Reading the Bible in the Kingdom of Love: A Conversation with Tom Bolin

What Matters Most

Welcome to Episode 20 of Season 3 with Thomas Bolin, who joined me to discuss his important new book An Inspired Word in Season: Reading the Bible Responsibly in a Polarized World, and the always fascinating questions related to how we interpret texts, especially significant texts like those that make up the Bible.

Thomas Bolin is a professor of theology and religious studies. Most recently he was a professor of Theology and Religious Studies at St. Norbert College, a small, Catholic, Liberal Arts college sponsored by the Norbertine Order in the heart of Green Bay, Wisconsin. He teaches courses in the languages, history and culture of the Hebrew Bible and related ancient cultures. He is the author of four books and numerous articles, including Ecclesiastes and The Riddle of Authorship (Routledge, 2017) and Ezra-Nehemiah (Liturgical Press, 2012). Bolin researches the literary and religious histories of ancient Israel and early Judaism, and the history of Christian biblical interpretation. He is a recipient of the Leonard Ledvina Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Donald B. King Distinguished Scholar Award from SNC.

I spoke with him on June 11, 2025, from his home in Wisconsin. I loved my conversation with my friend Tom Bolin. My only regret is not asking even more questions about the history of biblical interpretation and the process of biblical interpretation because I enjoy nerding out in that way and I loved both of those chapters in Tom’s book An Inspired Word in Season: Reading the Bible Responsibly in a Polarized World. But this book is important not just for wrestling with the perennial problems of how we interpret texts and what counts as a valid or good interpretation, but for its relevance for our polarized world right now. Whether you think the Bible ought to influence the political world as it does today, the reality is that it does influence us in profound ways, and from my perspective in some highly negative ways. Reading the Bible well is important for a healthy society. Reading the Bible poorly has helped to create justification for some evil practices not just in the past but today.

Join us as we discuss reading the Bible in a polarized time.

What Matters Most is produced by the Centre for Christian Engagement at St Mark’s College, the Catholic college at UBC. The CCE is a centre at St. Mark’s College that explores the Christian and Catholic intellectual tradition and seek to learn from others, other Christians, members of other religious traditions, and from those who do not claim any particular or formal religious affiliation. Our goal, then, is to talk to a lot of people, to learn from them, to listen to them, and to find out what motivates them, what gives them hope, what gives them peace, and what allows them to go out into the world to love their neighbors.

A few thanks are in order. To Martin Strong, to Kevin Eng, and to Fang Fang Chandra, the team who helps me bring this podcast to you, but also makes the CCE run so much more smoothly.

I also want to thank our donors to the Centre, whose generosity enables this work to take place at all: Peter Bull, Angus Reid, and Andy Szocs. We are thankful to their commitment to the life of the academic world and of the work of the Church in the world by funding the work of the CCE. I am also thankful to the Cullen family, Mark and Barbara, for their support of the ongoing work of the CCE through financial donations that allow us to bring speakers to the local and international arenas.

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Thanks again for listening and remember what matters most.

John W. Martens

Director, Centre for Christian Engagement