Vacation Bible School Podcast
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Jason Kirk, Emily Kirk, and friends are finding the Bible is so much better and weirder than we were taught as church kids. Story by story, we're having fun learning history, religion, literature, mythology, and the amazingly weird stuff. All are welcome! Perfect five-star rating on Apple Podcasts!
Vacation Bible School Podcast
2w ago
We are so freaking back. We're joined by Seattle University professor emeritus Wes Howard-Brook, author of works like Come Out My People: God's Call Out of Empire in the Bible and Beyond, to discuss:
King Solomon wasn't actually all that wise ...
... and the cutting-a-baby story isn't about what a great guy he was.
In fact, the Bible's authors meant for us to view Solomon as just another Exodus pharaoh!
How the David-Solomon story is The Godfather.
And a whole bunch of other stuff about the Bible's overarching theme of love vs. imperialism.
Thank you for listening! Support this show by GIVIN ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
9M ago
Hello! Let's sprint through a big (but action-packed) portion of the Book of Samuel and then focus on the story of King David and Bathsheba.
Almost everything you've ever heard about this story has nothing to do with what's actually in the Bible, but what else is new?
Around the 40-minute mark, we're joined by creator April Ajoy (of TikTok, Instagram, the Evangelicalish podcast, and more) to discuss the way this story constantly gets argued about by the internet's angry Christian men. Plus we talk Rapture trauma, childhood persecution fantasies, and other fun stuff!!! To be clear, this is the ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
1y ago
We're back in the Book of Samuel, starting in chapter 18, where giant-killer David meets Israel's other war hero, Prince Jonathan. To quote Taylor Swift, sparks fly. Platonic sparks, your Sunday school teacher assures you.
There's a case these two were just extremely affectionate political allies. That case has been made, and we're not very interested in it.
Interpret this story however you want. We're completely convinced this was the Bible's first great romance. Thanks.
We're also joined by popular YouTuber, podcaster, and theologian Mason Mennenga to discuss how this story is j ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
1y ago
Samuel chapter 17!
We've reached a Bible story everybody PRETTY MUCH knows, though there are still lots of fun details. It wasn't a slingshot, for one thing!
Goliath is the Statue of Liberty of Michael Jordans, David is Mr. Have It Both Ways, and King Saul's descent into madness ramps up right now!
Emily is mostly concerned with whether this Philistine-Israelite war is cruelty-free toward animals.
We're excited to be joined by Andrew Whitehead, author of numerous works explaining the dangers of Christian Nationalism. Yep, this relates to how the David and Goliath story gets taught in ch ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
1y ago
Samuel 7-16!
The Bible contains a LOT of genres. Uh-oh, you're now in the middle of a Machiavellian historical novel about Derek Zoolander!
Time for our regular installment of Which Part Of This Story Will White Christian Americans Try To Contort Into Propaganda For White Christian America?
Does this episode include weird math, exaggerated war stuff, confusing prophet behavior, confusing food rules, weird animal stuff, baffling arguments, the total eradication of tribes clearly not eradicated, and women hanging out by a well? It's a Bible episode, so duh!
Know how you've bee ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
1y ago
We're entering a whole new chunk of the Bible, and it might be a surprise chunk!
Why we're now in Samuel instead of Ruth, the book that's up next according to Christian Bibles!
Yet another barren womb! As always, when the Bible reuses a story, the variations are everything!
The Bible's first usage of "the messiah" is a fine time to talk about how poorly the average Christian understands the old, complex, ever-evolving concept!
Meet the original Typical Preacher's Kids!
A war catastrophe leads to the Philistines capturing the Ark of the Covenant, which goes very terribl ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
1y ago
It's time to bring on the internet's beloved Jon Bois to discuss:
The Bible's best story book so far, if you have the non-exploding stomach for it: Judges.
Meet Ehud, the left-handed sphincter-bursting assassin!
Homeschool middle school during the end of the world!
Christian culture stuff like Carman, MxPx, Five Iron Frenzy, James Dobson, Amy Grant, Creed, DC Talk, and comic Bibles!
Plus Samson, Delilah, Gideon, Deborah, and more Judges stories that get mangled in Sunday school!
Intro song: "Don't Save Me" by Haim.
Ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts are highly appreciated, and you c ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
1y ago
WAR DADS AND LADY WAR DADS ASSEMBLE. It's a new Bible section!
Joshua is the dude version of LIVE LAUGH LOVE, but also somehow the most feminist book yet.
Rahab, the Bible character whose job is most ignored by church, and also a military mastermind.
THE WALLS OF JERICHO: pretty cool, but mostly for reasons besides those made up by Sunday school, Carman, and Joel Osteen.
How can believers explain this awful book of murder being in the Bible? There's actually a pretty simple way!
What we're talking about when we talk about "history in the Bible."
And setting ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
1y ago
The final book of the Torah, the one we NEVER talked about in church, actually ... kinda rules at times?
In the story, at the edge of Canaan, Moses reframes everything that's happened to this point, retconning the horrors of Numbers and synthesizing the Bible's competing God ideas into one coherent theology that more or less works for everyone on earth (except the despicable Jebusites).
Upgraded lore, now including IRON GHOST GIANTS (and way less murder).
Talmud rabbis vs. Oprah's collected life advice: who ya got?
You want some more weird penis rules? Say less.  ..read more
Vacation Bible School Podcast
1y ago
Hi pals! Taking a break from the main Bible storyline to hit some listener questions, such as:
What's the Protestant holiday calendar like?
Which Bible verse most contradicts its own book?
There's a Toad the Wet Sprocket song about the apostles being sick of Paul lol.
What are the Bible's best name meanings?
Every Catholic heresy, given a thumbs up or thumbs down!
Do animals have souls?
Do Christians, um, like, kinda, you know, wish for death, um, so they can go to Heaven, welp?
What's the Bible's scariest verse?
A light round of Calvinism vs. A ..read more