Tyndale House Podcast Tyndale House, Cambridge

In this second series Dr Andrew Ollerton meets with academics and researchers from the Tyndale House network to discuss how they approach the Old Testament and wrestle with its trickier passages. Each episode focuses in on a different text from the Old Testament, as we explore the reading processes and practices that researchers bring to their own Bible reading.In this episode Dr Andrew Ollerton is joined by Dr Peter J Williams to look at strangeness and stories in the Old Testament, and to a...

In this episode Dr Andrew Ollerton is joined by Dr Ros Clarke to talk about how we read poetry and allegory in the Old Testament. We focus in on Chapter 5 of the Song of Songs as Ros helps us to unpack some of the richness and beauty of Old Testament poetry. Please note that this episode does include discussion of sexual violence. Reading list:Forty Women: Unseen women of the Bible from Eden to Easter (IVP, 2021) Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins Dr Ros Clarke is a ...

In this episode Dr Andrew Ollerton is joined by Dr Daniel Block to look at Old Testament law and instruction. This episode’s text is Deuteronomy Chapter 27 and the instruction to set up the stones on Mount Ebal, as Daniel demonstrates how even after 50 years of study the biblical text might still have surprises for us.Dr Daniel Block is Gunther Knoedler Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Wheaton College. His scholarly work focuses on the books of Deuteronomy, Judges, Ruth, and Ezekiel. Dr B...

In this episode Dr Andrew Ollerton is joined by the Revd Dr Helen Paynter to look at horror and violence in the Old Testament. Helen walks us through one of the Old Testament’s “Texts of Terror”—the notorious 19th chapter of the book of Judges and explores how we can bring humility and empathy to the way we read the Bible. Content note: Please note this episode contains extended discussion about sexual violence in the Old Testament narrative.Reading list: God of Violence Yesterday, ...

In this episode Dr Andrew Ollerton is joined by James Bejon to talk about lists, names and genealogies in the Old Testament. Andrew and James take a look at Judges chapters 10 and 12 to talk about messy families, the significance of Biblical names, and to ask: How do we make sense of the Old Testament, particularly in the more unexciting moments?James Bejon is a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge. Following careers in both music and financial maths, James has now moved into Biblical...

In this episode Dr Andrew Ollerton and Dr Peter J Williams discuss how we gauge trustworthiness in everyday life and how we approach the question of the credibility of the four Gospels.Dr Peter J Williams is Principal of Tyndale House. He received his PhD in the study of ancient languages related to the Bible from Cambridge University. His 2018 book, Can We Trust the Gospels?, examines evidence from non-Christian sources to assess the trustworthiness of the four biblical accounts of Jesus’s e...