In this episode, we welcome Dr. Marcus Mininger to discuss his book Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16-3:26. What have been the standard interpretive paradigms of this text about what Paul is arguing – and why he is arguing it? How has Romans 2 fit or has not fit exegetically and logically within those paradigms? Dr. Mininger takes us through highlights of both the traditionalist view, which has typically been focused on soteriology, individual justification and treated Romans as more of a systematic treatment of the Gospel – and the revisionist view, which has typically been focused on corporate and social categories and concerns and treated Romans as perhaps so occasional as to, at times, downplay even the need for coherence in Paul’s argument. Moreover, with mounting exegetical problems with both of the inherited paradigms for interpreting the passage – perhaps a new paradigm is needed. Listen in as Dr. Mininger takes us through this key passage and demonstrates Paul’s programmatic concern is actually “what is (or is not) revealed, where, and how” and that this “means that Paul argues from claims about revelation to conclusions about soteriology, which has significant social implications as well.” Dr. Mininger argues for the “revelation-historical approach” to this passage which can take into account all of what Paul actually says, and all of what he actually argues – centered on the theme he set forth by Paul himself right at the beginning of the letter: the righteousness of God and wrath of God, both which is being revealed (presently) and which will be revealed (in the future). Listen in as we go deeper into the Pauline Gospel which sets forth the principle of fitting correspondence (based on works), as well as the radical principle of diametric contrast (based on grace) in order to fully appreciate how “in Rom 3:4-5 God’s righteousness is demonstrated inversely by means of David’s unrighteousness. Similarly in 3:21-26, God’s righteousness is definitely revealed not by a display of impressive power or through the pedagogical and formational benefits of the Law, even upon Christ himself, but instead through the bloody atoning death of God’s Son, Jesus.” Perhaps this new paradigm, though challenging the traditional paradigm of interpretation, is a much more exegetically sound and logically coherent foundation for the traditional theology of God, sin, grace, the sacraments - as well as the purpose of Christ’s atoning blood upon the cross.

Book: Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16-3:26

Pleas also check out this book by Dr. Mininger:

- Impossible to Be Restored?: Temptation and Warning in the Epistle of Hebrews

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Clinton Arnold to discuss his book The Colossian Syncretism: The Interface between Christianity and Folk Belief at Colossae. The apostle Paul’s epistle to the Colossians was written at a time and to a place, in history – and as “documents of history, they give us the obligation of interpreting them historically”. That being the case, there has been much question and debate as to what is being condemned in this epistle. What does the term “embateuo” (in 2.18) mean – and what does that have to do with asceticism, dietary restrictions, and the veneration and invoking of angels? To understand this, Dr. Arnold takes us into the religious context of the region – including magic, ritual, mysteries, temples and the worship of many gods and goddesses. Indeed, even the Jews, surprisingly, practiced magic in this very syncretistic context – where the false teachers were likely affirming Jesus, and yet combining him with the religious practices and spiritual teachings that they claimed came with the authority of ancient tradition. Combining archaeology and other extra-biblical texts that help us understand Colossians, in its context, Dr. Arnold helps us see more clearly what the apostle is condemning – as well as how Christ Jesus, God and Creator of all things, is the real solution to what these religious people were seeking. Indeed, the more we understand both what was being corrected and who Paul teaches is the true solution, the contemporary relevance may become more clear - even among many who likewise claim Jesus alongside other spiritual traditions, today.

Book: The Colossian Syncretism: The Interface between Christianity and Folk Belief at Colossae

Check out this beautiful new amazing commentary: Colossians, Second Edition (WBC)

Also: Colossae Excavations

Some other resources by Dr. Arnold:

- Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians

- Powers of Darkness: Principalities and Powers in Paul’s Letters

Other resources:

The Teaching of Paul in Terms of the Present Day by Sir William Ramsay (1914)

Destroyer of the Gods by Larry Hurtado

The Bible Among the Myths by John Oswalt

Shaman and Sage by Michael Horton

Envy by Helmut Schoeck

Early Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn

The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship by David Buerger

In this episode, we welcome Sandra Tanner of Utah Lighthouse Ministry to discuss Joseph Smith and the origins of Mormonism – based on parts of her books Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? , Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith’s Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon. What do we know about Joseph Smith’s involvement in magic, and why does it matter? How did we learn (and verify) the 1826 Bainbridge Trial, in which Joseph Smith was identified as a “glass-looker”? Is there a way to separate Joseph Smith’s use of seer stones for treasure-digging and the “translation” of the Book of Mormon? Was there actually a Palmyra Revival in the spring of 1820, and how did we find out? We also ask Sandra about her own struggle with the Book of Mormon and whether or not it is actual history? Was Fanny Alger Joseph Smith’s first polygamous “wife,” or is it evidence of the immorality that likely led to Joseph Smith’s later development of the doctrinal basis justifying his own behavior. Listen in as Sandra teaches us about history, how we first discovered some of that history – as well as why it should matter. Along the way, we hear some contributions that have been made along the way by Christian ministers M.T. Lamb and Wesley Walters, as well as her late husband - the heroic one and only Jerald Tanner.

Books: Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? (also here)

Joseph Smith’s Plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormonism (also here)

Archaeology and the Book of Mormon (also here)

Utah Lighthouse Ministry

Note: the many books as free PDF’s on the website.

For physical copies of many of the books by Jerald and Sandra Tanner (as well as better prices), check out the Utah Christian Research Center.

Lectures:

“The Book of Mormon’s Plagiarism of the KJV Bible”

“Mormon Prophets I Have Known”

Other resources:

No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie

An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins by Grant Palmer

The Palmyra Revival and Mormon Origins by Rev. Wesley Walters (also here)

Inventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record by H. Michael Marquardt and Rev. Wesley Walters

The Golden Bible by Rev. M.T. Lamb

Thank you to Bradley Campbell of GLM for helping make this happen, and sharing it with his audience. Check out his YouTube channel here.

In this interview, we welcome Dr. John Turner to discuss his book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. Who was Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of Mormonism – and how should we understand him both in his own historical context, as well as in terms of his significance in American religious history? Dr. Turner takes us into the Smith family home to discuss some of the factors that impact the trajectory of Joseph’s religious entrepreneurship and innovation. How does Joseph Smith fit within the cultural-Christian discussions and debates of his time and place? What is the Book of Mormon, and how should it be seen categorically relative to other (genuine) ancient texts? Who was Fanny Alger, and should we understand her as Joseph Smith’s first polygamous wife – or rather, as some close to him seemed to think, simply an extramarital affair? We ask Dr. Turner about the origins of Joseph Smith’s polygamy, how Joseph Smith went about practicing it, and how he both hid it from his wife, Emma, and then later tried to involve her. How did Joseph’s secret Nauvoo practice of polygamy compare and contrast with the later Brighamite public practice? We also ask about the place of this biography in the scholarly conversation of the notable biographies that have been previously written, such as Fawn Brodie, Richard Bushman and Dan Vogel.

Book: Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet

Some other resources by Dr. Turner:

- Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet (also here)

- The Mormon Jesus: A Biography

- They Knew They Were Pilgrims (also here)

Other resources:

The American Religion by Harold Bloom

The Mound Builder Myth: Fake History and the Hunt for a “Lost White Race” by Jason Colavito

Inventing Mormonism by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters

No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith by Fawn Brodie

Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet; Charisma Under Pressure: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1831-1839 by Dan Vogel

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman

Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn

In this episode, Skyler and Pastor Ed Romine of First Baptist Church of Provo wrap up their interacting with and responding to the LDS (official) Gospel Topics Essay “Are ‘Mormons’ Christian?”.

Gospel Topics Essay: "Are 'Mormons' Christian?"

The LDS Gospel Topics Series: A Scholarly Engagement, edited by Matthew L. Harris and Newell G. Bringhurst

The Mormon Jesus by John Turner

Hear our previous episodes with Ed here:

• Charles Spurgeon, and here
• President Nelson on Priesthood Keys: A Response
• Interview with Justin Peters on Hyper-Charismatic Apostles and their Authority

Other resources:

Wrestling the Angel by Terryl Givens

The Truth, the Way, the Life by B.H. Roberts

A Rational Theology by Elder John A. Widtsoe

The Great Apostasy by Elder James Talmage

A New Witness for the Articles of Faith by Elder Bruce R. McConkie

Core Christianity; Christless Christianity by Michael Horton

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen (also here)

Christianity at the Crossroads by Michael Kruger

Against Heresies; The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus

• Michael Haykin on Irenaeus on Scripture

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

All That Is In God by James Dolezal

The Attributes of God: An Introduction by Gerald Bray

The Trinity: An Introduction by Scott Swain

The Person of Christ: An Introduction by Stephen Wellum

The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til by Lane Tipton

The American Religion by Harold Bloom

The Gnostic New Age by April DeConick

The Gnostics by David Brakke

In this episode, Skyler is joined by Pastor Ed Romine of First Baptist Church of Provo to interact with and respond to the LDS (official) Gospel Topics Essay “Are ‘Mormons’ Christian?”.

Gospel Topics Essay: "Are 'Mormons' Christian?"

The LDS Gospel Topics Series: A Scholarly Engagement, edited by Matthew L. Harris and Newell G. Bringhurst

The Mormon Jesus by John Turner

Hear our previous episodes with Ed here:

• Charles Spurgeon, and here
• President Nelson on Priesthood Keys: A Response
• Interview with Justin Peters on Hyper-Charismatic Apostles and their Authority

Other resources:

Wrestling the Angel by Terryl Givens

The Truth, the Way, the Life by B.H. Roberts

A Rational Theology by Elder John A. Widtsoe

The Great Apostasy by Elder James Talmage

A New Witness for the Articles of Faith by Elder Bruce R. McConkie

Core Christianity; Christless Christianity by Michael Horton

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen (also here)

Christianity at the Crossroads by Michael Kruger

Against Heresies; The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus

• Michael Haykin on Irenaeus on Scripture

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

All That Is In God by James Dolezal

The Attributes of God: An Introduction by Gerald Bray

The Trinity: An Introduction by Scott Swain

The Person of Christ: An Introduction by Stephen Wellum

The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til by Lane Tipton

The American Religion by Harold Bloom

The Gnostic New Age by April DeConick

The Gnostics by David Brakke

In this episode, we welcome Judge Thomas R. Young to discuss his book The Alexamenos Graffito: An Early Roman Commentary on Christians and Christianity. What is the Alexamenos Graffito, and why does it matter? What insight does this single artifact give us into the Roman context, and the cultural distinctive of an emerging Christianity? What can we learn about the predominant Roman view of the Christian emphasis on the Lord Jesus being crucified? Why would a Roman student depict the Christian God as a human with a donkey head? What might the mocking of Alexamenos help us understand about a real fear of social instability and transformation in the cultural war of that time? From a tour of the Roman cult(s) system, both public and private, to aiding our understanding of what inspired Roman intolerance – to aiding our understanding Christian distinctiveness in the Mediterranean world, listen in as Rob takes us through this and more as he explains how a detailed analysis of a single graffito can, in fact, give us a tour of the world of antiquity in an unparalleled manner. Indeed, this graffito-based tour of antiquity can likewise shed light on our own world, today.

Book: The Alexamenos Graffito: An Early Roman Commentary on Christians and Christianity

Other resources:

"Alexamenos Graffito"

Confessions; The City of God by Saint Augustine

The Christians as the Romans Saw Them by Robert Louis Wilken

Pagan Rome and the Early Christians by Stephen Benko

Destroyer of the Gods by Larry Hurtado (also here)

The Cross Before Constantine by Bruce Longenecker

Christianity at the Crossroads by Michael Kruger