Jodie and Matthew watch Dreamwork’s “The Road to El Dorado” (2000) and get distracted and forget to discuss much of the religion in this film. But they do touch on it amidst their lively debate on the quality of the movie and its depiction of mesoamerican culture… which admittedly takes up the majority of this episode. Let us know your thoughts on The Road to El Dorado, and any thoughts, opinions, questions, and concerns you may have for this episode or for us!

Matthew Rating: 2/5

Jodie Rating: 5/5

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If you grew up in Sunday School, you’re probably familiar with the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, but how much of the story did you actually understand? Jodie and Matthew unveil the cultural background and literary styles that make up Daniel and specifically Daniel 3, where this narrative takes place. Jodie and Matthew address questions such as who the fourth figure in the fire may have been, what genre this is, and how the original audience may have appreciated this literature. Let us know your questions, thoughts, and critiques!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Daniel: a commentary / Carol A. Newsom with Brennan W. Breed (The Old Testament Library)

“Rack, Shack and Benny” episode of Veggietales

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Jodie and Matthew watch Bill Maher’s Religulous (2008). Spoiler: We hated it. Listen along to find out about all the misinformed claims Bill Maher makes about religion, how he belittles religious folks, and how he misrepresents religion. Matthew and Jodie usually take a critical look at the Bible and religion (but hopefully in a way that is generous and kind), but Maher’s critique was rude, disingenuous, and horribly misinformed. Listen along, let us know if you agree or disagree with us, and let us know any of your other thoughts!

Matthew Rating: 0.5/5

Jodie Rating: 2/5

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In this re-release, originally posted on August 24, 2025, 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!

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Jodie and Matthew take a winding journey full of numerous tangents as they discuss Sister Act, starring Whoopi Goldberg. Ranging from the state of current Christian music to the presentation of Catholicism in the media, Jodie and Matthew discuss all the chaos that is Sister Act, and are pleasantly surprised by the representation of Christianity and religion. Listen along to our episode and send us your thoughts, questions, critiques, recommendations, and hopes for future episode topics!

Matthew Rating: 3.5/5

Jodie Rating: 5/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Jodie and Matthew dive into a brief introduction to the Gospel of John and analyze the famous story of the adulterous woman (sometimes referred to as the Pericope Adulterae) found in John 7:53-8:11. The only problem with this passage is that it isn’t in many of the earliest manuscripts of John. So, Jodie and Matthew discuss what is going on in this passage and why it may not be considered original to the book of John, while also briefly introducing the book of John as a whole. Listen along and let us know your thoughts!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

The Gospel of John: A New History, by Hugo Méndez

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Jodie and Matthew jump back in time to a famous black-and-white Yiddish film, “The Dybbuk.” Based on a play by S. An-sky, the Dybbuk explores a forbidden love between two lovers across social classes despite being pledged to each other by their fathers before their births. So, Chanan dives into Kabbalah to win Leah over, but dies, becomes a Dybbuk, and possesses her. It’s a brilliant film that uses Hasidic Judaism to explore class struggles, the problems with the ultra-wealthy, while acting as a classic love story, similar to stories such as Romeo and Juliet. You can find this film for free on Youtube, so watch it, listen to us, and let us know your thoughts on this classic film!

Matthew Rating: 4.5/5

Jodie Rating: 2/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Jodie and Matthew talk about the canonization of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. Sadly, there was no single time in history where someone just decided that the books in the Old Testament were settled as definitive scripture for Jews or Christians. Rather, it was a process that occurred over time with debates on what makes the canon and what misses the cut. Regarding this process, Jodie and Matthew discuss “defiling the hands” when it comes to the discussions around Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes, and also they discuss how the apocrypha became canonized for Christians but not Jews. Listen along and share your thoughts, questions, comments, and disagreements!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - And Doesn’t, by Stephen Prothero

A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths, by John Barton

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