Religiosanity: Recent Episodes
Rutgers Presbyterian Church
Talking about religion and keeping our sanity. Knowledge and humour are our best defenses against bigotry.
The Rev. Andrew Stehlik, Th.D. (theologian and anthropologist) takes layperson Peter Rinaldi on deep dives into the sources of religious phenomena. We are talking about religion honestly, respectfully and humbly.
Religion #Anthropology #Science #History #antibigotry
If causing the last Pope to slip faster into the afterlife wasn't enough, now U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has an audience with the NEW Pope, and presents this Augustinian scholar with an English translation of St. Augustine's "City Of God." What's behind J.D.'s lame gift? Pastor Andrew breaks it all down for us.
Pastor Andrew returns from his study leave/vacation with some anthropological discoveries made in a surprising place--the playgrounds of the Czech Republic!
Pastor Andrew makes the case that the MAGA movement that elected a convicted criminal for a second term is not merely brainwashed, but is rather under a form of demonic possession, a kind that is very self-defeating.
Pastor Andrew breaks down the back-and-forth between Vice President J.D. Vance and Pope Francis. Vance invoked ordo amoris to defend his general approach to immigration and refugees, and the Pontiff (without naming him directly) "corrected" him, in an inspiring statement placing the teachings of Jesus over church dogma.
Trump's offer of refugee status to "persecuted" Afrikaans prompts Pastor Andrew, as a way to shed light on the racist dogwhistle that policy move is, to lay out the origins of apartheid in South Africa, religions' role in those origins, and also its role in apartheid's collapse.
Pastor Andrew takes us on a deep dive into one of Jesus' last words on the cross, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and encourages us to take it in via its literary context, seeing it as "an early church attempt to preach to itself about the meaning of Jesus’ suffering."
When well-meaning leaders, anxious to adhere to the separation of church and state, lean too far in to the “zero religious education” stance, instead of calling on academia to sift through standards and material and come up with a curriculum, we get the current situation we are in—a public at large more susceptible to bad theology at best and fundamentalism, fanaticism, and conspiracism at worst. Pastor Andrew makes the plea for cold, objective, religious eduction now.
Pastor Andrew is back from vacation with a report on the phenomenon that is called "Christian Radio" but under a thin veneer it is actually "Christo Fascist Radio." On a surface it is saccharine sweet but it only hides and masks sinister dangerous American pseudo-christianity.
Pastor Andrew used the new book "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity" by David Graeber and David Wengrow as a jumping off point to talk about some new findings in the study of the earliest people and how these insights connect us in real ways to our ancestors, spiritually and otherwise.
Pastor Andrew returns again to the topic of the state of Louisiana making it a law to have the 10 Commandments on display in all schools. He posits "Tell me which 10 Commandments you read and I'll tell you who you are." By censoring the very first commandment, they are showing exactly what kind of Christians they are, namely ones interesting in enslavement rather than setting their people free.
A moment in France's olympic opening ceremony was deemed blasphemous and mocking of Jesus and the Christian religion. The outcry was so loud and vast that the Olympic officials had to give press conferences about it, and eventually removed the clip from view online. The fervor has finally died down. Now we need Pastor Andrew to weigh in on this most potent form of "Religio-insanity." He says, "we are being shackled back into slavery under the pretension of “blasphemy.” That itself is blasphemous…using God to promote your inferior motives—political, religious—using religion not to liberate, but to control and to enslave. Jesus would be horrified.
Episode 116: Birds in the Bible and Ancient Texts (Part 2) by Rutgers Presbyterian Church
Public displays of the 10 Commandments are back!!!!!! And Pastor Andrew is more angry about it than ever. On this episode, he discusses how this phenomenon is offensive on many different levels, not just with fundamentalists pushing their religion on others, but also theologically frustrating being that there isn't just one set of 10 Commandments, not even in the Hebrew bible itself!
An offhanded remark about the salvation of birds prompts Pastor Andrew to come to this episode with some examples, from the Bible and ancient texts, of the wisdom, cunning, and dare we say, faith of our winged friends, which leads to a larger discussion of what has led humans to feel a superiority to animals, and the Christian implication in this.
Pastor Andrew is back to talk about inspiration he is finding, of late, in religious scholars who consider themselves to be atheists or agnostics, and how their lack of dogma yields a more rich and robust approach to the deep roots of religious history and thought.
Pastor Andrew is back LIVE with host Peter Rinaldi for the 2nd edition of ASK THE PASTOR ANYTHING (about the Bible of Ancient Times). Favorite theologians, Do pets go to heaven, Christianity in the days of Slavery, miracles as myth, and much much more! This event was recording live at Rutgers Presbyterian Church on Tuesday March 5th.
On this episode, Pastor Andrew describes, and begins to process, a spiritual crisis, or a personal spiritual realignment, that has to do with the Old Testament.
A headline reading “Breakthrough in Biblical Archeology: Israeli researchers developed a groundbreaking method using the earths magnetic field to verify events in the old testament” prompts Pastor Andrew to do a deep dive into the oxymoron of Biblical Archeology, highlighting two figures, Yigael Yadin and William Foxwell Albright, who played key roles in this phenomenon, and why it has always been about much more than just “proving” the Bible.
Deeply problematic, ugly, satanic texts about biblical jihad (passages from the Hebrew bible that no serious theologian would ever cite without significant, careful assessment of the context), are suddenly surfacing among the ranks of Israeli politics to seemingly justify what appears to be a war campaign hell bent on elimination. On this episode, Pastor Andrew reads his letter to his representatives alerting them to this danger, breaks down these (and other) passages, their origins, why they are problematic, and how their prima facie invocation is a perilous brand of Religio-INsanity.
On this final episode of 2023, Pastor Andrew posits that, the longer a two-state solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict seems more and more unattainable, the more Martin Buber's vision for a single state of two nations will be the only option.
As promised, Pastor Andrew breaks down the various geographic terms of the areas surrounding and including what we nowadays refer to as Israel and Palestine, explaining how these terms were formed, what is contested, and why it matters.
A hot button topic sometimes needs to be discussed in order to bring some sanity to it, especially if it's related to religion. Pastor Andrew carefully lays out the differences between Ant-Judaism, Antisemitism, and Anti-Zionism, and goes on the record, unequivocally, regarding where he stands.
The worst conflict between Israel and Palestine in recent memory sparks a hypothetical question for Pastor Andrew: If there were a button that would erase all the organized religions from the planet, would you press it? His answer leads into a discussion about the broader reaches of fundamentalism, which certainly does not leave Christianity unimplicated.
Pastor Andrew brings us back to the ritual that points to the origins of the word "scapegoat," throw in a mysterious possible deity named Azazel, and you have the polytheistic roots of the Yom Kippur tradition for the Jewish people!A short video about the same subject: https://youtu.be/fVWz08cvXFI
On this second episode about Hawaii, as promised, Pastor Andrew digs into the myth of Pele (Goddess of Volcanos)and her significance to the Hawaiian people even now. But first, he talks about the devastating wild fires that have terrorized the island of Maui.
After mentioning it in many episodes, finally Pastor Andrew takes us deep into one of his favorite topics: Hawaii. This epic episode dips into many aspects of our 50th state, including its history, its religion, the Polynesian people in general, the surprisingly good results of the American occupation, the surprising lack of sandy beaches, and much much more.
Last week The Supreme Court ruled in favor of "303 Creative LLC," making it acceptable for a business to withhold service from Gay people. Pastor Andrew talks about this frustrating decision, and the myriad ways in which it makes no sense.
The decision reached at the latest Southern Baptist Convention to stop funding churches with women clergy is the springboard for a larger conversation with Pastor Andrew about women in the church, Christian misogyny, female deities, and much more.
Pastor Andrew answers the questions that weren't asked (due to time)in the 100th LIVE episode, such as "Did ancient people really believe an immortal God could get drunk?," "Does someone have to believe in the Trinity to be considered Christian?" and much more!
In celebration of the 100th episode, Pastor Andrew invites the public to ASK HIM ANYTHING about the bible or ancient times! Co-host Peter Rinaldi moderates questions from the live audience, those in the YouTube chat, and anonymous questions sent in from the public! It's a fun, informative and even inspirational evening!
Baffled by the recent book bans, anti-LGBT legislation, and general fascist behavior from "Florida Man" Ron DeSantis, Pastor Andrew discusses the origins of a mindset that would think of this as acceptable, and religion's part in this insanity.
On the jewish holiday of Shavuot, Pastor Andrew takes us back to the ancient city of Ugarit to discuss KTU141, which is one of the tablets describing rituals for a holiday that could be considered to be the Ugarit equivalent of the Jewish holiday of Shukkot, and he talks about how, for every Hebrew holiday, you can find a Ugarit equivalent from which it was “transferred.”
News that Putin was ordering the handover of Russia’s most famous icon and work of art, Andrei Rublev’s 15th-century "Trinity," from the State Tretyakov Gallery to the Russian Orthodox Church, reminds Pastor Andrew of Andrei Tarkovsky's film "Andrei Rublev," which, he posits, might be a fascinating portal for the west to look into the dark soul of Russia.
Peter's traffic ticket leads Pastor Andrew into a discussion on government overreach, particularly in regard to abortion, and the hypocrisy of conservative cries for less government involvement, except of course when it comes to issues they want the government to reach into.Episode 83: We Refuse, We Resist: https://soundcloud.com/user-268177934-789175382/episode-82-we-refuse-we-resist?si=67529d72315c402a861717b23bd74870&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
The latest news about the level to which Fox News panders-for-profit with its audience by ignoring the truth and selling lies they want to hear gets Pastor Andrew thinking about the ways this also happens in fundamentalist churches and how, being that there is a significant cross-over in Fox's audience, this might actually be what laid the groundwork for the incessant need for avoiding the truth.
The incredible musical presentation of Theodore Dubois' "The Last Seven Words of Christ" from music director Gabriel Evans and Rutger's Choir and Chamber Ensemble sparks a conversation of what, if anything, Jesus did say on the cross, and how various versions depicted in different Gospels should be taken separately, rather than all together, which lessens the impact and intentions of each. Watch "Seven last Words of Christ" https://youtu.be/sPZnzjBYYlg
On this episode, Pastor Andrew returns us to Ugarit, this time to talk about the strange form of divination called teratomancy, which is the procedure of deriving insights into the future from the malformations of newborns. And shows how that documentation of these issues actually shows health in a society.
On this episode, Pastor Andrew poses the question "what kind of religion needs advertisements?" He discusses the 7 million dollar "He Gets Us" Jesus ad, and why we should be careful and questioning, not just with a message, but with who the messenger is.
Pastor Andrew reads selections from a sermon written by artificial intelligence which leads to a discussion about these exciting and possibly concerning advancements in technology, its crossroads with religion, and the ways people react to it.
Pastor Andrew brings us back again to the ancient city of Ugarit, this time to talk about a short cuneiform passage that briefly details (what most scholars think is) a solar eclipse. This leads into a discussion about viewing eclipses (including the Pastor's 2017 trip to Kentucky to see a solar eclipse), and the intersection of religion and astronomy, particular in Hawaii where the two have been butting heads of late.
A hike near Stony Point New York brings Pastor Andrew face to face (both literally and figuratively) with the current state of mental health care in America when he comes across the dilapidated remains of the Letchworth Village Sanatorium. He takes the opportunity to compare mental health facilities in his homeland, and to offer up ways to begin to deal with this crisis in humane and productive ways.Here is a blog which I wrote eight years ago. http://blog-andrew.stehlik.org/2014/12/psychiatrists-kid.html
Pastor Andrew promised us a story about God El, head of Pantheon, getting drunk; and he delivered. As we dives into this Ugarit myth, we learn about ancient people's relationship to alcohol (particularly wine, and its road from experimentation to temperance) and other mind altering substances.
Freshly recovered from his first bought with Covid-19, Pastor Andrew shares his experience with it, how he fared, how he passed the time, why he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy, and speculation on why people would deny themselves the vaccine for religious reasons. Plus much more!https://www.gresham.ac.uk/https://www.youtube.com/c/GreshamCollegehttps://www.thegreatcourses.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_D._Ehrman
Pastor Andrew offers up his thoughts on Francesca Stavrakopoulou's book "God: An Anatomy." Spoiler alert: he really likes it! He offers an appreciation of the maturity of the worldview, grasp of the biblical world, and understanding that the ancients were reflecting on their own humanity through the reflection of their deities. Plus much more!
Pastor Andrew returns to the Ugarit story of the twin gods Shahar and Shalim, this time to focus on another aspect of that ancient text--the circumcision of God El. He talks about the origins of circumcision as a form of marriage ritual, and how this leads right into the Hebrew tradition.
Check out the previous episode about Shahar and Shalim--https://soundcloud.com/user-268177934-789175382/the-feast-of-the-goodly-gods
Pastor Andrew brings us back to the ancient city of Ugarit, this time to talk about an interesting list of Gods that was found, numbering over 30, including...a guitar?!
We waited a month before sitting down to talk about the Supreme Court decision that the constitution does not confer a right to abortion. But now that some time has passed, Pastor Andrew expresses his feelings about this decision--morally, theologically, logically--and the steps Rutgers Church has taken to help out with this tragedy.
Here's the statement released by Rutgers Church the week of the decision:
Clergy of the Rutgers Presbyterian Church are without reservation PRO CHOICE! The supreme court's ruling which overturned half a century of reproductive autonomy (so called Roe v. Wade) will negatively affect the lives of millions of women and girls especially those in marginalized communities. We adamantly reject any notion that laws, courts, and judges should have power over the bodily autonomy of women. It is no one's right to limit and control a woman's personal and medical reproductive decisions. As people of faith, we must refuse and actively resist any attempts to use religion as a pretext for undermining and destroying fundamental human rights!
Pastor Andrew sheds light on a Ugaritic Day of Atonement that pre-dates the Hebrew bible by hundreds of years, which leads to a conversation and an idea for adding such a day to our calendar as Christians.
Pastor Andrew takes us back to the ancient city of Ugarit, this time for the story of the twin gods Shahar and Shalim, sons of El and Asherah, and talks about how this artifact tells us an interesting and important insight into how ancient people viewed their religion, in a very different way than we do in modern and pre-modern times.
Pastor Andrew breaks down the religious history of Russia and Ukraine and the significant part today's religious situation plays in the current conflict.
As the pandemic slides into an endemic, Pastor Andrew has been pondering the reasons why such a large percentage of the country has a mistrust of vaccines and he has come up with a hypothesis. It's not just that the government has done bad things in the past (The Tuskegee Experiment, etc), it's that the people responsible have not been help accountable. In short, the US hasn't made things right. Therein lie the roots of mistrust.
Back to the ancient city of Ugarit for the story of Nikkal-and-Ib. Pastor Andrew talks about this hard to define tale, which exists on only one tablet, about the God Yarich falling in love with Nikkal and asking her father for permission to marry her. He talks about how this story has echos of the Hebrew bible, and the value these ancient stories have for us today.
Pastor Andrew takes us back to the ancient city of Ugarit for the story of King Keret, a legendary king who we catch at the moment he looses everyone he loves and Goddess Asherah gives him instructions to get back the one thing he desires, but he makes one royal mistake. It's a cautionary tale warning against being more religious than God wants you to be. Pastor Andrew places this story in its historical context, talks about its use of repetition, and explains what it might be saying to us in our modern times, and much more!
On this episode, we return back to the ancient city of Ugarit, for the Epos of Aqhat, a poetic tale written in cuneiform 3000 years ago about a special son (Aqhat), a jealous goddess (Anat), a super cool bow and arrow set (with instructions on how to make it yourself), a hit man (Yatipan), a vengeful sister (Pughat), and much more! Just don't expect an ending that wraps it all up. That part is lost forever!
Amy Coney Barrett's line of questioning, at the recent hearing regarding Mississippi's abortion law, betrays her utter ignorance or recent history and just general sociological understanding. Thinking that adoptions and orphanages are a solution to the problem of "forced motherhood" is not only scandalous but also callous. It leads to a discussion about recent Romanian history of parent-less childhood squalor, and into a broader discussion of abortion itself, the true definition of "pro life," and much more.
The total acquittal of Wisconsin vigilante/terrorist Kyle Rittenhouse prompts a discussion about the idea of placing the value of property over the value of human lives, and how this whole episode falls, once again, under the frightening banner of christian white nationalism.
On this episode, Peter has a question for Pastor Andrew regarding the quote "myths are that which never were, yet always are." Which leads to a discussion about the transformative importance of myths, and how fundamentalistic approaches to these stories cheat us out of their impact.
In the third and final segment of the "Angels" series, Pastor Andrew talks about how the hierarchy of angels mirrors the hierarchy of gods in polytheistic theology and how one phrase from Jesus revolutionized the whole structure. Plus he answer the questions 'should angels be unionized?' and MUCH more!
In this second part of the "Angels" series, Pastor Andrew shifts our focus to the more "mundane" angels that we can encounter in life, and shares a story of an angel visiting an old man in modern times.
After 70 episodes of Religiosanity, you must now realize when you see a title like "Angels" that you are not going to get some lightweight, cookie-cutter, hallmark-talk. By now you know that Pastor Andrew is going to take us back to the beginning, as close to the origin as would be possible to examine, back to when they were called "messengers," and he's going to fill us in on what they represented, how they manifested, how people interacted with them, and what their existence says about us anthropologically. Now be an angel and, if you enjoyed our first 70 episodes, would you share them with loved ones?
Pastor Andrew traveled to Arizona for a birding vacation and provides us with a dispatch from the border wall. The terrible structure is not just an eye-sore, its construction and enforcement create tangible issues for the people of the area that are much more detectable when you visit first-hand. The trip also made him reflect on the irony of the indisputable Mexican-ness of the birds (and other living things) of the area.
Pastor Andrew gives us a theological, exegetical, historical record of the attempts to reconstruct the story of the empty tomb, how it changed throughout the Gospel stories, it’s potential powers and pitfalls, and the multiple reasons why he has chosen not to talk about it in a sermon, until this Easter.
Pastor Andrew and Peter share their personal approaches to Lent, and the idea of abstaining in general, which takes the conversation from soda pop to pescatarianism. Plus Peter shares a wild, potentially controversial lenten practice that he thinks would be an interesting way to get closer to that metaphorical desert. Pastor Andrew finds some merits in it, but also advises thoughtfulness in its regard.
The topic of this episode is Mark 8:33, where Jesus tells Peter “Get behind me Satan.” Pastor Andrew touches on the broader context of Peter’s position in the early church and his successors, gives us an illustration of how the story was transformed and deepened through the use of conflict, and calls for the demythologization of the passage, away from resting in the dualism of God and the Devil, “which does it a disservice.”
Right around the time Senator Ted Cruz was getting on a plane, quite literally leaving behind his suffering constituents trying to survive the power crisis in Texas, Pastor Andrew sat down to record this episode in which he ponders how Christians who subscribe to the Prosperity Gospel, and the end-timers or "Left Behind" crowd, are dealing with being truly left behind, when it comes to the economy, services, or care, by those in power who they trusted.
The events of January 6th prompt a conversation about the duty of progressive Christianity in this time of violent White Christian Nationalism, and the need for a modern Barmen Declaration (which was a document adopted by Christians in Nazi Germany who opposed the German Christian Movement) to publicly decry this brand of blasphemous "Christianity." Here is the link to the sermon mention in this podcast https://youtu.be/bmKGX21U69g
An explanation of his rationale for choices made in his own translation of Matthew 7:13-14 leads Pastor Andrew to an interesting discussion about roads and gates in Jesus' time, and a wider (no pun intended) discussion about translation in general.
A spectacular moment in nature prompted Pastor Andrew to reflect on the famous philosophical thought experiment "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" It leads him to a condemnation of the anthropocentric world view at the heart of the question, and challenges us to start accounting for the interconnectedness of the natural world around us, and to let that knowledge humble us.
Peter jokingly asks Pastor Andrew if, now that Trump has been defeated, we have rid ourselves of religioinsanity. This leads to a discussion on the current state of fervent fundamentalism and a gnoseological crisis.
Pastor Andrew introduces us to the fascinating origin story of Psalm 20. Papyrus Amherst 63 is an ancient scroll discovered in the beginning of last century that gives us a surprising glimpse at a complex and inclusive time in ancient history, and shows us that, up until the 4th century BCE, our religious tradition was not as intolerant as later theologians would like us to believe.
Check out the episode of "Something You Might Not Know About the Bible" about this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzksVZXVoLE&t=9s
As the Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination hearings press on, Pastor Andrew tells us why we should feel free to criticize her religiousness, and he highlights the limitations/dangers of the particular originalism espoused by a group she has been linked to called "People Of Praise," and the importance of something they ignore: hermeneutics.
As our government officials pass new markers of insanity, both religious-based and otherwise, Pastor Andrew takes us back to ancient times and reads some text from nearly 4000 years ago that show us that government was set up to take care of the less fortunate, not to protect the thriving.
The events in Kenosha Wisconsin prompts Pastor Andrew to rant about the insane state of affairs in this country revolving around police and people of color.
Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned as head of Liberty University amid a personal scandal involving his wife, the pool boy, and others. Pastor Andrew talks about the hypocrisy of Falwell imposing strict fundamentalism on his followers while he lives a secret life, and how one can find the basis to the ultra right-wing conservative's kinks in the Bible.
An article in the New York Post called "NYC moms fleeing Upper West Side amid crime and chaos" causes lots of chatter on social media, and prompts this discussion with Pastor Andrew about the problem with sweeping poverty, homelessness, and mental illness under the rug, and why it's always been the church's job to be out front in facing these issues head-on and challenging "not-in-my-neighbourhood" mentality especially if it is defending class, race and other prejudices.
In a special episode, Pastor Andrew graciously agrees to answer questions Peter tosses at him. The discussion revolves around understanding Hermeneutics and using mathematics to explain how the gospel and other religious teachings can be powerful and transformative even if not defined in a conventional "reality."
“The stupidest thing we can do is take what we have been given by prior generations, as something they found important for themselves, and dismiss it outright.” - Pastor Andrew
Exodus is not a singular historical event, it is ongoing. It is about liberation from slavery, many different aspects, from different periods, but created in one unit, and in that, it has the power to tell us something about how human societies function, how we function within them, how our faiths, hopes, and aspirations influence them. Exodus is an invitation to march for freedom.
The first hand experience of dealing with our current pandemic has opened Pastor Andrew’s mind to what people, especially indigenous people, were dealing with in various government inflicted (or neglected) pandemics of the past. He reflects on a few of them and expands our awareness of disasters hard to imagine, culpability hard to fathom, and resilience of a people that is awe inspiring.
On July 6th we commemorate Jan Hus, the important Czech theologian and early reformer. Pastor Andrew, who is himself Czech, takes us through the events that led to his execution at the stake, the uprising in its aftermath that became know as the first reformation, and how we can honor him by our commitment to justice and truth.
“Who endowed the ibis with wisdom and gave the rooster his intelligence?” Job 38:36
On the 50th episode of ReligioSanity, Pastor Andew’s week spent bird watching prompts a talk about the strange insecurity in monotheism in regard to cosmotheism, and he makes a plea for a better understanding of nature coming from the deeper layers of our faith.
The New York Times published a disturbing article titled "Send In The Troops" on their opinion page last week, written by Republican Senator Tom Cotton. The paper has since apologized for printing it, saying it did not meet their standards. Pastor Andrew talks about the dangers of a lack of curation with pieces like this, how certain adjectives can clue the reader in to a certain mindset in the writer, and how the simple addition of some context would have helped the whole affair.
The President of The United States used military police to forcefully clear the area so he could have a photo op in front of a church awkwardly holding the Bible in the air in a way that revealed he likely never held one before in his life. Pastor Andrew vents about the blasphemy of this event, the disrespect and disregard of the message contained in the pages of that book, and the distance between him and the so-called "Christian" leaders who championed this display.
Pastor Andrew does a deep dive into what lies at the heart of the typical mega-church leaders’ and mega-churchgoers’ passionate desire to re-open. He opines that the same thing that draws people to mega churches are what draws many to high energy political rallies. There is certain proclivity in these folks to seek and like the validation and confirmation found in large crowds, who find it energizing and confirming. But what does this kind of “crowd-comfort” say about faith? He ends with the thought that “you cannot get deeper, better insight and illumination without experiencing some levels of discomfort” and makes the case that this discomfort just might be beneficial to our spiritual and psychological wellbeing.
The concerning situation at nursing homes during the pandemic prompts Pastor Andrew to call for a reexamination of the way we treat the elderly in this county. He cites the story of Tithonus and Eros as an example of our lack of myths in our Judeo-Christian tradition that warn us and help us to deal with the idea of growing old and the cherishing of our elders.
An opinion piece in the New York Times by Annalee Newitz triggers the ire of Pastor Andrew due to its oversimplification of ancient history (particularly in regard to the city of Ugarit), in its overzealous attempt to tie together a well-intentioned point about inequality and its connection to modern times. His rebuttal to their piece also serves us by filing in some blanks with pertinent details about Ugaritic society. Without trivial ideological simplification we can learn more about reasons and dynamic leading towards or accompanying collapse of civilisations. Here's a link to the article : https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/opinion/coronavirus-inequality-history.html
Pastor Andrew lays out for us of what worship in a Ugarit temple would have been like like more than 3000 years ago, including description of the temple both inside and out, and even a nearby business connected to the temple. It's fascinating to learn that many of these details are not as far from ours in current times as we may have thought.
Christians know well the story of Jesus touching a leper and healing him, but few realize, despite it being spelled out in the gospel, that Jesus was basically forced into quarantine following the encounter. Pastor Andrew sheds light on this episode, leprosy in general in the Bible, and makes a plea for caution AND humanism at this time of our own quarantine.
A viral video of a Ohio church parishioner claiming that she can't catch the Coronavirus because she's "covered in the blood of Jesus" prompts a conversation with Pastor Andrew about the anthropological, ethical, and theological insanity and downright blasphamous mis-use of this metaphor. Also the sparse history of blood use in rituals of ancient times and in the Old and New Testaments, plus what the Pastor believes Jesus would do with his blood right now today.
Pastor Andrew addresses the popular misconception that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, which leads to a larger discussion about the women, both named and unnamed, of the gospels, the patriarchal approach to their representation, and how that only got worse in the years after its writing.
Peter reads the passage from the Gospel of John where Mary Magdalene can't find the body of Jesus and asks the gardener for it, not knowing that the gardener is Jesus. Pastor Andrew fills in the eyeopening ancient stories John is hinting at here that add so much to interpretation of this story, right down to the pairing of Jesus and Adam, each with their gardens, one old and one new as can be.
Peter asks Pastor Andrew if Jesus ever got REALLY angry, which prompts a discussion of the story of Jesus cursing a fig tree in the gospel of Matthew. Understanding this story in the proper context of the time brings about reflection on the symbol of oppression that fig tree represented, and a greater understanding of the parable brings us to connect it to other such symbols in our own time.
Another senseless, and now potentially dangerous, statement from Trump about the proposed "resurrection of America" on Easter prompts Pastor Andrew to tell us about the ways the word "resurrection" is used differently than it is in its meaning in the gospel. For one, there is a justice dimension to resurrection that is important to its Christian meaning, one that reconciles martyrdom with a larger understanding of a just god. And he offers us hope by encouraging us to strive toward justice as a way to celebrate the resurrection at Easter.
Pastor Andrew joins Peter remotely to discuss what might be labeled the equivalent of "satanic verses" in the Bible, in particular the way Jesus dismissed being called out for not washing before eating, which leads into a conversation of our current worldwide crisis, and how we are dealing with it.
Did you know Kings used to be likened to gardeners? Anyone who wants to run for office should be required to take care of a garden for 10 years, after which, if they have done a sufficient job, they should be allowed to run. This is an idea Pastor Andrew proposes in this episode where he calls on us to celebrate divine gardens as a spiritual achievement, and recognize the religious dimension of parks, or find a connection to the divine in the simple taking care of a potted plant.
As a global pandemic intensifies in our nation, and anxiety and confusion envelop us, Pastor Andrew thinks it's a good time to look at the many biblical and extra-biblical revelations and apocalyptices, and see them within their context of heightened anxiety, written by people living in unstable times, but with the purpose not to bring fear, but hope.
Pastor Andrew highlights some passages from the Bible that ridicule other forms of worship, showing us that not all humor in the Bible has the same intentions. He calls us out on our hypocrisy in this regard, with our own wasteful and bloated forms of worship, and asks us to approach those who worship differently with empathy.
With the COVID-19 hysteria ramping up, Peter asks Pastor Andrew to talk about the Egyptian plagues of the Hebrew bible. First revelation: "plague" is a strange mistranslation. "Hit" or "Blow" are more proper. They also discuss the interesting origins of the use of Leprosy in the New Testament, and what happens if the "hits" keep coming.
An article by medievalist Lynn Townsend White Jr. on the historical roots of our present day ecological crisis sparks a conversation on the widespread prevalence of religio-insanity, sparked by perversion of religious thought and ignorance, infecting our spiritual institutions.
The recent evangelical longing for the time of Billy Graham makes Pastor Andrew reflect on the historical tone-deafness, and downright insanity, of Graham's (and many other evangelicals') use of the word "crusade" in various titles of events and organizations.
On this episode, Pastor Andrew proposes the idea of taking ON a practice for lent rather than the now cliché, tired, often obsessive compulsive idea of giving UP something for lent, and details the "Five Daily Prayers" exercise that Rutgers Church is taking on for this spiritually significant season.
Pastor Andrew talks with Peter about one of the darkest taboo of religious human sacrifices, difference between a know story of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac and Jephthah's sacrifice of his daughter and its similarity to classical parallel in the sacrifice of Iphigenia. And some remarks about the origins of sacrifices.
In 2017, Trump announced the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the planning of the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. On this episode, Pastor Andrew talks about the religio-insanity of justifying such a recognition by citing mythology and legend as if it were history, and fills us in on the historical fact surrounding this issue.
Pastor Andrew once again takes us on an unexpected journey. This time we learn about an ancient (and at that time most trusted) form of divination called haruspicy, which is basically the "science" of inspecting the entrails of sacrificed animals.
Pastor Andrew pays tribute to Terry Jones, from "Monty Python's Flying Circus," who died this week, by talking about the theological gifts the great movie he directed, "Life of Brian," has to share. The movie got a beating from "church folk" when it came out, but, as Pastor Andrew says, only people who don't understand the Bible would take offense to this marvelous film.
The assassination of Qasem Soleimani prompts Pastor Andrew into a discussion on Zoroastrianism and its influence on Judaism and Christianity.
On this episode, Pastor Andrew answers a listener question: What does Jesus mean by "The Kingdom of God?"
A preposterous assertion from Republican congressman Barry Loudermilk that "Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than the Democrats have afforded [Donald Trump]" during his current impeachment, prompts Pastor Andrew to talk about the trial of Jesus and place it in some historical context. Plus he tells us about the interesting arc Pilate traveled in some legendary stories from early Christians that puts him just shy of sainthood.
Pastor Andrew has one more chapter in the Sane Christmas series to share wit us. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas depicts the early childhood of Jesus, and it hilariously plays out like a young super hero not aware of his powers. Plus the Pastor explains how these stories help to put the gospel stories in context for him and why that's important.
In this epic final episode in the "Sane Christmas" series, Pastor Andrew finishes taking us through the wonderfully absurd alternate nativity story, "Protoevangelium of James," featuring bitter water, mid wives, frozen time, and "R-rated material!" And he challenges us to embrace the humor and folly of these stories.
Pastor Andrew takes us through a sort of "Christmas pageant for adults" that is "Protoevangelium of James," (from 150 CE)a sometimes wild and, perhaps unintentionally, humorous origin story of both Mary and Jesus. In this first part, we learn about the miraculous way Mary was born and how she met Joseph that takes a radical departure from the circumstances found in the gospels yet still at times attempts to merge the gospel stories.
Decoding ancient mysteries of Jesus’ birth. In the Gospel of Luke Jesus shares miraculous birth with Hellenistic heroes. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus’ birth is even more enigmatic and remarkable. The Announcement of his birth goes beyond 700 years earlier prophecy all the way to 1,200 years older Cuneiform text of Late Bronze Myth from Ugarit. Join us talking why and how Mary became a virgin again.
In this third installment of the "Sane Christmas" series, Pastor Andrew takes us on a deep dive into the three different layers of virginity of Mary in relation to the birth of Jesus: virginal conception, virginal birth, and immaculate conception; plus highlights some passages that give us clues into Mary's significance, and also, on the other hand, the power we can find in her unremarkable-ness.
In this second episode in the "Sane Christmas" series, Pastor Andrew illustrates how two Gospels handle "the Bethlehem problem," in other words, how do we get Jesus born in Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecy from Micah?
Pastor Andrew contrasts Christmas celebration traditions in Europe to the odd Santa-fication (Santa-fixation) that has formed in America due to commercial and secular influences.
How American #ReligiousIgnorance together with ravenous consumerism and greedy capitalism gave us Santa Claus abomination.
SantaAbomination
This is part one of a special "Sane Christmas" series.
Don't be afraid - here is a foretaste of #BibleClass at Rutgers Church. It is informed by the solid and most recent scholarship but is not afraid to include our personal experiences, current events and #geopolitical context. This is just about one pericope - interpreting the story of the #Demoniac of Gerasa
Healing #Demonism #Occupation #militaryOccupation #Demon #SocialGospel
Demythologisation #Demythologization
Pastor Andrew recounts his recent trip to Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and surrounding area, and talks about its pueblos, kivas and the importance of valuing the history of Indigenous people.
On this festive 13th episode, Pastor Andrew talks about the beautiful Celtic holiday of Samhain, the rituals and activities that were involved in it, and how it was watered down and commercialized into the holiday we know as Halloween.
Pastor Andrew reads his own dynamic equivalence translation of The Lord's Prayer and discusses his wording choices that bring Jesus' radical prayer into modern times and helps us reconnect with its original meaning.
From Pastor Andrew's Blog:
Loving God of the highest authority: In other words - heavenly parent. But “father” in the Ancient Near East context was primarily a figure of authority, especially if that figure was situated in the heavenly realm. May what you stand for be the measure for everything. That is an attempt to convey the concept of holiness and divine kingdom. May the world be shaped as your love will have it: Translating a petition which asks for divine rule to come from Heaven down on Earth.
Preserve for us and future generations enough for everyone to live: with fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink, a blue planet to inhabit. In the Ancient Near East devastating famines were a regular occurrence and for many people in Jesus’ times their food security was a daily concern. In our world the food security is also a painfully reality, but is ever more associated with an environmental devastation.
May our society be organized fairly, without anyone crushed by debt or need. The original text clearly spoke about the debt-forgiveness. All other words (sins, trespasses etc.) are attempts to translate the original Aramaic word חובא which was debt/obligation/anything owed. Our translation is an idiomatic attempt to provide similar meaning of forgiveness of debts and social justice. (By the way, the medieval “trespassing” was primarily aimed at destitute serfs who were driven to poaching in the vast holdings of their lords.)
Let the police and courts treat people justly, regardless of their class, nationality or race. The original text requests protection from “being handed over to judgement/trial” either to the corrupt Jewish authorities or to the occupying Roman power. In our times when prisons are disproportionally full of black men, the poor and the mentally ill (not to mention recent highly problematic detention of Mesoamerican migrants), I think this is an accurate contextual translation.
With thanks we now submit ourselves under your bright and loving rule for ever. And together we say - Let it be so! The closing doxology is not biblical and I took freedom to translate it from the broader Greek context translating “kingdom, power and glory” and final “amen”.
In celebration of St. Francis Day (October 4th) Pastor Andrew talks about the effects monotheism and "just me and God" theology have on the environment, and calls for the return to a more animistic approach to faith.
Does number of adherents prove anything? Does popularity correlate with religious, spiritual or any truth? Deep in the monotheism is this insecurity and need for validation through numbers. There are religion (often tribal) which keep people out and then there are religions which try to pull people in (almost by any means) It is a distinction between mission oriented and mystery oriented religions.
Discussion about multiplicity and evolution of Creation stories in the Ancient Near East as well as in the Bible - from the Theogony through Hellenistic bureaucratic speculations of Gnostic provenience. And with our Big Bang theory, are we still explaining our newest technology to explain the bigining of the universe?
In this episode, Pastor Andrew talks about Semitic goddess Anat and her multiple roles as a warrior goddess as well as goddess of love. Some of the portions of these texts speak about divine lovemaking.
Pastor Andrew Stehlik breaks down Donald Trump's insane statement "I am the chosen one" and the equally insane and just plain idiotic claim some evangelicals have that relates Trump with King Cyrus, and he lays out the differences between the tolerant society of ancient Persia and the evangelical/Trumpian idea of America.
Pastor Andrew Stehlik talks about the effects of monotheism on society, and how the roots of those effects still permeate our faith today.
There are even some malevolent gods in the Hebrew bible! Pastor Andrew talks about some of the places where these gods, such as Reshef, have been translated out of the text.
Asherah #Goddess, #GreatLady, #QueenofHeaven, #MotherofGods, these are all titles for Asherah, the wife of the god El.
Pastor Andrew talks about her characteristics and what remnants of her divine persona were carried into the #HebrewBible. Which leads to a conversation about the #genderofGod and divine #androgyny.
Ugarit #Ugaritic #ANE #Semitic #Polytheism #Monotheism
In this episode, Pastor Andrew examines the sometimes confusing textual DNA of the Semitic god "El" and how he relates to biblical God, Elohim, Eloah and Allah. We continue observing the process of "monotheisation" of West Semitic religion.
The god #Baal (#Baʻal) had his name stripped from the religion of the #HebrewBible, but not many of his characteristics. They remain. In this episode Pastor Andrew talks about how multiple Gods can be detected in the roots of monotheistic religion and how understanding this and #ANE #AncientNearEast #Religion in general can make for a richer approach to life and #faith. And studying these ancient texts is a way to touch the roots of our culture and humanity and to celebrate it.
90 years ago ancient texts were discovered, a "snapshot" of the city of Ugarit. Rev. Stehlik, Th. D. tells us why we should care about this extremely interesting polytheistic ancient literature, and how studying it helped put him on the road to a more open-minded faith.