This week Jodie and Matthew delve into the New Testament to discuss Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. It’s a short parable that is only a couple verses long in each of the synoptic gospels, but much like a mustard seed, it packs a punch. However, it’s brevity can make it difficult to interpret, so Jodie and Matthew set off to explore the variety of ways it has been interpreted, for better or for worse.

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy Jill Levine

Howes, L. (2019). The Q Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven: Half-Baked and Garden-Variety Metaphors? Neotestamentica 53(2), 339-374.

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You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is a lot of things: a coming-of-age movie, an Adam Sandler movie, and a deeply Jewish movie, to name a few. This week, Jodie and Matthew talk about how this movie explores and presents modern religious Judaism in a way that is fun and representative of how B’nai Mitzvah ceremonies have come to be celebrated. Listen or watch, and let us know your thoughts! If you have had a B’nai Mitzvah, we would love to hear what your theme was and how you feel this movie represents them!

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In our last episode of our 4-part series going through Phyllis Trible’s Texts of Terror, Jodie and Matthew discuss the story of Jephthah’s daughter, as found in Judges 11 in the Bible. Looking literally at the unit, Jephthah irrationally sacrifices his daughter as a burnt offering, presenting yet another tragic story for women in a biblical story. Listen along and tell us what you think!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives by Phyllis Trible (1984)

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Jodie and Matthew review the 2011 documentary, which recounts the journey of Vikram Ghandi as he impersonates a guru and builds a following in Arizona. Join us for discussion on the journey.

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We are continuing a 4-part series, going through Phyllis Trible’s Texts of Terror, where each week, we will discuss a story from the Hebrew Bible from a Literary-Feminist perspective, following Trible’s book. Feel free to follow along and read with us! This week, we talk about the unnamed woman from Judges 19, a concubine who gets used, abused, and dismembered. Let us know your thoughts!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives by Phyllis Trible (1984)

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse

Facebook: TRT

Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Jodie and Matthew review the 2014 fantasy/adventure film Noah, which takes a unique approach to the story of Noah. Join us for discussion on the interesting directorial choices made by Darren Aronofsky and Jodie’s obsession with the casting choices.

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Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse

Facebook: TRT

Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

We are continuing a 4-part series, going through Phyllis Trible’s Texts of Terror, where each week, we will discuss a story from the Hebrew Bible from a Literary-Feminist perspective, following Trible’s book. Feel free to follow along and read with us! This week, we talk about Tamar, a daughter of King David who is coveted by her brother Amnon. It’s a tragic story, but an important one in the Bible. Let us know your thoughts!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Texts of Terror: Literary-Femisist Readings of Biblical Narratives by Phyllis Trible (1984)

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse

Facebook: TRT

Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Jodie and Matthew review the 1979 film Life of Brian, which tells the story of a Judean man mistaken for a messianic prophet at the time of Jesus. Join us for discussion on Monty Python’s satirical commentary on religion, gender, and more by creating a parallel to the well-known story of Jesus.

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse

Facebook: TRT

Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com