audio file for this episode — sorry about that! The correct version is now live. If your podcast app already downloaded the original (incorrect) file, it may not automatically replace it. You’ll need to delete the old download and re-download the episode. Here’s how: Step 1: Delete the Downloaded Episode Open your podcast app. Go to the episode. Remove/Delete the downloaded file. (Look for a checkmark, download arrow, or “Downloaded” label — then choose

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32:55

Archaeology of the Everyday: Grounded Theology in...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/02/05

What if theology isn’t something abstract but grows directly from the soil beneath our feet? In this episode, Dr. Cynthia Shafer-Elliott and Dr. Libby Backfish discuss their new book Grounded Theology, which argues that Israel’s theological reflections were deeply intertwined with daily life—especially as subsistence farmers in a land marked by both promise and struggle.Drawing on archaeological discoveries from ancient households, the conversation explores how everyday artifacts like loom weights

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49:41

Redeeming Eden & Eve: How the Bible Strategically...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/01/29

Why does Scripture so often portray women as central to God’s work of redemption—even in stories of deep dysfunction and failure? In this episode, Dr. Ingrid Faro, Old Testament scholar and interim president of Northern Seminary, joins Dru Johnson to explore her groundbreaking work in Redeeming Eden: How Women in the Bible Advance the Story of Salvation.Dr. Faro shares how her personal journey through theological trauma, cultic church experiences, and academic discovery led her to reexamine Genesis

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47:22

Seeing What’s Really There: A Guide to Biblical...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/01/22

Can you trust that viral “Bible connection” you just saw on TikTok?In this episode, Matt Swale, author of "Scripture’s Use of Scripture in the Old Testament," joins Dr. Dru Johnson to discuss how biblical allusions really work—and why we need better instincts and better tools when interpreting Scripture. Swale wrote the book to help lay readers and undergraduates navigate the exciting (and sometimes overhyped) world of intertextuality: how one passage of Scripture evokes another, often subtly, and

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46:19

The State of Hebraic Thought In 2026 (Dru Johnson)...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/01/15

In this episode, Dru Johnson and Mike Tolliver reflect on the Center for Hebraic Thought’s evolving impact and expanding community. They revisit the promise made in 2025 to annually assess their work and celebrate how that commitment has borne fruit: from the flourishing Hebraic Thought Facebook community and its scripture reading groups, to the launch of a Michael Polanyi reading club. They announce the inaugural Bible First Conference Series, co-hosted with the American Bible Society, exploring

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53:24

Sacrifice, Atonement, and Presence: Maybe Leviticus...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/01/08

What happens when an Australian butcher starts reading Leviticus—and finds it fun? In this unique episode, Dru Johnson speaks with Phil Bray, author of Leviticus on the Butcher’s Block, about how his day job cutting lambs and steaks helped him see the book of Leviticus in a whole new light. Phil traces his journey from casual Bible reader to Leviticus superfan, exploring how rituals, sacrifice, and atonement make far more sense when you’ve broken down hundreds of animals by hand.Phil shares how

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32:16

ICYMI: How Old Testament Laws Can Shape Christians...

The Biblical Mind ·

2026/01/01

In this episode, Old Testament scholar Dr. Carmen Imes unpacks widespread Christian misunderstandings of Torah and shows how the laws of the Old Testament were never meant as a means of salvation, but as a way of living out Israel’s covenant identity. Rather than a legalistic burden, Torah was a gift of freedom—a lifestyle for a people already redeemed.Dr. Imes explains how Jesus wasn’t raising the bar beyond Sinai but calling his followers back to its original heart: internal transformation, not

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28:21

ICYMI: Is the NT Just Stoic Philosophy? (Jonathan...

The Biblical Mind ·

2025/12/25

ICYMI: This episode is one of our earliest episodes, and originally aired on 5/14/2020In this introductory conversation, Dr. Jonathan Pennington joins the Center for Hebraic Thought as its newest fellow and shares how his journey through philosophy and biblical scholarship led him to see the New Testament as part of a deeply sophisticated intellectual tradition. Pennington discusses how early Christianity, though written in Greek and shaped within a Hellenistic world, did not abandon its Jewish

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37:56

Faith, Innovation, and the Church's Future:...

The Biblical Mind ·

2025/12/18

What happens when the tech elite of Silicon Valley use their skills to serve the church?In this episode, Kevin Kim, executive director of Crazy Love Ministries and founder of Basil Tech, joins Dr. Dru Johnson to explore a radical idea: that technology, creativity, and innovation can be spiritual gifts to build up the Body of Christ. Drawing from his experiences with venture capitalists, Stanford designers, and software engineers from Apple and Google, Kevin explains how Basil Tech mobilizes

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46:19

Getting Egypt Out of Israel: The Exodus Plagues as...

The Biblical Mind ·

2025/12/11

Are the ten plagues just divine punishment? Or are they intended to form a people?In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson sits down with Dr. Rick Wadholm and Pastor Dalton Avery, co-authors of Plagued by Faith, to explore a more layered vision of the plague narratives in Exodus. Rather than merely acts of judgment, the plagues are portrayed as formative, disruptive events that unmake Egypt’s religious, political, and economic worldview—and detach Israel from it. The Nile River, Egypt’s source of life, is

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25:08

Hebraic Thought On The Big Screen? Biblical Themes in...

The Biblical Mind ·

2025/12/04

What makes a movie biblical—even if it’s not about the Bible?In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson explores that question with a curated list of films that reflect deep biblical structures—movies that “get what’s going on in Scripture” better than many that explicitly reference the Bible. These aren’t Sunday School adaptations—they’re gritty, layered, and emotionally raw. Dru walks through Tree of Life (a meditation on Job and Genesis 1), A Serious Man (Job again, but existential and tragic), East of

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2:13

Equip the Church to Think Biblically: How Your Church...

The Biblical Mind ·

2025/12/03

In this special message to church leaders, Dr. Dru Johnson speaks directly to pastors, elders, and ministry teams preparing next year’s budget. As someone who has served as a full-time pastor, he knows how critical and crowded those budget conversations can be—and he makes a case for why the Center for Hebraic Thought deserves a place in your missions giving line.“If you’ve passed along our articles, if you’ve listened regularly to our podcast or shared it with others,” Dru says, “then you’ve

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2:51

Fueling Hebraic Thought: How You Can Help

The Biblical Mind ·

2025/12/02

In this candid and heartfelt message, Dr. Dru Johnson steps out from behind the mic to speak directly to you—the listener, the learner, the potential donor.“I’m a recurring giver. I actually pay to do this work.” That’s how strongly he believes in the mission of the Center for Hebraic Thought. In this short but powerful donor appeal, Dru explains how the Center’s podcast, public resources, book series, and workshops are made possible—not by salaries or institutional budgets—but by the generous

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22:14

Why Scholars Gather: A Tour Through the Wild World of...

The Biblical Mind ·

2025/11/27

What actually happens when thousands of biblical scholars descend on a single convention center?In this unusual and behind-the-scenes episode, Dru Johnson roams the floor of the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in Boston to ask a range of publishers and scholars—from Langham Publishing to Prairie College—what these conferences are really like. From the excitement of free books to the dread of reading papers aloud in monotone, this episode reveals both the inspiring and ridiculous sides

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