The Bible & the English Major
All Articles & Episodes
Maren's articles marry her love of stories and her fascination with living connected to a God who loves us. The Bible and the English Major examines Bible stories the way an English major would, through multiple methods of interpretation presented in fun, accessible bites.
Visit “The Bible and the English Major” page to learn more about specific seasons, guests, and what people are saying.
The Woman Caught in Adultery, Part 4: Conversations With a Friend: Jennifer Garcia Bashaw
We conclude this series on John 8 with a conversation with Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw about her book, "Scapegoats, the Gospel through the Eyes of Victims." She helps us understand better ways to read the Bible and why English majors are the best. Those are her words, I promise!
The Woman Caught in Adultery, Part 2: Such a (Greek) Tragedy
Noticing the Greek tragedy structure of this story shines a dramatic spotlight on its central theme. All the tragic goodness, including the crisis, climax, and fatal flaw, lies with the Pharisees and not with the woman, leaving the theme that usually distracts us backstage.
The Woman Caught in Adultery, Part 1: What a Terrible Title
The story’s title has made the woman caught in adultery the infamous star of the show. But when we do a little grammatical analysis, we see she functions far more like a prop for the Pharisees than a leading lady. How then, has she become the title character?
Martha's Story, Part 6: Conversations With a Friend: Inés Velásquez-McBryde
We conclude our Martha’s Story series with a conversation with Pastora Inés Velásquez-McBryde from The Church We Hope For. She talks about the ethics of who gets centered both by the words of the storytellers and by the actions of Jesus. In God’s upside-down kingdom, the margins become the middle.
Martha's Story, Part 5: Biblical Fanfiction
Inspired by the Midrash of the ancient rabbis, Maren takes a crack at Biblical Fanfiction. What do you imagine the lawyer thought about Jesus' Good Samaritan parable? What if Martha heard it, too? And the bottom line question: can creativity can also be a tool in biblical interpretation? You decide.
Martha's Story, Part 4: The (Blank) Samaritan
Are we so familiar with the "good" Samaritan parable that we're too comfortable with it? Maren offers three readings that provoke the usual interpretation and point to the kingdom of God. Warning: the author has been walking around convicted for weeks. She hopes you'll join her.
Martha's Story, Part 2: Characters in Context
Martha has suffered too long in her sister Mary's shadow. Let's compare her to the 70 followers Jesus sends out and the self-righteous lawyer also found in Luke 10. What light can a good character foil shine?
Martha's Story, Part 1: To Serve or to Pray? What a Boring Question
Luke’s story about Mary and Martha has left scholars debating for centuries, leading to character analysis paralysis. Let’s get past the heroine/villain question to figure out Luke's bigger point.
Woman at the Well, Part 6: Conversations With a Friend: DanaLee Simon
We conclude our series on John 4 with a conversation with Pastor and Spiritual Director DanaLee Simon. DanaLee and Maren use their spiritual imaginations to explore the mysteries of the Samaritan woman's story. Then DanaLee introduces us to spiritual direction practices to help us soak up some good Living Water.
Seeking Justice: Jairus & The Bleeding Woman with Pastor Bobby Harrison
We conclude our series on Mark 5 with a conversation with Pastor Bobby Harrison from The Church We Hope For. He shares the story of his dismantling journey toward advocating for justice and equity in the church, tells a great story about his son as a framework for seeking God wholeheartedly, and explains how he relates to Jairus. Then he turns the tables on Maren to find out why she's doing all of this, anyway.