Eden doesn’t disappear after Genesis 3. In this episode of the Biblical Reenchantment podcast, I sit down with pastor and Two Trees Podcast host John Dillon to talk about his book The Way of Eden—and why the Garden of Eden functions as a theme that keeps shaping the biblical story long after Adam and Eve leave the garden. We’ll trace how Eden imagery shows up in exile, spiritual warfare, and everyday Christian life. What does it mean to resist the darkness without turning our neighbors into enemies? How do “pockets of Eden” form in households, friendships, and local churches? And how does Scripture—like a river in the wasteland—grow resilience in a noisy, unstable world? We also explore dominion vs. dominance, the Bible’s use of tree and river imagery, and why the fruit of the Spirit is part of how Christ’s people bear witness to the kingdom of God right now.

Halloween’s imagery of monsters and giants is linked with Reformation themes through the views of Calvin, Luther, and Zwingli. Calvin, following an Augustinian Sethite reading of Genesis 6:1–4, denied a literal angel–human hybrid origin but described the Nephilim as violent tyrants—both “giant” and “fallen”—preserving their moral and symbolic meaning. Luther used giants and serpents to portray Arian heretics opposing the Trinity, likening them to Israel’s ancient foes and grounding confidence in Christ’s triumph over every power (Psalm 2; Psalm 110; Hebrews 1). Zwingli, more rational and wary of superstition, rejected occult practices and saw idolatry itself as demonic temptation, focusing instead on disciplined obedience to Scripture. Together they held to symbolic readings of giants but often overlooked their supernatural roots in Genesis 6 and 1 Enoch. Yet Scripture unites both realities—the literal and the symbolic—as in Jesus’ walking on water, which shows his authority over chaos. Giants, then, represent real spiritual rebellion and enduring tyranny that resists God’s rule, seen not only in ancient empires like Egypt and Babylon but also in modern powers such as AI or alien ideologies that draw humanity away from devotion to Christ.

Humanity was created for communion with God but became estranged through Adam’s exile from Eden—a spatial and relational separation symbolized by eastward movement away from sacred space. This estrangement, inherited by all humans, frames sin not as the root problem but as the consequence of being spiritual orphans. Redemption is not primarily legal pardon but adoption—restoration to God’s family. Scripture emphasizes that not all are children of God by default; adoption into God's household comes only through faith and rebirth. The gospel begins with the Father's love, not law, and its ultimate aim is not moral improvement but restored relationship—a return home from exile, where humans are no longer the prodigal race but beloved sons and daughters.