, , , , , ,



This week's episode is super-late because I've been ill, but here it is anyway. There's plenty of material in this week's readings to make everybody uncomfortable, and that's without the stuff that I cut for length. Sometimes the Bible does that.

Read transcript

Song of Songs is interesting this week, presenting a joyful and exuberant picture of love, sex, and romance. Its beautifully written and cleverly nuanced poetry actually makes everything really simple. By contrast, the stories of Paul seem to have contributed to early Christianity's complex relationship with the concepts of self-sacrifice and martyrdom.

In Deuteronomy, there are laws that are both more and less relatable. The variety of commands there this week illustrates the nature of ancient law codes, and forces us to face the knowledge that some aspects of that culture will remain alien to us.

Join the discussion on Facebook and listen via iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're enjoying the show, you could even leave a review, and share the podcast on social media!

References

Tigay, Jeffrey H. (1996). Deuteronomy, The JPS Torah Commentary. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society.
Amazon    Logos

Garrett, Duane. (2009). Song of Songs in Zondervan Ilustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary Volume 5: The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Amazon    Logos    Olive Tree

Links

New Testament Review, episode #19: GEM de Ste Croix, Why Were The Early Christians Persecuted?, including a consideration of early Christian martyrdom

OnScript, episode #11: Elaine James, Landscapes of the Song of Songs: Poetry and Place. James talks about her book, which explores the depiction of the natural world within the Song, and its lyrical relationship to the two lovers.

episode #6 (Special): The Language of Suicide (Philippians 1), considering the complex relationship between early Christian thought and contemporary Hellenistic philosophy with regards to death.

Tags

REF, ABBREV