​

What the Bible Actually Says is a groundbreaking new podcast that challenges assumptions you have about the Bible, explores the Bible and its world with academic rigor and advanced insights, equips you with scholarly tools and methods to explore the biblical writings like a professional, and empowers you to study, think and uncover what the Bible really says in a way you never imagined possible.

 

With a focus on academic rigor, advanced insights, and accessible tools, my goal is to quip you to uncover the profound truths of Scripture in a way you never imagined possible and to take you deeper into Scripture than you’ve ever gone before—and to do so in a way that’s exciting, practical, enriching, and encouraging.

 

What the Bible Actually Says ultimately seeks to teach you how to read the Bible well. If a poor reading of the Bible leads to a poor relationship with God and Christ, and to unending personal heartaches, societal ills, and political wrongs, then a good reading of the Bible leads to the opposite: a deep and profound relationship with God and Christ, personal joy and flourishing, societal healing, and political renewal. Through What the Bible Actually Says, you’ll learn to read the Bible well. And in the process, you’ll learn about God and draw closer to him in ways that you never saw coming.

 

AIMS

 

• Challenge Assumptions: Break free from assumptions, traditions, cultural filters, and surface-level interpretations to gain new, deep insights into old questions.

• Engage Scripture Critically: Explore the historical, linguistic, and cultural contexts of the Bible with accessible, evidence-based insights.

• Gain a Unique Toolset: Equip you with high-level scholarly tools and ways to think about biblical issues and texts.

• Empower Transformation: Empower you to deepen your faith, rethink your assumed beliefs, and live out Scripture’s radical call in fresh, meaningful ways.

 

PROCESS

​

• Rethink Common Topics: Series discussing topics and texts commonly talked about in Christian circles in order to rethink beliefs about biblical texts whose interpretations have gone unexamined for way too long.

• Introduce New Topics: Series exploring topics and texts that are not as familiar or completely unknown to many believers in order to show that there is far more in the Bible than most people realize.

• Roundtables and Guests: Chats with groups and guests in order to gain fresh perspectives from others.

 

HOST

​

• Training and Education: A bachelor’s, two master’s and a doctorate in various areas of religious, biblical, theological, and ancient near eastern studies.

• Academic Publications: Two full-length academic books in print with top scholarly publishers in the world, half a dozen essays or articles in academic sources, and multiple book projects complete or nearly ready for publication.

• Speaking Experience: Numerous speaking and presenting engagements at scholarly conferences in the USA and around the world.

• Language and Knowledge: Working knowledge of and experience with a dozen languages from the Bible and people groups of the ancient world. 

• Teaching Experience: Many years of experience teaching courses in religion, Bible, Jesus, and ancient history at the public university level.