Data Over Dogma

Daniel McClellan and Daniel Beecher

This ain't your pastor's Bible podcast. This is a deep interrogation of the book, and we're bringing receipts. Bible scholar Dr. Dan McClellan and atheist podcaster Dan Beecher team up to discover what the Bible actually says, what it decidedly doesn't say (even if everyone thinks it does), and explore the history of the most popular book of all time.

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

174 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes174

Newest first

Jul 10, 2023 · 1 hr
Lilith Unfair
This week we're delving into the legends, myths, misunderstandings, and slanders surrounding Lilith. Who or what is Lilith? Feminist icon? First wife to Adam? Night demon? Owl? We break down the origin stories, and get to the bottom of this mysterious...
Jul 3, 2023 · 1 hr 1 min
Does God Regret this Podcast?
This week Dr. Dan says "alright, let's see it" to claims about whether or not God can regret. Does Genesis actually say that God repented for making humanity? Then, hot on the heels of a big trip to Israel, the Dans discuss modern archaeology and what...
Jun 26, 2023 · 1 hr 13 min
The Blessing of the Magdalene w/ Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
This week Bible scholar (and singer/songwriter) Elizabeth Schrader Polczer joins us to discuss Mary Magdalene. Dr Schrader Polczer plumbs the depths of textual criticism to explore a fuller and possibly more accurate view of the mysterious and often...
Jun 19, 2023 · 1 hr 20 min
Will the Best Bible Please Stand Up?
So many of our listeners have asked "which translation of the Bible is the best?" Well this week, the Dans do a deep dive into the Bible's journey from ancient Hebrew and Greek into English. We're tackling the twists and turns and socio-political...
Jun 12, 2023 · 1 hr 15 min
Adam and Steve (what the Bible says about homosexuality)
Happy Pride month, everybody! This week, Dr. McClellan takes a deep dive into gayness. Wait. That doesn't sound right... He takes a deep dive into the Bible's view on gayness. Yeah, that sounds better. What does the Bible actually say? What DOESN'T it...
Jun 5, 2023 · 1 hr 4 min
The Mark of the Best
This week, Dan B looks to the book of Revelation to explain why UPC bar codes and covid vaccines are bad. But Dan M steps in with his decoder ring, and with just a little sleuthing, they finally solve the mystery of the mark of the beast (hint: it was...
May 29, 2023 · 1 hr 6 min
Contextual Healing with Aaron Higashi
This week, the Dans are joined by scholar and fellow biblical TikToker Aaron Higashi. In this interview Dr. Higashi talks about theological context, and the fact that every believer is coming from a particular perspective. He also discusses the perils...
May 22, 2023 · 1 hr 7 min
So Many Gods!
This week we dive into the deep end of biblical polytheism. First, we go "chapter and verse" discussing 2 Kings, chapter 3. It's a war campaign with a VERY surprising ending. Next it's a fascinating look at what's happening in Psalm 82 and the...
May 15, 2023 · 1 hr 5 min
God Breathed?
Is all scripture written (or breathed) by God? This week we use big words like "univocal" to explore the implications of the Bible having only one author. Is every verse divinely inspired? And if not, what are the implications of a fallible text?...
May 8, 2023 · 53 min
Betrayed by Dan Brown
This week it's misconceptions all the way down! First, the Dans go out to the backyard and hunt for brightly colored misconceptions about the origins of Easter. Then, risking life and limb from melanin-challenged monks sent by Opus Dei (or maybe...
May 1, 2023 · 52 min
Ehrmageddon! With Bart Ehrman
On this week's show, the Dans talk apocalypse with Bart Ehrman. Ehrman's new book Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says About the End is a deep-dive into one of the Bible's most confounding books, Revelation. We talk about the rapture (and all...
Apr 24, 2023 · 1 hr
Why Is She Salt?
This week the Dans dive back into Chapter and Verse with the story of Lot, the angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Then, they dive in to the problem of provenance. How do we know when an artifact is legit, and if we're not sure... what do we do about it?...
Apr 17, 2023 · 55 min
God's Wife with Francesca Stavrakopoulou
This week we interview the inimitable Francesca Stavrakopoulou. Author, scholar, and BBC documentary presenter, Dr. Stavrakopoulou discusses some big questions about the God of the Bible. Did He have a body? Did He have a wife? Did He demand child...
Apr 8, 2023 · 1 hr 9 min
In the Beginning*
It's the beginning of the podcast, and we couldn't be more excited! In our inaugural episode, the Dans go "Chapter and Verse" with the creation story--sorry, stories--in Genesis 1, 2, and 3. Then, in "What does that Mean?" we discuss the...