Context Matters

Healing our Imagination

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Justin Bailey) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

How does prayer fit into the formation and healing of our imagination? As we continue our conversation with Dr. Justin Bailey, he addresses prayer as reorienting our attention, priorities, and requests within Jesus' story. We also contrast cheap, clichéd hope with costly hope shaped by confession, suffering, and the Spirit’s reminder of the larger biblical story.

Find out more about Dr. Bailey and his book HERE

See his chapel talks that started the whole book project HERE (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Contact Dr. Bailey HERE

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Undragoning our Imaginations

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Justin Ariel Bailey) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

In our recent conversations about spiritual formation, the use of the imagination has come up several times. Why is the imagination so significant in spiritual formation? Don't we simply need to learn more data about the Bible? Out of early misgivings about the models of discipleship we often use in the church, Rev. Dr. Justin Bailey decided to focus his work on discipleship and the imagination. Today Justin joins us to talk about his newest book titled Disciplining the Diseased Imagination: Spiritual Formation and the Healing of Our Hearts.

Find out more about Dr. Bailey and his book HERE

See his chapel talks that started the whole book project HERE (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Contact Dr. Bailey HERE

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

No Discipleship without Justice

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Michael Rhodes) — Thu, 5 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

This is a re-edited broadcast of a conversation with Dr. Michael Rhodes from 2024. Is it possible that Western Christianity and modern American life is shaping us to become people who are NOT good at doing justice, and loving mercy, and showing kindness? We know of such concepts but do we embody such concepts in the world around us? This week kicks off a several week conversation with scholars about different aspects of discipleship. We start today with a fellow Old Testament scholar, Dr. Michael Rhodes. He is a professor in Old Testament at Carey Baptist College in Aukland, New Zealand. He is the author of Formative Feasting and Practicing the King's Economy.

We start with the impetus for his new book Just Discipleship, which you can find HERE.

What is biblical justice? Is it different from other forms of justice?

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The Soul as Wax

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Lanta Davis) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

This is a re-edit conversation from 2024 with Dr. Lanta Davis. Her book Becoming by Beholding is a wonderful conversation partner with some of the recent podcast episodes.

Her book will prompt you to think about the connection between art, imagination, and theology. How did the historic church think about the imagination and spiritual formation, and can we do a better job of that in today's environment? Are we aware enough of what we "behold" and how that creates an impression on our lives? And how did the Protestant church lose its ability to gaze on images and allow them to stoke our imagination?

You can find Lanta Davis' book HERE

The Winding Road

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (David Bailey, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Today we continue the conversation with Arrabon's founder, David Bailey. We talk about what the "Gospel of the Kingdom" means along with several of Arrabon's resources to equip all kinds of audiences for understanding Scripture and spiritual formation. There are so many tools available to help a diverse group of Jesus followers, despite their differences, learn to grow and mature as God's people.

Find out more about Arrabon HERE

Download Arrabon's free Lent resource The Winding Road

Explore Arrabon's resources on Spiritual Formation

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Public Theology with David Bailey

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (David Bailey, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

David Bailey is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon. As a public theologian, David helps to bring wisdom, theological imagination, and moral imagination to the way that Christians show up in the world. He created Arrabon as a way to equip Christ's followers to actively, creatively pursue healing in their communities, to be a foretaste of the kingdom of God, an agent of healing, and an agent of reconciliation in their community.

Find out more about Arrabon HERE

Download Arrabon's free Lent resource The Winding Road

Explore Arrabon's resources on Spiritual Formation

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

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Trauma Informed Reading of Isaiah 40-55

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Megan Roberts, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 5 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000

When two contradictory commands about remembering past events refused to be reconciled, Dr. Megan Roberts began exploring new theories to help her exegetical work. Trauma theory helped explain the Israelites engagement with memory. And working on what God's comfort can say to traumatized people hit a deep and personal cord in her own life.

Remembering Isaiah 40-55

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Megan Roberts, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Biblical texts can be hard to read for several reasons - the poetry or images are challenging, or the emotion is strong, or the text seems to contradict itself in strange ways. In this episode, Dr. Megan Roberts from Prairie College tells us what draws her to these challenging texts and how they have a personal impact on her own life.

Women in the Salvation Story

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Ingrid Faro, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Last week Dr. Faro introduced us to the significant literary theme of women who advance the story of salvation. Today we hear example of the Matriarch Sarah and how she and Mary the Mother of Jesus share some common characteristics. We also talk about Hannah's song and about a little known figure named Jehosheba. How do these unexpected women play critical roles in the salvation story?

Discover more about Dr. Faro HERE

Explore her new book HERE

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Redeeming Eden

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Ingrid Faro, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Ingrid Faro joins us today to talk about the "highway" that runs through the literary structure of the salvation story. Seeing women as crucial players in moving the story of God forward is not common, but Dr. Faro introduces us to why this is so important for readers of the biblical text. Today we begin a conversation about her new book Redeeming Eden: How Women of the Bible Advance the Story of Salvation.

Discover more about Dr. Faro HERE

Explore her new book HERE

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Bringing Heaven Here

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Brad Nelson, Brad Gray, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 8 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Brad Nelson and Brad Gray from Walking the Text continue their conversation about the rich theology embedded in every phrase of the Lord's Prayer. How does "Holy be Your name" involve the community of believers? Why is receiving and giving forgiveness so essential? This is only a taster for their new film called "The Lord's Prayer" and their recently released book titled Bringing Heaven Here.

Explore the wealth of resources at Walking the Text

Watch the movie trailer for The Lord's Prayer

Purchase the book Bringing Heaven Here

Instagram / Facebook: @thesacredthreadtv

Instagram / Facebook: @angel

Instagram / Facebook: @evolvestudios

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Our Father in the Heavens

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Brad Nelson, Brad Gray, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 1 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

So many of us memorized the Lord's Prayer. Some congregations quote it together every week. It is so familiar that we don’t always stop to think about the theologically rich statements it is making. Today, helping us slow down to think about the prayer are Brad Gray and Brad Nelson from Walking the Text. They recently released a film called "The Lord's Prayer" and wrote a book titled Bringing Heaven Here.

Explore the wealth of resources at Walking the Text

Watch the movie trailer for The Lord's Prayer

Purchase the book Bringing Heaven Here

Instagram / Facebook: @thesacredthreadtv

Instagram / Facebook: @angel

Instagram / Facebook: @evolvestudios

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

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Christmas in Jerusalem

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Jack Beck, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but that is not the only significant location in the Christmas story. Dr. Jack Beck joins us again to talk about how the geography matters in the way we understand how Luke introduces his readers to Jesus. The origin story continues all the way to Jerusalem where we meet Simeon and Anna. We talk about why the location of this encounter matters and the beauty of the words spoken matter to all of us.

Discover more about Dr. Beck, his books, and videos HERE

Watch the wealth of options on Dr. Beck's YouTube channel HERE

Discover Dr. Beck's books HERE

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Nazareth's Role in Christmas

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Jack Beck, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

It is Christmas time and we are discovering the fullness of the Origin Story of Jesus. Matthew and Luke tell us so much more than the moment of Jesus' birth. Dr. Jack Beck joins us again to talk about how the geography matters in the way we understand who Mary and Joseph are. This week we start with Nazareth. How big was it? Where was it located? Did the geography influence what people expected from life?

Discover more about Dr. Beck, his books, and videos HERE

Watch the wealth of options on Dr. Beck's YouTube channel HERE

Discover Dr. Beck's books HERE

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Jesus, Hillel, and Shammai

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Nicholas Schaser, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Nicholas Schaser introduces us to the fascinating world of rabbinic interpretation. Today we talk about how similar Jesus is to his contemporary sages like Hillel and Shammai. What were their views of interpretation? What kind of humor did the sages use?

Find out more about Dr. Schaser HERE

Explore his book: A Ransom for Israel: Jesus and Jewish Salvation in Matthew

Read short articles by Dr. Schaser on Israel Bible Center's website HERE

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Leading Sages of Jewish Thought

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Nicholas Schaser, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 4 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

As we set the context for the birth of Jesus, we explore the dominant voices of Jewish thought and practice at the beginning of the 1st Century CE. Dr. Nicolas Schaser from Macalester College introduces us to the sages of Hillel and Shammai - who are they? What were their philosophies? This will lead us into more conversations next week about how these two compare to the teachings of Jesus.

Find out more about Dr. Schaser HERE

Explore his book: A Ransom for Israel: Jesus and Jewish Salvation in Matthew

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Roman Republic to Empire

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Randall Smith, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000

We are in the process of exploring the context of the birth narrative of Jesus, and we have arrived at the time of the rise of Octavian. He will lead the Roman Republic into its Empire stage. But how does he do that and how does this change the Judean context of Bethlehem where Jesus is born?

Explore more about all the projects Dr. Smith is involved in:

Great Commission Bible Institute

Christian Travel Study Programs

Outreach Ministry: www.globalvisionoutreach.org

Through the Bible: 1hour1book.com

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Rome Appears on the Horizon

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Randal Smith, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Randal Smith is the Director of Christian Travel Study Program and a virtual encyclopedia about biblical context. We are in the process of exploring the context of the birth narrative of Jesus, and while we assume Roman domination, it wasn't always that way! Today we discuss how Rome emerged from squalor to an empire that dominated the Mediterranean, outmaneuvering the Greeks and innovating military, economic, and political systems.

Explore more about all the projects Dr. Smith is involved in:

Great Commission Bible Institute

Christian Travel Study Programs

Outreach Ministry: www.globalvisionoutreach.org

Through the Bible: 1hour1book.com

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Anticipating Advent

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, George Athas) — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000

As we start to anticipate the time of Advent and ultimately the birth of Jesus, what are some of the contextual things we should be aware of? Each historical period had an influence on God's people. To kick off the "Advent of Advent" mini-series, we are going back to a conversation I had last year with Dr. George Athas. He is a professor at Moore College and the author of an excellent book Bridging the Testaments. Today we revisit his overview of the major time periods leading up to the Roman Empire's arrival on the scene along with his explanation of Jewish thought that makes the gospels' claim that Jesus is from the line of David so explosive.

Listen to the original podcast with Dr. Athas Here: Part 1 and Part 2

Find out more about Dr. Athas HERE

Discernment and the Spiritual Realm

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Melesse Woldetsadik) — Thu, 6 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Today is part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Melesse Woldetsadik. We are following up on the need for discernment when blaming problems on the spiritual realm. In our post-modern world we have a tendency to dismiss spiritual beings to focus on science, and yet there are moments and situations that cannot be solved through the medical world or psychiatry. But others can, right? So how do we hold all these tools and how do we know which tool is needed for a particular problem? How do we know when medicine is a valuable part of the solution and when prayer is THE solution?

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The Spiritual Realm and Learning to be a Pastor

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Melesse Woldetsadik) — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Melesse Woldetsadik is the Pastor at Beta Selam Evangelical Church in North Carolina. He has a fascinating context of growing up in Coptic Christianity and walking away from the faith only for God to pull him back through dreams and specific spiritual experiences. He had many encounters with the spiritual realm even before he decided to train to be a pastor. Come sit around the podcast table a Melesse shares with us his many experiences and what he has learned about the spiritual realm.

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The Spiritual World and Spiritual Beings Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

We pick up the conversation with Fr. Andrew talking about Demons. Who or what are they? You may be surprised to know that the term 'demon' originally referred to lesser spiritual beings (neither positive nor negative), but the early Christians used it pejoratively to describe pagan gods. In the Bible, these beings create chaos and involved in both oppression and possession.

Today's episode also includes a short analysis of the movie 'K-Pop Demon Hunters,' (With Spoilers!) highlighting its themes of redemption, self-sacrifice, and the portrayal of demonic influences.

Find out more about Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick with links to his books HERE

Listen to The Lord of Spirits HERE

Listen to his review of K-Pop Demon Hunters (with spoilers!) HERE

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The Spiritual World and Spiritual Beings Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick) — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Fr. Andrew joins the Context Matters podcast again to talk about his wildly popular podcast series called The Lord of Spirits. We talk about the biblical and traditional texts to lead to this study of the unseen realm as well as why people in modern world should be aware of this world. We start by exploring who and what angels are -- their ranks and appearances, and how they interact with the physical and spiritual realms. This episode bridges the gap between ancient mythological perspectives and modern scientific thinking, revealing a world that's more enchanted than we might realize.

Find out more about Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick with links to his books HERE

Listen to The Lord of Spirits HERE

Listen to his review of K-Pop Demon Hunters (with spoilers!) HERE

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Spiritual Cosmology with Dan Darko Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Dan Darko) — Thu, 9 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

This is part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Dan Darko about his book Against Principalities and Powers.Today we talk about the concept of salvation and spiritual warfare as depicted in the book of Ephesians. Dr. Darko also ellaborates on the relationship between Spiritual Powers with the community's identity as part of God's family. We end the episode with the correct understanding of spiritual warfare.

Spiritual Cosmology with Dan Darko Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dan Darko, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 2 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Dan Darko takes us on a journey from Ghana to post-war Croatia, England, and the United States. Each place adds to his unique questions he asked of the biblical text. This leads us to explore the role of the spiritual realm in the letter to the Ephesians. Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion on the power of faith, the presence of spiritual realms, and the challenges of modern religious consciousness.

You Cannot Get Away from This Conversation...

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Nicholas Ma) — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Writer, Producer, and Filmmaker Nicholas Ma joins us to talk about his latest documentary titled "Leap of Faith". In today's episode we explore the unspoken topics that often divide communities and underscore the universal quest for mutual belonging. The participants in the documentary were invited to meaningful dialogue around race, homelessness, and socioeconomic disparities, but the conversation they returned to over and over again was about sexuality. Even through uncomfortable disagreements, the documentary helps the viewer notice the relevance of love and empathy, the power of small actions to create positive change, and the profound effect of being seen and acknowledged by others.

Disagreeing with Sincerity, Vulnerability, and Discomfort

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Nicholas Ma) — Thu, 3 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Writer, Producer, and Filmmaker Nicholas Ma joins us to talk about his latest documentary titled "Leap of Faith". We explore why documentaries captivate him and how they represent human encounter and vulnerability. In an ever-increasing divided world where people talk about those they disagree with as being an "enemy", is it possible for a group of pastors to come together to speak into the huge chasms that divide us? Is there space there for the gospel? Listen in as Nicholas shares behind-the-scenes insights and moments of discomfort that turned into profound learning experiences. Join us for a heartfelt discussion on art, faith, and the transformative power of storytelling.

Learning to Disagree Well

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, John Inazu) — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Today is Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. John Inazu about his book Learning to Disagree. We live in an increasingly divided world in which we resist nuance and have definitive opinions. If you look at public discourse, those who have differing opinions are not only adversaries but increasingly described as evil. We disagre with one another in destructive ways. Can we right the ship? Today we talk about disagreeing with people in a religious context. Is it toxic to disagree? Is it destructive? Can we still engage one another without describing people as Evil?

Find out more about John Inazu from his website: https://www.jinazu.com/

Explore his new book Learning to Disagree

Subscribe to his Substack Some Assembly Required

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Non-toxic Disagreements

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, John Inazu) — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Do you feel like it is hard to have proper conversations with people about challenging subjects? It seems to be getting harder! This is why we all need to read today's guest newest book: Learning to Disagree. Dr. John Inazu is a lawyer who brings us along into his law review classroom to learn how to disagree with others while not giving up on our convictions. And along the way, we find out how this is a necessary skill for people in the church to engage: the ongoing task of LEARNING and the process of healthy DISAGREEMENT.

Find out more about John Inazu from his website: https://www.jinazu.com/

Explore his new book Learning to Disagree

Subscribe to his Substack Some Assembly Required

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

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Exploring Literary Geography

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jack Beck) — Thu, 29 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Join us for part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Jack Beck. Learn how themes like divine identity and historical events are intertwined with specific locations like Mount Herman and Shechem. Discover how geography can illuminate scripture, bringing fresh perspectives and profound understanding. This episode also explores how Jack's work with Our Daily Bread Ministries makes biblical geography accessible to millions worldwide.

Discover more about Dr. Beck, his books, videos, or to sign up for his newsletter, click HERE

Watch the wealth of options on Dr. Beck's YouTube channel HERE

Discover Dr. Beck's books HERE

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Historical Geography for the Win!

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jack Beck) — Thu, 22 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Jack Beck is biblical geographer, professor, and prolific author. He is also and avid outdoorsman and the first person I have known to build and fly his own plane. From sailing and traveling to working on a dairy farm, he reflects on how these adventures fueled a restless curiosity that later shaped his approach to studying the Bible. We'll also explore the concept of literary geography and how understanding the geography of biblical texts can reveal deeper meanings. Whether you're a geography enthusiast or a Bible scholar, this episode promises thrilling insights and connections!

Discover more about Dr. Beck, his books, videos, or to sign up for his newsletter, click HERE

Watch the wealth of options on Dr. Beck's YouTube channel HERE

Discover Dr. Beck's books HERE

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Music and Emotional Intelligence

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Mia Chung, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 15 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Mia Chung joins us for Part 2 of the conversation about the power of classical music to help with human flourishing. Today we explore the decline of musical education and its repercussions on holistic child development. Our discussion emphasizes how early training in music can prime the brain for better cognitive and social skills, addressing issues like executive function and intuitive learning. Today we also talk about links musical experience to spiritual growth, highlighting the harmonic similarity between music and language, and the deep emotional resonance music can bring.

Find out more about Dr. Mia Chung HERE

Discover more about the Octet Collaborative HERE

Follow the Octet Collaborative and their podcast through their Instagram HERE

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Feeling the Music

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Mia Chung) — Thu, 8 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Mia Chung joins us to talk about how classical music is a foundational aspect of human flourishing. Dr. Chung is an internationally renowned pianist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician. She was on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and she is now a professor at Harvard. Additionally she is the founder and executive director of the Octet Collaborative, which is a community of students, faculty, and staff at MIT who are dedicated to human flourishing. And if that is not enough, she writes and speaks on the transformative impact of music on cognition, learning, and health.

Find out more about Dr. Mia Chung HERE

Discover more about the Octet Collaborative HERE

Follow the Octet Collaborative and their podcast through their Instagram HERE

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Art and Spiritual Growth

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Scott Erickson) — Thu, 1 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Scott Erickson is an artist who uses many mediums to communicate with this audience. Today we talk about his collaborative book project with Justin McRoberts, 'In the Low, Honest Prayers for Dark Seasons,' which provides spiritual support for those experiencing depression. Scott then shares personal anecdotes, including an impactful experience at the Wailing Wall, illustrating how art can serve as a medium for expressing inexpressible emotions. Scott's art, which has resonated widely to the extent of being tattooed by numerous fans, aims to communicate the complexities of faith and the human condition

Find out more about Scott Erickson - his art, books, shows, and resources HERE

Explore Scott Erickson's talks on his YouTube channel HERE

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The Power of Art

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Scott Erickson, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Scott Erickson joins us to talk about the power of art in our spiritual lives. Scott talks about growing up in a religious family with significant exposure to Christian traditions but feeling out of place due to his inclination towards art in a tradition that lacked visual representation. But then he found the old European cathedrals and realized art can be used as a significant medium for spiritual development.

Today we talk about how he describes his job, the benefit of art in the church, and the "haunted" role of the artist.

Find out more about Scott Erickson - his art, books, shows, and resources HERE

Explore Scott Erickson's talks on his YouTube channel HERE

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Healing from Spiritual Abuse, Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Rachel Clinton Chen) — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Today is part 2 of the conversation with Rachel Clinton Chen about healing from spiritual abuse. Rachel discusses ways our cultural values have influenced leadership in churches, often valuing charisma over genuine pastoral care, which sometimes leads to spiritual abuse. We also discuss what to do in the case of people unintentionally contributing to spiritual abuse - sometimes due to their own unresolved trauma. Love and Humility have to be a part of the conversation! Finally we talk about the new online course available through the Allender Center. See the links below for significant resources available for you.

RESOURCES:

Find out more about the Allender Center at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology with a link to their podcast HERE

Spiritual Abuse & Healing Online Course - This six-lesson course, complete with reflective practices and deep dive panel discussions, helps you engage your body, mind, and spirit as you unpack the harm caused by spiritual abuse.

Story Workshop for Spiritual Abuse & Healing - Our mission at The Allender Center is rooted in the belief that our stories are best understood and healed when we share them with others. We’re honored to introduce the new Story Workshop for Spiritual Abuse & Healing—an immersive experience designed to guide you through the complex process of healing from religious trauma and spiritual harm and reclaiming your faith. This is a three day virtual workshop held May 16-18, including large group teaching and small group story work with a seasoned facilitator.

Free Checklist: How to identify the signs of spiritual abuse

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Healing from Spiritual Abuse, Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Rachael Clinton Chen) — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Today we are talking about the sticky subject of spiritual abuse in the church. To lead us on the journey is Rachael Clinton Chen. Rachael is devoted to addressing the harm of abuse – especially spiritual abuse – at the intersection of trauma, healing, embodiment and spiritual formation. She leads the Story Workshop for Spiritual Abuse & Healing and recently developed the Allender Center’s Spiritual Abuse & Healing Online Course, inviting survivors of spiritual abuse to journey together towards healing and reclamation.

RESOURCES:

Find out more about the Allender Center at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology with a link to their podcast HERE

Free Checklist: How to identify the signs of spiritual abuse

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Presumption of Canaanite Guilt: Valid or Unjust?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Justin Reed) — Thu, 3 Apr 2025 09:00:00 +0000

In Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Justin Reed about his new book The Injustice of Noah's Curse, we focus on the "presumption of Canaanite guilt" and what kind of influence that has on interpreters. How can we learn to ask better questions of the text? This is yet another example of why it is so important to study the Bible with people who bring different lenses to their study! Dr. Reed helps us explore the broader implications of these interpretations for understanding compassion, justice, and morality in ancient texts, highlighting the dynamic and often ironic narratives within Genesis.

What Curse of Noah?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Justin Reed) — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Justin Reed teaches at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is here to talk about his new book The Injustice of Noah's Curse. Dr. Reed starts by introducing us to his context growing up and the influence of his mother and father on his faith and academic work. Then we dive into the strange text of Genesis 9. The timing is strange, the absence and presence of characters is strange, and the curse uttered against Canaan is very perplexing. Read the story, listen to the episode, and bring your ideas with you to the podcasting table!

The Preacher of Hebrews Teaches Us Today

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Dana Harris) — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Dana Harris joins us for part 2 of our conversation about preaching and the book of Hebrews. We explore the book's theology and its profound connection to the Old Testament (equally dispelling misconceptions that the book is anti-Semitic). The preacher of Hebrews uses Midrash to use weave scripture into a meaningful narrative for the contemporary audience. How can we learn from the audience of Hebrews about developing a stronger sense of biblical narrative by immersing ourselves in the Bible?

Find out more about Dr. Harris HERE

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Preaching with the Epistle of Hebrews

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Dana Harris) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Dana Harris joins us to talk about the profound experiences that shaped her outlook on teaching and faith. We discuss God's presence in nature and the importance of theological education. Dr. Harris specializes in the book of Hebrews, so we dive into the riddle of that book. Is it a transcript of a sermon? Is it an epistle? Who is the author, and who are the Hebrews to whom this is addressed? Most of all, what can we learn about teaching scripture from this writing?

You may want to go read Psalm 95 and think of its use of Numbers 14, 20, and Exodus 17.

Find out more about Dr. Harris HERE

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Show Me Your Glory, Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Rebecca Idestrom) — Thu, 6 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0000

This is part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Rebecca Idestrom about her book Show Me Your Glory. Today Dr. Idestrom discusses God's glory in the Temple. This leads us to a conversation of the visions of God's glory in the book of Ezekiel and how they relate the God's divine kingship and the hopeful restoration promised at the end of the book.

Find out more about Rebecca Idestrom HERE

Explore the book Show Me Your Glory HERE

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Show Me Your Glory, Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Rebecca Idestrom) — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0000

We sit with Dr. Rebecca Idestrom to discuss the themes of her latest book, Show Me Your Glory, which explores the concept of God's glory throughout the Old Testament. Dr. Idestrom explains how the notion of "glory" is multifaceted and context-dependent, involving both tangible and intangible elements of God's presence and character. We also talk about how Israel's perception of God's glory evolved across different historical and physical contexts.

Find out more about Rebecca Idestrom HERE

Explore the book Show Me Your Glory HERE

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The Mary to Remember

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jennifer Powell McNutt) — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:00:00 +0000

We start today's episode talking about all the different Marys in the gospels and how that influences the way people interpret Mary Magdalene. Dr. McNutt also untangles how the Gospels describe Mary Magdalene and then offers insights into her significance, not just as a follower, but as a pivotal figure financially supporting Jesus's ministry.

Read more about Jennifer Powell McNutt HERE

Her Faithful Witness: Unveiling Mary's True Story

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jennifer Powell McNutt) — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt talks about her new book called The Mary We Forgot: What the apostle to the apostles teaches the church today. To be honest, Mary Magdalene's story is rarely told well in churches, which leads us to dismiss her as a teacher for people in the church. Her portrayal in popular media like The Da Vinchi Code or Jesus Christ Superstar tantalizingly focuses on her sex appeal and possible love interest of Jesus. Others highlight her deviant behavior. Is any of this true? If not, why do we think it is?

Read more about Jennifer Powell McNutt HERE

Deuteronomy and Advent

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Wesley Arning, Ryan Presley) — Thu, 5 Dec 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Today's episode flips the tables and places me in the hot seat. Wesley Arning and Ryan Presley interviewed me about the book of Deuteronomy for their podcast called The Wayside Podcast. So I am rebroadcasting it for you here to help us think about storytelling and transformation as we enter this Advent season.

Listen to more of the Wayside Podcast HERE

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The Dead Sea Scrolls and Textual Criticism

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Karl Kutz) — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0000

When scholars examine the writing, copying, and editing of biblical text, they can discern a complexity in the Hebrew Bible. There is scribal activity at the copying AND editing levels. What does this tell us about the development of Scripture? And what do we do with Dead Sea scrolls like Jeremiah that show us a complexity within the Jewish communities through the complexity of the scrolls themselves? Our guide through this is Dr. Karl Kutz who is a recently retired professor of biblical languages and Bible at Multnomah University and also a voracious explorer of the biblical text.

If you feel nervous about these conversations, join us at the end of the episode to talk about why this is a valuable field of study instead of one that criticizes the Bible.

Find out more about Karl Kutz HERE

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Why Do We Need Textual Criticism?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Karl Kutz, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Textual criticism is about. offering a critique about what the best reading of the biblical text is, because before you can translate it, you need to know that you've got the best reading possible. And to engage in textual criticism, you need to have a fascination with biblical languages and biblical culture and biblical history. If it sounds complicated, it sort of is. But we have a great guide to walk us through what textual criticism is and why it matters.

Dr. Karl Kutz is a recently retired professor of biblical languages and Bible at Multnomah University, and he is a voracious explorer of the biblical text.

Find out more about Karl Kutz HERE

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Part 2: No Such Thing as 400 Years of Silence

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, George Athas) — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0000

In today's episode with the Rev. Dr. George Athas, we pick up the historic overview of what is incorrectly called the 400 years of silence. We dive into the significant historical influence of Greek culture and thought on Jewish society, especially during the Hellenistic period. In the Hasmonean period, we find the rise of anti-Dividic position of silencing the prophetic voice. What does that mean for the way we understand who Jesus is?

Find out more about Dr. Athas HERE

Are There 400 Years of Silence?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, George Athas) — Thu, 7 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0000

We casually talk about 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments, but why do we say that? Who was the first to coin that phrase? What if that is an anti-Messianic statement? Then shouldn't we be more aware of the history and the development of Jewish thought to develop better vocabulary to talk about this time period?

The short answer is, "Yes!", and the Rev. Dr. George Athas can help. His excellent new book Bridging the Testaments is a treasure trove of historic details. Today he joins us to talk about vocabulary. What is the difference between "Intertestamental" and "Second Temple"? What are the big picture historical periods included in this time that we need to be aware of?

Find out more about Dr. Athas HERE

Listening to the Prophets Today

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Heath Thomas) — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Heath Thomas is back to talk more about his book The Minor Prophets: A Theological Introduction. Often the prophets are not addressing the individual's sin but the whole community's sin. So what does it mean to live as a distinctive community that represents a distinctive God? How do the writings of the prophets create expectations for the coming Messiah? How can these writings instruct the church today?

Biblical Justice in the Minor Prophets

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Heath Thomas) — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Heath Thomas grow up as a pastor's kid, thought he'd be an English teacher but ended up specializing in Hebrew Poetry. He is now the president of Oklahoma Baptist University and somehow found time to co-write a book with Craig Bartholomew titled the Minor Prophets: A Theological Introduction. We talk about what the role of the prophet is, the content of their messages, and why they seem so angry all of the time.

Hybrid Beasts in the Bible

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Taylor Gray) — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Although cherubim in European art are cute, small, and angelic, the ancient world thought of them as terrifying protectors. In today's conversation, Dr. Gray continues to describe what we can learn about the ancient world by looking at their art. What did these people believe about hybrid creatures like the cherubim, seraphim, and sea serpents play? What role do these creatures play in the Bible?

Find out more about Dr. Gray HERE

See depictions of cherubim HERE

See depictions of seraphim HERE

See the sea serpent on Kudurru boundary stones HERE

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Depicting Gods

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Taylor Gray) — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 09:00:00 +0000

If the imagination influences spiritual formation, then what can we discover about how people in the ancient world thought of the spiritual realm by looking at their art? Today's guest is Dr. Taylor Gray, and we will discuss how exploring iconography helps us understand ancient customs, stories, and ways of thinking about the divine world.

Find out more about Dr. Gray HERE

See Pillar Figurines HERE

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Behold to Become

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Lanta Davis) — Thu, 3 Oct 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Today we continue our conversation about Dr. Lanta Davis' new book called Becoming by Beholding. We begin with "bestiaries" - what they are and what their purpose was in early Christian art. We also talked about art and architecture. Does the shape and design of a church building indicate how worship is practiced inside? And how can ancient depictions of historic figures in the church reveal who significant leaders were? And what if they were women?

You can find Lanta Davis' book HERE

See examples of Bestiaries HERE

What Shapes Your Imagination?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Lanta Davis) — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Lanta Davis joins us today to talk about her new book called Becoming by Beholding. Her book will prompt you to think about the connection between art, imagination, and theology. How did the historic church think about the imagination and spiritual formation, and can we do a better job of that in today's environment? Are we aware enough of what we "behold" and how that creates an impression on our lives? And how did the Protestant church lose its ability to gaze on images and allow them to stoke our imagination?

You can find Lanta Davis' book HERE

Food Systems, Consumer Choice, and Faith

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ryan Vroegindewey) — Thu, 4 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Ryan Vroegindewey joins us once again to talk about the global food system, how animal welfare matters, and how to think about "organic", "mono cropping", and "genetically modified food".

Helpful books referenced in today's episode:

Stewards of Eden by Sandra Richter

Scripture Culture and Agriculture by Ellen Davis

The collected works publications by Katharine Hayhoe

Learn more about the movie Kiss the Ground

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Food and Faith

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ryan Vroegindewey) — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0000

How does the Bible instruct us to treat the world, our food, and our ground? Today we talk with Dr. Ryan Vroegindewey about how he became aware of the complexities in our global food systems and what we can all do to become more informed with the choices we make.

Helpful books referenced in today's episode:

Stewards of Eden by Sandra Richter

Scripture Culture and Agriculture by Ellen Davis

The collected works publications by Katharine Hayhoe

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Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

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Faith Embodied Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Stephen Ko) — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Stephen Ko is an interdisciplinary writer at the intersection of faith, medicine, and public health. He is also the Senior Pastor of New York Chinese Alliance Church. In his new book Faith Embodied, Dr. Ko explores the intersection of his medical knowledge with his spiritual insights. Using our senses can we learn to see Scripture in a new way and can we learn to fully embody our worship?

You can learn more about Dr. Stephen Ko HERE where you can also subscribe to his newsletter and follow him on social media.

Explore his book Faith Embodied HERE.

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Faith Embodied Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Stephen Ko) — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0000

You can learn more about Dr. Stephen Ko HERE where you can also subscribe to his newsletter and follow him on social media.

Explore his book Faith Embodied HERE.

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

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Improvising Church, Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Mark Glanville) — Thu, 6 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Mark Glanville joins us today from his piano to talk with me about his newly released book titled Improvising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm and Soul. We start with a conversation about the need for churches to develop according to their local context - the flavor of the places they are in. We then talk about worship in polyrhythms and the jazz-sound of the heart of the church.

Read more about the book Improvising Church HERE

Harmony, Scripture, and Jazz

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Mark Glanville) — Thu, 30 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Mark Glanville joins me from his piano to talk about his new book Improvising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul. What is it about jazz and scripture that make them natural conversation partners regarding the modern church? Is there a way to create churches that are characterized by being leader-full, where the imagination, the energy, and the thoughtfulness goes beyond the capacity of any one leader?

Read more about the book Improvising Church HERE

Trafficking Hadassah: A New Look at the book of Esther

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ericka Dunbar) — Thu, 23 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000

This is part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Ericka Dunbar who is an Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at Baylor University. We talk about noticing the small characters in a narrative. Who are the unnamed women taken from throughout the Persian empire? What was their experience like? We also talk about how challenging engaging in conversation that shift our perspectives and assumptions can be.

When Genre Influences Interpretation

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ericka Dunbar) — Thu, 16 May 2024 10:00:00 +0000

In part 1 of our conversation on the book of Esther, Dr. Ericka Dunbar introduces us to contextual influences in her life that changed how she read the book of Esther. Far from a story about queens and beauty pageants, Dr. Dunbar highlights the problematic issues around gender, ethnicity, violence, and sexualized abuse that are in the text that we cannot ignore.

Growing Pains of the Early Church

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Nadya Williams) — Thu, 9 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Nadya Williams is a Classics Historian who brings her knowledge of the culture and writings generated in the Greco-Roman world to bear on the early church. This is Part 2 of our conversation regarding her book Cultural Christians in the Early Church. Dr. Williams discusses popular, best-selling Roman literature and how that illuminates how radical the teachings of Jesus are and how challenging living counter-culturally was for the early church. While we explore the earliest church, the persecuted church, and the connected-to-empire church, we hear echoes of all of these cultural movements in the modern church.

Explore the book Cultural Christians in the Early Church

Read other articles by Dr. Nadya Williams HERE

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Early Christians did not Wear Halos!

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Nadya Williams) — Thu, 2 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Nadya Williams is a Classics Historian who brings her knowledge of the culture and writings generated in the Greco-Roman world to bear on the early church. While modern people in their struggle against institutionalized church tend to look back at the earliest Christians as those who wear halos, Dr. Williams says, "Not so fast." In this conversation, Dr. Williams introduces us to her own multi-country, multi-lingual, and multi-faith context growing up and how that shaped her view of God today. Then we dive into the types of Greco-Roman cultural norms that proved challenging for the earliest Christians to shed.

Explore the book Cultural Christians in the Early Church

Read other articles by Dr. Nadya Williams HERE

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Deuteronomy: A Challenge to the Modern Church

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Myrto Theocharous) — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Myrto Theocharous takes us into new perspectives on Deuteronomy. How do we think about Imago Dei, not in the faces of those around us, but reflected in our own actions? What does the book say about becoming complacent in a good economy? What responsibility do we have for communal care?

Find out more about Dr. Theocharous HERE

Find out about New Zoi

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Deuteronomy in Action

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Myrto Theocharous) — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

In part 1 of our conversation, Dr. Myrto Theocharous explains her love for connecting Deuteronomy’s theology with the practical actions in the world. There is so much this book still has to teach us!

Find out more about Dr. Theocharous HERE

Find out about New Zoi

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Centering Discipleship with E K Strawser

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Eun Strawser) — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Rev. Dr. Eun Strawser describes her journey as a church leader transforming small discipleship group into multiple communities. How did they do it? They focused on intentional discipleship, community engagement, and the markers of mature disciples. How can these practices be adopted by other churches?

Find out more about the book here: www.centeringdiscipleship.com

Explore the 4-week online training program for Centering Discipleship HERE

Follow Dr. Strawser on Instagram: @ekstrawser

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Rethinking Church around Discipleship

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Eun Strawser, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 4 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Rev. Dr. Eun Strawser joins us to talk about what it means for churches to think about discipleship. What is it? How do you do it? Can you design a church structure around discipleship? Dr. Strawser was faced with all of these questions when she started a new church plant. After some experimentation, she discovered that when discipleship becomes central to your leadership and community, then discipleship becomes central to congregational mission and cultural renewal.

Find out more about the book here: www.centeringdiscipleship.com

Explore the 4-week online training program for Centering Discipleship HERE

Follow Dr. Strawser on Instagram: @ekstrawser

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Revelation for the Modern Church: Avoiding the Babylon Creep

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Scot McKnight) — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

What does the book of Revelation have to say to the modern church? In Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Scot McKnight, we examine the visual propaganda machine of the Roman empire and how the author of Revelation makes great use of those images to mock the arrogance of Rome. But this is also a book about becoming dissident disciples. When we read this book as a letter to the churches who were dangerously close to allowing the "Babylon Creep" into the church, we hear a strong warning to the Western Church.

Find out more about Dr. McKnight HERE

Subscribe to his Substack HERE

Follow him on X [Twitter] https://twitter.com/scotmcknight

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Paving the Way to Understand Revelation

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Scot McKnight) — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Scot McKnight recently published a book called Revelation for the Rest of Us. But it is the subtitle that is intriguing: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple. Dissident disciples? The book of Revelation? Politics and theology coming together in one episode? In part 1 of our conversation we learn about why Dr. McKnight felt like he needed to write this particular book in this time in history. And he throws in an amazing comment about the author, John, when describing how many allusions he makes to Old Testament imagery: "[John's] soul inebriated with Scripture that he can't speak without describing things in biblical ways."

Find out more about Dr. McKnight HERE

Subscribe to his Substack HERE

Follow him on X [Twitter] https://twitter.com/scotmcknight

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Discipled in Justice Today

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Michael Rhodes) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

This is Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Michael Rhodes. He is a professor in Old Testament at Carey Baptist College in Aukland, New Zealand, and we are discussing his book Just Discipleship. If we are to people concerned about Justice and concerned about BECOMING people of justice, what does that say about the topic of reparations? Can the biblical concept of Jubilee shed light on how modern countries can name and identify the sins of the previous generation, and where appropriate, identify your continuity with them? We even get to talk about the relevance of some very random laws in the Old Testament! We conclude talking about what happens to the application of these laws about justice when you are living within someone else's kingdom?

Find more information on his other books: Formative Feasting and Practicing the King's Economy.

Discover his book Just Discipleship HERE.

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Becoming People Who Do Justice

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Michael Rhodes) — Thu, 7 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Is it possible that Western Christianity and modern American life is shaping us to become people who are NOT good at doing justice, and loving mercy, and showing kindness? We know of such concepts but do we embody such concepts in the world around us? This week kicks off a several week conversation with scholars about different aspects of discipleship. We start today with a fellow Old Testament scholar, Dr. Michael Rhodes. He is a professor in Old Testament at Carey Baptist College in Aukland, New Zealand. He is the author of Formative Feasting and Practicing the King's Economy.

We start with the impetus for his new book Just Discipleship, which you can find HERE.

What is biblical justice? Is it different from other forms of justice?

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Blessed are the Peacemakers

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Helen Paynter) — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0000

This is Part 2 of a conversation with Rev. Dr. Helen Paynter about her new book titled: Blessed are the Peacemakers: A Biblical Theology of Human Violence. Today we discuss what to do when it seems like God is calling his people to violence, or what happens when the Israelites are violent with one another. How does the Bible give voice to those who suffer from violent attacks? And for those who study violence, where do they find a type of hope that can sustain them and their work?

Find out more about Dr. Paynter HERE

Some of the resources and links mentioned on this episode:

https://www.facebook.com/CSBVBristolBaptistCollege/

Twitter @CSBibleViolence

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@CSBibleViolence

https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Doesnt-Tell-Me-So/dp/0857469894

https://www.amazon.com/Cursing-God-Imprecatory-Psalms-Christian/dp/1481316362

https://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Brutal-Barbaric-Wrestling-Troubling/dp/0830852492

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

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Is There a Biblical Theology of Violence?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Helen Paynter) — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0000

We are in a time of global conflict and violence, and so this is a great time to pay careful attention the newest book released by Rev. Dr. Helen Paynter called Blessed are the Peacemakers: A Biblical Theology of Human Violence. Today we talk about why Dr. Paynter ended up studying a biblical view of violence and what her Center for Study of Bible and Violence is all about.

Find out more about Dr. Paynter HERE

Some of the resources and links mentioned on this episode:

https://www.facebook.com/CSBVBristolBaptistCollege/

Twitter @CSBibleViolence

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@CSBibleViolence

https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Doesnt-Tell-Me-So/dp/0857469894

https://www.amazon.com/Cursing-God-Imprecatory-Psalms-Christian/dp/1481316362

https://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Brutal-Barbaric-Wrestling-Troubling/dp/0830852492

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Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

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Story-Shaped Faith

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jennifer Holberg) — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0000

This is Part 2 of a conversation with Dr. Jennifer Holberg about her recently released called Nourishing Narratives. Dr. Holberg is a Professor and chair of the English department at Calvin University and co-director of the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing. Today we talk about how to imagine the real humanness of people in the biblical text and how that shapes our theology.

Discover more about Dr. Holberg HERE

Find her book Nourishing Narratives HERE

Read about the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing HERE

Watch a trailer for the film "They Shall Not Grow Old" HERE

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Story-Shaped People

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jennifer Holberg) — Thu, 8 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Jennifer Holberg recently released a book that talks about the power of story to shape our faith. Dr. Holberg is a Professor and chair of the English department at Calvin University and co-director of the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing. This week we talk about how important context is for understanding people and story. Then we talk about how people not only gravitate towards narratives, but they are shaped by narratives. And what does that mean when we talk about faith?

Discover more about Dr. Holberg HERE

Find her book Nourishing Narratives HERE

Read about the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing HERE

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Medieval Christianity

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Grace Hammand) — Thu, 1 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0000

How does medieval history teach us more about Christianity? We get a glimpse into the past with in this week's episode with Dr. Grace Hamman. Dr. Hamman is a medievalist who specializes in Middle English. She has a new book called Jesus Through Medieval Eyes. She also hosts a podcast called Old Books with Grace. We have hosted a couple of episodes around the context of the split between the Eastern and Western Churches, but this week we get to talk about how the context of the western, European church influenced how the church talked about Jesus.

Click here for more information about all the ways to know about Dr. Grace Hamman's work

Click here to sign up for Grace’s monthly newsletter, Medievalish.

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The Challenge and Beauty of Suffering in Isaiah 53

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Gordon McConville) — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0000

This is part 2 of a conversation with Dr. Gordon McConville who is Professor Emeritus at the University of Gloucestershire. We are discussing his book The Suffering Servant: Isaiah 53 for the Life of the Church. In this episode we explore the context and impact of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. What is unique about the suffering? What is the role of the servant? And how did New Testament writers use Isaiah to help them understand who Jesus was?

Find his book The Suffering Servant HERE

Find his commentary on Isaiah HERE

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Isaiah's Servant Songs

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Gordon McConville) — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Gordon McConville grew up in Northern Ireland, and studied Modern Languages at Cambridge and Theology in Edinburgh, before doing a PhD in Old Testament with Prof Gordon Wenham at Queen's University, He has taught at Trinity College, Bristol and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and is now Professor Emeritus at the University of Gloucestershire.

Find his book The Suffering Servant HERE

Find his commentary on Isaiah HERE

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END OF YEAR SPECIAL: Where have we been?

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

We are taking advantage of the end of the year to take a reflective look back on where we have been in 2023. There are so many amazing guests that sat with us around the podcast table. We took a fresh look at books of the Bible we rarely hear sermons on, and we had a masterclass on how to interpret the Bible contextually. Each guest brought a nuanced view of scripture, and helped us think about how valuable it is to read the Bible with people who have diverse perspectives. What a gift it is to be in conversation with so many people. Let me know which episodes are on YOUR list!

You will find links to the full episodes here.

Dr. Carol Kaminski: Gems in Genealogy

Dr. Kay Higher Smith and Dr. Alice Yafey-Deigh: Reading the Bible Around the World

Dr. Lewis Brogdon: Philemon Part 1 and Part 2

Kevin Kim and Sang Tian from Basil Tech: Studying the Bible with Technology and don't forget to look at Bible Dojo!

Rev. Jacob Breeze and Reading with the Spiritually Wounded Part 1 and Part 2

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Being God's Image, Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Carmen Imes) — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Why is this concept of Being God’s Image a challenging concept to wholeheartedly believe not only about yourself but also other people. This is not really the messaging from society, right? But can you imagine if the modern church REALLY lived into this? How would this transform how we treated others, how we understand God, and what we think about beauty? Dr. Carmen Imes takes us through some significant themes of identity from her newest book.

Find Dr. Imes book here: https://www.ivpress.com/being-god-s-image

Find out more about Dr. Imes here: https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/carmen-imes

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Being God's Image

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Carmen Imes) — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Find Dr. Imes book here: https://www.ivpress.com/being-god-s-image

(repost this episode on social media and tag @narrativeofplace to be in the running for a free book!)

Find out more about Dr. Imes here: https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/carmen-imes

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Studying the Bible with Technology

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Kevin Kim, Sang Tian) — Thu, 7 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Technology can be an amazing and helpful tool. It can also get in the way of how we learn if we do not pay attention. Today I am joined by two creative entrepreneurs from Basil Technology. Kevin Kim is the co-founder and CEO and Sang Tian is the Chief Technology Officer. A part of their vision is to unlock the depths of scripture for everyone. Using dynamic and interactive tools, anyone can learn to use the tools of reading and understanding the Bible well.

Find out more about Basil Tech

Keep your eye on Bible Dojo!

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The Careful Use of Technology

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Kevin Kim, Sang Tian) — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Basil Tech

Keep your eye on Bible Dojo!

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Art as Teacher

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Joshua Stamper) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Joshua Stamper joins us again to tell us about what kind of soundscape made him rethink his own art. How can we as the church learn from these lessons and disciple artists as artists?

Find out more about Joshua Stamper and his many projects here: https://www.joshuastamper.com

Explore Walter Brueggemann's Prophetic Imagination

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Reading the Bible with Artists

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Joshua Stamper) — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Joshua Stamper and his many projects here: https://www.joshuastamper.com

Explore Walter Brueggemann's Prophetic Imagination

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Reading the Bible Mystically

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Alex Massad) — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Learn more about Dr. Massad HERE

Watch Dr. Massad's online lecture titled “Polemicist, Apologist, or Missionary: Rashīd Riḍā’s Ṭarīq al-Da‘wa” for the Center for Muslim and Christian Studies Oxford (YouTube Video) HERE

“Toward Enriched Ways of Knowing: The Multiple Roles of Aesthetics in Interreligious Encounters” with William Dyrness in The Georgetown Companion to Interreligious Studies

“Who is the ‘Other?’ Reconsidering Salvation Through Classical Islamic Thought.” In Muslims, The Religious Other: Towards A Biblical Understanding of Islam, the Qur’an and Muhamma

Dr. Massad mentioned the book Heavenly Participation.

And also this book Savoring Scripture.

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Reading with Mystics

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Alexander Massad) — Thu, 3 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Learn more about Dr. Massad HERE

“Toward Enriched Ways of Knowing: The Multiple Roles of Aesthetics in Interreligious Encounters” with William Dyrness in The Georgetown Companion to Interreligious Studies

“Who is the ‘Other?’ Reconsidering Salvation Through Classical Islamic Thought.” In Muslims, The Religious Other: Towards A Biblical Understanding of Islam, the Qur’an and Muhamma

Dr. Massad mentioned the book Heavenly Participation.

And also this book Savoring Scripture.

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Reconstructing Faith

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jacob Breeze) — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Discover more about Holy Trinity HTX and follow them on Instagram @holyfamilyhtx

Reading with the Spiritually Wounded

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jacob Breeze) — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Discover more about Holy Trinity HTX and follow them on Instagram @holyfamilyhtx

A Translation for Turtle Island

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Terry Wildman) — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Read more about the Wildman's ministry Rain Ministries

Explore the book Terry Wildman referenced called Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future

Follow Terry on Instagram @fnv.nt and on Facebook @FirstNationsVersion or @TerryMWildman

Explore the First Nations Translation of the New Testament and get 30% off when you use the code PLACE23 at checkout.

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First Nations Translation of the New Testament

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Terry Wildman) — Thu, 6 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Read more about the Wildman's ministry Rain Ministries

Explore the book Terry Wildman referenced called Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future

Explore the First Nations Translation of the New Testament and get 30% off when you use the code PLACE23 at checkout.

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Can Science and Faith Enhance Each Other?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Deborah Haarsma) — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Find out more about BioLogos Here and listen to their podcast The Language of God Here

Learn more about Dr. Deb Haarsma HERE and follow her on Instagram @deb_haarsma

Read the article she mentioned The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences

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Reading the Bible with Scientists

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Deb Haarsma, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Find out more about BioLogos Here and listen to their podcast The Language of God Here

Learn more about Dr. Deb Haarsma HERE and follow her on Instagram @deb_haarsma

Read the article she mentioned The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences

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Reading with Disability Theology

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Letiah Fraser) — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

For books about exploring the world with people with disabilities, check out My Body is not a Prayer Request and also What Can a Body Do?

Find Dr. Fraser on Facebook (@letiah.fraser), Instagram (@revletiah), and Twitter (@revletiah).

Explore The Millennial Pastor podcast HERE

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Reading the Bible with a Disabled God

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Letiah Fraser) — Thu, 8 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

For books about exploring the world with people with disabilities, check out My Body is not a Prayer Request and also What Can a Body Do?

Find Dr. Fraser on Facebook (@letiah.fraser), Instagram (@revletiah), and Twitter (@revletiah).

Explore The Millennial Pastor podcast HERE

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Is an Illustration THAT Important?

Thu, 1 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Next time you are reading a book to your kids or nephews and neices, pay attention to the illustrations. Who is in the picture, how are they presented, and what does the landscape look like? And then go take a look at the resources through Fresh Wind studios.

Explore Fresh Wind Studios here: https://www.freshwindstudios.com

Find their list of books here: https://www.freshwindstudios.com/ourbooks

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Reading Children's Bibles

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Rachel Wilkowski) — Thu, 25 May 2023 09:00:00 +0000

I really am curious if you’ve paid attention to what is in or left out of Children’s bibles. And I have lingering questions! Do children's Bibles influence how teenagers engage the Bible? Have you ever compared a story in the children’s bible to the story in the adult bible?

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Reading the Bible with Questions

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Kay Higuera Smith, Alice Yafeh-Deigh) — Thu, 18 May 2023 09:00:00 +0000

We start off our new season of Context Matters with a bag! And all of this will influence the rest of the series. Join for the conversation and then take notes on this mini-masterclass on hermeneutics.

From May 11-31 2023 you can receive 30% the print or ebook and free shipping by going to www.ivpress.com and use the code PLACE23 at checkout.

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Reading the Bible with Different Cultural Lenses

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Kay Higuera Smith, Alice Yafeh-Deigh) — Thu, 11 May 2023 09:00:00 +0000

From May 11-31 2023 you can receive 30% the print or ebook and free shipping by going to www.ivpress.com and use the code PLACE23 at checkout.

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EASTER SPECIAL! The Geography of Passion Week

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Rev. Wesley Arning, Ryan Presley) — Thu, 6 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Find the full episodes of The Wayside Podcast HERE. Our conversation is in episodes 22 and 23.

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Two Halves Yet One Whole

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Wendy Widder) — Thu, 9 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Wendy Widder is the author of several books, including Living Whole Without a Better Half and two commentaries on the book of Daniel. She is a freelance editor and a teacher with two master’s degrees and a PhD in biblical studies. Her newest book, Every Road Goes Somewhere is a memoir that recounts her journey of trying to follow God when he doesn’t follow the script.

You will find Dr. Widder's books HERE

Her new memoir is HERE

Her online lectures on Daniel are HERE

And she blogs at www.wendywidder.com

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The Two Halves of Daniel

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Wendy Widder) — Thu, 2 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000

You will find Dr. Widder's books HERE

Her new memoir is HERE

Her online lectures on Daniel are HERE

And she blogs at www.wendywidder.com

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The Circular Beauty in John's Epistles

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Constantine Campbell) — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:30:09 +0000

Dr. Constantine Campbell is the Professor and Associate Research Director at the Sydney College of Divinity, and also a jazz saxophonist and a visiting instructor at The Australian National University School of Music.

You can find out more about his projects HERE

Find his commentary on 1, 2, 3 John HERE

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John's Epistles in All Their Strangeness

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Constantine Campbell) — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0000

You can find out more about his projects HERE

Find his commentary on 1, 2, 3 John HERE

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Lamentations for the Modern Church

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, May Young) — Thu, 9 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. May Young is an Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and the Program Director of Biblical Studies at Taylor University. She has written extensively on the subject of Lament. You can find out more about her HERE.

Her upcoming book is Recovering Biblical Lament that will be out later in 2023.

You can explore more about the Psalms of Lament in a Yale Bible Study guide HERE

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Walking through Grief and Pain

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, May Young) — Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Her upcoming book is Recovering Biblical Lament that will be out later in 2023.

Dr. Young's book on Reading the Psalms Theologically is found HERE

You can explore more about the Psalms of Lament in a Yale Bible Study guide HERE

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Community, Christianity, and Slavery

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Lewis Brogdon) — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Brogdon is executive director of the Institute for Black Church Studies and the Associate Professor of Preaching and of Black Church Studies at Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. See his faculty page HERE.

Explore Dr. Brogdon's new Book The Bible in the Ashes of Social Chaos.

Read his study on Philemon in A Companion to Philemon.

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Philemon: Master, Host, and Christian

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Lewis Brogdon) — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Explore Dr. Brogdon's new Book The Bible in the Ashes of Social Chaos.

Read his study on Philemon in A Companion to Philemon.

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Gems in Genealogy

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Carol Kaminski) — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Carol Kaminski is the founder and director of Casket Empty which you can find HERE.

See her profile as a Professor of Old Testament and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary

Her commentary on 1-2 Chronicles is coming out in late spring or early summer. Explore the commentary series HERE

Keep your eyes open this spring for Dr. Kaminski's study Cultivating Godliness: Lessons from Chronicles

And a deep dive into Noah HERE

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Beauty in Chronicles

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Carol Kaminski) — Thu, 5 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Carol Kaminski is the founder and director of Casket Empty which you can find HERE.

See her profile as a Professor of Old Testament and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary

Her commentary on 1-2 Chronicles is coming out in late spring or early summer. Explore the commentary series HERE

Keep your eyes open this spring for Dr. Kaminski's study Cultivating Godliness: Lessons from Chronicles

And a deep dive into Noah HERE

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The Surprise Twist in Jude

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ali Robinson) — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0000

How does knowing what invective speech is help us read Jude? What do we do with the apocalyptic images in Jude?

Find out more about Dr. Robinson HERE

Explore her book Jude on the Attack

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Why Jude?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ali Robinson) — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Who is Jude? Why is he referencing the book of Enoch? Dr. Robinson frames the historical and cultural context that helps us understand the book of Jude.

Find out more about Dr. Robinson HERE

Explore her book Jude on the Attack

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Fiery Content in Peter's Writings and the Modern Church

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Dennis Edwards) — Thu, 8 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0000

How do we learn about the story of the Bible if we do not preach sermons from ALL the books of the Bible? Granted, several books are challenging and non-intuitive, but they still offer great value to the modern church. How is 2 Peter different from 1 Peter? What's up with the apocalyptic imagery?

Find out more about Dr. Dennis Edwards HERE

Explore his commentary on 1 Peter HERE

Explore his book Might from the Margins HERE

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Peter's Letters, Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Dennis Edwards) — Thu, 1 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0000

How do we learn about the story of the Bible if we do not preach sermons from ALL the books of the Bible? Granted, several books are challenging and non-intuitive, but they still offer great value to the modern church. What was the background for Peter's epistles? Did Peter even write these letters? How can a letter written to a specific group of people for a context-specific purpose benefit us now?

Find out more about Dr. Dennis Edwards HERE

Explore his commentary on 1 Peter HERE

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Prophets and Advent?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Anna Seiges who is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Gardner-Webb University.

Find out more about her here: https://gardner-webb.edu/people/dr-anna-sieges-beal/

Read a few of her blog posts HERE

Please follower her on Tik Tok! or other social media. I adore her.

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What is the Book of the Twelve?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Anna Seiges) — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Anna Seiges who is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Gardner-Webb University.

Find out more about her here: https://gardner-webb.edu/people/dr-anna-sieges-beal/

Read a few of her blog posts HERE

Please follower her on Tik Tok! or other social media. I adore her.

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Archaeology with Steven Ortiz

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Steven Ortiz) — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Learn more about Dr. Ortiz, his projects, and his writings HERE

Explore the Lanier Center for Archeology HERE

Learn about the Tel Burna Excavation Project (with articles, pictures and videos!) HERE

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The Clash of Two Noble Struggles

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Father David Neuhaus) — Thu, 3 Nov 2022 09:00:00 +0000

If you missed Part 1, go back one episode and hear the background of how Fr. Neuhaus grew up in a Jewish family in South Africa, was drawn to Christianity through an Orthodox Russian nun, and introduced to Catholicism through his dear Muslim friend.

Learn more about Father David Neuhaus HERE

Read an important article recently published by Fr. Neuhaus HERE. You may need to scroll down to page 13 where his article begins.

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A Voice to All People

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, David Neuhaus) — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Learn more about Father David Neuhaus HERE

Read an important article recently published by Fr. Neuhaus HERE. You may need to scroll down to page 13 where his article begins.

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A Sense of Wholeness

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Rabbi Moshe) — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Rabbi Moshe was on a previous episode in season 4 to talk about rabbinic text and the parables of Jesus. He is a loved professor at Jerusalem University College where he developed a course titled The Parables of Jesus and Jewish Meshalim, which became a favorite course to teach. You can hear that episode HERE.

You can listen to his talk at Spark Church about What Jews and Christians Can Learn from One Another's Texts

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Accountable to All Generations

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0000

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How Does "Christian" Define "Palestinian"?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Zak Mishriky) — Thu, 6 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0000

I like to send my students to talk to Zak and have a chance to listen carefully to how people grow up and what their connection to land is. Zak has a great and complicated history. He clearly tells people how his Christian identity informs who he is as a Palestinian. He also encourages non-locals to remember the conflict over there is not Jewish vs. Muslim but Israeli vs. Palestinian. Listen in to hear how he explains the difference.

Explore Zak's store HERE.

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Common Existence

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Adel Habash) — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +0000

If you find yourself wanting to get to Israel to meet wonderful people like Adel Habash or to see the places he mentioned, check out the trips I currently have scheduled! At the time of release, there are 5 spots open for the March 2023 trip.

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Curiosity in Conversation

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Adel Habash) — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +0000

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One Body and One Meal

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 9 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Want to know more about these pastors? Click on the links below:

Chris Curry at Resurrection Philadelphia

Danielle Paul at Greater Harvest Fellowship of Philadelphia

Danielle Parish at Spark Church

Brian Buhler retired and now working as a spiritual director and artist

Mawo and Janet Abaya with International Center of Evangelism, Jos

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You Cannot Do It Alone

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 2 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Want to know more about these pastors? Click on the links below:

Chris Curry at Resurrection Philadelphia

Danielle Paul at Greater Harvest Fellowship of Philadelphia

Danielle Parish at Spark Church

Brian Buhler retired and now working as a spiritual director and artist

Mawo and Janet Abaya with International Center of Evangelism, Jos

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Why Go To Church?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Narrative of Place, LLC) — Thu, 26 May 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Want to know more about these pastors? Click on the links below:

Chris Curry at Resurrection Philadelphia

Danielle Paul at Greater Harvest Fellowship of Philadelphia

Danielle Parish at Spark Church

Brian Buhler retired and now working as a spiritual director and artist

Mawo and Janet Abaya with International Center of Evangelism, Jos

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Voices from the Past

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Joy Schroeder) — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Schroeder HERE

Buy the brilliant book Voices Long Silenced HERE and read the glowing recommendations on Amazon

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Voices Long Silenced: But No More!

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Joy Schroeder) — Thu, 3 Mar 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Schroeder HERE

Buy the brilliant book Voices Long Silenced HERE and read the glowing recommendations on Amazon

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Gentile and Jewish Women in the New Testament World

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Lynn Cohick) — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Lynn Cohick HERE

Explore her Ephesians Commentary HERE

Buy the book Women in the World of the Earliest Christians HERE

Keep an eye out for her soon to be released series on Women in the Bible on Seminary Now!

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Reading People in Context

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Lynn Cohick) — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Lynn Cohick HERE

Explore her Ephesians Commentary HERE

Buy the book Women in the World of the Earliest Christians HERE

Keep an eye out for her soon to be released series on Women in the Bible on Seminary Now!

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When God is Absent

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Chloe Sun) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Chloe Sun HERE

Order her book Conspicuous in His Absence HERE

If you speak Mandarin, explore her youtube channel!

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A Tale of Two Queens: Esther and Vashti

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Marion Ann Taylor) — Thu, 3 Feb 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Marion Taylor HERE

Peruse Dr. Taylor's commentary on Ruth and Esther HERE or a short video about the commentary HERE

Order her new book Voices Long Silenced

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Facing the Challenges in Ruth

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Marion Ann Taylor) — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Marion Taylor HERE

Peruse Dr. Taylor's commentary on Ruth and Esther HERE or a short video about the commentary HERE

Order her new book Voices Long Silenced

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

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African Jews and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul) — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about MA'ASEHYAHU ISRA-UL, Ed.S. and his Leading By History website and podcast HERE

Want to listen again to the Context Matters episode with Vince Bantu? Listen HERE

Watch this great video organized by Hebrew Union College on Jews of Color

Explore these resources:

The Soul of Judaism: Jews of African Descent in America

Black Zion: African Religious Encounters with Judaism

From Babylon to Timbuktu: A History of the Ancient Black Races Including the Black Hebrews

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Jews in Africa

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul) — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 10:00:00 +0000

What is the difference between Black Hebrew Israelites and Black Jews? What about African Hebrews or Hebrew Israelites? Plus, there are several titles that are more regional in Africa that describe local Jews.

Find out more about MA'ASEHYAHU ISRA-UL, Ed.S. and his Leading By History website and podcast HERE

Listen HERE to the Ma'asehyahu and Rabbi Funnye

Explore these resources:

The Soul of Judaism: Jews of African Descent in America

Black Zion: African Religious Encounters with Judaism

From Babylon to Timbuktu: A History of the Ancient Black Races Including the Black Hebrews

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Luke as Story

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jeannine Brown) — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 10:00:00 +0000

The gospels as powerful theological statements wrapped up in the compelling container of a story. And we cannot help but get excited about the travel narratives in Luke 9-19 and the potential role meals play in the plot development. So much to explore! And if you

You can find out more about Dr. Jeannine Brown HERE and her own website HERE with access to what she is currently working on.

A few more resources:

Jeannine Brown The Gospels as Story and then make sure you look at her Matthew Commentary too!

Jack Dean Kinbgsbury Matthew as Story

David Rhoads and Kari Syreeni, eds. Characterization in the Gospels

Craig Koester Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel

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Is there Theology in Story?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 10:00:00 +0000

You can hear the excitement in Dr. Brown's voice as she describes the way her students respond to a narrative approach to the gospels. You may even be compelled to try this approach yourself! If so, drop me a line and let me know what you learn.

You can find out more about Dr. Jeannine Brown HERE and her own website HERE with access to what she is currently working on.

A few more resources:

Jeannine Brown The Gospels as Story and then make sure you look at her Matthew Commentary too!

Jack Dean Kinbgsbury Matthew as Story

David Rhoads and Kari Syreeni, eds. Characterization in the Gospels

Craig Koester Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

How to Talk about Sexuality

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Kristyn Komarnicki) — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Kristyn Komarnicki HERE

Find out more about Oriented to Love

Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

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Sexuality and the Bible: Eunuchs and Intersex Included

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Anna Sieges) — Thu, 9 Dec 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Anna Sieges HERE

Read a few of her blog posts HERE

A few books she referenced:

God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says

Making Sense of Sex: Attitudes towards Sexuality in Early Jewish and Christian Texts

Sex Difference in Christian Theology: Male, Female, and Intersex in the Image of God

Christianity, LGBTQ Suicide, and the Souls of Queer Folk

Please follower her on Tik Tok! or other social media. I adore her.

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Sexuality and the Bible

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Anna Sieges) — Thu, 2 Dec 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Anna Sieges HERE

Read a few of her blog posts HERE

Please follower her on Tik Tok! or other social media. I adore her. Contact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.

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Is God Vulnerable and Regretful?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0000

You can find out more about Dr. Ellen Davis HERE

And then go HERE to see the many books she has written. I recommend ALL OF THEM! Although I mentioned Opening Israel's Scriptures and Getting Involved with God in this episode. (See chapter six for the vulnerability of God.)

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Complex Emotions

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ellen Davis) — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0000

You can find out more about Dr. Ellen Davis HERE

And then go HERE to see the many books she has written. I recommend ALL OF THEM! Although I mentioned Opening Israel's Scriptures in this episode.

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The Beauty of Hebraic Philosophy

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Dru Johnson) — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Dru Johnson who is the associate professor of biblical and theological studies at The King’s College in New York City, director and founder of the Center for Hebraic Thought, editor at The Biblical Mind journal, host of The Biblical Mind podcast, and co-host of the OnScript Podcast.

You can find several of his books HERE including the one we talked about today: Human Rites

You will find a great interview with him about Epistemology and Hebraic thought HERE

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Is Philosophy Compatible with the Bible?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Dru Johnson) — Thu, 4 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0000

You can find several of his books HERE including the one we talked about today: Human Rites

You will find a great interview with him about Epistemology and Hebraic thought HERE

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Does Community Form in Virtual Worlds?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Ryne Anthony, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Through various programs and open door events, Flux Space invites educators to come with their students and together reimagine the way students learn. Everything from the furniture to the environment is thought about so kids and adults alike feel like the barriers between them and STEM programs are removed.

Find out about Flux Space Here and then check out some of their fun monthly challenges for at home experiments STEAM challenges

Find them on FACEBOOK or YOUTUBE

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A Place of Design

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ryne Anthony) — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Find out about Flux Space Here and then check out some of their fun monthly challenges for at home experiments STEAM challenges

Find them on FACEBOOK or YOUTUBE

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Riddles, Word Puzzles, and Parables

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0000

From an early age, Rabbi Moshe was fascinated with the original languages of the biblical and rabbinic texts. He has traveled around the world and worked with many congregations, but teaching in the classroom is one of his favorite vocations. He is a well loved professor at Jerusalem University College where he developed a course titled The Parables of Jesus and Jewish Meshalim, which became a favorite course to teach.

You can watch his talk on Parables HERE

You can watch his talk at Spark Church about What Jews and Christians Can Learn from One Another's Texts

Find out more about Cynd's Theology of Place class in Philadelphia

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From Rabbinic Text to the Parables of Jesus

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Rabbi Moshe Silberschein, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 7 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0000

You can watch his talk on Parables HERE

You can watch his talk at Spark Church about What Jews and Christians Can Learn from One Another's Texts

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Why the Conquest isn't a Conquest

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Lawson Stone, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Lawson Stone is a Professor of Old Testament at Asbury Seminary. He specialized in early Israelite history and religion, and he wrote a commentary on the book of Judges, making him an excellent scholar to help us understand stories about violence. How should we read these problematic texts?

Find out more about Dr. Stone HERE

Watch his video series on Violence in the Old Testament HERE

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What Violence in the Old Testament?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Lawson Stone) — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Stone HERE

Watch his video series on Violence in the Old Testament HERE

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Agriculture, Slaves, and the Church's Identity

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Carmen Imes) — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Last week we talked about the command "Do not to take the name of the Lord your God in vain" that can be more accurately translated “You shall not bear the name of Yahweh your God in vain.” This week we discuss how Sinai still matters to a modern church. How doe we interpret some tricky laws so that we still Bear God's Name?

Find Dr. Imes' book Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters

Find Torah Tuesdays HERE

Read more about Dr. Carmen Imes and connect to her blog HERE

Listen to the Previous Context Matters episodes about biblical law and jazz. Start HERE and then listen to the next 5 episodes

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Do Not Bear God's Name in Vain

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Carmen Imes, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 9 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Imes' thesis is that the command "Do not to take the name of the Lord your God in vain" can be more accurately translated “You shall not bear the name of Yahweh your God in vain.” Dr. Imes then explains the logic behind Bearing God’s Name (also the title of her book) and what that means for the modern church today.

Find Dr. Imes' book Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters

Find Torah Tuesdays HERE

Read more about Dr. Carmen Imes and connect to her blog HERE

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Is the Exodus Event Historical?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Tremper Longman III, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 2 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Longman has written prolifically about the context of the Old Testament, but this week we get to talk about the Exodus account. Can we read "the simple meaning" of the text? Is this history or is it figurative language? What happens to the rest of our theology if we decide the Exodus is figurative? Overall, I think it is exciting to have a chance to talk about "controversies" while holding space for others and still having one's own thoughts.

Find out more about Dr. Tremper Longman III and read his book Confronting Old Testament Controversies or his book The Bible and the Ballot.

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Old Testament Controversies

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Tremper Longman III, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Longman has written prolifically about the book of Genesis, but there is an ongoing rub in Christian communities about how to handle the creation narratives in Genesis 1–2. Can we read "the simple meaning" of the text? Is it enough to "just have the Bible" and not take the time to dig deeper in the ancient Near Eastern text? Plus, the New Testament mentions figures like Adam and Eve, so is that proof of the literal first humans?

Find out more about Dr. Tremper Longman III and read his book Confronting Old Testament Controversies.

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Jesus in His Real World

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Yeshaya Gruber) — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Yeshaya Gruber is my colleague at the Israel Bible Center where I developed a course that roughly follows the content of my book. He sits in the interviewer chair to ask me questions about why this book is necessary for the Christian audience.

The book is available here (or through your local bookstore) Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels. It is also available as an audio or eBook! And please leave a review!

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Encountering Jesus in Place

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Yeshaya Gruber) — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 09:00:00 +0000

The book is available here (or through your local bookstore) Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels. It is also available as an audio or eBook! And please leave a review!

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Womanist Midrash is What Again?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Wilda Gafney, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Gafney and I also discuss why the original Hebrew language is important and how the bias (intentional or invisible) of the interpreters will influence how YOU read the text and think about God.

Learn more about Dr. Gafney HERE

Buy her book Womanist Midrash and look at her upcoming book The Women’s Lectionary: Preaching the Women of the Bible Throughout the Year.

Contact me through Narrative of Place

Other resources:

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Questions That Come from Grief

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Catherine Ricketts, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 3 Jun 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Catherine Ricketts is an essayist and songwriter whose nonfiction centers on the arts, grief, joy, and spirituality. Her artistic and thoughtful skill is evident in her writing. Her openness about personal challenges is an invitation to readers. To those who have courage, here is the path. It is hard. But come.

Find out more about Catherine Ricketts and sign up for her newsletter HERE.

Read her essay My Brother Beside Me

Follow her on Instagram (@bycatherinericketts)

Contact me through Narrative of Place

Other resources:

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for upcoming tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Silence and Imagination

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Catherine Ricketts) — Thu, 27 May 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Catherine Ricketts is an essayist and songwriter. Her nonfiction focuses on the arts, grief, joy, and spirituality. Her beautifully crafted words usher her readers into difficult places and then she stays to point readers towards the beauty and the light.

Find out more about Catherine Ricketts and sign up for her newsletter HERE.

Follow her on Instagram (@bycatherinericketts)

Contact me through Narrative of Place

Other resources:

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Cute Monsters and the Problem of Evil

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Nicolas Kotar, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 20 May 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Nicolas Kotar comes from a long line of priests in the Orthodox church, yet he chose to make a career out of literature - although he ended up ordained in the church as well! He writes epic fantasy and science fiction inspired by Slavic fairy tales. Why? Because, as he says, fairy tales, particularly Russian fairy tales, have profound, even spiritual meaning that makes them worth reading again and again.

Learn more about Nicolas Kotar (and his books) HERE and see his Patreon Page HERE.

Listen to his podcast In A Certain Kingdom

Tolkien's essay (was originally a talk) on Fairy Stories is HERE.

Contact me through Narrative of Place

Other resources:

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Epic Fantasy Stories and Theology?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Nicolas Kotar) — Thu, 13 May 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Learn more about Nicolas Kotar (and his books) HERE and see his Patreon Page HERE.

Listen to his podcast In A Certain Kingdom

Tolkien's essay (was originally a talk) on Fairy Stories is HERE.

Contact me through Narrative of Place

Other resources:

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

The Journey toward Shalom

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Jacqueline Dyer) — Thu, 6 May 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Reverand Dr. Jaqueline Dyer is the Associate Director of the Doctor of Social Work Program and Associate Professor of Practice at Simmons University's School of Social Work. We are discussing her chapter called "From historical trauma to Shalom."

Find out more about Dr. Dyer HERE

Explore more in the book The Gospel Haymanot

Contact me through Narrative of Place

Other resources:

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Restoring Broken Walls

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Jacqueline Dyer, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Find out more about Dr. Dyer HERE

Explore more in the book The Gospel Haymanot

Contact me through Narrative of Place

Other resources:

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Lament and Resilience in Jeremiah

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Jill Firth, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Jill Firth is a lecturer of Hebrew and Old Testament at Ridley College in Parkville Australia. She contributed to the newly released book titled The Bible and Mental Health and is one of the editors of Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture. You can find out more about her HERE. And you can find her on Twitter HERE.

Other resources:

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

The Weeping Prophet

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Jill Firth, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Jill Firth is a lecturer of Hebrew and Old Testament at Ridley College in Parkville Australia. She contributed to the newly released book titled The Bible and Mental Health and is one of the editors of Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture.You can find out more about her HERE.And you can find her on Twitter HERE.

Other resources:

The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

The Voice of a Prophet

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Ruth Naomi Floyd, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 8 Apr 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Jazz is the best combination of freedom and protest-not only in its sound but in the music theory itself. It seems to be made to contain the words of Frederick Douglass .

Learn more about Ruth Naomi Floyd and sign up to be notified of her new releases!

Get David Blight's book on Frederick Douglass HERE

Join Cyndi Parker's Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Freedom and Protest in Jazz

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Ruth Naomi Floyd, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 1 Apr 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Jazz is the best combination of freedom and protest-not only in its sound but in the music theory itself. This week we talk about the Bible as improv music. Each soloist, each member of that band is aligned and united in the conversation, but yet have a chance to speak their own words and their own beliefs and their own opinions. But then they come back together united, and the democratic music to communicate the theme.

Don't be fooled, there is a lot of good theology here as well if you have the ears to hear.

Learn more about Ruth Naomi Floyd and maybe even get a head start on next week's conversation about Frederick Douglass!

Join the Patreon Team!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Blues Moan and Gospel Shout

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Mark Glanville, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Dr. Glanville was a professional Jazz musician who later specialized in biblical studies. This week we discuss how two opposite sounding emotions are heard together in the Blues. We also discuss how the Blues and Jazz are foundational for so many other music genres we love. It also can be a great metaphor for how we bring biblical traditions to bear on our lives today. If you want to join Mark Glanville for weekly Jazz and Vespers, you can see him live on Facebook each Sunday night HERE.

Join the Patreon Team!

Watch another one of Dr. Glanville's talks from a piano

Mark Glanville's books:

Adopting the Stranger as Kindred in Deuteronomy (SBL, 2018)

Freed to be God’s Family: The Book of Exodus (Lexham, 2021)

Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics (IVP, 2021)

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

Slavery, the Blues, and Biblical Law

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Mark Glanville, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Glanville was a professional Jazz musician who later specialized in biblical studies. Dr. Glanville teaches us how to hear the foundational characteristics in Blues music and then shares with us what the history of the Blues. Join us for a great conversation and a personalized concert! AND if you want to join Mark Glanville for weekly Jazz and Vespers, you can see him live on Facebook each Sunday night HERE.

Join the Patreon Team!

Watch another one of Dr. Glanville's talks from a piano

Mark Glanville's books:

Adopting the Stranger as Kindred in Deuteronomy (SBL, 2018)

Freed to be God’s Family: The Book of Exodus (Lexham, 2021)

Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics (IVP, 2021)

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook! And please leave a review!

The Networks of Sailors

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Linford Stutzman, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Does sailing on the Mediterranean change your perspective when you return to Jerusalem? Dr. Stutzman thinks it does. And the ancient rules of the Sea? Well, if they are "avoid disaster," then they most certainly continue to apply today!

Join the Patreon Team!

Learn more about Dr. Linford Stutzman HERE

See Dr. Stutzman's book Sailing Acts

Want to go on his trips? Look here for a comfortable version of the trip or on JUC's website HERE for a hard core student experience.

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook!

Sailing Acts

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Linford Stutzman, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 4 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Discover how Dr. Stutzman went from a conservative Mennonite family to finding a love for sailing and for following Paul's footsteps...er, wake? Why does the water create such a different atmosphere for Paul's ministry?

Join the Patreon Team!

Learn more about Dr. Linford Stutzman HERE

See Dr. Stutzman's book Sailing Acts

Want to go on his trips? Look here.

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook!

What the Bible Says about Environmental Terrorism

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Sandy Richter, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Richter also discusses the self-restraint required by God of his people and what we can do in our modern, industrialized age to create a healthier relationship with the environment.

Join the Patreon Team!

Find out more about Dr. Richter HERE

Her book Stewards of Eden is an IVP Reader's Choice nominee!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook!

Is Environmentalism Christian?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Sandy Richter) — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Join the Patreon Team!

Find out more about Dr. Richter HERE

Her book Stewards of Eden is an IVP Reader's Choice nominee!

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook!

Angst, Devotion, and Love

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Elaine Phillips, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Join the Patreon Team!

Find out more about Dr. Phillips HERE

See her book With God, Nothing is Impossible

And her book discussed on this show: An Introduction to Reading Biblical Wisdom Texts

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook!

The Embodiment of Wisdom

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Elaine Phillips, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 4 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Dr. Elaine Phillips joins us to discuss what Israelite wisdom texts are and why we need them in the Bible. We get into the book of Proverbs and discuss who the Proverbs 31 woman really is.

Join the Patreon Team!

Find out more about Dr. Phillips HERE

See her book With God, Nothing is Impossible

And her book discussed on this show: An Introduction to Reading Biblical Wisdom Texts

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Buy my new book Encountering Jesus in Real World of the Gospels or listen to the audio or read the eBook!

Advent Part 3: Women in Luke

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Sarah Harris) — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Learn more about Dr. Sarah Harris HERE

Guess what????? A JUC sponsored FREE seminar. I'll be presenting with some other fantastically amazing scholars. Click here for information and to register for The Bible, Geography, and You.

Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

For 40% off the pre-order of my new book Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels. The book is also available on Amazon and will be available as an audio book in January 2021.

Advent Part 2: caves and Magi

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Paul Wright, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Were Mary and Joseph alone in an A-frame barn, isolated from their community when Jesus was born? What is the political intrigue buried in the narrative of the Magi visiting Jesus? Dr. Paul Wright from Jerusalem University College helps us read the birth narratives in a more culturally aware way.

Guess what????? A JUC sponsored FREE seminar. I'll be presenting with some other fantastically amazing scholars. Click here for information and to register for The Bible, Geography, and You.

Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Read Paul Wright's new books: Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical Geography and Heart of the Holy Land.

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

For 40% off the pre-order of my new book Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels. The book is also available on Amazon and will be available as an audio book in January 2021.

Advent Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Read Paul Wright's new books: Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical Geography and Heart of the Holy Land.

Find out more about Jerusalem University College

Guess what????? A JUC sponsored FREE seminar. I'll be presenting with some other fantastically amazing scholars. Click here for information and to register for The Bible, Geography, and You.

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

For 40% off the pre-order of my new book Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels. The book is also available on Amazon and will be available as an audio book in January 2021.

Feast or Fast?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Norman Wirzba) — Thu, 3 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Learn more about Dr. Norman Wirzba

Link to his book Food and Faith and read a FREE article titled "Can we live in a world without a Sabbath?"

Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

For 40% off the pre-order of my new book Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels. (sale through November 30, 2020) The book is also available on Amazon and will be available as an audio book in January 2021.

Find out more about Wendell Berry

bel hooks Belonging

Alice Walker's In Search of Our Mother's Garden

Food as Gift or Commodity?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Norman Wirzba, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

This week we talk about how theology, philosophy, and ecology can be amazing conversation partners. When our food is packaged and purchased at a store, we think of the products of the earth as a commodity first and foremost. We are disconnected from the reality about food and the connections we have with nature and with creatures, so how does that change how we interact with the biblical text?

Learn more about Dr. Norman Wirzba

Link to his book Food and Faith and read a FREE article titled "Can we live in a world without a Sabbath?"

Find out more about Wendell Berry

Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Redemption and Celebration

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Gisela Kreglinger, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

What happens when work is combined with the experience of receiving the Eucharist? And can Dr. Kreglinger's experience on a vineyard help us know more about God's character?

Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Learn more about Gisela Kreglinger and to contact her about her availability to guide you an a group of friends on a Spirituality of Wine event: https://www.giselakreglinger.com

Buy The Spirituality of Wine and The Soul of Wine

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Wine That Makes Glad the Heart

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Gisela Kreglinger) — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

What can the church learn from embracing wine and engaging the vocation of being a vintner? After all, God is often called a vintner throughout the Old and New Testaments. Dr. Gisela Kreglinger-Smith encourages us to attend to the agrarian view of scripture. Pour yourself a drink and join us as we discuss the beauty of wine.

Join the Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Learn more about Gisela Kreglinger: https://www.giselakreglinger.com

Buy The Spirituality of Wine and The Soul of Wine

Connect with Dr. Kreglinger on Facebook or Instagram

You can even grab a group of friends and then ask Dr. Kreglinger to lead your group in a virtual Spirituality of Wine event.

Learn more about me and sign up for Food and Wine Tours of Israel/Palestine.

Imagination and Diversity in Place

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (David Leong, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 5 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000

What makes people gravitate towards diverse places or towards white places? Is the church being mindful of the narratives they choose to tell? Dr. Leong brings in the ideas of Bob Ekblad who talks of the church being the bridge between the margins and the mainstream. We also touch on the signifiant writings of Stanley Haurwas that emphasize how the church gathers to rehearse and retell the transformative story of the gospel. Are we even paying attention the diverse ways the gospel is playing out in social structures that are not our own?

Buy Dr. Leong's book Race and Place

Read Stanley Haurwas's book Resident Aliens

Frank Spina's book The Faith of the Outsider

Join our Patreon Team! https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Connect with me on Facebook at Instagram or send me an email through www.narrativeofplace.com

Race and Place

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, David Leong) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

From the studies of urban environments to the church's responsibility to engage in reconciliation, Dr. Leong's book Race and Place is a must read. This week we discuss Dr. Leong's history and how it led him to write this book. Along with Race and Place, we discuss how important it is to create a sense of belonging if reconciliation is to happen.

Join our Patreon Team: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Buy the book here: Race and Place

Learn more about Dr. David Leong

Send me comments and questions on Facebookor Instagram or through my website at: www.narrativeofplace.com

A Multitude of Voices!

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Vince Bantu, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

How well do we know our history? The stories we tell influence who we perceive to be the primary contributors to the Christian faith. Dr. Vince Bantu does an excellent job convincing us we should be paying attention to more voices than we normally listen to.

This week we dive into more of the specifics of the untold stories of early church history that originated in Africa and Syrai. Hold on, you are going for a ride into some stories you’ve never heard of before.

Join our Patreon Team: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Read more about Dr. Bantu: https://www.fuller.edu/faculty/vince-bantu/

Read his book!!! A Multitude of All Peoples

Send me comments and questions on Facebook or Instagram or through my website at: www.narrativeofplace.com

Is Christianity a White Religion?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Dr. Bantu grew up in a racially segregated St. Louis. His neighborhood was "the hood" (as he says), but he went to school in an affluent area. The church they went to was nearby, but it was over the line separating the white and black neighborhoods. This week we talk about the subtleties of cultural clues that get mixed into the expression of religions, and how detangling culture and religion pushed Dr. Bantu into his PhD studies.

Join our Patreon Team: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Read more about Dr. Bantu: https://www.fuller.edu/faculty/vince-bantu/

Read his book!!! A Multitude of All Peoples

Send me comments and questions on Facebook or Instagram or through my website at: www.narrativeofplace.com

Patristics and the Stories we DON'T Tell

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 8 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

This week we start by addressing a question a listener sent in to Dr. Kalantzis about the Eucharist and Ecclesiology. Then we get into who the early church mothers are and what we lose by not preserving and passing along their stories.

Find out more about me: www.narrativeofplace.com

Join the Patreon team here: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

More about Dr. Kalantzis: https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/faculty/george-kalantzis/

Suggested book for learning more about early church theologians: The Spirit of Early Christian Thought

Follow me on Facebook @narrativeofplace

Instagram @narrative_of_place

Twitter @CyndiParkerPhD

Patristics and the Stories We Tell

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (George Kalantzis, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 1 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

The early church theologians were pastors who wrote to address the context of their local congregations. Some of their writings were lost and have been recently rediscovered. What can we know about these early thinkers and how do they impact what we believe now?

Join the Patreon team here: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

More about Dr. Kalantzis: https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/faculty/george-kalantzis/

Follow me on Facebook @narrativeofplace

Instagram @narrative_of_place

Twitter @CyndiParkerPhD

Pilgrimage to Sacred Places

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick) — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 09:00:12 +0000

Join the Patreon powerhouse team at: https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Father Andrew's website with connections to all his books and podcasts is found at: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/asd/

Book on Mt. Athos: https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Athos-Paradise-Graham-Speake/dp/0300093535

David Dry's photography and writings are at: https://www.daviddry.com

Connect with me on Twitter @CyndiParkerPhD or at www.narrativeofplace.com

Invoking the Sacred in Place

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Father Andrew Stephen Damick) — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 09:00:03 +0000

Can stages, rock bands, and moving lights usher us into the sacred? Many of you on social media said no, although you recognized your upbringing in such places. Do we value the theological teachings on Sunday over what the place of Sunday worship communicates? And is it possible that the place can be objectively "sacred" even when a person does not intellectually or emotionally feel it as sacred? These are all the issues we cover this week.

Follow Father Andrew on Twitter @FrAndrewSDamick

Or find him online at www.andrewstephendamick.com

Join the Patreon team at https://www.patreon.com/cyndiparker

Communicate with me on Twitter @CyndiParkerPhD

How to Create an Icon

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski, Dr. Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 09:00:09 +0000

Join the Patreon Team! HERE!

Father Paul Drozdowski's website: https://www.pd-icons.com

David Dry's website: https://www.daviddry.com

Explore the "Jordanville" style icons and maybe get one for yourself HERE.

Explore the online Rabulla Gospel and the Ascension image in particular.

Icon or Idol

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Protodeacon Paul Drozdowski) — Thu, 3 Sep 2020 09:00:21 +0000

Join the Patreon Team! HERE!

Father Paul's website: https://www.pd-icons.com

Encountering Mary, Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Frederica Mathews Green, Dr. Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 09:00:22 +0000

Join the Patreon Team! HERE!

Watch a short video on Our Lady of Guadalupe HERE

See Frederica's Website HERE

Mary as the Early Christians Knew Her book

Encountering Mary, Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Frederica Mathews-Green, Dr. Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 09:00:07 +0000

Join the Patreon Team! HERE!

See Frederica's Website HERE

Mary as the Early Christians Knew Her book

Read the Protoevangelion of James HERE

Season 1 Finale

Thu, 9 Jul 2020 09:00:31 +0000

This week I am joined by Mom and Dad Parker, Kendra, Shanna, and Brian as we all look back at the first season of Context Matters. What stories drew us in and which lessons keep us coming back for more?

And I am getting ready to move and reorganize my pandemic-shaped life, so Context Matters is taking a break until mid August. Make sure to subscribe now so you do not miss Episode 1 of Season 2 when it is released! Until then, enjoy this trip down memory lane and get caught up on any of the episodes you may have missed...they are just so good!

The Divide between East and West: Part 2 with Meredith Riedel

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Meredith Riedel) — Thu, 2 Jul 2020 09:00:14 +0000

Join part 2 in the conversation with Dr. Riedel through the complex history of the early church councils that were responsible for establishing the basic tenets of the Christian faith. The first seven ecumenical councils had to be attended by bishops of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome. If we look at the geographical, historical, and linguistic context of those 5 cities we might start to guess about some potential hot spots that could drive a wedge between them. In fact, problems started to surface in the early days. Dr. Reidel explains the heresy of the Filioque and how it led to the split between the Eastern and Western Churches.

Click HERE to watch a short video on St. Mark’s cathedral.

Forming Christian Beliefs: Part 1 with Meredith Riedel

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Meredith Riedel, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 09:00:14 +0000

What happened to push Christianity from persecution to endorsement by the Roman Empire? This week Dr. Meredith Riedel explains the events that led up to the necessity of convening a church council made up of bishops from Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome. The first councils hammered out the basic tenants of the Christian faith: How can God be human? Was Jesus divine? If he was, what do we call Mary? Who is the Holy Spirit? These are foundational matters for the global church, but do we actually know the debates surrounding these ideas?

Click HERE for a list of publications by Dr. Riedel.

Look HERE for a quick reference on the years, meeting places, and urgent topics discussed at the first ecumenical councils.

Listen here to Frederica Mathewes-Green discuss how Mary the mother of Jesus can be a stumbling block for Protestants who are exploring Orthodoxy. Her insights to the Theotokos are wonderful.

Creating the Bible

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Derek Cooper) — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 09:00:03 +0000

How did we end up with the Bible that we read? Dr. Derek Cooper introduces us to the complexity of this sacred text. We think of the Bible as one singular book that was given to the church, but we forget that people chose the scrolls and the letters that would belong to the biblical canon, and then they organized them to tell a complete narrative. We are not always aware of these issues, which attributes to some of our assumptions about the text.

Learn more about Dr. Cooper’s work with the Thomas Institute HERE

An Introduction to the Apostle Paul: Part 2 with Dr. Nijay Gupta

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Nijay Gupta) — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 09:00:20 +0000

We start our conversation discussing how Paul introduced his gentile and God-fearing audience to Jewish scriptures, and how he dealt with the clash between power, status, and identity that was present among the diverse Christian communities. I cannot help but think how we still have much to learn from Paul’s instructions within our present context of communities crying out to be seen, heard, and valued. Dr. Gupta sheds light on the clues we see in Paul’s writings that display his respect for the female leaders in the church, and he concludes with insights for how we can effectively read Paul’s writings in our modern day.

Follow Dr. Gupta’s blog HERE

And his newest book is coming out! Click to get a glimpse into the Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies

His lecture on the Household Codes and the House Church can be watched HERE

An Introduction to the Apostle Paul: Part 1 with Dr. Nijay Gupta

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Nijay Gupta, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 4 Jun 2020 09:00:02 +0000

As we continue this series that follow the Christian story as it developed in Jewish context and then spreads to a gentile context before severing itself from its original roots, we leave the land of the Bible to broaden our horizon line and explore how the apostle Paul translated the gospel message into the wider Hellenized society of the Roman empire.

My guest this week is Dr Nijay Gupta. We discuss the intriguing aspect of reading ancient letters, along with the challenges and misunderstanding that happen when you eavesdrop on an ancient conversation. From understanding Paul as a Jew in the diaspora with Roman citizenship to realizing that he was the scholar the early leaders of the Jewish church trusted with taking the gospel to the gentiles, the person and mission of Paul is fascinating. Join me for Part 1 of the conversation with Dr. Gupta.

For the rich resources Dr. Gupta posts, follow his blog HERE

And his newest book is coming out! Click to get a glimpse into the Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies

Steven Notley: Parting of the Ways

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (R. Steven Notley, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 28 May 2020 09:00:21 +0000

We talk about many of Dr. Notley’s works with great scholars. You can find these links below.

The translation of David Flusser’s work: The Sage from Galilee

Anson Rainey and Steven Notley: The Sacred Bridge

Ze’ev Safrai and Steven Notley: Parables of the Sages

To follow along with the El-Araj project and the discussion over the location of the gospel town of Bethesda, go to the El Araj page HERE. They have all kinds of pictures, videos, and articles available.

Kyuboem Lee: Does Place Influence Your Theology?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Kyuboem Lee) — Thu, 21 May 2020 09:00:03 +0000

Read some of Dr. Lee’s writings with Missio Alliance HERE

Among other things, Dr. Lee edits an online journal you can access HERE

And follow Dr. Lee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kyuboem

Kyuboem Lee: A Search for "Home"

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Kyuboem Lee, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 14 May 2020 09:00:17 +0000

Read some of Dr. Lee’s writings with Missio Alliance HERE

Among other things, Dr. Lee edits an online journal you can access HERE

And follow Dr. Lee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kyuboem

Ken Kihlstrom: A Partnership Between Faith and Science

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Ken Kihlstorm) — Thu, 7 May 2020 09:00:10 +0000

Do you have a memory of a time when science and religion clashed in your brain? Or when what you thought you knew for a fact ended up not being true at all? These experiences can be disorienting but they also can lead to a richer, deeper, and more thoughtful faith. This week I interview Dr. Ken Kihlstrom who is the chair of the Physics Department at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. Issues related to science are the foundation for much of my curiosity about how Dr. Kihlstrom wrestles with faith, but we ended up talking more about how to approach religion with humility and an attitude of curiosity. We also spend a lot of time talking about how context influences every area of life — from the sports team you adore to the impact of experiential education. When we recorded this conversation the Coronavirus was not yet the global beast it proved to be. We had a dream team made up of Ken his wife Cathy, Gabe and I, and we organized an incredible Europe Semester for Westmont students that capitalizes on the power of experiential education. Sadly, that trip has been postponed for a year — so I would like to dedicate this podcast episode to all the students who are scrambling to reschedule what their fall will look like. My heart goes out to all of you.

Tamar Kamionkowski: Aspiring towards Holiness

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Tamar Kamionkowski) — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 09:00:09 +0000

Dr. Kamionkowski’s faculty page is HERE

A link to her commentary is HERE

Do not forget to check out the online educational site she has! https://kamionkowski-bet-midrash.com

And we talked briefly about Carol Meyes. You can find one of her books HERE.

Tamar Kamionkowski: Why Does Leviticus Matter Now?

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Cyndi Parker, Tamar Kamionkowski) — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 09:00:22 +0000

Dr. Kamionkowski’s faculty page is HERE

A link to her commentary is HERE

Do not forget to check out the online educational site she has! https://kamionkowski-bet-midrash.com

And we talked briefly about Carol Meyes. You can find one of her books HERE.

Muhia Karinjahi: The Power of Rights of Passage

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Muhia Karinjahi, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 09:00:03 +0000

Can a Rights of Passage experience help students go through this process of shaking off the beliefs of others and taking responsibility over their own faith decisions? Dr. Muhia Karinjahi describes the essential elements of a rights of passage experience and the importance of getting an entire community involved.

Muhia Karinjahi: When Context Changes Beliefs

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Muhia Karinjahi, Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 9 Apr 2020 09:00:14 +0000

Muhia Karinjahi grew up in a village just outside of Nairobi. His parents were first generation Christians, he went to a Muslim primary school, and worked in an Indian engineering firm. We discuss how living cross culturally in his own country prepared him to love people well. We also discuss how each shift in Muhia's context impacted his religious beliefs.

Rob Ribbe: Experiential Learning

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Dr. Rob Ribbe) — Thu, 2 Apr 2020 11:25:15 +0000

What is experiential learning? Can we engage the whole mind, body, and emotions in the learning process? Dr. Rob Ribbe talks about the powerful experience of being in a place (say the wilderness) in which we are not in control. This feels so true of our current COVID19 context. We are in an uncomfortable time that push all of us into places of discovery about who we are.

Cynthia Shafer Elliott (Part 2): Archaeology and Religion

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Cynthia Shafer Elliott) — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:00:00 +0000

What can we learn from the foundation of an Israelite house? And is the faith system for normal people in normal villages excitedly like what we read in the Bible? Archaeology has something to say about the real life of real people. This week I continue the conversation with Cynthia Shafer Elliott. She draws us into the value of archaeology and the spiritual practices of the majority of Israelites who are not the primary characters in the biblical text. We talk about the difference between finding an artifact and interpreting the function of the artifact.

For more information:

Click HERE to read more about Cynthia Shafer Elliott

Link to books:

The Five-Minute Archaeologist Book

Food in Ancient Judah Book

Link to figurines:

https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/198066

Cynthia Shafer Elliott (Part 1): Why Does Archaeology Matter/

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Cynthia Shafer Elliott) — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be an archaeologist? Or what actually happens to an artifact from when it is discovered in the dirt to when it ends up in a museum? Well this week I talk with Cynthia Shaffer Elliot, an archaeologist who specializes in domestic archaeology with a focus on economics, food preparation and consumption, religion, and the roles and relationships of the family.

Click HERE to read more about Cynthia Shafer Elliott

Link to books:

The Five-Minute Archaeologist Book

Food in Ancient Judah Book

Here is the link to Israel Museum's picture of the shrine:

https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/372506

Cooking pot images from the Museums in Israel website:

https://museums.gov.il/en/items/Pages/ItemCard.aspx?IdItem=ICMS_IMJ_371398

https://museums.gov.il/en/items/Pages/ItemCard.aspx?IdItem=ICMS-MPC-91-543

Link to figurines:

https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/198066

Lawson Stone: How Context Influences a Career

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Lawson Stone, Dr. Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Lawson talks about his growing up years and how he ended up studying the Bible in college. Lawson also went to Kenya, which became a great context for learning about the cultural context of the Bible. We also talk about how going to Israel/Palestine and exploring the land of the Bible transformed his academic career.

Learn more about Lawson’s writing here

Click HERE if you are interested in finding out more about great opportunities to volunteer at an archaeological site.

Click HERE if you want to learn more about Jerusalem University College and amazing opportunities to study how geography impacts biblical stories.

Craig Mayes (Part 2): Embodied Theology

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Craig Mayes) — Thu, 5 Mar 2020 11:00:00 +0000

I have heard from many of you how impressed you were with Craig’s stories. This week we continue the conversation, and Craig jumps into questions such as: How does being a pastor of a church in which 80% of the congregants are experiencing homelessness change the way you preach? Why should we invest in social issues that are way too big to solve in this lifetime? Craig also shares how we can challenge our assumptions about those experiencing homelessness.

To read about Charles and his transformed life, click HERE

Explore Craig’s foundation and watch the Effie Award winning short film HERE

Find out more about what Craig is doing in India

To find out more about the Bowery Mission

Craig Mayes (Part 1): When Ideas of Lived Theology Change

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Craig Mayes) — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Craig Mayes is the Chief Spiritual and Community Life Officer at the Bowery Mission in New York City. The Bowery Mission has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since the 1870’s, when its neighborhood came to define the term “skid row.” Craig tells stories of his challenging seminary education and what motivated his move from a megachurch in Michigan to a homeless shelter in NYC.

Explore Craig’s foundation and watch the Effie Award winning short film here: http://makethemvisible.com

Find out more about what Craig is doing in India: http://impactindia360.org/about/

To find out more about the Bowery Mission: https://www.bowery.org

Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer: Speaking Across Differences (Part 2)

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer) — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 11:00:00 +0000

This is the second half of my conversation with Rabbi Nancy. We start with the affects of 9/11 on her multi-faith conversations. Then we move to the way such conversations have influence her career. And we finally talk about the Muslims, Jews, and Christians interpret the Sarah and Hagar narratives in Genesis.

Listen—Enjoy—and send me an email!

To find out more:

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, PA

Rabbi Nancy’s book Strangers, Neighbors, Friends

Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer: Speaking Across Differences (Part 1)

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 11:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we talk about multi-faith conversations and what the benefit is to speaking with people who have different religious beliefs than your own. Rabbi Nancy shares several personal stories about how she ended up in multi-faith conversations.

To find out more:

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, PA

Rabbi Nancy’s book Strangers, Neighbors, Friends

Lisa Abaya (Part 2): Art, Culture, and Religion

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Lisa Abaya, Dr. Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 6 Feb 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Lisa and I discuss what effect cultural diversity has on her art. We also talk about how essential art is within a church context, which makes me consider the value of using concepts of beauty to explore the Genesis narratives.

See a few of her pieces here, but I highly recommend going to her website (https://www.abayaworks.com/permanenceoflight)) to see a video of how light changes her art from moment to moment.

You can also find her on Instagram @smokeandflame.

Lisa Abaya (Part 1): Geography and Art

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Lisa Abaya, Dr. Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 6 Feb 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Lisa Abaya is a Philadelphia artist seeking ways to integrate matters of spirituality into her work. We discuss the influence of geography on her art and also how she explores mysterious concepts of the Holy Spirit through the use of reflective materials.

See a few of her pieces here, but I highly recommend going to her website (https://www.abayaworks.com/permanenceoflight)) to see a video of how light changes her art from moment to moment.

You can also find her on Instagram @smokeandflame.

Introduction: Part 2

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Dr. Cyndi Parker, Keri Jenkins) — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 11:00:00 +0000

I invite Keri Jenkins to the podcasting table to discuss how context helps us understand one another. Keri gives an example of how biblical context helped her understand a tricky passage in the Bible. We conclude with how seeing the physical land where biblical events happened influence how we read the text.

Visit narrativeofplace.com for more!

Introduction: Part 1

narrativeofplace@gmail.com (Keri Jenkins, Dr. Cyndi Parker) — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 11:00:00 +0000

What is “Context Matters”?

What is missing from our conversations about background of the Bible and the our modern understanding of it? It is complicated, but wonderful to explore if you bring a curious mind.

Visit narrativeofplace.com for more from Dr. Cyndi Parker.