Episodes

Who the hell knows (Hell Part 3)

If there is no consensus on a singular notion of Hell, then how the hell ought we to think and feel about all this? In Part 3, Nate and Tim further examine the complexity and inconsistency in the so-called “Biblical worldview” on Hell.

To hell with hell (Hell Part 2)

Where did "hell" come from? What is Sheol? Hades? Gehenna? And who goes to these places (or are they are even places?) We’ll see how our idea of Hell is actually an amalgam of various concepts related to multiple different questions.

Scared to Death (Hell Part 1)

Many of us are terrified of Hell, but should we be? Is Christianity supposed to ease our anxieties around death or exasperate them? And is Hell really about torture? We ditch the Bible and traditional ideas for a bit to try to imagine the theoretical possibilities for some sort of future judgment.

Wade Mullen – Church Abuse and Cover-up

Tim and Wade discuss why both abuse and the cover-up of abuse are so prevalent in evangelical churches and how to know if your church and its leaders are lying to you.

Brandi Miller – Farewell White Theology

Brandi Miller talks about pursuing racial justice within evangelicalism, what the gospel really is, how American Christianity trains people to be controlled, and much more.

1 year in

In 2018, we launched the podcast and recorded 49 episodes. Nate and Tim reflect on what they've learned.

Making Hezekiah Great Again

Have you ever thought about Hezekiah as one of the main characters in the Old Testament? And what if we told you that the child named Immanuel spoken of in Isaiah referred not to Jesus but to Hezekiah (at least at first)?

Old Testament jerks

Ever notice how all the “good guys” in the Old Testament turn out to be jerks? Tim and Nate talk about a narrative technique Tim calls “snowballing”, where the Biblical authors intentionally try to get us excited about each new hero figure, only to let us down in the end. It is this pattern that allowed Jesus to look back and say all these stories pointed to him.

Tim Mackie: Homosexuality and the Bible (Part 2)

In this episode of Almost Heretical, we continue our conversation with Tim Mackie of the Bible Project. We dive deep into the Bible’s literary design and explore how its complexity influences modern ethical conversations, including sexuality and homosexuality. Tim shares insights into how the Bible functions as a tool for ongoing dialogue rather than a rulebook, challenging traditional Christian viewpoints on ethics while addressing the complexities of interpreting ancient texts in today’s world.

Tim Mackie – Bible Design Patterns (Part 1)

Tim Mackie from The Bible Project explores how the Bible’s design patterns shape our understanding of Scripture and its ancient origins.

Why Seams & Stitching Matter

All the talk about stitching and literary complexity got Nate and Tim talking about why this stuff even matters. What does thinking of the Bible as a literary mosaic change? How does paying attention to redaction and arrangement affect our views of Christianity and how we relate to one another?

Scrolls & Seams

Ancient scroll technology led to literary binding techniques evident in the Bible. Collections of texts were stitched together through canonical seams and enclosed within literary introductions and conclusions. This seam work is how we got a Bible.

Literary Layers & Ananias and Sapphira

Collectively, the Bible consists of complex literary layers stacked atop one another. Stories and motifs are recycled and re-used. When we read any individual story, we must read it as a single layer of a greater whole.

Copy, Paste & Psalm 108

If the Bible is a mosaic, then the meaning is in the stitching. Nate and Tim look at how Psalm 108 is an example of clear editing and repurposing of texts within the Hebrew Bible, and how the Gospel of Luke is tracking with this literary mechanism at work.

How does the bible work?

Nate and Tim open up a new series of conversations exploring how the Bible actually works. They introduce the idea of the Bible as a literary mosaic in which various texts are pieced together to form a kind of theological portrait. This episode is the first in what will be an ongoing series called How The Bible Works.

Lisa Sharon Harper: Good News & Bad News

Lisa Sharon Harper talks about what Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court really means, how we got here, and what the gospel has to say about it.

Science Mike McHargue: Anger and hope

Mike McHargue (aka Science Mike) sits down with Nate and Tim to talk about sexual assault, the Bible, why so many people are over church, finding hope amidst cynicism, and much more.

Gender: So, what now?

Part 9 (conclusion) of the gender series. We talk about what we've learned, what we can do, and respond to your questions. Oh, and a poem from Tim set to music - you don't want to miss it!

Gender: Women elders? (1 Timothy 3)

Part 8 of the gender series. Nate and Tim discuss Paul’s words to Timothy concerning “elders” and “deacons”. Can women be elders? Or is Paul mandating male leadership? Is he even creating formal “church offices” at all? And what do these titles even mean? We seek to answer these questions and more while showing how and why we usually get Paul so wrong. Passage: 1 Timothy 3

Gender: Women on gender (Conversation)

Part 7 of the gender series. Nate and Tim host their moms as well as some friends and listeners for a round table discussion on the topic. If you only listen to one episode in the series, listen to this one. Hear our five guests - Molly, Julia, Emily, Ada and Julie Anne.