Shows
The Religious Treehouse#37 Kumaré (2011): A TRT Movie ReviewJodie 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.Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouseBluesky: @TheRELTreehouseInstagram: @TheReligiousTreehouseTikTok: @thereligioustreehouse Facebook: TRTEmail: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com2025-07-2043 min
The Religious Treehouse#36 Texts of Terror: Part 3 (Unnamed Woman from Judges 19)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 ques...2025-07-1351 min
The Religious Treehouse#35 Noah (2014): A TRT Movie ReviewJodie 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.Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouseBluesky: @TheRELTreehouseInstagram: @TheReligiousTreehouseTikTok: @thereligioustreehouse Facebook: TRTEmail: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com2025-07-0634 minThe Religious Treehouse#34 Texts of Terror: Part 2 (Tamar)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)Foll...2025-06-2951 min
The Religious Treehouse#33 Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979): A TRT Movie ReviewJodie 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: @TheRELTreehouseBluesky: @TheRELTreehouseInstagram: @TheReligiousTreehouseTikTok: @thereligioustreehouse Facebook: TRTEmail: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com2025-06-2243 minThe Religious Treehouse#32 Texts of Terror: Part 1 (Hagar)We are starting 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 Hagar, an enslaved Egyptian woman who conceived a son for Abraham, but is then banished. 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...2025-06-151h 00
The Religious Treehouse#31 The Man From Earth (2007): A TRT Movie ReviewJodie and Matthew review Jerome Bixby’s 2007 film “The Man From Earth,” which explores the concept of what would happen if there was an unaging 14,000 year old man walking among us. While this is an interesting concept for a film, it delves into a conversation on religion that gets a lot wrongFollow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouseBluesky: @TheRELTreehouseInstagram: @TheReligiousTreehouseTikTok: @thereligioustreehouse Facebook: TRTEmail: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com2025-06-0840 minThe Religious Treehouse#30 Sodom and GomorrahThe story of Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the most misused stories of the Bible, often to promote homophobic ideologies despite never commenting on the topic or being associated with homosexuality anywhere in the Bible. So, Jodie and Matthew discuss what the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is actually about and how it has been interpreted by early readers of the text. Let us know what you think!.Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:Toensing, H. J. (2005). WOMEN OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH: Collateral Damage in the War against Homosexuality? Journal of Feminist Studies...2025-06-0152 min
The Religious Treehouse#29 Jesus Christ Superstar (1973): A TRT Movie ReviewJesus Christ, Superstar. Who are you? What have you sacrificed? Do you think you’re who they say you are? These are all fantastic questions asked by Judas, scholars of the historical Jesus, and Chrsitian theologians. Too bad we don’t really get into answering those questions from any of those perspectives (though we pontificate on how Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Judas would have thought about those questions). Jodie and Matthew analyze Jesus Christ Superstar and talk about the provocative and controversial artistic choices made in this film about the last few days of Jesus’...2025-05-251h 04The Religious Treehouse#28 What is Belief?This may sound really simple, but belief may be more complicated than we would like to think. In this episode Jodie and Matthew explore what belief is in religious settings and how we have come to see other religions in terms of belief - and how that’s largely due to Chrsitianity’s influence on western culture. What is belief and what do you believe?.Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:Robert A. Orsi (2011) Belief, Material Religion, 7:1, 10-16, DOI: 10.2752/175183411X12968355481773Chapter 1: Belief by Donald S. Lopez Jr. from Critical Terms for Religious Stud...2025-05-1844 min
The Religious Treehouse#27 The Prince of Egypt: A TRT Movie ReviewThe Religious Treehouse is back talking about movies! This time Jodie and Matthew look at Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt. They talk about the artistic choices made, what it may mean for Val Kilmer to voice both Moses and God, what can be gained by depicting a Biblical story, and about how this film is so beloved by many! GIve us a listen and give the movie a watch and let us know what you think about both!Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouseBl...2025-05-1158 minThe Religious Treehouse#26 Leviathan and Monsters in the BibleHappy Halloween! Well, it’s not Halloween, but we’re talking about monsters in the Bible: specifically the Leviathan. Jodie and Matthew briefly introduce what a monster is, where they show up in the Bible, and how modern discussions tend to tame them. Then, they get into it with the leviathan and how it’s the biggest and baddest of monsters, but also maybe God’s BFF? Take a listen and let us know what you think!!Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:God’s Monsters:Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of...2025-05-0456 minThe Religious Treehouse#25 Conclave: A TRT Movie ReviewIn honor of the recent passing of Pope Francis, Jodie and Matthew discuss the Oscar award winning movie, Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes. If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should, because we get touch on all the spoilers, following each character and how this movie portrays catholicism in all of its beautiful and problematic forms. Take a list and let us know what you think about Conclave!Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouseBluesky: @TheRELTreehouseInstagram: @TheReligiousTreehouseTikTok: @th...2025-04-2751 minThe Religious Treehouse#24 The Last Supper of JesusHappy Easter to all who celebrate! In honor of this celebration for Christians, this episode looks at the final meal of Jesus before his death and subsequent resurrection as celebrated on Easter. So, Jodie and Matthew talk through the 4 gospel accounts of this final dinner with a focus on the synoptic gospels and a brief discussion on the synoptic problem. Then they talk about how the last supper is celebrated through communion, the Eucharist, and Divine Liturgy in Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Churches. Finally, Matthew loves art history and could not resist talking about the magnificent fresco of The...2025-04-201h 05The Religious Treehouse#23 The Plagues of EgyptJodie and Matthew have returned to Exodus to discuss the 10 plagues! Well, the first 9 at least. Well, it depends on who’s counting. Throughout Exodus 7-10, we discuss how the first 9 plagues act as a literary unit and how the plagues may have been intentionally chosen to emulate a reversal of Genesis 1, and how they may have intentionally been chosen as a sort of cosmic war between the God of Moses and the Gods of Egypt. Finally, as always, Matthew couldn't help himself and the conversation leads down the road of source criticism and what may be gleaned from th...2025-04-131h 01The Religious Treehouse#22 UFO Religions, Cognitive Dissonance, and When Prophecy FailsJodie and Matthew once again investigate the exciting world of alternative religious movements. This time, they talk about The Seekers, a UFO religion from the 1950’s that was convinced the world was going to end on December 21. But what they didn’t know was that a group of Sociologists and Psychologists infiltrated the group to try to understand what happens when their predictions of the end of the world fail, and they came up with one of the most famous theories in social psychology because of it: Cognitive Dissonance. Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:When Proph...2025-04-061h 09The Religious Treehouse#21 Bel and the Dragon and the Lion’s Den AgainApocrypha. Deuterocanon. Those books in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles that Protestants have never heard of... That’s what we’re talking about in this episode! And then we get into Bel and the Dragon, also known as Chapter 14 of the Greek Daniel. So if Bel and the Dragon is part of your Bible, if it’s not part of your Bible, or if you don’t claim a Bible as your own, this episode will introduce you to an important and fascinating text that is important to many Christians.Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:de...2025-03-3052 minThe Religious Treehouse#20 Introduction to Moses, Exodus 1-4Moses is one of the most important, if not the most important characters in the Hebrew Bible. It’s time we talk about him. In this episode, Jodie and Matthew discuss the first few chapters of Exodus to talk about famous stories including Moses murdering an Egyptian, the Burning Bush, the name of God, and that one time when God tried to kill Moses. So, there’s a lot. Also, Matthew can’t stop talking about Source CriticismWorks Referenced and Recommended Readings:Propp, William H. C. Exodus 1–18: A New Translation with Introduction and Comm...2025-03-231h 00The Religious Treehouse#19 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: A TRT Movie ReviewSpoilers! Jodie and Matthew are diving into one of their favorite biblical musicals: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. If you haven’t seen it, watch it now, before this episode! Or instead of this episode. We don’t care. It’s that good. Matthew, of course, can’t help rambling about some biblical nerd stuff regarding the Joseph story found in Genesis, but Jodie and Matthew mainly discuss the film, what it does well, and what it means to represent the Bible as a film.Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:https://www.youtube...2025-03-161h 12The Religious Treehouse#18 Purim and Esther 9 & 10It’s time for one of the most lively and exciting Jewish holidays: Purim! Jodie and Matthew discuss the biblical origins of Purim by looking closely at Esther 9 and 10 before talking about how Purim is commonly practiced today. Whether you celebrate Purim every year or you’ve never heard of the holiday, this episode is for you! This episode pairs well with wine and Hamantaschen. Let us know what you think!Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:The Megillah Project — Judaism UnboundFollow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!T...2025-03-0952 minThe Religious Treehouse#17 Lent and Ash WednesdayWhat’s new in the world of Christianity? Lent is coming up! Well, this isn’t new and it is a very old tradition for many Christians, but it’s that time of year again. If you know about Ash Wednesday and Lent, let us know what we missed out on talking about! If you don’t know much about Ash Wednesday and Lent, listen along and learn about what this season means for so many Christians!Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:Stephen Hampton, ‘Welcome Dear Feast of Lent’: Rival Understandings of The Forty-Day Fa...2025-03-0242 minThe Religious Treehouse#16 A Scatological Reading of JudgesJudges is such an underappreciated book of the Bible, but has some of the most classic stories that most people know, like the stories of Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. Jodie and Matthew talk about none of that, though. Instead, they discuss a brief background on the book of Judges and then focus on the story of Ehud - a story of political assassination and potty humor.Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:Magness, J. (2023). Toilets and Toilet Humor in the Story of Eglon's Murder by Ehud (Judges 3:15-26). Journal of Biblical Literature, 142(1), 65+. http://dx.doi.org...2025-02-2343 minThe Religious Treehouse#15 Biblical Semi-Erotic Love Poetry in the Song of SongsSong of Songs is perhaps the most steamy book in the Bible and the perfect reading material for this Valentine’s day! Jodie and Matthew discuss this most unique book of the Bible to try to give it the appreciation that it deserves by delving into the history of the book and dissecting a few passages throughout the song.Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:Chapter 16: Job and Song of Songs inOpening Israel’s Scripturesby Ellen DavisFollow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!Twitter/X...2025-02-1648 minThe Religious Treehouse#14 Anti-Christian Bias in the Government??Uh oh! We’re dipping our toes into politics, or at least trying to. Recently, President Trump has announced that he is creating a task force to “Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias” and he is instituting a White House Faith Office headed by Paula White. Jodie and Matthew discuss what this may mean from a religious perspective and then we flesh out a few misunderstandings some people may have, especially about Paula White’s brand of Charismatic Christianity and Prosperity Gospel. We know we are no political scientists, so don’t take this too seriously, but as always, let us know what you t...2025-02-0955 minThe Religious Treehouse#13 Jonestown and The People’s Temple
We’ve all heard of Jonestown. But do we all know what actually happened? Do we know the story behind the massacre? And perhaps more importantly, do we know the story about after the massacre? Jodie and Matthew discuss the history behind Jonestown and the events leading up to its infamous last moments, followed by a conversation on how Jonestown has been framed by the media and others, and pontificate on potential ways it may be useful to look at Jonestown and “cults” in general.
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Moore, R. (2018). Jonestown, Forty...2025-02-0256 minThe Religious Treehouse#12 Psalms and Psalm 137
In their first expedition into the world of Hebrew poetry, Jodie and Matthew discuss the Psalms and answer the burning questions regarding this wide collection of poetry. Using Psalm 137 as an example we examine its context, structure, and interpretations. Who wrote the Psalms? When? How are these Psalms organized? Structured? Performed? Stick around until the end to hear a tiny bit about how Psalm 137 and Rastafarianism overlap!
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
“Rivers of Babylon” by The Melodians, (Song, 1970)
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2025-01-2651 minThe Religious Treehouse#11 The Parable of The ̶G̶o̶o̶d̶ Samaritan
We’re back in the New Testament again! Jodie and Matthew explore Jesus’s parable of The Good Samaritan and attempt to rid ourselves of the common misconceptions we may have when it comes to this passage, and it may be even more shocking than originally believed!
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy Jill Levine
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Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse
Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse
Instagram: @TheR...2025-01-1953 minThe Religious Treehouse#10 The Siege of Masada
WARNING. This episode discusses sensitive topics including suicide. Conversations about suicide can be troublesome or difficult for some. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call or text 988 to connect to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to any local resources you may have.
After the First Jewish Revolt and the Destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 CE, the fortress at Masada was the last Jewish holdout from the war. Jodie and Matthew discuss the siege of Masada, what ancient historians have to say about it, and how that relates t...2025-01-1231 minThe Religious Treehouse#9 An Excursion into Terminology
Happy New Year! In this episode, Jodie and Matthew discuss a variety of terms that they think are worth discussing, including the name of God, pronouns of God, the dating system we use, differentiating people groups, the Difference between the different collections in the Bible, the differences between Religious Studies and Biblical Studies and Theological studies, ending with a conversation on ethnocentrism. Exciting stuff. We know.
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Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse
Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse
Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse
TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse 2025-01-051h 03The Religious Treehouse#8 Jonah and SatireJonah is a well-known story for kids, but why do people stop talking about it after they’ve grown up? Jodie and Matthew attempt to strip away the Veggietales-ification of this fascinating story to get into the fascinating Biblical satire that is the Book of Jonah. And no, it’s not a whale. It’s a fish.
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Rhetorical Criticism: Context, Method, and the Book of Jonah by Phyllis Trible
Strawn, Brent A. “Vocatio Interrupta: Jonah’s Call, Jonah’s, Silence, and Form Criticism.” In
Historical Settings, Intertextualit...2024-12-291h 03The Religious Treehouse#7: Our Christmas Story
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
The Religious Treehouse has taken a turn from an attempt to be academic to have a nice fun chat about Christmas. After discussing some of the hosts’ favorite things about Christmas, they continue last week's conversation by discussing the movie/musical “Journey to Bethlehem” and Matthew ends the conversation with some introspection for the podcast.
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Movie: “Journey to Bethlehem” directed by Adam Anders, 2023
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Twitter/X: @TheRELTreeh...2024-12-2247 minThe Religious Treehouse#6: The Birth(s) of Baby JesusJodie and Matthew boldly go where many have gone before and discuss the birth narratives of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke. Sadly, the Biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth don’t exactly line up with nativity scenes and stories told in Sunday School, but they still tell rich and important stories in their own right, with their unique purposes and theological claims.
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
Monson, D. A. (2023). The Birth of Jesus: A Rhetorical and Ideological Analysis. Clio, 51(1), 1–25.
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Twit...2024-12-151h 12The Religious Treehouse#5: The Humor and Drama of EstherWe’re back in the Hebrew Bible as we discuss Esther! As Esther is such a rich text with so much to discuss, expect sporadic future episodes on detailed analysis and study of Esther, but for now, we do an in-depth reading of Esther with a focus primarily on the genre and humor so evident in the text. Let us know your thoughts!
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
The Megillah Project Videos — Judaism Unbound
The Book of Hiding: Gender, Ethnicity, Annihilation, and Esther by Timothy K. Beal
Follow our socials and reac...2024-12-081h 00The Religious Treehouse#4: Scientology, Engrams, and Tom CruiseNo one of sound mind would have one of their first podcast episodes be about something as controversial as Scientology, but here we are. This week, Jodie and Matthew move away from discussions of the Bible and talk about the practices, history, and controversies of Scientology.
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion by Hugh B. Urban
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Twitter/X: @TheRELTreehouse
Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse
Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse
TikTok...2024-12-0157 minThe Religious Treehouse#3: Adam and Eve… or Dustin and Olivia?It may seem like The Religious Treehouse is merely trekking through the Bible in order, but fear not! This is the last time we’ll have an episode dedicated to Genesis for a while. Immediately after last week’s discussion is a second, earlier creation account, which focuses on the creation of the first 2 humans. What mysteries are in store here? Is Eve a feminist icon or a dastardly troublemaker? What ideologies and misunderstandings have been commonly inserted into the text? Listen along to find out!
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
The Formation of G...2024-11-2453 minThe Religious Treehouse#2: In the Beginning… of the BibleThe first full episode of The Religious Treehouse has arrived! In this episode Jodie and Matthew discuss the first creation story in the Bible, but the 2nd one written? How could that be? Listen along as they discuss Genesis 1:1-2:4 and talk about the 7 days of Creation, what may have influenced the text, and how it has been interpreted.
Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:
The Formation of Genesis 1-11: Biblical and Other Precursors by David M. Carr
Anchor Yale Bible Commentary: Genesis by E. A. Speiser
Follow our socials and reach...2024-11-171h 00The Religious Treehouse#1: Welcome to the TreehouseEpisode 1: Welcome to the Treehouse
Welcome to the Religious Treehouse! Co-hosts Jodie and Matthew initiate the start of their new journey into the wild world of podcasts. In this episode, Jodie and Matthew do some quick icebreakers to introduce themselves to the audience before introducing this podcast. With the hosts deeper knowledge of the Hebrew Bible, this podcast also serves as the briefest of introductions to the Hebrew Bible, and also the podcast as a whole. With the hosts expertise in the Hebrew Bible, the majority of this podcast will be about the Hebrew Bible, but Matthew...2024-11-1044 min