The Biblical Mind

• Why We Struggle to Read the Bible—And How to Fix It (Alex Goodwin) Ep. #192

  What if the way we format and structure the Bible is actually making it harder to read? In this episode, Alex Goodwin joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to discuss how chapter breaks, verse numbers, and footnotes—while useful for study—can actually disrupt the natural flow of Scripture. Alex shares his journey from marketing to Bible publishing, how his first exposure to serious theology transformed his faith, and why modern Bible formatting has fundamentally changed how people engage with Scripture. He and Dru explore how early Christians and Jews experienced the Bible (hint: it wasn’t through personal quiet times with a study Bible), why reading big sections matters, and how removing unnecessary “additives” can help us better understand the biblical story. This episode also tackles the difference between Bible literacy and Bible fluency, the power of listening to Scripture, and why engaging the Bible in community leads to richer understanding. If you’ve ever struggled with Bible reading, this conversation will challenge and inspire you to rethink how you interact with Scripture. We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought/ X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hebraicthought Chapters 00:00 From Marketing to Ministry: A Journey of Faith 04:47 The Impact of Formatting on Bible Reading 09:10 Bible Sales vs Bible Literacy 13:21 The Bible Reset 17:34 Listening vs. Reading: Engaging with Scripture in New Ways 20:41 Pursuing Biblical Fluency 27:08 The Concept of a Bible Reset 31:25 Reevaluating Church Practices 36:52 Engaging with Scripture in Community 40:55 The Role of the Congregation in Biblical Literacy

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• Faith, Politics, and Media: Rethinking Christian Political Involvement (Kaitlyn Schiess) Ep. #191

  Are we mistaking media consumption for political engagement? In this episode, Kaitlyn Schiess joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to challenge the way Christians think about politics, faith, and media. She explains why binge-watching C-SPAN or endlessly scrolling Twitter doesn’t make us politically engaged—but actually forms us into people less capable of real advocacy. Dru and Kaitlyn discuss the modern obsession with national politics, why Christians ignore their local communities, and how the church provides a model of meaningful engagement. Instead of trying to "change the world" through social media outrage, Kaitlyn argues that real political involvement means knowing your neighbors, understanding local government, and prioritizing embodied relationships. They also explore the role of Christian media consumption, asking whether 24-hour news, partisan social feeds, and political influencers have become a form of secular discipleship. How can Christians discern which voices are trustworthy? And how can the church offer a healthier alternative? We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Kaitlyn Schiess' Content https://www.holypost.com/ https://www.facebook.com/kaitlyn.schiess https://www.instagram.com/kaitlynschiess https://twitter.com/KaitlynSchiess Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought/ X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapters 00:00 Misunderstandings in Political Engagement 03:45 The Impact of 24-Hour News Cycle 07:13 Agency and Exhaustion in Political Involvement 09:46 Local vs. National Political Engagement 13:52 The Role of Community and Church 16:17 Listening to Trustworthy Voices 25:02 Understanding Local Politics Through Community Engagement 26:14 The Importance of Recognizing Underlying Narratives 28:18 The Challenge of Political Discourse in Faith Communities 31:09 The Role of Stories in Shaping Political Beliefs 34:44 Navigating Conspiracy Theories in Faith Contexts 37:12 The Need for Meaningful Conversations in Churches 40:00 The Impact of Media Consumption on Relationships 41:51 Reality TV and Its Moral Implications

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• From the Five Percent Nation to Biblical Scholar: CHT Fellow Hakeem Bradley Ep. #190

  What if the Bible isn’t meant to be neatly packaged and easily explained? In this episode, CHT Fellow Hakeem Bradley joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to discuss how engaging scripture means leaning into tension rather than eliminating it. He explains why asking better questions leads to deeper understanding and why forcing Jesus into every Old Testament passage can sometimes do more harm than good. Bradley also shares his personal story—growing up in the Five Percent Nation, a movement that sees the Black man as divine, and how a surprising mentorship relationship led him to faith in Jesus. His journey from deep skepticism to biblical scholarship gives him a unique perspective on how to approach scripture without assumptions or shortcuts. The conversation explores how biblical authors thought, why Jesus himself had to read scripture in context, and how reading the Bible as a tension-filled conversation—rather than a collection of easy answers—can reshape faith and theology. We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Hakeem Bradley's Content https://hakeembradley.substack.com/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought/ X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:08 Navigating Questions on Creation and Biblical Interpretation 06:01 The Role of Tension in Understanding Scripture 10:01 Hakeem's Journey from Five Percenter to Follower of Jesus 18:31 The Importance of the Old Testament in Understanding Jesus 22:15 Personal Journeys in Biblical Understanding 23:11 The Challenge of Connecting Old Testament to Jesus 25:50 Understanding Biblical Texts on Their Own Terms 29:31 The Role of the Bible Project in Modern Scholarship 33:34 Exploring the Catholic Epistles and Their Significance 38:47 Intertextual Connections in Biblical Texts

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• The Contemporary Worship Music Pipeline, or "Where Did The Psalms Go?" (Marc Jolicoeur) Ep. #189

  Who decides what worship songs we sing in church? It turns out, worship music is a massive industry, and the way songs make it from a Nashville songwriting room to a Sunday morning service might surprise you. In this episode, Marc Jolicoeur joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to break down the business of contemporary worship music (CWM). He explains how four major megachurches dominate the industry, why most modern worship songs are written by teams of professionals rather than individual artists, and how CCLI licensing and copyright structures shape what gets sung in churches. But is this market-driven approach shaping worship in unhealthy ways? Dru and Marc discuss whether the emotional tone of worship music has shifted, why lament and imprecatory psalms are almost absent from today’s songs, and whether churches should return to singing scripture itself. Is the worship music we sing today more about marketing than theology? And what would happen if the Psalms were reintroduced into Sunday services? We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Marc Jolicoeur's Content https://marcjolicoeur.substack.com/podcast Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought/ X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:27 The Landscape of Worship Music 04:25 The Role of Songwriters and Publishing 10:35 Market Penetration of Worship Songs 16:33 The Influence of Megachurches on Worship Music 21:11 The Evolution of Christian Music 25:48 Worship Music vs. Performance Music 28:38 The Role of Ritual in Worship 31:28 Psalms and Their Relevance in Modern Worship 35:29 Lament in Worship Music 45:16 The Challenge of Lament in Worship 49:55 Navigating Worship Leadership and Emotional Contexts 54:44 Imprecatory Psalms and Modern Worship 01:00:47 The Role of Specificity in Worship Lyrics

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• Listening to the Bible: Why Scripture Was Meant to Be Heard (Dru Johnson) Ep. #188

  Most of us read the Bible with our eyes—but what if we’re missing something essential by not listening to it? In this episode, Dr. Dru Johnson challenges the modern tendency to engage Scripture primarily as a written text, arguing that the Bible was designed to be heard. From the Torah readings of Moses to the public proclamation of Paul's letters, Scripture has always been an aural experience—one meant to be absorbed in community rather than private, silent reading. Dr. Johnson explains why listening changes how we understand Scripture, uncovering literary structures like repetition, parallelism, and chiasms that are far easier to hear than to see. He also explores the cognitive science behind reading vs. listening, showing why oral engagement helps us retain and interpret biblical texts more deeply. Could reclaiming the practice of hearing Scripture together revolutionize the way we experience the Bible? This episode dives into why the church should return to communal listening, what ancient Jewish and Christian traditions teach us, and how modern worship services might be reshaped by putting Scripture at the center—not just as a text to analyze, but as a living word to hear. We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought/ X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:03 The Natural Habitat of Scripture 04:15 Hear and Obey in Hebrew - The Shema 09:05 Active Listening and Vigorous Discussion 10:17 Listening vs. Reading: A New Perspective

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