Joel 2:23–32, with Rolf Jacobson

Renewal After the Swarm

Lectionary Date: October 27, 2019 [20th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C]

This week, Rachel and Tim are joined by Dr. Rolf Jacobson, Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN (Rachel’s alma mater!). With Craig Koester, Rolf developed and supports the Narrative Lectionary. His voice can be heard on two weekly preaching podcasts, “Sermon Brainwave” and “The Narrative Lectionary,” as well as singing the high lonesome with a Lutheran bluegrass band, “The Fleshpots of Egypt.” His collaborative projects include The Book of Psalms (NICOT; with Beth Tanner and Nancy deClaissé-Walford), Invitation to the Psalms (with Karl Jacobson), Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms (with five fellow Luther Seminary graduates), and Crazy Book: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Biblical Terms (with Hans Wiersma and Karl Jacobon). He is also the author of The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to the Old Testament: Israel’s In-Your-Face, Holy God.

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, with Carol Newsom

Hope in the Face of Certain Disaster

Lectionary Date: September 29, 2019 [16th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C]

This week, Rachel and Tim are joined by Dr. Carol Newsom. One of the giants of modern biblical scholarship, Carol recently retired from her post as the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament at Candler and a senior fellow at Emory’s Center for the Study of Law and Religion. Carol came to Candler in 1980, only the second woman to hold a tenure-track position. In 2005, she became a C.H. Candler Professor, a university-based endowed chair. Her research focuses on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Wisdom tradition, the book of Daniel, and apocalyptic literature. She has written and edited 13 books and scores of articles, book chapters, translations, encyclopedia articles and reviews. She co-edited the acclaimed Women’s Bible Commentary, which explores the implications of and challenges long-held assumptions about the Bible’s portrayal of women and other marginalized groups. We also recommend her superb commentary on the book of Job, in the New Interpreter’s Bible.