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Bible Babel Cover

Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked About Book of All Time

From: With Good Reason
Length: 29:01

A conversation about the Bible's universality and relevance in pop culture, with the author who aims to give "people what they don't get in church or school so that they can understand arguments about the Bible, answer vexing questions, appreciate artistic and literary references, and simply interpret the all-time bestseller for themselves." Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked ...
From: With Good Reason

Bible-babel-holder_small In her new book “Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked About Book of All Time”, Kristin Swenson explains what the Bible is, where it comes from, and shows how people use the Bible to argue today’s most controversial issues. She also speaks about the Bible’s universality and relevance in our popular culture. Also: Edward Neukrug has been collecting oral histories from colleagues and former patients of some of the great psychologists of our time for a web site called “Stories of Great Therapists.” On the site you can hear people reminiscing about their encounters with some of the giants in the field like B.F. Skinner and Carl Rogers.

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Piece Description

In her new book “Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked About Book of All Time”, Kristin Swenson explains what the Bible is, where it comes from, and shows how people use the Bible to argue today’s most controversial issues. She also speaks about the Bible’s universality and relevance in our popular culture. Also: Edward Neukrug has been collecting oral histories from colleagues and former patients of some of the great psychologists of our time for a web site called “Stories of Great Therapists.” On the site you can hear people reminiscing about their encounters with some of the giants in the field like B.F. Skinner and Carl Rogers.

Broadcast History

Public radio stations in Virginia - June 5-11, 2010

Transcript

"Bible Babel"

Music: [Theme from the Ten Commandments]

One of the most enduring images in popular culture is that of Charlton Heston as Moses in the film "The Ten Commandments"

Clip: [Moses]

In fact, Hollywood is still using story lines from the Bible. Take the film, "Evan Almighty" a modern day reworking of Noah's Ark.

Clip: [Evan Almighty]

And an entire episode of the series Lost was based on the 23rd Psalm

Clip: [Lost]

I’m Sarah McConnell and today on With Good Reason, the good book is everywhere.

Later on today's show, going to a therapist is not always a sign that there's trouble in your life.

Clip: [Ed Neukrug]

But first, the Bible is still tops the best seller list with over 100 million copies sold yearly. People refer to the bible in music, film, and quote it when they argue today’s most controversial issues. Kristen Swenson is a professor of religious studie...
Read the full transcript