Many American Christians assume an over-familiarity with the Bible. Whether because we were raised in the church, or because we think we have it all figured out, or because of sheer laziness, we rarely turn to Scripture with diligent and curious eyes, guided by a community of other Bible-readers. At the same time, we often erect barriers between our faith and work or between the state of our souls and the state of our bodies. Perhaps the two issues are connected: we see the Bible and our churches as dealing with spiritual things but tend to isolate them from our everyday lives.

Dr. Luke Bobo is an author, theologian, professor, and Director of Strategic Partnerships for an organization called Made to Flourish. His work ranges from encouraging biblical literacy among everyday churchgoers to helping pastors think holistically about the interaction between faith and work, including implications for poverty alleviation. In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson interviews Dr. Bobo about biblical interpretation and the dignity of work. Dr. Bobo wants us to do two things: first, dive deeper into Scripture, and second, figure out how the church can serve in the economic order.

Questions addressed include: How can Christians develop an asset-based approach to ministry, instead of a need-based one? How can churches work in concert with the biblical story the affirm the dignity of work? What does an economically flourishing church look like? How Christians read the Bible better?

Show notes:

• 0:26 The basics of the Bible and biblical interpretation
• 3:50 Practices that help and hinder biblical literacy
• 7:18 Interpretation through your social location
• 11:57 Interpretation as an individual and communal exercise
• 17:19 Made to Flourish and the dignity of work
• 22:16 Helping pastors think about vocation
• 32:00 The church as an economic agent

Learn more about Dr. Luke Bobo's writing and work at Made to Flourish.

Dr. Bobo's book A Layperson's Guide to Biblical Interpretation: A Means to Know the Personal God

Show notes by Micah Long.

Since the 19th century, the term "wisdom literature" has been associated specifically with the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. When we look for wisdom in the Bible, then, we will often turn to these books. However, to divorce these works from the larger biblical corpus may have blinded us to their fuller narrative context and prevented us from seeing wisdom in other stories, poetry, and laws of Scripture.

Will Kynes, Associate Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Samford University, wants to broaden and challenge our understanding of wisdom and wisdom literature in the Hebrew Bible. In this episode, he talks with Dr. Dru Johnson about the Hebrew context for wisdom in the Bible, including 1 Kings, Deuteronomy, Genesis 1–3, and even contemporary Egyptian texts. Instead of limiting ourselves to the modern definitions of wisdom, perhaps we can begin to read Scripture on its own terms and enrich our understanding of its persistent and complex wisdom tradition.

Show notes:

• 0:28 The problem with the way we think of wisdom in the Bible
• 2:39 Different views of wisdom
• 6:38 Focusing on the concept of wisdom instead of "wisdom literature"
• 9:00 Understanding "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"
• 10:41 Reading 1 Kings 1-11 and Proverbs
• 17:15 Culturally-based versus universalized pictures of wisdom
• 23:26 The narrative framework of Scripture
• 25:19 A new word for "wisdom"?
• 28:13 Understanding Scripture on its own terms

For more of Will Kynes's work on wisdom in the Bible, check out An Obituary for "Wisdom Literature": The Birth, Death, and Intertextual Reintegration of a Biblical Corpus.

Will Kynes's Samford University page with bio and more writings.

Show notes by Micah Long.

As we've already discussed on The Biblical Mind podcast, the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) is more than just a bunch of old stories with some laws thrown in. Instead, it is an interwoven collection of literature, carefully crafted to shape the Israelites into the people of YHWH. However, many people still regard the the Old Testament laws as inapplicable to modern Christianity. They may see the Israelite religion as a "religion of works" while seeing Christianity as a "religion of faith."

In this episode, Dr. Carmen Imes, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Prairie College in Alberta, Canada, talks with Dr. Dru Johnson about the role of the Old Testament laws. Fulfilling individual Old Testament laws is meant to shape the wisdom and character of God's people in response to God's already accomplished work of salvation. Dr. Imes talks about biblical oath-making, the difference between ancient and modern views of law codes, and how God secures his faithfulness by swearing on Himself. If we learn to read the law as an extension of our love for God, we can see how the practices and guidance of the Torah can shape our modern life as Christians.

Show notes:

• 0:00 Why the Torah isn't what gave salvation to the Israelites
• 2:28 Why there are rules in the Bible
• 7:44 Oath-making in the Hebrew Bible
• 13:07 What the Ten Commandments were really like
• 17:23 The uniqueness of the Hebraic covenants and Old Testament laws
• 25:04 What it means to "love the LORD your God with all your heart"

Carmen Imes's blog: Chastened Institutions

Her most recent book: Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters

Show notes by Micah Long.