Biblical Critical Theory Audio Lectures, Part 1

How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture

By: Christopher Watkin

Narrated by: Christopher Watkin

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, Biblical Critical Theory Audio Lectures, Part 1 includes high-quality live recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources.

A bold vision for Christians engaging the world in a way that is biblically faithful and culturally sensitive.

In Biblical Critical Theory Audio Lectures, Part 1 Christopher Watkin shows how the Bible and its unfolding story helps us make sense of modern life and culture.

Critical theories exist to critique what we think we know about reality and the social, political, and cultural structures in which we live. In doing so, they make visible the values and beliefs of a culture in order to scrutinize and change them.

Biblical Critical Theory Audio Lectures, Part 1 exposes and evaluates the often-hidden assumptions and concepts that shape late-modern society, examining them through the lens of the biblical story running from Genesis to Malachi. Lessons illuminate how the patterns of the Bible's storyline can provide incisive, fresh, and nuanced ways of intervening in today's debates on everything from science, the arts, and politics to dignity, multiculturalism, and equality, showing Christians the moves to make and the tools to use in analyzing and engaging with all sorts of cultural artifacts and events in a way that is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant.

It is not enough for Christians to explain the Bible to the culture or cultures in which we live. We must also explain the culture in which we live within the framework and categories of the Bible. If Christians want to speak with a fresh, engaging, and dynamic voice in the marketplace of ideas today, we need to mine the unique treasures of the distinctive biblical storyline.

Session titles and Runtimes:

0 - Introduction (25 min)

1 - Trinity (37 min)

2 - Creation (29 min)

3 - Humanity (37 min)

4 - Sin and Society (39 min)

5 - Sin and Autonomy (33 min)

6 - Sin, Anthropology, and Asymmetry (37 min)

7 - From Lamech to Noah (39 min)

8 - Babel (38 min)

9 - Abraham and Promise (21 min)

10 - Abraham and Covenant (30 min)

11 - Moses, the Exodus, and the Torah (30 min)

12 - Prophecy and Power (27 min)

13 - Prophecy and Cultural Critique (33 min)

14 - Wisdom Literature (32 min)

Incredible

I have the book in print and want to give it a proper read this year, but it is going to be project. I'm about 50 pages in and it's wonderful, but deep.

When I saw not the book but lectures on the book I thought I would give them a try since I have more time to listen than to sit and read. I don't believe the actual book would be good (for me) as a listen, but lectures from the author were too good to pass up.

I am so glad I got this. These lectures are incredible. While the book is well written and approachable, the material (a framework for comparing the Christian worldview with the surrounding culture) can be dense. These lectures take the material and make it even more approachable to the point where I found it easy to follow along. Furthermore, the author does a fantastic job as a speaker so that his intent carries through in his tone of voice. One last thing is that while many Zondervan course audio "books" record professors in a class lecture setting, this seems to be done in a studio so the audio is very clear and easy to hear.

I highly recommend these lectures for anyone trying to make sense of the "left vs right" times we live in and who want to live out the way of the Lord Jesus instead. Can't say enough about how excellent these are.