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A Singular Seed, An Ancient Interpretation

with Christian Brady

To hear the podcast click here.

In Galatians 3, Paul makes the grammatically singular form of the noun “seed” (σπέρμα) load bearing for his argument. But the singular form of that word doesn’t necessarily denote one individual. Paul is employing contemporary Jewish exegetical practices, and the understanding of that and Paul’s wider aims can be helpful here. Dr. Christian Brady is T. W. Lewis Dean of the Lewis Honors College and Professor of Ancient Hebrew and Jewish Literature at the University of Kentucky. He completed an M.A. degree in Biblical and Theological Studies at Wheaton College (1994), before earning his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford (2000). His publications include The Proselyte and the Prophet: Character Development in Targum Ruth and Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3Wc2vms

M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/3W9AFr1

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“Nobody’s Mother” with Sandra Glahn

Sandra Glahn has written a book that has a lot of people talking.  She was at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston recently and talked with David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcasts.

To hear the podcast click here.

Who Is Sandra Glahn? 

Sandra Glahn is a professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary.   She is a creative force behind a project, The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity (www.visualmuseum.gallery). 

It’s a project that is recovering some of the visual history of the Christian faith since its early centuries.  Ironically, some of visual history does not make it into the history books. 

Sandra is the wife of one husband for 45 years, a mother, a grandmother. She holds a PhD from University of Texas, Dallas, in the humanities.

“Nobody’s Mother”

In 2023 Sandra Glahn published a book she has been working on for quite some time.  It is entitled Nobody’s Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament (IVP Academic). 

Although she thought it might be a “woman’s book,” she found that it had attracted a lot of attention from men as well who were unsure how to read certain New Testament references.

Since the time of Jerome, Artemis had been understood to be a fertility goddess, a nurturer, a mother.  But Sandra’s research went deep into the inscriptions, texts, imagery, etc, to discoverer that she was “nobody’s mother.”

She was a hunter, filled with magic power, and often likely to kill a mother in childbirth if you ticked her off. 

Dr. Glahn draws a number of conclusions about biblical texts, like Acts 19 and 1 Timothy 2, from what she has uncovered.

Resources

Nobody’s Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament(IVP Academic, 2023). 

For the Visual Museum of Women in Christianity click here or type https://www.visualmuseum.gallery  into your browser.

Here’s Sandra’s book, Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible (Kregel Academic, 2017).

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The Saint John’s Bible with John Ross

What were you doing around the turn of the millennium?  Anything memorable?  Anything to be proud of? 

Well, if you were a monk from Minnesota, a world class calligrapher or an artist you may have been working on the first hand-written, hand-illuminated Bible in 500 years, that is, The Saint John’s Bible.

John Ross joined David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcasts to talk about its history, creation, and mission.  It’s a fascinating story.

To hear the podcast click here.

Who Is John Ross? 

John Ross is executive director of the Heritage Program of the Saint John’s Bible.  For three decades he served as pastor to churches in the United Church of Christ (historic Congregational churches) in Ohio and Minnesota.  

John’s church in Minnesota was gifted a Heritage copy of the Saint John’s Bible.  He saw first hand how he as a church leader could use it to bring his congregants back to Scripture.

The Saint John’s Bible

The Saint John’s Bible is a transatlantic effort.  It involves scholars, calligraphers, artists, and tons of imagination.  It is the brainchild of Don Jackson, the scribe to the House of Lords and the Queen’s Crown office.

In the 15th century the printing press was invented.   Prior to that, books like the Bible were hand-written over months and years because the materials were so expensive and the work so hard. Books were chained to library shelves and desks because they were so valuable. 

After that, books were produced by the press.  Hand-written and hand-illuminated books became a thing of the past. 

The Saint John’s Bible is a thing of beauty.  You can view images of it on the website: https://saintjohnsbible.org.

More Resources

For information about viewing a copy of the Saint John’s Bible, click here.

If you’d like to own or donate a copy to your favorite church or institution, click here.

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Conquerors Not Captives with Joseph (Joey) Dodson

To hear the podcast (20 min) click here.

Dr. Joey Dodson is a good friend and a former student of mine. He was traveling through Houston and I grabbed him, forced him to each lunch, and asked him to be a part of this podcast.

Who Is Joey Dodson? 

Joey Dodson is the Craig L. Blomberg Chair of New Testament at Denver Seminary.  He married his first-grade sweetheart . . . seriously.  They have five children, two grandchildren and one grandchild on the way. 

Dodson attended Ouachita Baptist University, and then came to Houston where he studied under David Capes at Houston Baptist University. 

He then moved overseas to do his PhD at the University of Aberdeen with Simon Gathercole and Francis Watson.  From there he studied at the University of Tubingen.

After his PhD Dodson taught for a time at Houston Baptist University.  Later at Ouachita Baptist University.  For the last five years he and his family have made their home in Denver where Joey learned the secret to contentment: move to Colorado.  He loves hiking and the outdoors. 

Conquerors Not Captives

Conquerors Not Captives: Reframing Romans 7 for the Christian Life (Lexham, 2024) is Joey Dodson’s latest book. He co-wrote it with his daughter, Mattie Mae Motl.  It’s part of a series by Lexham Press whose goal is to take what is standard in the academy to the church.

His basic argument is that we must read Romans 7 in context, thus as part of Romans 6-8.  It must not be read in isolation. 

Nor should it be read over against our experience.  It’s Exegesis not Narci-gesis.  Accordingly, the “I” of Romans 7 is not the normative Christian Life.

Other Resources by Joseph Dodson

Paul and the Giants of Philosophy: Reading the Apostle in Greco-Roman Context 

A Little Book for New Bible Scholars (Little Books), E.R. Richards

Want more on Romans? Here’s a link to N. T. Wright’s Podcast on the Romans Road.

And here’s a link to Wright’s lecture at LTL on Romans.

Click here for a transcript of this podcast.

More Resources

Want more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics? Just click here.

You can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library by clicking here

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C. S. Lewis and Spirituality with Alister McGrath

To hear the podcast click here.

Alister McGrath is a famous theologian.  He has lectured several times at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston. 

You can find links to those lectures below.  Dr. McGrath is coming again March 1-3, 2024. He will  discuss one of his favorite topics, C. S. Lewis. 

He joined David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcasts to talk about his life and his upcoming lecture.

Who Is Alister McGrath?  

Alister McGrath is a scientist and a theologian.  Earlier in his life he was an atheist, but he became a Christian. 

So, now he loves to talk to atheists.  He knows why he is a Christian.  Along the way he discovered C. S. Lewis.  And Lewis, who was also an atheist who became a Christian, became a guide for Alister in his journey of faith. 

Professor McGrath is the author of many books on aspects of theology, science, faith, and C. S. Lewis.

C.S. Lewis and the Spiritual Life

For many people C. S. Lewis has been an important part of their spiritual lives.  Although he lived and flourished in the middle of the 20th century, he continues to inspire people to think deeply and intelligently about their Christian faith. 

McGrath explores some of those avenues in this podcast.  Lewis is one of the best communicators, story tellers, and apologists of recent memory.  

Individuals, pastors and teachers can use his writings to fire the imagination and help people grow in their faiths.

Resources, C.S. Lewis and Alister McGrath

Here are links to view Dr. McGraths lectures at LTL.

The Lord Is My Light: How the Christian Faith Makes Sense Of Things

C.S. Lewis and the Post Modern Generation: His Message 50 Years Later

The Big Questions: Richard Dawkins vs. C. S. Lewis: the Meaning of Life

A Seminar on C.S. Lewis, with Alister McGrath