About this podcast
We love the Bible, and we love good books. Holy Writ draws these loves together by generating dialogue between specific works of literature and Scripture. Each episode explores how a novel can refresh and deepen our interpretation of the Bible, so that it can inspire us to wonder, to question, and above all to love.
Episodes
- Ep. 20 - Jayber Crow · 1 h 50 min · Episode 20In this episode, we enter the town of Port William through Wendell Berry’s novel *Jayber Crow.* Reading it alongside Jonah 1 and Matthew 5, we talk about place, romance, calling…
- Ep. 19 - A Wizard of Earthsea · 1 h 38 min · Episode 19In this episode, we turn to Ursula Le Guin's novel *A Wizard of Earthsea.* Reading it alongside Matthew 4 and Genesis 45, we explore how fantasy can sharpen our interpretive…
- Ep. 18 - Blood Meridian with Brian Brock · 1 h 42 min · Episode 18In this episode we discuss Cormac McCarthy’s brutally violent novel *Blood Meridian* with guest Dr. Brian Brock, Chair of Moral and Practical Theology at the University of…
- Ep. 17 - The Mysterious Benedict Society · 1 h 37 min · Episode 17In this episode, we turn to Trenton Lee Stewart's novel *The Mysterious Benedict Society,* a story that follows four gifted children brought together for a secret assignment…
- Ep. 16 - Moby-Dick · 1 h 37 min · Episode 16In this episode, we turn to Herman Melville’s infamous novel *Moby-Dick.* Reading it in conversation with Numbers 9 and Matthew 12, we reflect on how Scripture forms and directs…
- Ep. 15 - Lila · 2 h 6 min · Episode 15In this episode, we turn to Marilynne Robinson’s quiet, searching novel *Lila.* Reading it alongside John 20 and Hosea 14, we reflect on alternative modes of practicing theology…
- Ep. 14 - Homegoing · 1 h 49 min · Episode 14In this episode, we explore Yaa Gyasi’s book *Homegoing,* a novel that follows the branching paths of a single family across continents and centuries. Reading it in conversation…
- Ep. 13 - The Book Thief · 2 h 1 min · Episode 13In this episode, we turn to Markus Zusak’s *The Book Thief,* a novel that bears witness to the life of a young girl in Nazi Germany as she navigates profound loss, unexpected…
- Ep. 12 - LaRose · 2 h 2 min · Episode 12In this episode, we explore Louise Erdrich’s novel *LaRose,* a story that resists simple answers in the wake of tragedy. Reading it alongside Leviticus 24 and Ephesians 2, we…
- Ep. 11 - Time of the Child · 1 h 55 min · Episode 11In this episode, we step into the dreary beauty of Niall Williams’ *Time of the Child,* a tender, luminous novel that lingers over birth, hope, and the quiet rearranging of a…
- Ep. 10 - Parable of the Sower with Tamisha Tyler · 1 h 53 min · Episode 10In this episode, we discuss Octavia Butler’s *Parable of the Sower*—a prophetic work of speculative fiction that reimagines God, community, and survival amidst societal collapse…
- Ep. 9 - Misery · 1 h 44 min · Episode 9In this episode, we uneasily enter Stephen King’s novel *Misery*—a brutal and brilliant meditation on captivity, creation, and control. Reading it alongside Psalm 88 and 2…
- Ep. 8 - East of Eden · 1 h 51 min · Episode 8In this episode, we delve into John Steinbeck’s sprawling masterpiece *East of Eden,* a novel that reimagines the story of Cain and Abel across generations of rivalry, love and…
- Ep. 7 - The Buried Giant · 1 h 46 min · Episode 7In this episode, we descend into the mist of Kazuo Ishiguro’s haunting novel, *The Buried Giant.* Reading it alongside Luke 22 and Nehemiah 2, we talk about the meaning and power…
- Ep. 6 - Giovanni's Room · 1 h 51 min · Episode 6In this episode, we wade into the waters of *Giovanni’s Room,* James Baldwin’s desperately beautiful and exposing novel of desire, dislocation and self-repression. Reckoning with…
- Ep. 5 - Sunrise on the Reaping · 1 h 50 min · Episode 5In this episode, we enter the deadly arena of *Sunrise on the Reaping,* the latest installment in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games saga. Reading this prequel alongside Exodus 1…
- Ep. 4 - Ancillary Justice with Collin Cornell · 1 h 39 min · Episode 4 In this episode, we explore Anne Leckie's book, *Ancillary Justice*–a novel of galactic empire, artificial intelligence and fractured identity. In our mind-bending conversation…
- Ep. 3 - North Woods · 1 h 55 min · Episode 3In this episode, we dive with delight into *North Woods* by Daniel Mason—a novel that, in many ways, unfolds like the Bible itself. In our wide-ranging conversation, which draws…
- Ep. 2 - Beloved · 1 h 50 min · Season 1 Episode 2In this episode, we discuss Toni Morrison’s *Beloved,* a novel that refuses to let the past be forgotten. Bringing it into conversation with Romans, John 6, and Lamentations 2 &…
- Ep. 1 - Holes · 1 h 20 min · Season 1 Episode 1In this debut conversation, Emily and Tommy introduce themselves and share the story behind this podcast—how their love for fiction and scripture led them to explore the ways…
