Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Who Was John “The Baptist” to Jesus “The Christ”? || Conversation with James F McGrath

2

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Aug 8

In ep 86 of the Jolly Thoughts pod we dive right in on what motivated McGrath to take this deeper look into the historical sources on John, who the Mandaeans are, and what a nice kid from Brooklyn is doing in a life of Biblical studies. Available now wherever ye pod.

marcjolicoeur.substack.com

1 1

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Aug 8

Who was John the Baptist? You might feel like you already know the answer, or you might not even care about that question, but either way, @religionprof.bsky.social’s recent pair of works (Christmaker and John of History, Baptist of Faith) will very likely change your mind.

youtu.be/eZxKrFZqquk?...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=owOt...

1 1 2

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Jun 20

When in Rome… Don’t Necessarily Do As The Romans Do (Ep 84 with Nadya Williams)

Memories, Faulty Memories, and Imported Memories

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Jun 20

When in Rome… Don’t Necessarily Do As The Romans Do (especially if you’re a Christian).

In ep 84 of the Jolly Thoughts pod I sit down with an absolute classic(ist), Dr Nadya Williams, who unloads a ton of 🤯 insight about the way culture has impacted the Church.

Listen wherever you pod (video 👇)

1

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · May 30

What if your memory wasn’t… your memory?

youtu.be/uri4XmDNViU?...

(@mikecosper.bsky.social, ep 7 of The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea maaaaaay have broken me 😬)

Chris Tomlin's 'First Hymn,' resurrects the oldest hymn ever found

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Apr 15

I don’t ALWAYS talk about the Ship Of Theseus (though, admittedly, I do seem to talk about it an inordinate amount…), but at least in this instance, @bmietana.bsky.social seemed to think it was relevant. religionnews.com/2025/04/15/c...

(RNS) — A new documentary details a project to revamp an 1,800-year-old hymn for a modern audience. The Oxyrhynchus Hymn is the oldest surviving Christian hymn with musical notation — and was rewritte...

religionnews.com

1 1 1

Reposted by Marc Jolicoeur

Bob Smietana @bmietana.bsky.social · Apr 15

Got to write about ancient papyrus, Egyptian rubbish heaps, megachurch worship, Martin Marty and the Ship of Theseus all in the same story

religionnews.com/2025/04/15/c...

Chris Tomlin's 'First Hymn,' resurrects the oldest hymn ever found

(RNS) — A new documentary details a project to revamp an 1,800-year-old hymn for a modern audience. The Oxyrhynchus Hymn is the oldest surviving Christian hymn with musical notation — and was rewritte...

religionnews.com

1 3

Reposted by Marc Jolicoeur

Center for Hebraic Thought @hebraicthought.org · Feb 27

"Most Christians today don’t know the worship songs that Jesus sang." @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social explains why the Psalms have nearly vanished from modern church music—and what that means for our theology. 🎙�� Full episode: buff.ly/41fePmV <span class="text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400">#TBMpodcast #BiblicalMind #HebraicThought

The Contemporary Worship Music Pipeline, or "Where Did The Psalms Go?" (Marc Jolicoeur) Ep. #189 | The Biblical Mind

Who decides what worship songs we sing in church? It turns out, worship music is a massive industry, and the way songs make it from a Nashville songwriting room to a Sunday morning service might…

buff.ly

1 1

Reposted by Marc Jolicoeur

Center for Hebraic Thought @hebraicthought.org · Feb 27

Who’s really deciding what worship songs we sing on Sundays? 🎶 Dr. @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social reveals how four major churches dominate modern worship music.
📺 Watch: https://buff.ly/4iAhnDt
🎧 Listen: https://buff.ly/41fePmV
📖 Read: https://buff.ly/4gZF5rh
#BiblicalMind #HebraicThought

The Contemporary Worship Music Pipeline, or "Where Did The Psalms Go?" (Marc Jolicoeur) Ep. #189

Who decides what worship songs we sing in church? It turns out, worship music is a massive industry, and the way songs make it from a Nashville songwriting r...

buff.ly

1 1 1

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Feb 27

Thanks for the conversation (though I’m a “pre-doctor” at best)! 🙏

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Feb 12

When someone hints at or reveals their pain, is our natural reaction to lean INTO or AWAY from that vulnerability? In this conversation, Natasha Dongell shares part of her experience of loss, and helps us think through grief as an opportunity for connection.

marcjolicoeur.substack.com

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Dec 23

Would Jesus have been born if He weren’t (as the carols say) “born to set” His people “free”? Matthew Bates & I chat about this & much more in this ho-ho-holiday ep of the Jolly Thoughts pod:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pk9...

Why The Gospel? || Conversation with Matthew Bates (ep 77 of Jolly Thoughts pod)

Holy Spit! Conversation with Mike MacNeil (Episode 76 of the Jolly Thoughts Podcast)

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Dec 20

WHY THE GOSPEL? // Beyond music-genres and theo-debates, “the gospel” is first & foremost a political declaration. Matt Bates schools me thereupon in the most recent CHRISTmas episode of the Jolly Thoughts podcast. 🎅🏻✝️🙏

marcjolicoeur.substack.com

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Dec 6

Ep 76 of the Jolly Thoughts Pod with the unduplicatable Mike MacNeil wherein we chat about politics, remote-access villages, Jordan “B” Peterson, and the difference between PRIVATE & PERSONAL.

youtu.be/LCsBtzgwChw?...

Swiss church puts ‘AI Jesus’ in confessional

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Nov 25

What could go wrong?

www.pillarcatholic.com/p/swiss-chur...

The 'experimental art installation' allows people can interact with an artificial intelligence program meant to imitate Christ.

www.pillarcatholic.com

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Sep 9

“Being told to participate - while in fact being unable to participate - is deeply dispiriting to worshipers, especially worshipers with anxiety…” (pg 152 of Worship In An Age Of Anxiety) …

Worship In An Age Of Anxiety

Ep 72, featuring a conversation with J Michael Jordan about his new book, church gatherings, anxiety, and whether or not Pixar gets it right.

marcjolicoeur.substack.com

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Aug 23

In case anyone ever doubts how hardcore I have been about Contemporary Christian Music… …Behold, my mountain bike’s brand name. (paging doctors Freud & @drleahpayne.bsky.social )

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Aug 19

If slaves had such an integral hand in the creation of the Bible, how did the Bible end up being viewed as "pro-slavery"? @candidamoss.bsky.social has thoughts:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aumq...

Expanding Our Reading Partners: Conversation with Candida Moss || Ep 71 of the Jolly Thoughts Pod

Conversation with David Bennett (Ep Sixty-Nine of the Jolly Thoughts Pod)

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Aug 17

On ep 71 of the Jolly Thoughts pod, @candidamoss.bsky.social walks us through her latest book (God’s Ghostwriters) and shares how expanding our view of who we’re reading the Bible WITH can have a massive impact on our view of its meaning. Link in bio.

Marc Jolicoeur @marcjolicoeur.bsky.social · Aug 5

My recently-posted conversation with David Bennett has garnered some of the longest “watch times” of any reels I’ve ever posted. If interested, you can watch the full conversation on my YouTube channel:

David Bennett is a self-described “celibate gay Christian”, but goodness… he is so much more than that! He’s an author, a theologian in residence, with a Ph...