Best Textual Criticism Podcasts (2025)

1
S6E3: Reading a prophetic book: context and structure 35:58

3d ago35:58

35:58

In the first half of this two-part episode, Tony Watkins and Peter Williams begin walking us through the book of Micah, showing how to apply their top tips for reading prophetic books in the Bible. Find out more about the host and guests here: Tony Watkins: https://tyndalehouse.com/about/staff/tony-watkins/ Peter Williams: https://tyndalehouse.com/…

1
The Ancient Near Eastern Origins of the Hebrew Bible — A Deep Dive with Dr. Joshua Bowen: Episode 24 1:28:36

13d ago1:28:36

1:28:36

Join us on Pulling the Thread for a compelling conversation with Dr. Joshua Bowen, renowned Assyriologist and author of The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament. With expertise in Biblical Hebrew, Sumerian, Akkadian, and Ancient Near Eastern studies, Dr. Bowen brings a unique blend of scholarly precision, lived experience, and respectful skepticis…

1
S6E2: What were the prophets' theological foundations? 31:09

17d ago31:09

31:09

In this episode, Tony Watkins and Francie Cornes explore what the theological foundations of the prophets were by looking at four key themes the prophets draw on in their writings: Exodus/Covenant, Creation/Fall, God’s dwelling place, and Wisdom. Book mentioned by Tony: W. Brown, 'Ethos of the Cosmos: The Genesis of Moral Imagination in the Bible',…

1
Scientists Cooperate while Humanists Ruminate (EF, JP) 41:46

16d ago41:46

41:46

Back in 2021, John and Elizabeth sat down with Brandeis string theorist Albion Lawrence to discuss cooperation versus solitary study across disciplines. They sink their teeth into the question, “Why do scientists seem to do collaboration and teamwork better than other kinds of scholars and academics?” The conversation ranges from the merits of coll…

1
S6E1: Who were the prophets? 37:02

1M ago37:02

37:02

In this series Tony Watkins, Fellow for Public Engagement at Tyndale House, will be sharing how we can make sense of the books of the prophets, and providing helpful tips for how to read them for ourselves. In this first episode, Tony Watkins and Francie Cornes discuss why we often find the prophetic books more difficult to read than other parts of…

1
Interview 9: Peter Williams on eighty years of Tyndale House 34:19

1M ago34:19

34:19

In this episode, Dr Peter J. Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, walks us through the history of Tyndale House. Starting with the initial conversations about creating an institution for evangelical biblical scholarship that took place in the late 1930s, through to the new library building project starting in 2025. Support the show Edited by Tynda…

1
EP 12 Richard C. Barcellos: Scriptural Ontology, Rationalism, and Apostolic Hermeneutics 1:02:39

1M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

In this episode, Jonny is joined by Oliver Allmand-Smith as they dive into a deep and thought-provoking discussion with Rich Barcellos on his journey to confessionalism, interpreting the Second London Confession, and the influence of early theological education. The conversation covers a comprehensive range of topics including the significance of s…

1
From flowers to manuscripts: Dirk Jongkind on his journey into biblical scholarship 31:10

2M ago31:10

31:10

Dirk Jongkind, Academic Vice Principal at Tyndale House, shares with Tony Watkins how he went from growing flowers in the Netherlands to editing the Tyndale House Greek New Testament in Cambridge. They discuss Dirk's journey into biblical scholarship with a particular focus on his time working on Codex Sinaiticus at the British Library. Find out mo…

1
Grace Lindsay, "Models of the Mind: How Physics, Engineering and Mathematics Have Shaped Our Understanding of the Brain" (Bloomsbury, 2021) 51:54

1M ago51:54

51:54

Models of the Mind: How Physics, Engineering and Mathematics Have Shaped Our Understanding of the Brain (Bloomsbury, 2021) provides a multifaceted and approachable introduction to theoretical neuroscience. It discusses some major topics of the field, including both the milestones from their history and the currently open questions. It's accessible …

1
S5E8: How did chapter divisions get into the New Testament? 30:33

2M ago30:33

30:33

In this episode, Nelson Hsieh, Research Associate in New Testament Text and Language at Tyndale House, discusses chapter divisions in Bible manuscripts with Tony Watkins. Nelson has been working on chapter divisions for the second edition of the Tyndale House Greek New Testament, and he explains how the approach he is taking is different to the met…

1
S5E7: How is the Tyndale House Greek New Testament different to other editions? 32:49

2M ago32:49

32:49

In this episode Tony, Dirk, and Nelson focus on the Tyndale House Greek New Testament (Crossway, 2017) and discuss how it is different from other editions of the Greek New Testament. They also talk about how the world of textual criticism was changed by the discovery of many more manuscripts in the late nineteenth century. Find out more about the h…

1
S5E6: What does textual criticism look like today? 33:03

2M ago33:03

33:03

Having discussed how the early church and the reformers handled differences between Bible manuscripts, Tony, Dirk and Nelson now turn to look at how modern-day textual critics approach variation between manuscripts. Find out more about the host and guests here: Tony Watkins: https://tyndalehouse.com/about/staff/tony-watkins/ Dirk Jongkind: https://…

1
S5E5: What role did textual criticism play in the reformation? 30:04

3M ago30:04

30:04

In this episode, Tony Watkins (Fellow for Public Engagement at Tyndale House) hears from Dirk Jongkind (Academic Vice Principal at Tyndale House) and Nelson Hsieh (Research Associate in New Testament Text and Language) about the role of textual criticism in the reformation. Find out more about the host and guests here: Tony Watkins: https://tyndale…

1
S5E4: How did the early church handle differences between manuscripts? 35:33

3M ago35:33

35:33

In this episode, Tony Watkins, Fellow for Public Engagement at Tyndale House, asks Dirk Jongkind and Nelson Hsieh, members of our New Testament team, about how the early church handled differences between Bible manuscripts. At 28:59 Dirk and Nelson are trying to remember a name, they incorrectly say Martianan, they meant Marcellum. Support the show…

1
Interview 8: 80 years of the Tyndale Bulletin 27:03

3M ago27:03

27:03

Tony Watkins, Fellow for Public Engagement at Tyndale House talks to David Armitage, Academic Administrator at Tyndale House about the Tyndale Bulletin, which is the Academic Journal published by Tyndale House. David shares how the Bulletin has developed since it first began in the 1940s. Visit the Tyndale Bulletin website: https://www.tyndalebulle…

1
S5E3: Major NT manuscripts and their impact on modern day Bibles 39:10

3M ago39:10

39:10

In this episode, Tony Watkins asks Dirk Jongkind and Nelson Hsieh about some of the major New Testament manuscripts and how they have influenced the Bible translations we have today. Support the show Edited by Tyndale House Music – Acoustic Happy Background used with a standard license from Adobe Stock. Follow us on: X | Instagram | Facebook | YouT…

1
Karenleigh A. Overmann, "The Material Origin of Numbers: Insights from the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East" (Gorgias Press, 2024) 10:50

3M ago10:50

10:50

What are numbers, and where do they come from? Based on her groundbreaking study of material devices used for counting in the Ancient Near East, Karenleigh Overmann proposes a novel answer to these timeless questions. Tune in as we talk with Karenleigh Overmann about her book, The Material Origin of Numbers: Insights from the Archaeology of the Anc…

1
S5E2: What does a manuscript look like? 37:41

3M ago37:41

37:41

In this episode Tony Watkins, Fellow for Public Engagement at Tyndale House, talks to Dirk Jongkind, Academic Vice Principal of Tyndale House, about what a manuscript actually looks like, and what features scholars look out for when studying them. At 4:05 Dirk misspoke when he said P52 has John 19 on the back, it actually has John 18:37–38 on the b…

1
How much of theology is obvious? A Lutheran-Anglican dialogue with Empyreal Retrieval 1:00:36

3M ago1:00:36

1:00:36

https://discord.gg/8H9fX998RA

1
S5E1: What is a manuscript and why should we study them? 35:30

4M ago35:30

35:30

In season 5 of the Tyndale House podcast, Tony Watkins speaks to members of our New Testament team to find out about New Testament manuscripts and how studying them can help us with our trust and understanding of the Bible. In this first episode, Tony asks Dirk Jongkind and Nelson Hsieh what a manuscript actually is, and why it's worth studying New…

1
Luci Pangrazio and Neil Selwyn, "Critical Data Literacies: Rethinking Data and Everyday Life" (MIT Press, 2023) 40:00

5M ago40:00

40:00

Data has become a defining issue of current times. Our everyday lives are shaped by the data that is produced about us (and by us) through digital technologies. In Critical Data Literacies: Rethinking Data and Everyday Life (MIT Press, 2023), Luci Pangrazio and Neil Selwyn introduce readers to the central concepts, ideas, and arguments required to …

1
Interview 7: Steve Walton on the book of Acts 31:49

5M ago31:49

31:49

In this episode, Tony talks to Dr Steve Walton, Professor of New Testament and Senior Research Fellow at Trinity College, Bristol. Steve is a frequent visitor to us here at Tyndale House as he's been working on his commentary on Acts for the Word Biblical Commentary series. The first volume of the commentary, on Acts 1–9:42 (volume 37A), was publis…

1
The Nativity: Fact or Fairytale? 29:50

5M ago29:50

29:50

Is the Nativity a true story? Why are there differences between Matthew and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’s birth? Was Luke historically correct when he wrote about the census? What was the star and is it even possible for the wise men to have followed it? What year was Jesus actually born? Peter Williams answers all these questions and more in this spe…

1
What is Hebrew poetry and how do we read it? 37:22

5M ago37:22

37:22

In this episode, Tony is joined by three of our long-term readers who are all working on PhDs at Cambridge University. Ellie Wiener is currently studying the book of Job, Megan Alsene-Parker is studying Lamentations, and Ben Rae is studying Ecclesiastes. Together, they discuss what poetry actually is, the features of Hebrew poetry, and why we shoul…

1
S4E6: Why did Saul change his name to Paul? 30:21

6M ago30:21

30:21

Steve Walton and Tony Watkins discuss why Saul changed to Paul in the book of Acts. In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul is referred to as Saul up until chapter 13, where he begins to be referred to as Paul. Steve explains how names worked in the Roman world to shed light on this name change. He also shares about some of the research he has done i…

1
S4E5: Are the names in the Gospels historically accurate? 29:25

6M ago29:25

29:25

In this episode, Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, explains how names can help us to assess the historical reliability of the Gospels. By looking at name records we can see what the most popular names were outside of the Gospels at the same time and place. Peter then compares these with the names we see in the Gospels to see whether they …

1
S4E4: Vapour, illness, fish and other peculiar names in the Bible 38:26

6M ago38:26

38:26

In this episode, Tony chats to James Bejon and Josh Meynell about strange or animal-related names that we find in the Bible. Some of the names in the Bible strike us as having curious meanings. For example, Caleb means ‘dog’, Nun means ‘fish’, and Abel means ‘vapour’. What are we to make of these names? James, Josh, and Tony work through some of th…

1
S4E3: Why do we have genealogies in the Bible? 36:09

6M ago36:09

36:09

In this episode, Tony asks Caleb Howard and James Bejon why we have genealogies in the Bible and how we should make sense of them. They discuss how the Old Testament is unique in ancient literature in the way it lays out genealogies. They also explore how it can give us a clear account of the people of Israel from Adam through to the exile, by look…

1
S4E2: How Were Divine Names Used in the Ancient World? 35:18

7M ago35:18

35:18

In this episode, George Heath-Whyte and James Bejon chat with Tony about the use of divine names in the ancient world and in the Bible. What did the Babylonians call their gods? What did the names of the Babylonian gods mean? Why did the Israelites go from calling God 'El-Shaddai' to 'Yahweh'? How did the worship of Yahweh in the Old Testament comp…

1
S4E1: Difficult questions surrounding the book of Daniel 39:22

7M ago39:22

39:22

In this episode, George Heath-Whyte and James Bejon chat with Tony about a range of difficult questions surrounding the book of Daniel: What is the significance of Daniel and his friends having their names changed in Daniel 1? What do their new Babylonian names mean? Why is there no mention of Belshazzar as king of Babylon in the official records? …

1
Interview 5: David Tsumura, Professor Emeritus at Japan Bible Seminary 30:58

7M ago30:58

30:58

In this episode Tony sits down with David Tsumura, who is a professor emeritus in Old Testament studies at Japan Bible Seminary. David is a familiar face at Tyndale House having visited several times over nearly 40 years. He lived on site for two years from 1986 while working on a Tyndale House research project on Genesis 1–11. In this interview he…

1
Interview 4: Christopher Ash on the Psalms, Part 2 28:54

7M ago28:54

28:54

In this episode, Tony continues his conversation with writer-in-residence, Christopher Ash, on his new four-volume commentary on the Psalms. They discuss how Christ would have prayed the Psalms during his earthly life, the structure of the 5 books of the Psalms, and how we approach different genres of psalms such as imprecatory psalms. This is part…

1
Interview 4: Christopher Ash on the Psalms, Part 1 27:08

8M ago27:08

27:08

In this episode, Tony interviews our writer-in-residence, Christopher Ash, on his new 4 volume commentary on the Psalms. Christopher shares how he came to write the commentary, the importance of the psalms, and why he thinks that the Psalms are inseparable from Christ. This is part 1 of the interview and part 2 will be released next week. The Comme…

1
Interview 3: Ahreum Kim on the cultural context of 1 John 25:47

8M ago25:47

25:47

In this episode Tony Watkins sits down with biblical scholar, Ahreum Kim, who has been a reader at Tyndale House on and off since 2019 when she came here during her MPhil. She has since completed her PhD which focused on the letter of 1 John and the Greco-Roman context it was written in. She and Tony discuss her PhD, why it’s so important to unders…

1
Michael Gavin, "Literary Mathematics: Quantitative Theory for Textual Studies" (Stanford UP, 2022) 54:53

8M ago54:53

54:53

Across the humanities and social sciences, scholars increasingly use quantitative methods to study textual data. Considered together, this research represents an extraordinary event in the long history of textuality. More or less all at once, the corpus has emerged as a major genre of cultural and scientific knowledge. In Literary Mathematics: Quan…

1
Al Posamentier and Christian Speitzer, “The Mathematics of Everyday Life” (Prometheus Books, 2018) 54:18

8M ago54:18

54:18

Today I talked to Al Posamentier about his books (co-authored with Christian Speitzer) The Mathematics of Everyday Life (Prometheus Books, 2018). We all are told – practically from the moment we enter school – that mathematics is important because it permeates practically all aspects of our lives. But, for the most part, we don’t really notice it e…

1
Brian Clegg, "Ten Patterns That Explain the Universe" (MIT Press, 2021) 52:08

8M ago52:08

52:08

Our universe might appear chaotic, but deep down it's simply a myriad of rules working independently to create patterns of action, force, and consequence. In Ten Patterns That Explain the Universe (MIT Press, 2021), Brian Clegg explores the phenomena that make up the very fabric of our world by examining ten essential sequenced systems. From diagra…

1
S3E7 Ancient Names – Why did kings in the Old Testament change their names? 28:14

10M ago28:14

28:14

In this episode, Tony, James, and Caleb continue discussing name changes in the Bible, but this time with a focus on throne names. They look first at how kings in the ancient world often changed their name when they became king, before then focusing on Old Testament kings and the significance of their throne names. Edited by Tyndale House Music – A…

1
David J. Hand, "Dark Data: Why What You Don't Know Matters" (Princeton UP, 2020) 1:18:03

10M ago1:18:03

1:18:03

There is no shortage of books on the growing impact of data collection and analysis on our societies, our cultures, and our everyday lives. David Hand's new book Dark Data: Why What You Don't Know Matters (Princeton University Press, 2020) is unique in this genre for its focus on those data that aren't collected or don't get analyzed. More than an …

1
S3E6: What's the significance of name changes in the Bible? 31:34

10M ago31:34

31:34

Please note: This episode contains a mention of birth trauma within the biblical narrative In this episode, Tony, James, and Caleb discuss name changes in the patriarchal narratives. They look at how common it was for names to be changed in the ancient world, as well as the significance of the name changes within the biblical narrative. Edited by T…

1
S3E5 Who are the kings mentioned in Genesis 14? 42:34

10M ago42:34

42:34

In this episode, Tony sits down with James and Caleb again to look at the names of the foreign kings mentioned in Genesis 14 and to see how they fit in with what we know of those places from extra-biblical sources. At 10:44 Caleb says Southeastern Iran but he meant Southwestern Iran. At 19:06 Tony meant Genesis 9 but he meant Genesis 11. Edited by …

1
Ann Johnson and Johannes Lenhard, "Cultures of Prediction: How Engineering and Science Evolve with Mathematical Tools" (MIT Press, 2024) 1:01:58

10M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

A probing examination of the dynamic history of predictive methods and values in science and engineering that helps us better understand today's cultures of prediction. The ability to make reliable predictions based on robust and replicable methods is a defining feature of the scientific endeavor, allowing engineers to determine whether a building …

1
S3E4 Ancient Names – What do the names of Jacob's sons mean? PART 2 32:39

11M ago32:39

32:39

Content warning: please note this episode contains a brief mention of rape within the biblical narrative, as well as a comment about birth trauma in the Ancient World. In this episode, Tony Watkins continues working through the biblical narrative of Jacob's sons being born, with Caleb Howard and James Bejon. They discuss what the sons' names mean a…

1
Paulina Rowinska, "Mapmatics: How We Navigate the World Through Numbers" (Pan Macmillan, 2024) 56:44

11M ago56:44

56:44

How does a delivery driver distribute hundreds of packages in a single working day? Why does remote Alaska have such a large airport? Where should we look for elusive serial killers? The answers lie in the crucial connection between maps and maths. In Mapmatics: How We Navigate the World Through Numbers (Pan Macmillan, 2024), Dr Paulina Rowinska em…

1
S3E3 Ancient Names – What do the names of Jacob's sons mean? PART 1 26:44

11M ago26:44

26:44

In this episode, Tony Watkins digs into the names of Jacob’s sons with Caleb Howard and James Bejon, who are both working on the Tyndale House Old Testament project. Starting at Genesis 29 they work through the biblical narrative of the sons being born and discuss the meaning of their names. In this episode, they cover the first four sons, and in t…

1
Q&A: Textual Criticism and the Septuagint 15:38

11M ago15:38

15:38

Differences between the Masoretic and Septuagint Scriptures

1
Q&A: What is Faith? 14:15

11M ago14:15

14:15

What is faith?

1
Q&A: On God's Will 11:34

11M ago11:34

11:34

Does God will that bad things happen?

1
S3E2 Ancient Names – Naming practices at birth 33:15

11M ago33:15

33:15

Episode 2 of our podcast series on Ancient Names. In this episode, Tony, George, and Caleb discuss naming practices from the Bible and the ancient world and compare them with practices today. Please note: at 17:34 Tony Watkins says 'one of Aaron's children is Eliezer'. This is incorrect, Aaron has a son called Eleazar, and Moses has a son named Eli…

1
S3E1 Ancient Names – Why are names important? 28:07

11M ago28:07

28:07

This new series takes a deep dive into names in the Bible with the help of members of our Old Testament team. In this first episode, Tony Watkins speaks to Dr Caleb Howard and Dr George Heath-Whyte, both members of our Old Testament team. They explain what the decade-long project on Old Testament names is seeking to do at Tyndale House, and they al…

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