Kingdom Roots (Kingdom Roots)

In this episode, we talk about Scot's recent research on the Pharisees. We discuss several different definitions of the Pharisees, the history of the Pharisees, and Jesus' relationship with the Pharisees. The Pharisees were popular with ordinary people. They were a reform movement that reacted against the encroachment of Hellenization. The Pharisees offered a tradition that sought to make the law easier to follow.

In this episode, Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Rob Dalrymple about his recent commentary, Revelation: A Love Story.

Rob Dalrymple has been a professor, dean, and lead pastor for over 35 years at the college, seminary, and the local church. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Determinetruth ministries, whose vision is to provide a platform of training for pastors, leaders, and members of local churches by providing sound biblical teaching through various mediums to “challenge the church to be the church.” Rob hosts the determinetruth podcast, writes a weekly blog on Patheos, and has scores of videos on the Determinetruth YouTube page on the kingdom of God and justice. He is a leading voice on Scripture and the Middle East in the evangelical world. His writings include Revelation: a Love Story (A commentary on the book of Revelation); Understanding the New Testament and the End Times; Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation; as well as Land of Contention: Biblical Narratives and the Struggle for the Holy Land.

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

New Testament scholars have often relied on outdated assumptions for understanding the composition and circulation of the gospels. This scholarship has spread myths or misconceptions about how the ancients read, wrote, and published texts. 

 Nicholas Elder updates our knowledge of the gospels’ media contexts in this myth-busting academic study. Carefully combing through Greco-Roman primary sources, he exposes what we take for granted about ancient reading cultures and offers new and better ways to understand the gospels. These myths include claims that ancients never read silently and that the canonical gospels were all the same type of text. Elder then sheds light on how early Christian communities used the gospels in diverse ways. Scholars of the gospels and classics alike will find Gospel Media an essential companion in understanding ancient media cultures.

Dr. Nick Elder (PhD, Marquette University) is Associate Professor of New Testament at the University of Dubuque, where he teaches undergraduate Bible and Theology courses and New Testament, exegesis, and Greek courses in the theological seminary. He is the author of Gospel Media: Reading, Writing, and Circulating Jesus Traditions (Eerdmans, 2024) and The Media Matrix of Early Jewish and Christian Narrative (Bloomsbury, 2019). He is a father of four, a spouse of one, a home renovator, and a distance runner.

https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Media-Reading-Circulating-Traditions/dp/0802879217

https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Narrative-Library-Testament-Studies/dp/0567688100

Music: Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett continue their series on the politics of the New Testament (A Time To…Politick!) within which they will examine political themes, texts, and theories from Jesus of Nazareth to John of Patmos. 

The Apostle Paul - Letters From Prison

Philippians 1.27-30; 2.1-11

Colossians 1.15-20

Philemon

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett continue their series on the politics of the New Testament (A Time To…Politick!) within which they will examine political themes, texts, and theories from Jesus of Nazareth to John of Patmos. 

1 Peter 2.10-3.7

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Paul T. Sloan

Paul Sloan earned his PhD in New Testament under Drs. Grant Macaskill and David Moffitt from the University of St Andrews in 2016. He currently serves as the Chair of Theology and is Associate Professor of Early Christianity at Houston Christian University. He lives in Houston, TX with his wife, Meg, and three kids. 

Twitter/X @paulthomasloan

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

On this episode of Kingdom Roots, Scot and I interviewed Scott Nelson about his new book, Supply Lines: Five Supporting Relationships Every Planter and Pastor Needs.  

In this book, Scott identified five supply lines, or types of relational support, that pastors and church planters need: Spiritual, Inspirational, Motivational, Interpersonal, and Practical. 

Scott Nelson is a church planter and lead pastor of Covenant Grove Church in Modesto, California. He also serves as a church planting coach and trainer. 

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett continue their series on the politics of the New Testament (A Time To…Politick!) within which they will examine political themes, texts, and theories from Jesus of Nazareth to John of Patmos.

An Interview with John Blake about his recent book, More Than I Imagined: What a black man discovered about the white mother he never knew, published this past May with Convergent Books.

John Blake is an award-winning CNN journalist. Previously, he was a reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He has been honored by the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Academy of Religion, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Religion Communicators Council. A recipient of the GLAAD Media Award, he has spoken at high schools, colleges, symposiums, and in documentaries on race, religion, and politics. Blake is a native of Baltimore, MD, and now lives in Atlanta, GA. https://johnkblake.com

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Beverly Roberts Gaventa about her new commentary on Romans (WJK).

Beverly Roberts Gaventa is Helen H.P. Manson Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis Emerita at Princeton Theological Seminary. Her publications include 

When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel according to Paul (Baker Press, 2016), Our Mother Saint Paul (Westminster John Knox, 2007), The Acts of the Apostles (Abingdon, 2003), I and II Thessalonians (Westminster John Knox, 1998), Mary: Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus (University of South Carolina, 1995; Fortress, 1999), and From Darkness to Light: Aspects of Conversion in the New Testament (Fortress, 1986). 

Romans: A Commentary (Westminster John Knox, 2024).

In 2020, Gaventa received the Burkitt Medal by the British Society for Arts and Humanities, she was president of the Society of Biblical Literature. She has lectured widely in the U.S. as well as in Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.  Dr. Gaventa is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. and a member of the University Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas.

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode, Scot and I interview Jon Ward about his book Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation. Jon is the chief national correspondent at Yahoo! News. 

Jon grew up in evangelical Christian circles and has spent the last two decades covering politics, government, culture, and the nature of power. In this book, Jon explores how the evangelical church lost its witness—and how it can regain it by laying aside grasps for power to serve with Christlike love. 

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett continue their series on the politics of the New Testament (A Time To…Politick!) within which they will examine political themes, texts, and theories from Jesus of Nazareth to John of Patmos. 

In particular, they discuss the destabilization and formation of the early Jesus-communities, turning the world upside down, and Paul's Roman citizenship. 

In this episode, Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk about Dietrich Bonhoeffer with Dr. Mark Theissen Nation.

Mark grew up in a non-Christian home, the son of a World War II veteran. At age seventeen he became a Christian in a General Baptist church; within a year he became a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. Since then, he has had many vocations: as evangelist, a youth minister, a social worker, the founder and director of a Christian peace and justice organization, a pastor, and the director of The London Mennonite Centre, London, England. For sixteen years he was professor of theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. He has written or edited eleven books, two about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The first, published by Baker Academic Books in 2013, is Bonhoeffer the Assassin?: Challenging the Myth, Recovering His Call to Peacemaking. In 2022 his book, Discipleship in a World Full of Nazis: Recovering the True Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was published by Cascade Books. His first writing on Christians in Nazi Germany was in 1980. Mark has two adult children and four grandchildren and is married to Mary. He is currently (interim) co-pastor of a Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett continue their series on the politics of the New Testament (A Time To…Politick!) within which they will examine political themes, texts, and theories from Jesus of Nazareth to John of Patmos. 

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

In Stained Glass Ceilings: How Evangelicals Do Gender and Practice Power, Weaver-Swartz speaks to the intersection of gender and power within American evangelicalism by examining the formation of evangelical leaders in two seminary communities: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Asbury Theological Seminary. In her book, Lisa examines the power of story by learning the stories these two seminaries tell about gender and power. 

Lisa is a sociologist, and her research agenda expands her attention to the intersection of religion, gender, and culture to a global frame. 

You can learn more about Lisa Weaver-Swartz and her research by visiting her website: https://lisaweaverswartz.com

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Lucy Peppiatt.

Dr. Lucy Peppiatt has been Principal at WTC since 2013. She teaches courses in Christian doctrine and in spiritual formation. She holds bachelor’s degrees in both English and Theology. She completed her MA in Systematic Theology at King’s College, London, and her PhD through the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Lucy’s research interests are Christ and the Spirit, Charismatic theology, theological anthropology, discipleship, 1 Corinthians, and women in the Bible. Lucy is part of Crossnet Church in Bristol. She is married to Nick Crawley and they have four sons and four daughters-in-law.

• Women and Worship at Corinth
• Unveiling Paul's Women
• Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women
• The Imago Dei: Humanity Made in the Image of God

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode, Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Matthew Bates about his recent book, Beyond The Salvation Wars.

Matthew W. Bates (PhD, Notre Dame) is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary with expertise on the gospel and salvation. His book Why the Gospel? (Eerdmans, 2024) won the Christianity Today award in popular theology and was Outreach magazine’s “Resource of the Year” in theology and Bible. His acclaimed academic titles include Salvation by Allegiance Alone (Baker Academic, 2017) and The Birth of the Trinity (Oxford University Press, 2015). He also co-founded and co-hosts the popular OnScript podcast.

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

 In Scot McKnight's latest book, Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple, Scot along with Cody Matchett explore the timeless message of Revelation and how it speaks to us today with a courageous challenge to be faithful witnesses to Jesus while standing against the ever-present reality of worldly authorities. 

John designed his Book of Revelation to disciple readers into dissidents of the ways of the world and empire. John describes that empire with the term "Babylon." Babylon is a timeless image of empire, militarism, economic exploitation, injustice, and oppression. The Book of Revelation disciples Christians through worship and the courageous challenge of faithful, or allegiant, witness to the slaughtered-Lamb.

Also in this episode is an invitation to learn more about Northern Seminary in a virtual event called Taste of Northern on February 20, 21, and 23. Taste of Northern is an opportunity to attend one of our classes for free, with no strings attached. It's a great way to see if Northern Seminary is the place for you as you consider further education. For more information, visit seminary.edu/taste

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Jesse P. Nickel about his recent book, A Revolutionary Jesus: Violence and Peacemaking in the Kingdom of God.

Jesse Nickel (PhD, University of St Andrews) is on the faculty of Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, where he teaches in the biblical studies program. He is the author of The Things that Make for Peace: Jesus and Eschatological Violence (de Grutyer, 2021) and co-editor of It’s About Life: The Formative Power of Scripture (Regent College Publishing, 2023). Jesse is passionate about continuing to get to know Jesus more deeply with both his mind and heart, and teaching others about the already/not-yet, shalom-centred kingdom of God.

Forthcoming publications

• “Eschatological Violence,” in The Oxford Handbook of Bible and Violence, edited by Paul Middleton and Matthew Collins (Oxford University Press, forthcoming).

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett continue their series on the politics of the New Testament (A Time To…Politick!) within which they will examine political themes, texts, and theories from Jesus of Nazareth to John of Patmos. 

Text Discussed:

Mark 12.13-17

Matthew 17.14-27

Luke 13.31-35

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett begin a new series on the politics of the New Testament (A Time To…Politick!) within which they will examine political themes, texts, and theories from Jesus of Nazareth to John of Patmos. 

Redivivus

Music by Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett reimagine the original Christmas story by talking about the stories of Mary and Joseph.

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode of Kingdom Roots, Scot and Laura chat about the book of Revelation, the Pharisees, and the writing process. 

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett discuss the completion of Scot's entry on the Gospel of Matthew for the New Testament Everyday Bible Study Series.

https://harperchristianresources.com/nte/

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

 Nijay Gupta's new book, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church uncovers the stories of women who were active in leadership in the life of the early church. 

As we begin to learn more about what women actually did in first-century Roman culture, we are able to shine a light on the contributions of women to the first Christian churches. In this conversation, we talk about several women mentioned by Paul who actively participated in the life and leadership of the early church. 

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. James F. McGrath about his recent book Christmaker.

James F. McGrath is Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University.

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode of Kingdom Roots, Scot and Laura chat about Beth Moore's new memoir, church planting, and what it takes to create a culture of tov in the local church

In this special release day episode, Cody Matchett interviews Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer on their new book, Pivot.

After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. After all they’ve seen and heard, they still believe it’s possible for church cultures to be transformed from toxic to tov—from oppressive to good.

In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices,establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures. Readers will find answers to the four most common questions people have about culture transformation:

1. How can I transform the culture in my church or organization to make it tov?
2. I believe my workplace has unhealthy values. How do I initiate change?
3. How do I unleash a culture of goodness in my ministry?
4. I’m not in a position of church leadership. What are some red flags that indicate a toxic culture, and what can I do if I see them?

Pivot also includes the following practical features:

• The “Tov tool,” a survey to help you discern your organization’s culture and to promote spiritual conversations
• A “getting to work” section at the end of each chapter with questions and next steps for application

Transformation is never easy. But for the sake of the next generation, we must do it.

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett continue their series on the politics of the New Testament (A Time To…Politick!) within which they will examine political themes, texts, and theories from Jesus of Nazareth to John of Patmos. 

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. A. Andrew Das about his recent book, Remarriage in Early Christianity.

A. Andrew Das is the Niebuhr Distinguished Chair and professor of religious studies at Elmhurst University. He is the author or editor of over ten books in biblical studies, including Scriptures, Texts, and Tracings in 2 Corinthians and Philippians and Paul and the Stories of Israel: The Grand Thematic Narratives of Galatians.

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

 In this episode of Kingdom Roots, Scot McKnight and I discuss the causes that have led many evangelicals to deconstruct their faith. There are many different reasons people are examining and redefining their faith systems, and some have left their faith altogether. There are some legitimate concerns being raised and some things need to be disentangled from the culture of American evangelicalism. What does this mean for the faith we pass on to the next generation?

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Beth Allison Barr.

Beth Allison Barr is the James Vardaman Professor of History at Baylor University. She earned her PhD in Medieval History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is the bestselling author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. She is also a pastor’s wife and mom of two great kids.

https://bethallisonbarr.substack.com/

https://bethallisonbarr.com/

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett Talk with Dr. Jason A. Staples about his recent Oxford University Press monograph, Paul and the Resurrection of Israel.

Jason A. Staples (Ph.D., UNC-Chapel Hill) is an author, historian, speaker, journalist, voice actor, and former American football coach. He is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at NC State University.

https://www.jasonstaples.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Resurrection-Israel-Gentiles-Israelites/dp/1009376764

In this episode, Scot and I talk with Cody Matchett. Cody is a teacher, writer, and pastor from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is also a PhD student in New Testament studying Paul and character in the Greco-Roman world. He lives in the Beltline of Calgary with his wife Brianna who is a counseling-therapist, his daughter Aletheia Theodora and his son Atticus Ignatius. 

Cody is a graduate of Northern Seminary with a Master in New Testament. He helped Scot write Revelation for the Rest of Us. 

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Lynn H. Cohick

Dr. Cohick has published commentaries on Ephesians and Philippians, and books and articles on women in the New Testament, Jews and Christians in the ancient world, and early Christian martyrs. She is President of the Institute for Biblical Research, and is a member of the prestigious Society of New Testament Studies. She serves on several editorial boards of journals and monograph series.

https://www.visualmuseum.gallery/

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Lynn+Cohick&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&crid=Y7P6ZPF4KMXJ&sprefix=lynn+cohick%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C186&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Elesha J. Coffman about her recent book, Turning Points in American Church History.

Dr. Elesha J. Coffman is professor of history at Baylor University. She is author of three books, most recently Turning Points in American Church History. She is also editor of Fides et Historia, the journal of the Conference on Faith and History. Her next research project is a history of Religion News Service.

https://bakeracademic.com/p/turning-points-in-american-church-history-elesha-j-coffman/542787

https://scotmcknight.substack.com/

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Drew J. Strait about his recent book, Strange Worship: Six Steps for Challenging Christian Nationalism.

Drew J. Strait was baptized Catholic, raised United Methodist, discipled as an Evangelical through Young Life, Reformed through Whitworth College, and became a convinced Anabaptist after a transformative re-reading of the Gospels after the Iraq war. This ecumenical background energizes Strait’s passion to bring together diverse coalitions of Christians to bear witness to God’s mission of reconciliation—to reconcile humans to God and humans to one another. Perpetually overwhelmed by how much he doesn’t know, Strait loves to cultivate engaging spaces to learn alongside his students and listeners.

Forthcoming Publications

• Drew J. Strait, “Dominionism in the Trumpocene: Toward a Biblical Hermeneutic of Resistance.” In On Christian Nationalism: Critical and Theological Perspectives. Routledge Studies in Fascism and the Far Right. Edited by Joan Braune and David M. Gides. New York: Routledge, projected 2025.
• Human Animalization and Fascist Politics: Toward a Homiletic of Resistance against the Dehumanization of Immigrants (this is an essay I wrote during my sabbatical on the Canaanite woman in Matt 15, animal metaphors in the Trumpocene, and animal metaphors for dehumanizing people in Greco-Roman antiquity).
• Next book project will focus on biblical interpretation and human security–reclaiming biblical interpretation as a site for peacebuilding through the church.

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

In this podcast episode, we brought together three professors from Northern Seminary to talk about the recent Gospel Coalition article by Josh Butler. 

Dr. Beth Felker Jones has written a book called Faithful: A Theology of Sex and as a systematic theologian, she is able to help us understand human sexuality from a theological perspective. Beth recently wrote a piece on her Substack that gave us eight reasons why Butler's piece was bad theology. 

Dr. Lynn Cohick is a New Testament scholar and has written a commentary on Ephesians. She is well-suited to address the Ephesians 5 text Butler's article was based upon. 

Dr. Scot McKnight has written extensively about the culture of the church in his book, A Church Called Tov, which looks closely at themes of abuse. Scot recently responded in his own Substack to Butler's article by giving three considerations about the culture that produced it.

In this episode Scot McKnight and Cody Matchett talk with Dr. Matthew Novenson about his new book, Paul and Judaism at the End of History.

Matthew Novenson is the Helen H.P. Manson Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also an honorary fellow at the University of Edinburgh, where previously he held the Chair of Biblical Criticism and Biblical Antiquities. He is the author of Christ among the Messiahs (Oxford University Press, 2012), The Grammar of Messianism (Oxford University Press, 2017), Paul, Then and Now (Eerdmans, 2022), and Paul and Judaism at the End of History (Cambridge University Press, 2024), among other works. 

Ethereal Vistas by Denis Brodovskyi

Can ministry really be a gift?

We know that ministry can be riddled with challenges and filled with difficulty. In this new podcast, Mark and Tara Beth share their stories of finding hope in ministry. The Pastor's Table podcast is designed to help you embrace your ministry as a gift!

In this episode, Mark and Tara Beth talk about each of their own journeys in ministry and they discuss why pastors need opportunities to gather and discuss the importance of theological integrity. 

Check out Dr. Mark Quanstrom’s new course on Seminary Now: Pastoral Ministry: Calling and Resilience. 

SeminaryNow.com is a streaming video platform with short courses from leading authors and professors. The Pastor’s Table listeners can get 25% off full access to the courses by using the code TPT.

Our theme song for The Pastor’s Table is Radiant by eleven eleven worship. LISTEN NOW on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your music