Episodes

  • Did Paul Actually Write the Pauline Epistles?
    Nov 5 2024

    Writings attributed to the apostle Paul make up a large swathe of the New Testament, and have been of fundamental importance in the development of Christian theology.

    However, there are some serious questions over whether Paul actually wrote everything attributed to him. What texts do scholars think are not as…legitimate as they could be, and what texts do experts think were actually written by the man himself?

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    45 mins
  • Does Acts Portray Paul the Way Paul Portrays Paul?
    Oct 29 2024

    The Apostle Paul is a central figure in early Christianity, and features strongly in the New Testament in his own letters, and as a character in the Acts of the Apostles. But is the Paul of Acts the same man as the Paul of the Epistles?

    Does the writer of Acts change Paul's character and teachings, and why?

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    38 mins
  • Celebrating Two Years of Misquoting Jesus: Your Questions, Bart’s Answers
    Oct 23 2024

    A Second-Anniversary LIVE Q&A! Listeners ask their questions, and Bart tries to answer them. Rapid fire for an hour!

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    49 mins
  • Why Should We Think Luke and Acts Have the Same Author?
    Oct 15 2024

    The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are widely understood to be a two-volume set, written by a single author.

    Given that we’ve spoken before on Misquoting Jesus about how difficult it is to identify authors of ancient texts, why are scholars so sure that these two texts share the same author?

    Who was that author, and why write two books when they could have written one?!

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    41 mins
  • Pontius Pilate in a Different Light: A Little Known Apocryphal Gospel
    Oct 8 2024

    Pontius Pilate is a relatively minor figure in the gospels of the New Testament, but one who plays a vital role as the Roman official in charge of Jesus’ sentencing.

    Given that he’s the face of Rome in the New Testament Gospels, he’s presented in a surprisingly positive light! The same is true for his appearances in some other early Christian writings. To try and get to the bottom of exactly why the official representative of the big, bad Roman empire is presented as such a sympathetic figure, we’re going to be taking a look at one of these non-canonical texts in a bit more detail.

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    47 mins
  • What Are the Synoptic Gospels?
    Oct 1 2024

    The phrase "synoptic gospels" is thrown around a lot in Biblical scholarship, but what does it mean, and why are they important?

    Are they as similar as people seem to think, and what do non-academics get wrong about them? Today, Megan is joined by Dr. Mark Goodacre, professor of Religious Studies and expert in all things synoptic, to answer these questions and to investigate some of his favorite differences between these fascinating texts.

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    38 mins
  • Did Early Christians Believe in Reincarnation?
    Sep 24 2024

    Many people in the modern western world view reincarnation as a belief predominately from eastern religions - especially buddhism and hinduism.

    Believe it or not, reincarnation was also a theological concept for some early Christians! How does what early Christians taught about reincarnation differ from what we understand it to be?

    Was it a common idea, or did those who espoused it receive pushback and censorship from their fellow Christians?

    Why isn’t reincarnation still a widely held view in Christian circles?

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    36 mins
  • Where Was Christianity on its 100th Birthday?
    Sep 17 2024

    Welcome everyone to a very special episode of Misquoting Jesus - our 100th episode!

    In keeping with our centesimal celebration (hey, it's a word!), we’re going to be exploring the world of Christianity 100 years after Jesus’ death.

    Was Christianity still a small, persecuted offshoot of apocalyptic Judaism, or had it spread far and wide? Was it still an apocalyptic religion, and what theological disagreements had occurred? Megan has the questions, and Bart, as always, has the answers.

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    45 mins