The "Best of" First Reading Easter Series While the RCL hangs out in the Book of Acts, we at the Old Testament Lectionary Podcast are replaying some of our favorite interview episodes. This week, we are bringing out Rachel's and Tim's 2019 conversation with Rev. Dr. Johanna van Wijk-Bos. Dr. Bos taught for four decades as Professor of Old Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in KY. She continues to serve the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) as an ordained pastor. In addition to her teaching, speaking, and preaching, she is a prolific author and an engaged activist, especially a ..read more

The "Best of" First Reading Easter Series During Easter season this year, when the lectionary pulls from Acts as the “first reading,” we are re-releasing some of our favorite interviews with biblical scholars from the First Reading podcast vault. This week, we’re sharing another of our very early episodes, a conversation with the inimitable Stephen Breck Reid. Dr. Stephen Breck Reid joins Rachel and Tim for a long-form episode, focusing on Psalm 30. Steve is Professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University (and Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity a ..read more

The "Best of" First Reading Easter Series This summer, while the Lectionary uses the Book of Acts as the first reading, we are re-releasing some of our best episodes from the First Reading Podcast vault. This week, we’re going way back to one of our first episodes (#007 actually, for James Bond fans out there), back to 2019 when Rachel and Tim interviewed the amazing, delightful, Rev. Dr. Vanessa Lovelace. Dr. Lovelace has moved institutions since our interview and is now Associate Dean at Lancaster Theological Seminary, where she is also a faculty member in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Dr. Lov ..read more

PARTY EPISODE: Easter Hope in the Middle of Chaos Lectionary Date: March 31, 2024 [Easter Sunday, Year B] Rachel, Paul, and Tim discuss the first reading for Easter in this party episode (also celebrating Rachel's birthday!). We also made a video version of this episode, which you can see on YouTube ..read more

I Will Inscribe It on Their Hearts Lectionary Date: March 17, 2024 [5th Sunday in Lent, Year B] Paul explores what's new about Jeremiah's "new covenant ..read more

The Hurt Becomes the Healing Lectionary Date: March 10, 2024 [4th Sunday in Lent, Year B] Rosy explores the New Testament symbolism of an Old Testament image ..read more

A Celebration of Torah Lectionary Date: March 3, 2024 [3rd Sunday in Lent, Year B] Tim plays with the cosmic imagery of this classic psalm ..read more

The Happy Part of a Sad Psalm? Lectionary Date: February 25, 2024 [2nd Sunday in Lent, Year B] Rachel finds so much more in this psalm than a simple script for Jesus on the cross ..read more

A Fresh Start (But Not a Happy Ending) Lectionary Date: February 18, 2024 [1st Sunday in Lent, Year B] Rachel takes us to the conclusion of the Genesis flood story and helps us see it through the lens of "covenant ..read more

Picking Up the Mantle Lectionary Date: February 11, 2024 [Transfiguration Sunday, Year B] Tim has some Hebrew help for this transfiguring story ..read more