Homebrewed Christianity Podcast

What's up, Theology Nerds! So I had my buddy Matt Novenson on to talk about what's happening on the cutting edge of New Testament research these days, and let me tell you, it's way broader than you might think. We covered five major areas where scholars are doing really fascinating work: first, bringing Jewish studies into conversation with the New Testament (like Matthew Thiessen's work on how Jesus actually dissolves ritual impurity rather than abolishing purity systems); second, looking at the broader ancient Mediterranean world beyond just "Jewish vs. Greco-Roman" contexts (Heidi Wendt's brilliant stuff on Paul as a "freelance religious expert" competing for influence); third, studying how the Bible has been interpreted not just in academic commentaries but in art, music, and everyday life (Lisa Marie Bowens' archival work on African American readings of Paul is mind-blowing); fourth, examining how biblical themes have unconsciously shaped modern cultural discourses like immigration policy (Yii-Jan Lin's