Jodie and Matthew AND Faith (That’s right! We have a special guest this week) get together to talk about one of the best, if not the best, stories in the Bible: the binding and attempted sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. There is a lot to unpack here, so instead of trying to unpack it all, we talk through the drama and story of Genesis 22, appreciating it as a text, immersing ourselves into the narrative and only occasionally (ok, often) getting distracted by other ways to look at this text, whether that be through Kierkegaard’s lens, rabbinic literature, art history, reception history, source criticism, or some other interpretive lens. Let us know your thoughts on this episode and how you want us to focus on this story next time!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Check out Faith’s other podcast: The Garden Podcast, associated with San Dieguito United Methodist Church

https://www.youtube.com/@TheGardenPodcast-k3v

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The Passion of Joan of Arc is often included on lists of the best movies of all time, and often tops the lists of best religious movies of all time. This silent French film condenses Joan’s trial and death into a single day and by using famously beautiful cinematography and acting, it depicts the harrowing final few hours of her life. Listen along for a brief discussion on the historical figure, and Jodie and Matthew’s thoughts on what the film did well and perhaps did poorly. We would love your thoughts, as well!

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This week Jodie and Matthew delve into the New Testament to discuss Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. It’s a short parable that is only a couple verses long in each of the synoptic gospels, but much like a mustard seed, it packs a punch. However, it’s brevity can make it difficult to interpret, so Jodie and Matthew set off to explore the variety of ways it has been interpreted, for better or for worse.

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy Jill Levine

Howes, L. (2019). The Q Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven: Half-Baked and Garden-Variety Metaphors? Neotestamentica 53(2), 339-374.

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You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is a lot of things: a coming-of-age movie, an Adam Sandler movie, and a deeply Jewish movie, to name a few. This week, Jodie and Matthew talk about how this movie explores and presents modern religious Judaism in a way that is fun and representative of how B’nai Mitzvah ceremonies have come to be celebrated. Listen or watch, and let us know your thoughts! If you have had a B’nai Mitzvah, we would love to hear what your theme was and how you feel this movie represents them!

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In our last episode of our 4-part series going through Phyllis Trible’s Texts of Terror, Jodie and Matthew discuss the story of Jephthah’s daughter, as found in Judges 11 in the Bible. Looking literally at the unit, Jephthah irrationally sacrifices his daughter as a burnt offering, presenting yet another tragic story for women in a biblical story. Listen along and tell us what you think!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives by Phyllis Trible (1984)

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Jodie and Matthew review the 2011 documentary, which recounts the journey of Vikram Ghandi as he impersonates a guru and builds a following in Arizona. Join us for discussion on the journey.

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We are continuing a 4-part series, going through Phyllis Trible’s Texts of Terror, where each week, we will discuss a story from the Hebrew Bible from a Literary-Feminist perspective, following Trible’s book. Feel free to follow along and read with us! This week, we talk about the unnamed woman from Judges 19, a concubine who gets used, abused, and dismembered. Let us know your thoughts!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives by Phyllis Trible (1984)

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Jodie and Matthew review the 2014 fantasy/adventure film Noah, which takes a unique approach to the story of Noah. Join us for discussion on the interesting directorial choices made by Darren Aronofsky and Jodie’s obsession with the casting choices.

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Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com