Episode 50: Ancient Polemic in the New Testament with Luke Timothy Johnson

It Means What It Means

In this conversation, Luke Timothy Johnson discusses his article on the “New Testament's Anti-Jewish slander and the Conventions of Ancient Polemic.” He argues that the negative characterizations of Jews in the New Testament were not aimed at Judaism as a whole, but at specific groups within Judaism. Johnson emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical and sociological context in which these writings were produced. He also explores the relationship between early Christianity and Judaism, and the misinterpretation of New Testament language as divinely inspired condemnations of Jews. The conversation explores the liturgical approach to reading scripture in the Catholic tradition and contrasts it with the evangelical approach. It delves into the Catholic lectionary and the engagement with the words and acts of Jesus in the Mass. The conversation also discusses the Catholic hermeneutics of generosity and the academic hermeneutics of suspicion, the Protestant preoccupation with recovering the primal instance of something, and the Catholic view of development in Christianity. It touches on the influence of Martin Luther and the New Perspective on Paul, as well as the state of New Testament studies today. The conversation concludes with a discussion on reading habits and recommendations for books. If you would like to support the podcast financially, $5 a month will get you access to episodes a week before they are released for free at patreon.com/ItMeansWhatItMeansPodcast.