Episode 11: Brent A Strawn - Divine Doppelgängers III

It Means What It Means

In this conversation, Brent A. Strawn discusses the significance of Yahweh's lookalikes in the ancient world and the challenges of differentiating Yahweh from other gods. He explores the extremes of over-differentiation and over-similarity and the limitations of historical analysis in understanding the ancient Near East pantheon. Strawn also examines inadequate responses to Yahweh's lookalikes and the relative significance of historical data. He highlights the importance of engaging with the ancient context of the texts and offers insights into the representation of gods in ancient Near Eastern literature. Finally, he discusses the ways to read the Bible faithfully, considering the full sense of Scripture and canonical readings. In this conversation, Brent Strawn discusses the challenge of reading the Old Testament as Christian scripture and the historical struggle within the Christian church to recognize its authority. He emphasizes the importance of community in reading and interpretation, highlighting that even individual readers are never truly alone as they are influenced by the interpretive traditions and decisions of others. Strawn also explores the role of translation and the interpretive community in shaping our understanding of the text. He introduces the concept of the rule of faith, a condensed outline of the faith that interacts with scripture and informs the practice of faith. Strawn include Billy Collins, Robert Bly, Linda Pastan, Marie Howe, Mark S Smith, Karel van der Toorn, Othmar Keel, Christoph Uehlinger, Sylvia Schroer. Click here to find out where you can follow the podcast.