It's in the Book: A Queer Bible Podcast J. Sylvan

Episode Notes
Well, it took us almost three years, but we made it to the end of Genesis. Now, as we look back on the first book of the Bible and try to make meaning around it, we are giddy to be joined by the brilliant Joy Ladin, poet, teacher, and first openly transgender professor at an Orthodox Jewish institution. We reconsider what the stories of Genesis can bring to us in the modern age, and what it means to read the Bible queerly. We question if usurping power dynamics is always good, how we can be like God by resting, and if we ever really left the Garden of Eden.

Find out more at https://its-in-the-book.pinecast.co

Episode Notes
We say goodbye to Daddy Jacob, and in his final moments he blesses all of his sons--though some of them seem a little more like curses to us. We follow Jacob and Joseph to the ends of their lives in Egypt, and that's where we leave the Israelite tribe at the end of the Book of Genesis. We discuss family forgiveness as queer people, and draw on not only Joseph but also Saint Dolly Parton to explore dynamics of power and grace in the act of forgiving and coming out.

Next time in the Season Finale, we'll discuss the entire book of Genesis with special guest Joy Ladin! Looking forward to see you then!

Find out more at https://its-in-the-book.pinecast.co

Episode Notes
Joseph comes clean and confronts his brothers on what they did to him all those years ago. But instead of punishing them further, he tells them it all turned out for the best and embraces them once again as family. And Daddy Jacob finally gets to reunite with his little boy, now a royal mogul in the most powerful country in the land. What can we learn from this strange family reunion? What does it say about loss of control, and the unpredictable nature of life?

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The Joseph cycle continues. Now Joseph is the second most powerful person in the known world, and his brother's have fallen on hard times. When they show up in Egypt to beg for food, they don't recognize Joseph, but he sure does recognize them. He decides to have some fun at their expense, but he can't fully hide that the sight of his family moves him to tears. Once again, Sue is well-versed due to Misters Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

J, David, and Sue discuss how this story brings up our adult queer kid feelings of familial rejection and complicated familial love. How does our relationship to our families change as we age, and as power shifts because of circumstances or simply the passage of time?

Next episode out Jan 25th (2nd & 4th Wednesdays).

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We're back to the story of Joseph, as our young dreamer finds himself in Egypt in the service of a eunuch named Potiphar. While Joseph distinguishes himself via his excellent leadership skills, his luck doesn't last long, and he eventually winds up in prison. Will his dream-interpretation skills come to the rescue? We consider midrashic thoughts about castration, discuss which boy band Joseph would belong to, and debate how much he has in common with Bella from Twilight.

Sue knows an uncanny amount about this story due to a certain musical by a certain Andrew Lloyd Webber, so the format is slightly different than usual, and we end with a musical treat!

Next episode out Jan 11th (2nd & 4th Wednesdays).

Find out more at https://its-in-the-book.pinecast.co

We take a brief interlude in the story of Joseph for some interpersonal drama between Joseph's brother Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar. When Judah tries to screw the young woman over (pun sort of intended), Tamar takes matters into her own hands by disguising herself as a sex worker and offering him her services. We'll see if Judah shows any of what we moderns would call "character growth" in this upliftingly liberatory Bible story, and discuss ancient words for and conceptions of sex workers and how they might differ from ours today.

This is a lesser-known tale from Genesis (no surprise there), but it's one of J's favorites, and they are thrilled to geek out out about it. We also discuss a controversial root vegetable.

Next episode out Dec 28th (2nd & 4th Wednesdays).

Find out more at https://its-in-the-book.pinecast.co