I Only Know a Little 我只是略懂

Lue Dong 略懂
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Theology • Philosophy • Hermeneutics • Life A bicultural exploration of the Christian faith and human existence. Exploring biblical interpretation and philosophical questions to help us grow in understanding God, the Other, the world, and the self. [Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.] ----- 神學 • 哲學 • 詮釋學 • 人生 這是一段關於基督信仰與人類存在的雙文化探索。透過探討聖經詮釋與哲學問題，幫助我們更深地理解上帝、他者、世界與自我。 ［播客音頻採 AI 合成，內容均取材自播客主所研究、編選或原創之文獻。 ］

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    God Is Always Speaking—Why Don’t We Hear Him? | Dao in All: After the Sermon

    Modern life is loud—notifications, deadlines, news, responsibilities, and countless voices competing for our attention. But what if the deepest reality is not the noise itself? What if the Dao—the Logos—is already present in the ordinary places we tend to overlook? This is an AI-hosted conversation generated from Tim Kao’s sermon “Dao in All” and reviewed by the preacher. The hosts’ examples, analogies, and phrasing may organize or extend the original sermon and should not be treated as Tim Kao’s verbatim words. The episode explores the central ideas of “Dao in All” through Psalm 19, John 1, Colossians 1, and 1 Corinthians 10:31: general and special revelation, the courage of silence, the presence of God when prayer seems unanswered, Christ as the source, sustenance, and telos of all things, and the challenge of discerning the “main melody” amid the noise of everyday life. It also makes an important distinction: God speaking does not mean a constant stream of private instructions, and “Dao in All” does not mean that every voice is God’s voice. The invitation is simple: to become more attentive—to notice, discern, and respond faithfully to the Lord who is already present in the ordinary rhythms of work, relationships, responsibilities, silence, and daily life. Dao is everywhere. Listen attentively; walk faithfully, and glorify the Lord.

    God Is Always Speaking—Why Don’t We Hear Him? | Dao in All: After the Sermon

  2. Feb 24

    Sola Scriptura: Reformation Liberation or Hermeneutical Chaos?

    In this episode, we step into the "engine room" of the Reformation to examine its defining doctrine: Sola Scriptura. Moving beyond the traditional narrative of simple liberation, this scholarly dialogue explores how the humanist push ad fontes ("to the sources") fundamentally altered the intellectual trajectory of the Western world. We analyze the successes of this movement, such as the correction of millennium-old translation errors in Romans 5:12, while wrestling with the "unintended chaos" it unleashed. From the public fracturing of reformers at the Marburg Colloquy to the rigid scholasticism of the 17th century—which went so far as to declare Hebrew vowel points divinely inspired—this discussion challenges us to consider if we traded one hierarchy for a more fragmented, academic one. Ultimately, we reflect on whether Sola Scriptura is a functional reality or a complex hermeneutical orientation that requires a delicate balance of history, philology, and spirituality. (00:00) Introduction: Entering the Engine Room of the Reformation. (00:40) Ad Fontes: The Radical Push to Bypass the Middlemen. (01:37) The Transition of Authority: From Pope to Scholar. (02:44) Philology as a Science: The Science of Language and Interpretation. (04:43) The Success of the Method: Erasmus and the Romans 5:12 Correction. (06:10) The Johannine Comma: Textual Integrity vs. Political Pressure. (08:32) Luther’s Hermeneutical Key: Distinguishing Law and Gospel. (09:35) The "Epistle of Straw": Subjective Filters in the Canon. (10:28) The Marburg Colloquy: A Tragic Disagreement on the Eucharist. (11:43) Calvin and the Father of Modern Historical-Grammatical Exegesis. (13:53) The Council of Trent and the Catholic Response to "Protestant Chaos". (14:33) Scripture Interpreting Scripture: The Westminster Guardrail. (15:11) The Vowel Point Controversy: 17th Century Scholasticism and the Trap of Perfection. (18:58) Conclusion: Semper Reformanda vs. Semper Fractura. Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

    Sola Scriptura: Reformation Liberation or Hermeneutical Chaos?

  3. Feb 24

    Beyond the "Silent Years": Decoding the Bible's Ancient Operating System

    What happened during the 400-year gap between the Old and New Testaments? While often dismissed as the "silent years," this period was actually a theological pressure cooker that birthed the mental operating system used by the New Testament writers and the early Rabbis . In this episode, we dive deep into the scholarship of James Kugel to uncover the four ancient assumptions that changed how the world reads the Bible . We explore why the ancient mind viewed the text as a cryptic treasure map rather than a newspaper, and how a national crisis of unfulfilled prophecy led to radical re-readings of characters like Enoch and Sarah . Finally, we examine the "Christian Paradigm Shift": how Paul and the Gospel writers took these same ancient tools to prove that Jesus was the goal of the story all along . Are we, as modern readers, missing the hidden meaning of the text because we are too obsessed with literal facts? Join us as we move from "dissecting" the Word to "participating" in it . 00:00 – Introduction: History as an Idea vs. History as an Action Movie. 01:38 – The Myth of the "Silent Years": Why the Second Temple period was loud and chaotic. 03:10 – The Crisis of Incongruity: When the promises of God don't match reality. 06:23 – James Kugel’s Framework: The Four Assumptions of the Ancient Mind. 06:52 – Assumption #1 (Cryptic): Looking through the "keyhole" of Enoch. 10:18 – Assumption #2 (Relevant): The Pesher method and the "time bomb" in Habakkuk. 12:52 – Assumption #3 (Perfect): Solving the "Red Sea Problem" through narrative sequence. 15:41 – Assumption #4 (Divine): Why Jacob’s "tents" became ancient academies. 18:02 – The Rewritten Bible: Retelling stories to fix "plot holes" and update timelines. 21:25 – The Christian Turn: Scanning the horizon vs. reading backward to Jesus . 23:56 – Paul’s Interpretive Masterpiece: Moving the veil from Moses to the heart . 26:30 – The Great Divergence: Rabbinic Halakha vs. Christian Proclamation (Kerygma) . 29:38 – The Modern Dilemma: Dissection, Authorial Intent, and the "8-Legged Snake" of Allegory . 33:51 – Conclusion: Why we must bridge the gap or let the text die . ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

  4. Feb 19

    Monks, Rabbis, and the Time Traveling Text

    How does a text written in the Bronze Age speak to a digital world without losing its soul? In this episode, we explore the provocative idea that the Bible is a "Time Traveling Text"—not a static rulebook frozen in history, but a living document that expands in meaning as it moves through centuries and cultures. We dismantle the modern suspicion of "tradition" and look at how the "Dynamic Canonical Process" allows ancient words to survive collisions with new worlds. We travel back to the Medieval Monasteries to learn the Quadriga (a four-fold method of reading that finds the soul, not just the facts, in Scripture). We then sit with the Rabbis, whose obsession with detail isn't about legalism, but about an intense, never-ending love letter to the Divine. From the blood of goats in Leviticus transforming into the theology of Hebrews, to the erotic poetry of the Song of Songs becoming a mystical map for monks, this episode challenges us to stop reading for mere information and start reading for transformation. 00:00 – Intro: The "Blender Brain" and the Deep Dive into History. 01:08 – The Problem with Tradition: Is it a dirty word or a necessary lens? 02:40 – The Dynamic Text: How the meaning of Scripture travels and expands through time. 04:15 – Case Study (Leviticus vs. Hebrews): When the "literal" meaning (goat sacrifice) transforms into a spiritual reality (Christ). 06:30 – Culture as a Catalyst: How new contexts (like women in ministry) force the Church to ask new questions of old texts. 09:30 – Enter the Monks: The Quadriga and the four levels of interpreting "Jerusalem" (Literal, Allegorical, Moral, Anagogical). 12:35 – Information vs. Formation: Why moderns read for data, but medievals read for virtue. 17:00 – The Scandal of the Song of Songs: How a book of erotic poetry became the holiest text for mystics. 20:45 – The Rabbinic Method: Why the argument is the point, and why the conversation never ends. 22:30 – The Sabbath Paradox: Is it legalism, or is it an obsession with reverence? 25:00 – The Rule of Faith: How do we stop interpretation from becoming pure chaos? 27:45 – Conclusion: Moving from "winning the argument" to "walking the terrain." ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

    Monks, Rabbis, and the Time Traveling Text

  5. Feb 17

    When Your Faith Is No Longer Dangerous

    Imagine being hauled into a courtroom where the charge is your commitment to Jesus Christ. The prosecution presents your worn Bible, your prayer journals, and your church attendance records. You prepare for a sentence, only to hear the judge deliver a devastating verdict: Acquitted. This episode unpacks why a "not guilty" verdict in such a trial is the ultimate indictment of modern faith. We explore the "Draft Rule"—the tendency to keep our deepest convictions in the "draft" folder of our hearts rather than "publishing" them through radical, disruptive love. Drawing on the distinction between internal belief and external evidence, this scholarly yet accessible reflection asks if our lives offer enough proof to be considered a threat to the status quo. 00:00 | The Courtroom Scene: Setting the stage for a hypothetical trial for faith. 01:25 | The Prosecution’s Evidence: Examining Bibles, journals, and religious habits. 02:48 | The Shocking Verdict: Why the judge finds the defendant "not guilty." 04:10 | The Draft Rule: Understanding the difference between having a conviction and living it. 05:55 | Faith as Art vs. Faith as Action: Why "safe" religion is never a crime. 07:30 | The Subversive Gospel: How true Christianity disrupts worldly systems. 09:15 | "Guilty" Love: Defining the kind of love that would actually be considered "dangerous." 10:45 | Closing Challenge: Moving your faith from "Draft" to "Published." ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

  6. Feb 13

    Medieval Mysticism vs. The Plain Sense

    This episode explores the intellectual and spiritual vibrancy of the Middle Ages, often mistakenly dismissed as the "Dark Ages". We delve into how medieval scholars balanced tradition with new information to interpret their most sacred text: the Bible. The discussion traces two diverging paths: the Jewish project of Actualization—keeping the Torah functional for a scattered community through rigorous grammar and philology—and the Christian project of Allegory, which sought to reinterpret the Hebrew Scriptures through a Christotelic lens. From the rationalism of Ibn Ezra to the fourfold interpretation of the Quadriga and the mystical insights of Bernard of Clairvaux, we uncover how these competing methods sparked brilliant literary analysis and eventually paved the way for the Reformation. We conclude with a timely reflection on whether our modern ease of access to information has hindered our ability to engage in the deep, transformative reading practiced by these medieval thinkers. 00:00 – Challenging the "Dark Ages" Narrative: A High-Pressure Transition Period 03:20 – Two Paths: Jewish "Actualization" vs. Christian "Reinterpretation" 05:00 – The Jewish Scientific Turn: The Karaites and the Rise of Philology 08:20 – Masters of the Middle Way: Rashi and the Rationalism of Ibn Ezra 11:00 – The Christian Quadriga: The Fourfold Sense of Scripture (Literal, Allegorical, Moral, Anagogical) 13:50 – Thomas Aquinas: Defending Allegory through the Nature of Divine Authorship 16:30 – Bernard of Clairvaux: The Mysticism of the Song of Songs 18:50 – The Bridge to the Reformation: How Jewish Grammar Influenced Martin Luther 21:30 – The Warning of the Middle Ages: Knowing About vs. Actually Knowing the Text 23:30 – Deep Reading in the Digital Age: Access vs. Intimacy ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

  7. Feb 12

    Grammar vs. Allegory: The Medieval Struggle for the Meaning of Scripture

    In this episode, we journey back to the Middle Ages to uncover the high-pressure transition period that birthed some of the most sophisticated scriptural interpretations in history. We examine the Jewish scientific turn toward philology and grammar as a means of cultural survival, contrasted with the Christian development of the "Quadriga"—the fourfold sense of scripture that sought to find Christ in every verse. We feature the brilliant minds of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and Thomas Aquinas, exploring how they navigated the tension between the literal and the spiritual. We also discuss the "Boiling Kid" case study, which perfectly illustrates the divide between a rule-based Jewish reading and an allegorical Christian reading. Finally, we discuss how these medieval techniques provided the foundation for Martin Luther and the Reformation, and what they can teach us about "deep reading" in our current digital age. 00:00 – Challenging the "Dark Ages" Narrative: A Dynamic Crucible 03:20 – Jewish "Actualization" vs. Christian "Reinterpretation" 05:00 – The Jewish Scientific Turn: The Karaites and the Rise of Philology 08:20 – Masters of the Middle Way: Rashi and the Rationalism of Ibn Ezra 11:00 – The Christian Quadriga: The Fourfold Sense of Scripture 13:50 – Thomas Aquinas: Defending Allegory through Divine Authorship 16:30 – Bernard of Clairvaux: Mysticism and the "Kiss of the Mouth" 18:50 – The Bridge to the Reformation: How Jewish Grammar Influenced Martin Luther 21:30 – Knowing About vs. Actually Knowing the Text: Aquinas’s "Straw" Incident 23:30 – Deep Reading in the Digital Age: The Problem of Frictionless Access ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

  8. Feb 10

    Levinas - The Other's Face Shatters Your World

    What happens when the "other person" isn't just someone to be understood, but a command that shatters your world? In this episode, we explore the radical thought of Emmanuel Levinas, one of the most profound philosophers of the 20th century. We move beyond the traditional view of philosophy as "map-making" or intellectual conquest and dive into Levinas's claim that ethics—not logic or being—is the true starting point of human existence. We discuss how the "Face" of the neighbor functions as an absolute interruption, calling us to a responsibility that precedes our own freedom. Key themes explored in this episode: The "il y a": Understanding the horror of anonymous existence through the experience of insomnia. The Totality vs. Infinity: How our systems of thought often "digest" the other person, and how Levinas offers an escape from this violence. The "Me Voici" (Here I Am): Unpacking the biblical echoes of response-ability as the core of the human subject. The Third Party and Justice: How the radical demand of one person translates into the complex needs of a society. Bobby the Dog: A moving reflection on the "last Kantian in Nazi Germany" and what it means to recognize humanity in the darkest of times. This discussion is an invitation to move from a life of "totalizing" knowledge to a life of "infinite" responsibility. 00:00 The Fortress of Reason: Philosophy as Intellectual Conquest01:57 Ethics as First Philosophy: Prioritizing the Other over Being02:27 The Digestion of the Other: Critique of Western Ontology03:52 From Totality to Infinity: The Shadow of the 20th Century05:30 The "il y a": The Anonymous Rumbling of Existence06:54 The Prison of the Self: Nausea and the Need for Escape08:18 The Interruption of the Face: Breaking the Sovereign "I"09:37 "Thou Shalt Not Kill": The Ethical Command as Phenomenology10:54 Robinson Crusoe and Friday: The End of Ownership12:15 Radical Asymmetry: Responsibility Without Reciprocity13:22 The Hostage: Substitution and Pre-conscious Responsibility14:57 "Me Voici" (Here I Am): The Biblical Root of Subjectivity16:15 Fecundity and the Future: Beyond the Self-Centered Project17:23 The Ethical Caress: Relation Without Fusion18:53 The Third Party: The Tragic Necessity of Social Justice20:01 The Melancholy of Law: Comparing the State to the Face21:30 The Saying and the Said: Language as Exposure23:23 The Trace of God: Finding the Infinite in the Neighbor24:46 The Insomnia of Ethics: Redefining the "Good Person"26:04 Bobby the Dog: The Last Kantian and the Restoration of Humanity** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

  9. Feb 7

    Scripture Is a River, Not a Rock

    Most of us were taught to view the Bible as a static object—a "golden tablet" dropped from heaven, sterile and untouched by the "mud" of history . In this episode, we challenge this "antiseptic" view of revelation and dive into a more dynamic image: the River . We explore why viewing the Bible as a shifting body of water is not a threat to authority, but the key to finding God within the text. From the "Noumenal" gap in the Sinai desert to the "Mickey Mouse Limit" of modern interpretation, we wrestle with what it means to be faithfully creative in our reading of God's Word . [00:01:57] The Static Object View: Why we prefer "rocks" over "rivers" and the safety of sterile interpretation . [00:04:14] The Noumenal Gap: Understanding the distance between the "Burning Bush" event and the text we actually possess. [00:07:31] The Christotelic Pivot: Moving authority from the printed page to the Person of Jesus. [00:09:35] The Mickey Mouse Limit: How the end-goal (Telos) of Christ acts as the guardrail for creative interpretation. [00:12:51] Trauma and Hope: How the "theological nuclear bomb" of the exile birthed the Second Temple hermeneutic. [00:18:56] The Two Swords Incident: A "comedy of errors" that reveals the danger of reading spiritually active words too literally. [00:21:55] Scales Falling: Why Paul didn't need a new Bible, but a new lens to see the Messiah in the old scrolls. [00:26:35] Speech Act Theory: Why "God is Love" is an action that remakes us, not just a fact to be memorized. ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

  10. Feb 6

    Mickey Mouse, Dead Frogs, and the Living Word: Escaping the Modern Hermeneutic Trap

    Is the Bible a dead frog to be dissected or a living voice to be heard? In a world obsessed with scientific certainty, we’ve often turned Scripture into a textbook of ancient facts—digging up bones but missing the heartbeat. In this episode, we dive into the deep end of hermeneutics (the art of interpretation) to ask a radical question: How do we read an ancient book without turning it into a corpse? Join us as we navigate the tension between "historical rigidity" and "interpretive chaos." We'll explore why the "Mickey Mouse Rule" saves us from making the Bible mean whatever we want, while the "Cat Painting a Tiger" metaphor reveals the transformative power of reading with spiritual imagination. Drawing on insights from Post-Modern philosophy, Second Temple Judaism, and the Apostles' own "scandalous" reading of the Old Testament, we discover that the goal of reading isn't just information—it's an encounter. Key Topics: The Mickey Mouse Rule: Why meaning is fluid but not structureless (and why King David isn't a cartoon mouse). Dissection vs. Conversation: Moving from the "Western obsession with mastery" to an Eastern/Ancient embrace of mystery. The Scandal of the Apostles: How the New Testament writers "broke the rules" of history to reveal the Messiah. Christotelic Reading: Why Jesus is the "electric fence" and the ultimate goal (Telos) of every text. The Cat & The Tiger: A powerful metaphor for seeing your true self through the lens of redemption. (00:00) Introduction: The Mickey Mouse ProblemIs meaning purely subjective? Why we can't just say Psalm 23 is about a cartoon mouse (even if we want to). (01:32) The Crisis of Modern Hermeneutics Dissecting the "dead frog": How the Western obsession with scientific objectivity turned the Bible into a corpse. (03:45) Mystery vs. Mastery Contrast between the modern desire to "pin the butterfly down" and the ancient (and Eastern) desire to enter the mystery. (05:15) The "Scandal" of Apostolic Interpretation Did the Apostles use "bad" history? How they used Midrash and Typology to see Jesus where others only saw history. (06:40) Jesus and the Temple: A Case Study" Destroy this temple": How the resurrection retroactively changed the meaning of the word "Temple" forever. (08:30) The Veil & The Magic Eye Poster Using 2 Corinthians 3 to explain how the text remains the same, but the "veil" is removed to reveal the glory of Christ. (10:10) The Cat Painting the Tiger A powerful visual metaphor: Is it narcissism (projection) or redemption (hope)? Seeing our true selves in Christ. (12:45) The Final Challenge: Critic or Disciple? Are you standing over the text to judge it, or standing under the text to be transformed by it? ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

    Mickey Mouse, Dead Frogs, and the Living Word: Escaping the Modern Hermeneutic Trap

  11. Feb 4

    From Muzzled Oxen to Augustine’s Love: A History of Reading

    How do we move from an ancient law about feeding livestock to a theology of paying pastors? In this episode of I Only Know a Little, we step away from modern headlines to tackle the historical paradox of reading ancient texts in a changing world. We explore the seismic shift that occurred after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, a catastrophe that forced both Jewish and Christian communities to reimagine how they related to the Divine. We analyze the Jewish concept of Midrash—described here as an "unending game of chess"—and contrast the competing Christian schools of Alexandria (allegory) and Antioch (history). Finally, we arrive at the feet of St. Augustine, who revolutionized hermeneutics by suggesting that the ultimate test of biblical interpretation isn’t your intellect, but your charity. If your reading of Scripture doesn't lead to the love of God and neighbor, have you actually read it at all? Topics Covered: The Hermeneutical Pivot: How St. Paul reinterprets Deuteronomy 25:4. The Crisis of 70 AD: Moving from a Temple of Stone to a Temple of Text. Midrash: The text as a fixed board with infinite moves. The Quadriga: The four-fold method of medieval interpretation. The Augustinian Rule: The "Double Love" command as the final arbiter of truth. 00:00 – The Riddle: Why does Paul think God doesn't care about oxen? (Deut 25:4 vs. 1 Cor 9). 03:50 – The Crisis of 70 AD: When the Temple burns, the Text becomes the sanctuary. 06:15 – The Jewish Response: Midrash as a participatory, infinite game (The "Chess" analogy). 09:30 – The Christian Response: The Regula Fidei (Rule of Faith) and the difference between Law and Lore. 12:45 – The Battle of the Schools: Alexandria (Allegory/Spirit) vs. Antioch (History/Letter). 15:00 – The Quadriga: The four-horse chariot of medieval interpretation. 16:55 – Enter Augustine: Why intellect is secondary to the heart. 19:10 – The Double Love Rule: The "Pass/Fail" test for all theology. 21:40 – Conclusion: Are we reading for information or transformation? ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

  12. Jan 25

    Should We Interpret the Bible Like Paul? The Hermeneutical Dilemma

    In this inaugural English episode of I Only Know a Little (我只是略懂), we present a debate over the "Apostolic Dilemma." While we want the theology of the Apostles, their interpretive methods often break every modern rule of exegesis. Highlights include: History vs. Mystery: Why a strictly grammatical reading might leave you "spiritually impoverished". The "Kung Fu" of Interpretation: Moving beyond the manual to the living reality of the Spirit. Safety vs. Danger: Does creative interpretation lead to "subjective chaos," or is it the only way to find Christ in the shadows of the Old Testament? Join this rigorous, dialectical debate concerning the nature of Scripture. Bibliography: Hays, Richard B. Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. Longenecker, Richard N. Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period. ** Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.

  • 12 Episodes

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Theology • Philosophy • Hermeneutics • Life A bicultural exploration of the Christian faith and human existence. Exploring biblical interpretation and philosophical questions to help us grow in understanding God, the Other, the world, and the self. [Podcast audio is AI-synthesized and grounded in research and sources curated or authored by the host.] ----- 神學 • 哲學 • 詮釋學 • 人生 這是一段關於基督信仰與人類存在的雙文化探索。透過探討聖經詮釋與哲學問題，幫助我們更深地理解上帝、他者、世界與自我。 ［播客音頻採 AI 合成，內容均取材自播客主所研究、編選或原創之文獻。 ］

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