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New Muslim-Christian Commentaries on the Bible with Ida Glaser

The Stone Chapel Podcasts

To hear the podcast click here.

Dr. Ida Glaser, Director of the Oxford Center for Muslim-Christian Studies in Houston, joins David Capes to talk about a new commentary she has just co-authored with her colleague, Anwarul Azad. 

It is entitled Genesis 1-11: Bible Commentaries from Muslim Contexts (Langham Publishing).

Dr. Glaser is series editor for the entire project.  It is a unique series.  It has been 1000 years since serious Christians have attempted to write Bible commentaries alongside and for Muslim culture. 

The goal is to put the Bible into conversation with the Qur’an.  Many of the stories in Genesis 1-11 are found in the Qur’an and Muslim tradition, although they often also differ. 

So one goal of the series, and of this commentary is to put the Christian Scriptures alongside the holy book of Islam. 

Because Muslim-background believers will certainly have these accounts in mind when they read them in the Christian Bible.

Ida’s co-editor for the series is Martin Accad, a Lebanese scholar.  Tragically, Ida’s co-author for this book Anwarul Azad died with Covid not long after he completed his portion of the manuscript.

Most Bible commentaries written in the west do not help Muslim-believers because they are written against a background and for people who come from very different backgrounds.  And western commentaries do not fit their contexts. 

Here is what one Old Testament scholar from Canada says of the book:

“This commentary on Genesis represents the fruit of deep conversation between the Abrahamic faiths. Accessible to the reader without avoiding challenging issues, it provides a fresh encounter with this foundational biblical text. An engaging read for all.”

MARK J. BODA, PhD. McMaster Divinity College, Canada

Be sure to stay for a nugget of wisdom from Ida at the end.

For a transcript of today’s podcast, click here.

Dr. Glaser joined David Capes on an earlier podcast to discuss the mission and history of the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies at Oxford.  To hear that podcast click here.

To learn about the Center for Muslim-Christian Studies, Houston, click here.

To read about the Center for Muslim-Christian Studies, Oxford, click here.

For more books by Ida Glaser, click here.

Click here for videos by Ida Glaser.

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Artificial Intelligence with John Lennox

Prof John Lennox

John Lennox, retired Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, joins David Capes to talk about his book, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity. 

Dr. Lennox was born in northern Ireland to remarkable parents who were Christians. They  allowed him to read and search widely for himself.

In a climate of violence his parents treated everyone—Catholic and Protestant—with dignity. 

Lennox is an outstanding Bible teacher and scientist.  He has written dozens of books that have been translated into many different languages.  To learn more about John, see his webpage: www.johnlennox.org.

The title of John’s book, 2084, has a not-so-cryptic nod to George Orwell’s book 1984.  Many of Orwell’s “predictions” have come true: universal surveillance, use of technology to suppress the population, etc.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all around us and is raising questions in thoughtful minds.  In particular: what implications does it have for the future of humanity? 

There are two kinds of AI: narrow AI which is a system that functions to do one thing that, in the past, humans could do.  And because it is crunching a ton of data, it can do that one thing often better than humans do. 

But there are those who are interested in creating  an advanced AI that can do everything that humans can do and do it better. 

Whether that is achievable or not, we must wait and see. But it begs the question: what is a human being? 

Lennox is convinced of the biblical worldview that holds that humans bear the image of God in a unique way that cannot be shared with a machine. 

So, there are ethical problems in thinking about the limits of AI.  As with a lot of things, the technological advances are ahead of our ability to think ethically about it. 

John is already updating his book.  Because technology is moving so quickly, he is trying to keep his book up to date.  Look for a new edition in two to three years.

To hear the podcast (20 minutes) click here.

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“Intimate ally,” with Tremper Longman

Dr. Tremper Longman

Dr. Tremper Longman III, Emeritus Professor of Biblical Studies and Distinguished Scholar of Biblical Studies at Westmont College, has written more than 20 books, including Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes and Intimate Allies. He was one of the main translators for the New Living Translation and has served as a consultant on other popular translations of the Bible including the Message, the New Century Version, and the Holman Standard Bible. Tremper helps us reconsider the Hebrew wording of Genesis 2:18 usually translated as “a helper suitable to him” or “a help meet.”

To hear the podcast click here.

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This Stuff Owns Me with E. R. Richards

Dr. Randy Richards is the retiring Provost and Chief Academic Officer and will be the Research Professor of New Testament at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He has authored several books and articles, including Inscriptions and Papyri in the forthcoming ALNTS series (with James Harrison) and Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes (with Richard James). Luke 12:20 is often translated something like, “Your soul will be required of you.” But the Greek verb is active and plural: “They will demand your soul from you.” Who or what is “they”?

To hear the podcast (10 minutes) click here.

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Equestrian Theophilus with Steve Walton

Dr. Steve Walton is Professor of New Testament at Trinity College in Bristol, U.K., an ordained priest/presbyter in the Church of England, and former Secretary of the British New Testament Society. His many publications include (with David Wenham), Exploring the New Testament, vol. 1: The Gospels and Acts. He is currently working on a major critical commentary on Acts for the Word Biblical Commentary Series. Luke directs the opening words of his Gospel to one “most excellent Theophilus.” Is Theophilus a real person’s name (probably) and is there anything more we can infer about him and his significance for Luke from the little said in the first verses of Luke’s Gospel combined with knowledge of the surrounding world?

To hear the podcast (8 minutes) click here.