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In 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, love of enemies, and God’s mercy.    Up Next: *Human Acts* by Han Kang   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social TikTok: @holywritpodcast

In 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 imaginations, the scope and significance of Jesus's temptation in the wilderness, and what it means to face—and ultimately integrate—the darkness that bears our own name.   Up Next: *Jayber Crow* by Wendell Berry   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/ Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social TikTok: @holywritpodcast

In 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 Aberdeen, Scotland. Among many other things, we talk about the silence and absence of God, the dark side of Christian traditions and spaces, the interrelationship of violence and deception, and paternalistic forms compassion (touching on 1 Corinthians 1, Psalm 137, 2 Thessalonians 2, and Exodus 3 along the way).   Up Next: *A Wizard of Earthsea* by Ursula K. Le Guin   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social TikTok: @holywritpodcast

In 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. Reading it in conversation with Matthew 18 and Proverbs 7–8, we explore the meaning of childlikeness, the relationship between play and mission, and the challenge of recognizing wisdom in a world of competing voices.   Timestamps: 1:19 – Experiencing *The Mysterious Benedict Society* 29:24 – Tommy on Matthew 18 1:03:48 – Emily on Proverbs 7-8 1:35:12 – Next month’s book    Up Next: *Blood Meridian* by Cormac McCarthy with guest Dr. Brian Brock   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast TikTok: @holywritpodcast  YouTube: @HolyWritPodcast

In 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 our attention, the presence of God both in and beyond the material world, and how distorting demonic powers relate to our habits of perception. Timestamps: 1:26 – Experiencing *Moby-Dick* 29:53 – Emily on Numbers 9 56:09 – Tommy on Matthew 12 1:31:03 – Next month’s book    Up Next: *The Mysterious Benedict Society* by Trenton Lee Stewart   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast TikTok: @holywritpodcast  YouTube: @HolyWritPodcast

In 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, discuss the reach of resurrection life, and explore the problems and possibilities of divine-human marriage metaphors.   Timestamps: 1:20 – Experiencing *Lila* 31:13 – Tommy on John 20 1:19:00 – Emily on Hosea 14 2:01:47 – Next month’s book    Up Next: *Moby Dick* by Herman Melville   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/ Instagram: @holywritpodcast TikTok: @holywritpodcast YouTube: @HolyWritPodcast

In 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 with Joel 2 and 1 Peter 1, we talk about biblical genealogies, Christian entanglement with the legacy of colonialism and slavery, the integrative role of prophecy, how we relate to our ancestors, and the weighty meaning of chosenness.   Timestamps: 1:25 – Experiencing *Homegoing* 55:13 – Emily on Joel 2 1:25:08 – Tommy on 1 Peter 1 1:46:53 – Next month’s book    Up Next: *Lila* by Marilynne Robinson   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast TikTok: @holywritpodcast  YouTube: @HolyWritPodcast

In 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 connection, and life-giving friendship—all told from the vantage point of Death itself.   Reading it in conversation with Esther 3 and 9 and Mark 13, we discuss the power of words to shape the world, the difficult work of discerning God’s presence, and the intimate relationship between the heavens and the earth.   Timestamps: 1:27 – Experiencing *The Book Thief* 43:57 – Emily on Esther 3&9 1:26:21 – Tommy on Mark 13 1:59:98 – Next month’s book    Up Next: *Homegoing* by Yaa Gyasi   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast TikTok: @holywritpodcast  YouTube: @HolyWritPodcast

In 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 reflect on justice, atonement, and what redemption truly is—and what it is not.   Timestamps: 1:31 – Experiencing *LaRose* 1:02:51 – Emily on Leviticus 24 1:29:12 – Tommy on Ephesians 2 2:00:53 – Next month’s book    Up Next: *The Book Thief* by Markus Zusak   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast TikTok: @holywritpodcast  YouTube: @HolyWritPodcast

In 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 family and community. Reading it alongside Matthew 1 and Psalm 8, we reflect on the scandalous miracle of Christ’s coming to us as an infant, the relationship between law and promise, and what it means for divine strength to arrive not as domination, but in nearness and vulnerability.   Timestamps: 1:36 – Experiencing *Time of the Child* 48:18 – Tommy on Matthew 1 1:21:37 – Emily on Psalm 8 1:53:00 – Next month’s book   References: The Poet’s Bible, David Rosenberg Isaac Villegas on Advent   Up Next: *LaRose* by Louise Erdrich   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social TikTok: @holywritpodcast

In 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. Reading it alongside Genesis 18–19 and 1 John 4, we explore the idea of God as Change, and the power of embodied experience in shaping how we interpret scripture and the world around us. We’re joined by Dr. Tamisha Tyler, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture, and Theopoetics at Bethany Theological Seminary. Tamisha also serves as Theologian in Residence at the Center for Restorative Justice in Pasadena, and is part of the Level Ground Artist Collective in Los Angeles. Her current research explores religion in the literary world of Octavia Butler. Timestamps: 1:46 – Experiencing *Parable of the Sower* 35:47 – Emily on Genesis 18-19 1:16:18 – Tommy on 1 John 4 1:50:34 – Next month’s book   Up Next: *Time of the Child* by Niall Williams   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]  Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/  Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social TikTok: @holywritpodcast

In 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 Corinthians 3, we wrestle with scriptural images of God as an abusive caregiver, consider the limitations of written words, and reflect on the strange clarity that horror can offer to faith. Timestamps: 1:35 – Experiencing *Misery* 20:28 – Emily on Psalm 88 54:16 – Tommy on 2 Corinthians 3 1:39:48 – Next month’s book   Up Next: *Parable of the Sower* by Octavia Butler, with guest Dr. Tasmisha Tyler   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/ Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social TikTok: @holywritpodcast

In 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 longing. Reading it in conversation with 1 Samuel 15 and Romans 9, we explore the power of names, thinking together about how naming expresses human vocation, God’s calling, and the gift of moral agency.   Timestamps: 1:28 – Experiencing *East of Eden* 27:53 – Emily on 1 Samuel 15 1:00:53 – Tommy on Romans 9 1:50:01 – Next month’s book, *Misery* by Stephen King   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/ Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social Tiktok: @holywritpodcast

In 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 of memory, specifically in relationship to violence, betrayal, death, the practice of the Eucharist, and the discipleship of children.   Timestamps: 1:28 – Experiencing *The Buried Giant* 32:25 – Tommy on Luke 22 1:05:03 – Emily on Nehemiah 2 1:42:48 – Next month’s book   Up Next: *East of Eden* by John Steinbeck   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/

In 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 this story alongside Genesis 9 and 1 Corinthians 13, we discuss gender and sexuality, human responses to the existential terror of vulnerability, and the importance of embracing our bodily existence as the incarnation of mystery.   Timestamps: 1:36 – Experiencing *Giovanni’s Room* 37:27 – Emily on Genesis 9 1:19:32 – Tommy on 1 Corinthians 13 1:49:12 – Next month’s book   Up Next: *The Buried Giant* by Kazuo Ishiguro    Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Instagram: @holywritpodcast Bluesky: @holywrit.bsky.social Website: https://holywritpod.podbean.com/