Shows
Pillars of Purpose#65 Lex Bowen - From Discipleship to Destiny: Answering the CallLex Bowen discusses his faith journey, discipleship experiences, and advice for believers.Key Takeaways - Lex's faith journey began at age 16 through a youth camp experience, transforming his life - Discipleship and structured prayer practices were crucial in Lex's spiritual growth - Lex emphasizes the importance of authenticity, prayer, and exploring various ministry opportunities to discern God's callingTopicsLex's Conversion Story - Grew up with a non-churchgoing father and...2025-04-2255 min
So That All May HearLiving a Life of Service, (Matthew 5:13-16, Bill Harris)Dive into the timeless truths of scripture each week with So That All May Hear, a Bible teaching podcast with Brad Atkins, lead pastor at Lake Bowen Baptist Church in Inman, SC. Pastor Brad’s engaging and accessible style brings God’s Word to life, offering expository, verse-by-verse insights and inspiration for your walk with Christ. Whether you're new to faith or seeking deeper understanding, join us as we explore Scripture and its relevance for every season of life. Tune in each week, and learn more about Lake Bowen Baptist Church at lakebowenbaptist.com.
2025-03-0337 minSo That All May HearDisciple the Christ Follower (Matthew 28:18-20, Pastor Graham McDonald)Join us as we explore the heart of discipleship and discover how it shapes both our personal faith and the mission of our church. Let's learn how we can take intentional steps toward a deeper relationship with Christ and help others do the same! Listen as our Middle School Pastor, Graham McDonald covers the second component of the mission of Lake Bowen Baptist Church... Disciple the Christian.
2025-02-1628 min
Don't Eat Poop! A Food Safety PodcastChanging the Definition of Food and Consumer Safety with Jaclyn Bowen from Clean Label Project | Episode 101In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Jaclyn Bowen, the Executive Director of the Clean Label Project. Food toxicology is the next frontier of food safety, and it’s not just coming, it's already here.That’s why we need to change and expand the definition of food safety from only protecting consumers from microbial and pathogen contaminants, to also minimizing our exposure to dangerous environmental contaminants and toxins in everyday consumer products.Tune in to discover how Jaclyn Bowen and th...2025-02-0455 min
Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Our Hands Have Handled”: Ensuring the Reassuring Doctrine of the Resurrection in the Lucan and Johannine WritingsAbstract: The Lucan and Johannine writings emphasize the literalness and physicality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This emphasis does not represent an emerging Christology from an earlier, inchoate conception of Jesus and the meaning of his life. Rather, it reflects an effort to defend the doctrine of the resurrection—of Christ and humanity—against the increasing […]
The post “Our Hands Have Handled”: Ensuring the Reassuring Doctrine of the Resurrection in the Lucan and Johannine Writings first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2025-01-101h 02Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Behold, I Went to Hunt Beasts in the Forest”: An Addendum on Enos, Esau, and the Symbolic Geography of SeirAbstract: Enos’s use of the onomastic wordplay in the Jacob and Esau cycle enables him to meaningfully allude to the symbolic geography of those stories and incorporate it into his New World setting (e.g., allusions to the river Jabbok and Peniel/Penuel, the site of Jacob’s “wrestle” with the divine “man”). A third instance of this […]
The post “Behold, I Went to Hunt Beasts in the Forest”: An Addendum on Enos, Esau, and the Symbolic Geography of Seir first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2024-11-0116 min
Composer TalkEp 79: Matt Bowen (The Binge, The Boys, Gen V)Our next guest is an ASCAP award-winning composer who has written music for The Boys, Gen V, The Bachelor and It's A Wonderful Binge among other projects. He got his start working for producer Matt Wallace before pivoting to Emoto Music and then meeting composer Christopher Lennertz who has been a mentor and later co-composer on a number of projects.And the composer is... Matt Bowen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-08-0244 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“I Shall Gather In”: The Name Joseph, Iterative Divine Action, and the Latter-day Harvest Ingathering of Israel as Themes in 3 NephiAbstract: The identity of “the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been spared” (3 Nephi 10:18) as “a remnant of the seed of Joseph” (3 Nephi 5:23; 10:17; compare Alma 46:23–27; Ether 13:6–10) or “a remnant of the house of Joseph” (3 Nephi 15:12) is key […]
The post “I Shall Gather In”: The Name Joseph, Iterative Divine Action, and the Latter-day Harvest Ingathering of Israel as Themes in 3 Nephi first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2024-07-191h 31Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Armed with Righteousness and with the Power of God”: Allusions to Priestly Clothing, Priesthood, and Temple in 1 Nephi 14:14Abstract: Nephi saw in vision that in the latter-days “the saints of the church of the Lamb” and “covenant people of the Lord” who, though scattered across the earth, “were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14). Nephi’s prophetic statement is loaded with meaning. This study explores […]
The post “Armed with Righteousness and with the Power of God”: Allusions to Priestly Clothing, Priesthood, and Temple in 1 Nephi 14:14 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2024-06-071h 00Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“That They May Once Again Be a Delightsome People”: The Concept of Again Becoming the Seed of Joseph (Words of Mormon 1:8 and Mormon 7:4–5)Abstract: In Words of Mormon 1:8, Mormon declares, “And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.” The expression “that they may once again” plausibly reflects the Hebrew idiom wayyôsipû […]
The post “That They May Once Again Be a Delightsome People”: The Concept of Again Becoming the Seed of Joseph (Words of Mormon 1:8 and Mormon 7:4–5) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2024-05-0358 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Our Great God Has in Goodness Sent These”: Notes on the Goodness of God, the Didactic Good of Nephi’s Small Plates, and Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s RenamingAbstract: Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s speech (Alma 24:7–16) reveals multiple allusions to significant texts in Nephi’s small plates record. Thus, when he declares “I thank my God, my beloved people, that our great God has in goodness sent these our brethren, the Nephites, unto us to preach unto us,” he appears to allude to an inclusio that bookends […]
The post “Our Great God Has in Goodness Sent These”: Notes on the Goodness of God, the Didactic Good of Nephi’s Small Plates, and Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s Renaming first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2024-04-121h 29
followHIMJacob 5-7 Part 2 • Dr. Matthew L. Bowen • April 8 - April 14 • Come Follow MeDr. Matthew Bowen further explores Jacob’s warning against denying Jesus Christ, intertwining the narrative of Sherem and reflecting on the ephemeral nature of life.SHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM15ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM15FRPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM15PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM15ESYOUTUBEhttps://youtu.be/_czLa4ewhp4COME BACK PODCASThttps://tinyurl.com/ComeBackAppleALL EPISODES/SHOW NOTESfollowHIM website: https://www.followHIMpodcast.comFREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF fo...2024-04-0344 min
followHIMJacob 5-7 Part 1 • Dr. Matthew L. Bowen • April 8 - April 14 • Come Follow MeEver wondered how we, as Latter-day Saints, can effectively gather Israel amidst the enormity of the task? Join Dr. Matthew Bowen as he delves into Jacob 5, uncovering the role of Jesus Christ in His work and His unwavering love for all His children, across generations. Discover how He orchestrates the gathering process and collaborates with His servants.SHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM15ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM15FRPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM15PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM15ESYOUTUBE...2024-04-031h 07
Folk on FootThe Plygain Carols with Gwilym Bowen Rhys, Owen Shiers and the singers of MallwydThis year’s seasonal episode takes us to the village of Mallwyd in mid Wales to join the ancient tradition of the plygain carols. On a dark, cold night, local people gather in the warm and welcoming St Tydecho’s Church to sing Welsh language carols which have been handed down through successive generations of their families. They’re joined by Gwilym Bowen Rhys who unearthed his carol in a second hand book shop and by Owen Shiers (Cynefin) whose singing group travels around several plygain services at this time of year. Asked why she joins in, one singer exclai...2023-12-1550 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Encircled About Eternally in the Arms of His Love”: The Divine Embrace as a Thematic Symbol of Jesus Christ and His Atonement in the Book of MormonAbstract: This study builds upon Hugh Nibley’s insightful observation that several Book of Mormon passages reflect “the ritual embrace that consummates the final escape from death in the Egyptian funerary texts and reliefs” as expressing the meaning of Christ’s Atonement. This study further extends Nibley’s observations on Jacob’s “wrestle” as a divine “embrace” to show […]
The post “Encircled About Eternally in the Arms of His Love”: The Divine Embrace as a Thematic Symbol of Jesus Christ and His Atonement in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2023-11-101h 03Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Behold, He Was a Man Like unto Ammon”: Mormon’s Use of ʾmn-related Terminology in Praise of Moroni in Alma 48Abstract: This article examines Mormon’s comparison of Moroni, the Nephite military leader, to Ammon, the son of Mosiah, in Alma 48:18 and how Mormon’s use and repetition of ʾmn-related terminology (“faithful,” “firm,” “faith,” “verily [surely]”) in Alma 48:7–17 lays a foundation for this comparison. Ammon’s name, phonologically and perhaps etymologically, suggests the meaning “faithful.” Mormon […]
The post “Behold, He Was a Man Like unto Ammon”: Mormon’s Use of ʾmn-related Terminology in Praise of Moroni in Alma 48 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2023-09-2947 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Upon the Wings of His Spirit”: A Note on Hebrew rûaḥ and 2 Nephi 4:25Abstract: Nephi, in composing his psalm (2 Nephi 4:15–35), incorporates a poetic idiom from Psalm 18:10 (2 Samuel 22:11) and Psalm 104:3 to describe his participation in a form of divine travel. This experience constituted a part of the vision in which he saw “the things which [his] father saw” in the latter’s dream of […]
The post “Upon the Wings of His Spirit”: A Note on Hebrew rûaḥ and 2 Nephi 4:25 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2023-08-1833 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“They Shall Be Scattered Again”: Some Notes on JST Genesis 50:24–25, 33–35Abstract: This article examines the extension of the etiological wordplay on the name Joseph (in terms of the Hebrew verbs ʾāsap and yāsap), recurrent in the canonical text of Genesis, into the JST Genesis 50 text, where Joseph learns about and prophesies of a future “Joseph” who would help gather Israel after they had been […]
The post “They Shall Be Scattered Again”: Some Notes on JST Genesis 50:24–25, 33–35 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2023-06-2354 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“That They Might Come Again unto the Remnant of the House of Jacob”: Onomastic Allusions to Joseph in 3 Nephi 26:8–10 and 4 Nephi 1:49Abstract: The prophecies in 3 Nephi 26:8–10 and 4 Nephi 1:49 are third-generation members of the same family of texts derived from Isaiah 11:11–12 and Isaiah 29:4, all of which ultimately rely on yāsap (yôsîp or yôsip) idioms to describe the gathering of Israel and the concomitant coming forth of additional scripture. Mormon, following Nephi, […]
The post “That They Might Come Again unto the Remnant of the House of Jacob”: Onomastic Allusions to Joseph in 3 Nephi 26:8–10 and 4 Nephi 1:49 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2023-03-1747 min
I Can't Believe This Got Greenlit!Kermit's Swamp Years ft. Jonah Bowen | Ep 4Welcome to I Can't Believe This Got Greenlit! A show where we discuss movies from our childhood; our nostalgia from watching them as a kid, how they got made, and our experiences rewatching them as adults.
Hosted by: Nick Warner & Matthew Pelton
Artwork by: Rachel Mantz
Theme song by: Tyler R. Jenkins2023-03-1752 min
The Hard Luck ShowMatthew Perry Drugs: Ep. 433Your earbuds will cry naked in an epsom salt bath when Chumahan tortures Big Lucks, OBE and Big Pic Mike with the true drug-fueled bazillion dollar story of the Chandler from the Friends show, Matthew Perry’s Autobiography about his depraved opiate, pill, alcoholic, cigarette drenched, money-soaked, thottie-throttled, reiken-laden, Julia Roberts laying nuro-erotic tale, heat Big Pic Mike’s soul shatter when he hears Matthew Perry crying about having to walk down some stairs, hear Big Luck’s release God’s Wrath when Chandler from Friends claims that he knew what prison was like because of how out of it he wa...2023-01-251h 17
Folk on FootGwilym Bowen Rhys in AberdaronCome for a wild, wet and windy walk on the beach at Aberdaron on the Llyn peninsula in Wales with the singer and songwriter Gwilym Bowen Rhys. Then join us in the local church where Gwilym demonstrates his musical versatility, accompanying himself on the guitar, fiddle, harmonica and organ and throwing in a whistling solo for good measure. He sings a song about a local shipwreck and shows us the grave of the victims in the churchyard. We learn about local history, Welsh language and culture and Gwilym’s own inspiration in another fascinating episode.---D...2022-10-1453 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Unto the Taking Away of Their Stumbling Blocks”: The Taking Away and Keeping Back of Plain and Precious Things and Their Restoration in 1 Nephi 13–15Abstract: In the latter part (1 Nephi 13–14) of his vision of the tree of life (1 Nephi 11–14), Nephi is shown the unauthorized human diminution of scripture and the gospel by the Gentile “great and abominable church” — that plain and precious things/words, teachings, and covenants were “taken away” or otherwise “kept back” from the texts that became […]
The post “Unto the Taking Away of Their Stumbling Blocks”: The Taking Away and Keeping Back of Plain and Precious Things and Their Restoration in 1 Nephi 13–15 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2022-10-071h 07Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“For Their Good Have I Written Them”: The Onomastic Allusivity and Literary Function of 2 Nephi 25:8Abstract: Nephi’s writings exhibit a distinctive focus on “good” and divine “goodness,” reflecting the meaning of Nephi’s Egyptian name (derived from nfr) meaning “good,” “goodly,” “fine,” or “fair.” Beyond the inclusio playing on his own name in terms of “good” and “goodness” (1 Nephi 1:1; 2 Nephi 33:3–4, 10, 12), he uses a similar inclusio (2 Nephi 5:30–31; 25:7–8) to frame and demarcate […]
The post “For Their Good Have I Written Them”: The Onomastic Allusivity and Literary Function of 2 Nephi 25:8 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2022-09-2328 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me”: A Note on the Personal and Emotional Rendering of an Ancient Idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33Abstract: The biblical Hebrew collocation pinnâ derek or pannû derek (cf. Egyptian Ἰr wꜣ.t [n]), often rendered “prepare the way” or “prepare a way” in English, is an evident stylistic feature of Nephi’s writings. The most basic meaning of this idiom is “clear my way,” which is how it is rendered in 2 Nephi 4:33. Zenos’s […]
The post “But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me”: A Note on the Personal and Emotional Rendering of an Ancient Idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2022-09-0212 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Can You Suppose That the Lord Will Spare You?”: Moroni’s Charged Rhetoric in Alma 60:30–32Abstract: Under the duress of a lengthy war, and prompted by recent Lamanite military successes, as well as incensed at the government’s failure to resupply Helaman’s armies with provisions and to send men to reinforce the city Nephihah, Moroni sent a second scathing letter to the leaders of the Nephite nation in the Nephite capital city Zarahemla. […]
The post “Can You Suppose That the Lord Will Spare You?”: Moroni’s Charged Rhetoric in Alma 60:30–32 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2022-05-1327 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationPutting Down the Priests: A Note on Royal Evaluations, (wĕ)hišbît, and Priestly Purges in 2 Kings 23:5 and Mosiah 11:5Abstract: The historian who wrote 2 Kings 23:5 and Mormon, who wrote Mosiah 11:5, used identical expressions to describe King Josiah’s and King Noah’s purges of the priests previously ordained and installed by their fathers. These purges came to define their respective kingships. The biblical writer used this language to positively evaluate Josiah’s kingship (“And he put down […]
The post Putting Down the Priests: A Note on Royal Evaluations, (wĕ)hišbît, and Priestly Purges in 2 Kings 23:5 and Mosiah 11:5 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2022-04-2223 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“The Messenger of Salvation”: The Messenger-Message Christology of D&C 93:8 and Its Implications for Latter-day Saint Missionary Work and Temple WorshipAbstract: Several of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s earliest revelations, beginning with Moroni’s appearance in 1823, quote the prophecy of Malachi 3:1 with the Lord “suddenly com[ing] to his temple” as “messenger of the covenant.” Malachi 3:1 and its quoted iterations in 3 Nephi 24:1; Doctrine and Covenants 36:8; 42:36; 133:2 not only impressed upon Joseph and early Church members the […]
The post “The Messenger of Salvation”: The Messenger-Message Christology of D&C 93:8 and Its Implications for Latter-day Saint Missionary Work and Temple Worship first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2022-04-011h 14Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“We Might Have Enjoyed Our Possessions and the Land of Our Inheritance”: Hebrew yrš and 1 Nephi 17:21Abstract: The verbal expression “we might have enjoyed,” as used in a complaint that Nephi attributes to his brothers, “we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance” (1 Nephi 17:21), reflects a use of the Hebrew verb yrš in its progressive aspect, “to enjoy possession of.” This meaning is evident in several passages in the […]
The post “We Might Have Enjoyed Our Possessions and the Land of Our Inheritance”: Hebrew yrš and 1 Nephi 17:21 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2022-02-1854 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“The Lord God Will Proceed”: Nephi’s Wordplay in 1 Nephi 22:8–12 and the Abrahamic CovenantAbstract: Nephi quotes or alludes to four distinct Old Testament passages — Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 29:14; Isaiah 49:22–23; and Isaiah 52:10 — twice each in 1 Nephi 22:6, 8–12. These four texts form the basis of his description of how the Lord would bring to pass the complete fulfillment of the promises in the Abrahamic […]
The post “The Lord God Will Proceed”: Nephi’s Wordplay in 1 Nephi 22:8–12 and the Abrahamic Covenant first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2022-01-2150 min
Been There, Done MattEpisode 30 - Mikayla Bowen - Boxes By BowenThis week Matt sits down with Mikayla Bowen who plays for the West Coast Eagles Women's team in the AFLW competition. Bowen signed with the club in January 2019. As an expansion club entering the AFLW in 2020, West Coast were permitted to sign up to 10 players from their academy before the end of the 2019 season; Bowen was amongst the first to be announced. Mikayla also runs her own clothing business, 'Boxes By Bowen' which was Established in 2020, BOXES by Bowen was originated with the desire to inspire a resilient mentality amongst our youth. Check out the links below and go s...2021-12-232h 39
The Matt Kwasiborski ShowConversation with Les Bowen-Journalism, INTL Affairs, Democracy and Sports!Legendary Philly sports journalist Les Bowen and I discuss why he became a journalist, importance of journalism in democratic nations, Afghanistan, his favorite Philly athletes for soundbites, and of course Eagles football!2021-08-281h 09Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“If Ye Believe on His Name”: Wordplay on the Name Samuel in Helaman 14:2, 12–13 and 3 Nephi 23:9 and the Doctrine of Christ in Samuel’s SpeechAbstract: The Semitic/Hebrew name Samuel (šĕmûʾēl) most likely means “his name is El” — i.e., “his name [the name that he calls upon in worship] is El” — although it was also associated with “hearing” (šāmaʿ) God (e.g., 1 Samuel 3:9–11). In the ancient Near East, the parental hope for one thus named is that the son […]
The post “If Ye Believe on His Name”: Wordplay on the Name Samuel in Helaman 14:2, 12–13 and 3 Nephi 23:9 and the Doctrine of Christ in Samuel’s Speech first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-07-021h 12Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“The Messiah Will Set Himself Again”: Jacob’s Use of Isaiah 11:11 in 2 Nephi 6:14 and Jacob 6:2Abstract: In sermons and writings, Jacob twice quotes the prophecy of Isaiah 11:11 (“the Lord [ʾădōnāy] shall set his hand again [yôsîp] the second time to gather the remnant of his people”). In 2 Nephi 6:14 and Jacob 6:2, Jacob uses Isaiah 11:11 as a lens through which he interprets much lengthier prophetic texts that detail the restoration, redemption, and gathering […]
The post “The Messiah Will Set Himself Again”: Jacob’s Use of Isaiah 11:11 in 2 Nephi 6:14 and Jacob 6:2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-04-1651 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #48: Moses Witnesses the Creation (Moses 2): “This I Did By the Word of My Power” (Moses 2:5)Distinction and separation are the central themes of the creation account: “And I, God, said: Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night” (Moses 2:14).
The post Essay #48: Moses Witnesses the Creation (Moses 2): “This I Did By the Word of My Power” (Moses 2:5) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-03-2717 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #43: Moses 1: A Literary Masterpiece. Many-Great Waters and Moses’ Mission to Baptize (Moses 1:25-26)In the immediately preceding set of Essays, we focused on the narrative of Moses 1 and its interpretation. However, beginning with this Essay, we will turn our attention to some of the beautiful and meaningful ritual allusions and literary details of the chapter.
The post Essay #43: Moses 1: A Literary Masterpiece. Many-Great Waters and Moses’ Mission to Baptize (Moses 1:25-26) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-02-2013 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #42: Moses 1 in Its Ancient Context: “The Words of God” (Moses 1:1–7, 35, 40–42)Moses 1 constitutes a self-contained literary unit and prologue to the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, demarcated by an inclusio. The Latin word inclusio (literally, an “inclosing” or “closing-in”) serves as “a technical term for a passage of scripture in which the opening phrase or idea is repeated, paraphrased, or otherwise returned to at the close.”
The post Essay #42: Moses 1 in Its Ancient Context: “The Words of God” (Moses 1:1–7, 35, 40–42) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-02-1307 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationComing Down and Bringing Down: Pejorative Onomastic Allusions to the Jaredites in Helaman 6:25, 6:38, and Ether 2:11Abstract: Mormon uses pejorative wordplay on the name Jaredites based on the meaning of the Hebrew verb yārad. The onomastic rhetoric involving the meaning of yārad first surfaces in Helaman 6 where Mormon also employs wordplay on the name Cain in terms of qānâ or “getting gain.” The first wordplay occurs in the negative purpose […]
The post Coming Down and Bringing Down: Pejorative Onomastic Allusions to the Jaredites in Helaman 6:25, 6:38, and Ether 2:11 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-02-1229 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #41: Moses 1 in Its Ancient Context: Moses in the Presence of God (Moses 1:31, chapters 2-4)In this Essay, we will discuss how Moses and Abraham speak with the Lord, and how both are given a vision of the Creation, the Garden of Eden, and the Fall from within the heavenly veil.
The post Essay #41: Moses 1 in Its Ancient Context: Moses in the Presence of God (Moses 1:31, chapters 2-4) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-02-0605 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #40: Moses 1 in Its Ancient Context: Moses’ Vision at the Veil (Moses 1:27–30)Having traversed the veil, Moses and Abraham experience a comprehensive vision of the earth and its mortal inhabitants through the ages. In both texts, this raises questions for the prophets, but the nature of the questions differs somewhat in Moses 1 than in the Apocalypse of Abraham (ApAb).
The post Essay #40: Moses 1 in Its Ancient Context: Moses’ Vision at the Veil (Moses 1:27–30) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-01-3008 min
Colts Corner With Kevin BowenEpisode 266 | Is Matthew Stafford Colts Bound? + Did The Colts Push Philip Rivers Out The Door?0:00 Intro 4:21 Nick Sirianni to the Eagles & Who is Marcus Brady? 9:56 Matthew Stafford to Indianapolis? 25:48 Twitter QuestionsSupport the show: https://1075thefan.com/kevin-bowen/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.2021-01-261h 35Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #39: Moses 1 in Its Ancient Context: The Names of Moses as “Keywords” (Moses 1:25)In light of our cultural and conceptual distance from the milieu of Moses 1, we are fortunate that imperfect documents from antiquity like the Apocalypse of Abraham (ApAb) may nevertheless provide keys for understanding that “mysterious other world,” even when existing manuscripts were written much later and, not infrequently, have come to us in a form that is riddled with the ridiculous.
The post Essay #39: Moses 1 in Its Ancient Context: The Names of Moses as “Keywords” (Moses 1:25) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2021-01-2326 min
Bouncing Back in AdvertisingBouncing Back With Bowen Mendelson: Executive Creative DirectorOn episode 71 of Bouncing Back, I interviewed Bowen Mendelson who was most recently an Executive Creative Director at Orange Theory. This is also my 41st episode in partnership with The Avail List.Bowen has worked on both the agency and client-side which has helped him become a better creative director because he understands both sides of the equation.He’s focused on solving problems with the best creative possible and understands that every assignment is an opportunity to help his clients & agency shine.He prides himself on finding great in...2021-01-2125 min
The Unwritten PlaybookEpisode 11: Challenging the Notion of a Linear Career Path with Matthew SciannellaMatthew Sciannella (Thinker & Senior Strategist @ Gorilla 76) joined us on The Unwritten Playbook to knock down the notion that one must employ a linear career path in the field of marketing. You can be just as, if not more, successful by building your own path, regardless of how unconventional it may seem. He shares with us some personal examples of how to learn on the job as well as how he carved his own path to create the career he wanted.
"If I don't know how to do something, I learn how to do it."2021-01-0427 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“I Will Deliver Thy Sons”: An Onomastic Approach to Three Iterations of an Oracle to Mosiah II (Mosiah 28:7; Alma 17:35, 19:23)Abstract: Three times in his narrative Mormon recounts the Lord’s oracle (revelation) to Mosiah II regarding his sons undertaking a mission among the Lamanites (Mosiah 28:7, Alma 17:35, and Alma 19:23). In all three instances, the Lord’s promises of deliverance revolve around the meaning of the name Mosiah (“Yahweh is Deliverer” or “Yahweh is Savior”), […]
The post “I Will Deliver Thy Sons”: An Onomastic Approach to Three Iterations of an Oracle to Mosiah II (Mosiah 28:7; Alma 17:35, 19:23) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-12-1838 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“We Are a Remnant of the Seed of Joseph”: Moroni’s Interpretive Use of Joseph’s Coat and the Martial nēs-Imagery of Isaiah 11:11–12[Page 169]Abstract: Genesis 30:23–24 offers a double etiology for Joseph in terms of “taking away”/“gathering” (ʾāsap) and “adding” (yāsap). In addition to its later narratological use of the foregoing, the Joseph cycle (Genesis 37–50) evidences a third dimension of onomastic wordplay involving Joseph’s kĕtōnet passîm, an uncertain phrase traditionally translated “coat of many colours” (from LXX), but perhaps […]
The post “We Are a Remnant of the Seed of Joseph”: Moroni’s Interpretive Use of Joseph’s Coat and the Martial nēs-Imagery of Isaiah 11:11–12 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-12-0452 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationWhere Did the Names Mahaway and Mahujah Come From? A Response to Colby Townsend’s “Returning to the Sources,” Part 2 of 2[Page 181]Review of Colby Townsend, “Returning to the Sources: Integrating Textual Criticism in the Study of Early Mormon Texts and History,” Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies 10, no. 1 (2019): 55–85, https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/imwjournal/vol10/iss1/6/. Abstract: In the present article, Part 2 of 2 of a set of articles supporting Colby Townsend’s efforts to raise awareness […]
The post Where Did the Names Mahaway and Mahujah Come From? A Response to Colby Townsend’s “Returning to the Sources,” Part 2 of 2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-10-231h 14
The Children's Book PodcastFred Bowen and James Ransome - GridironFred Bowen and James Ransome share GRIDIRON: STORIES FROM 100 YEARS OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. GRIDIRON is a work of love and devotion and history and fandom. It tells in a collection of brief chapters a history of a sport made up in moments, from memorable plays to memorable leaders and memorable events that allowed more people into the game. And it does it with gorgeous, energetic, and often emblematic illustrations. Through it all, the sport, the figures, and the history, is an opportunity to bring people together. You can access even more information about this book and its author...2020-10-1943 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationTextual Criticism and the Book of Moses: A Response to Colby Townsend’s “Returning to the Sources,” Part 1 of 2[Page 99]Review of Colby Townsend, “Returning to the Sources: Integrating Textual Criticism in the Study of Early Mormon Texts and History.” Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies 10, no. 1 (2019): 55–85, https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/imwjournal/vol10/iss1/6/. Abstract: Textual criticism tries by a variety of methods to understand the “original” or “best” wording of a document that may exist in […]
The post Textual Criticism and the Book of Moses: A Response to Colby Townsend’s “Returning to the Sources,” Part 1 of 2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-10-161h 11Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“I of Myself Am a Wicked Man”: Some Notes on Allusion and Textual Dependency in Omni 1:1-2[Page 71]Abstract: Omni greatly revered his ancestors and their personal accounts on the small plates of Nephi. A close examination of Omni’s brief autobiography (Omni 1:1–3) evidences borrowing from all four of his predecessors’ writings. Moreover, his self-description, “I of myself am a wicked man,” constitutes far more than a confession of religious dereliction. That […]
The post “I of Myself Am a Wicked Man”: Some Notes on Allusion and Textual Dependency in Omni 1:1-2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-10-0934 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #21: The Teachings of Enoch — “Thus May All Become My Sons” (Moses 6:59, 66–68)Significantly, the last verse of Moses 6 includes the words “and thus may all become my sons.” This statement relating to the exaltation of Adam and Eve and all their posterity provides the doctrinal foundation for the account in the Book of Moses of Enoch’s adoption as a son of God, with a right to God’s throne.
The post Essay #21: The Teachings of Enoch — “Thus May All Become My Sons” (Moses 6:59, 66–68) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-09-1908 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #20: The Teachings of Enoch — “By the Blood Ye Are Sanctified” (Moses 6:60)Because blood is a symbol of death and life, it was used in Israelite temples for “the altar [of sacrifice] to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” — thus symbolizing the process of repentance that culminates in justification.
The post Essay #20: The Teachings of Enoch — “By the Blood Ye Are Sanctified” (Moses 6:60) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-09-1208 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“That Which They Most Desired”: The Waters of Mormon, Baptism, the Love of God, and the Bitter Fountain[Page 261]Abstract: Paronomasia in the Hebrew text of Exodus creates narrative links between the name Miriam (Mary) and the “waters” (mayim) of the Re[e]d Sea from which Israel is “pulled” and the nearby “bitter” waters of Marah. Nephi sees Mary (Mariam), the mother of Jesus, associated with the “love of God,” and thus to both […]
The post “That Which They Most Desired”: The Waters of Mormon, Baptism, the Love of God, and the Bitter Fountain first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-09-111h 32Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #19: The Teachings of Enoch — “By the Spirit Ye Are Justified” (Moses 6:60, 63, 65–66)In this article, we turn our attention to the second phrase in Moses 6:60: “by the Spirit ye are justified.” Simply put, individuals become “just”—in other words, innocent before God and ready for a covenant relationship with Him—when they demonstrate sufficient repentance to qualify for an “initial cleansing from sin” “by the Spirit,” thus having had the demands of justice satisfied on their behalf through the Savior’s atoning blood.
The post Essay #19: The Teachings of Enoch — “By the Spirit Ye Are Justified” (Moses 6:60, 63, 65–66) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-09-0508 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #18: The Teachings of Enoch — “Out of the Waters of Judah” (1 Nephi 20:1; JST Genesis 17:3–7)In this article, we digress from the direct discussion of Enoch’s sermon on the ordinances to discuss the corresponding subject of the relationship between baptism, as revealed in the beginning to Adam and Eve, and the later institution of the Old Testament ordinance of circumcision through God’s command to Abraham. A neglected passage in the Joseph Smith Translation and an often criticized verse in the Book of Mormon give interesting insights on these topics.
The post Essay #18: The Teachings of Enoch — “Out of the Waters of Judah” (1 Nephi 20:1; JST Genesis 17:3–7) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-08-2916 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“God Hath Taken Away His Plainness”: Some Notes on Jacob 4:14, Revelation, Canon, Covenant, and Law[Page 81]Abstract: This article examines Jacob’s statement “God hath taken away his plainness from [the Jews]” (Jacob 4:14) as one of several scriptural texts employing language that revolves around the Deuteronomic canon formulae (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32 [13:1]; cf. Revelation 22:18‒19). It further examines the textual dependency of Jacob 4:13‒14 on Nephi’s earlier writings, 1 Nephi 13 and 2 Nephi 25 in particular. The […]
The post “God Hath Taken Away His Plainness”: Some Notes on Jacob 4:14, Revelation, Canon, Covenant, and Law first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-08-2857 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #17: The Teachings of Enoch — “By the Water Ye Keep the Commandment” (Moses 6:60, 64)In Moses 6:60, Enoch declares the word of the Lord about the essential place of baptism in the suite of saving ordinances. In v. 64, he illustrates his point by describing the baptism of Adam. In this article, we will discuss the antiquity of water symbolism in rituals of rebirth, showing that in many ancient traditions, as in the Book of Moses, they are believed to go back to Adam.
The post Essay #17: The Teachings of Enoch — “By the Water Ye Keep the Commandment” (Moses 6:60, 64) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-08-2208 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #16: The Teachings of Enoch — “By Water, and Blood, and the Spirit” (Moses 6:58–60)According to the Book of Moses, Enoch and other ancient prophets taught the doctrine of rebirth. Enoch cited the word of God to Adam to the effect that man must be “born … into the kingdom of heaven” in order to be “sanctified from all sin, … enjoy the words of eternal life in this [world], and [acquire] eternal life in the world to come,” even immortal glory.
The post Essay #16: The Teachings of Enoch — “By Water, and Blood, and the Spirit” (Moses 6:58–60) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-08-1514 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #15: The Teachings of Enoch — “The Son of Man, Even Jesus Christ, a Righteous Judge” (Moses 6:57)In a previous Essay, we discussed resemblances in vocabulary and phrasing between the prophetic call of Enoch in the Book of Moses and the account of Jesus’ baptism in the Gospels. We described evidence for the possibility that the authors of the New Testament gospels drew on older ideas present in ancient literature connected to the figure of Enoch when they composed their accounts.
The post Essay #15: The Teachings of Enoch — “The Son of Man, Even Jesus Christ, a Righteous Judge” (Moses 6:57) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-08-0818 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationEssay #14: The Teachings of Enoch — Enoch as a Teacher (Moses 6:51–68)In reviewing ancient and modern threads that highlight Enoch’s roles as a missionary, prophet, and visionary, we must not overlook his effectiveness as a teacher. Among the most precious and significant insights he conveyed to the people is the sequence described in Moses 6:60, whereby all people may be “born again into the kingdom of heaven.”
The post Essay #14: The Teachings of Enoch — Enoch as a Teacher (Moses 6:51–68) first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-08-0112 min
The Flow Artists Podcast by Garden of YogaMatthew Remski - COVID Conspiracies and the Future of YogaWe've been seeing all sorts of conspiracy theories posted online lately - from 5g causing coronavirus, to the Plandemic film and more. So we decided to have a chat with Matthew Remski. Matthew Remski is a yoga teacher, a writer and an activist. He has written extensively about cult dynamics in yoga, but recently he has turned his attention to the huge amount of conspiracy discourse that has been spread on Social Media lately.
As well as learning about some of the factors that feed into conspiracy discourse, we get Matthew's point of view on the future of the yoga...2020-05-1859 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationBecoming Men and Women of Understanding: Wordplay on Benjamin — An Addendum[Page 239]Abstract: Royal and divine sonship/daughterhood (bānîm = “children”/“sons,” bānôt = “daughters”) is a prevalent theme throughout the Book of Mosiah. “Understanding” (Hebrew noun, bînâ or tĕbûnâ; verb, bîn) is also a key theme in that book. The initial juxtaposition of “sons” and “understanding” with the name “Benjamin” (binyāmîn, “son of the right hand”) in Mosiah 1:2–7 suggests […]
The post Becoming Men and Women of Understanding: Wordplay on Benjamin — An Addendum first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2020-04-241h 21
Latter-day Saint FAIR-CastFairMormon Conference Podcast #53 – Matthew Bowen, “Laman and Nephi as Key-Words: An Etymological, Narratological, and Rhetorical Approach to Understanding Lamanites and Nephites as Religious, Political, and Cultural Descriptors”This podcast series features past FairMormon Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2019 conference. If you would like to watch the presentations from our 2019 conference, you can still purchase the video streaming.
Matthew Bowen, Laman and Nephi as Key-Words: An Etymological, Narratological, and Rhetorical Approach to Understanding Lamanites and Nephites as Religious, Political, and Cultural Descriptors
Transcript available here.
Matthew L. Bowen is an assistant professor of Religious Education at Brigham Young University–Hawaii where he has taught since 2012. He holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the Catholic University of America in...2020-03-171h 14
FairMormon Conference Archives - FAIRFairMormon Conference Podcast #53 – Matthew Bowen, “Laman and Nephi as Key-Words: An Etymological, Narratological, and Rhetorical Approach to Understanding Lamanites and Nephites as Religious, Political, and Cultural Descriptors”This podcast series features past FairMormon Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2019 conference. If you would like to watch the presentations from our 2019 conference, you can still purchase the video streaming.
Matthew Bowen, Laman and Nephi as Key-Words: An Etymological, Narratological, and Rhetorical Approach to Understanding Lamanites and Nephites as Religious, Political, and Cultural Descriptors
Transcript available here.
Matthew L. Bowen is an assistant professor of Religious Education at Brigham Young University–Hawaii where he has taught since 2012. He holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the Catholic University of America in...2020-03-171h 14Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationShazer: An Etymological Proposal in Narrative Context[Page 1]Abstract: In 1 Nephi 16:13–14, Nephi mentions the name Shazer as a toponym the Lehite clan bestowed on a site in western Arabia “four days” journey south-southeast of the valley of Laman. The Lehites used this site as a base camp for a major hunting expedition. A footnote to the first mention of the name Shazer in the 1981 and 2013 […]
The post Shazer: An Etymological Proposal in Narrative Context first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2019-07-1220 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“And They Shall Be Had Again”: Onomastic Allusions to Joseph in Moses 1:41 in View of the So-called Canon Formula[Page 297]Abstract: Moses 1:41 echoes or plays on the etymological meaning of the name Joseph — “may he [Yahweh] add,” as the Lord foretells to Moses the raising up of a future figure through whom the Lord’s words, after having been “taken” (away) from the book that Moses would write, “shall be had again among the […]
The post “And They Shall Be Had Again”: Onomastic Allusions to Joseph in Moses 1:41 in View of the So-called Canon Formula first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2019-06-2117 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationMessengers of the Covenant: Mormon’s Doctrinal Use of Malachi 3:1 in Moroni 7:29–32[Page 111]Abstract: Although not evident at first glance, shared terminology and phraseology in Malachi 3:1 (3 Nephi 24:1) and Moroni 7:29–32 suggest textual dependency of the latter on the former. Jesus’s dictation of Malachi 3–4 to the Lamanites and Nephites at the temple in Bountiful, as recorded and preserved on the plates of Nephi, helped […]
The post Messengers of the Covenant: Mormon’s Doctrinal Use of Malachi 3:1 in Moroni 7:29–32 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2019-02-0159 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“They Shall No More Be Confounded”: Moroni’s Wordplay on Joseph in Ether 13:1-13 and Moroni 10:31[Page 91]Abstract: In two related prophecies, Moroni employs an apparent wordplay on the name Joseph in terms of the Hebrew idiom (lōʾ) yôsîp … ʿôd (+ verbal component), as preserved in the phrases “they shall no more be confounded” (Ether 13:8) and “that thou mayest no more be confounded” (Moroni 10:31). That phraseology enjoyed a […]
The post “They Shall No More Be Confounded”: Moroni’s Wordplay on Joseph in Ether 13:1-13 and Moroni 10:31 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2018-10-1234 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“And the Meek Also Shall Increase”: The Verb yāsap in Isaiah 29 and Nephi’s Prophetic Allusions to the Name Joseph in 2 Nephi 25–30[Page 5]Abstract: Beyond his autobiographic use of Joseph’s name and biography, Nephi also considered the name Joseph to have long-term prophetic value. As a Semitic/Hebrew name, Joseph derives from the verb yāsap (to “add,” “increase,” “proceed to do something,” “do something again,” and to “do something more”), thus meaning “may he [God] add,” “may he […]
The post “And the Meek Also Shall Increase”: The Verb yāsap in Isaiah 29 and Nephi’s Prophetic Allusions to the Name Joseph in 2 Nephi 25–30 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2018-09-071h 32Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Thou Art the Fruit of My Loins”: The Interrelated Symbolism and Meanings of the Names Joseph and Ephraim in Ancient Scripture,[Page 273]Abstract: To the ancient Israelite ear, the name Ephraim sounded like or connoted “doubly fruitful.” Joseph explains the naming of his son Ephraim in terms of the Lord’s having “caused [him] to be fruitful” (Genesis 41:52). The “fruitfulness” motif in the Joseph narrative cycle (Genesis 37–50) constitutes the culmination of a larger, overarching theme […]
The post “Thou Art the Fruit of My Loins”: The Interrelated Symbolism and Meanings of the Names Joseph and Ephraim in Ancient Scripture, first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2018-04-131h 04Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Swearing by Their Everlasting Maker”: Some Notes on Paanchi and Giddianhi[Page 155]Abstract: This brief article explores Paanchi and Giddianhi as names evidencing the Egyptian onomastic element –anchi/anhi/ʿnḫ(i) and the potential literary significance of these two names in the context of Mormon’s narrative detailing the formation of the oath-bound secret combinations sworn with oath-formulae upon one’s “life” (cf. Egyptian ʿnḫ, “life”; “live”; “swear an oath [by […]
The post “Swearing by Their Everlasting Maker”: Some Notes on Paanchi and Giddianhi first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2018-03-0233 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Possess the Land in Peace”: Zeniff’s Ironic Wordplay on Shilom[Page 115]Abstract: The toponym Shilom likely derives from the Semitic/Hebrew root š-l-m, whence also the similar-sounding word šālôm, “peace,” derives. The first mention of the toponym Shilom in Zeniff’s record — an older account than the surrounding material and an autobiography — occurs in Mosiah 9:6 in parallel with Zeniff’s mention of his intention to […]
The post “Possess the Land in Peace”: Zeniff’s Ironic Wordplay on Shilom first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2018-02-0908 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“He Did Go About Secretly”: Additional Thoughts on the Literary Use of Alma’s Name[Page 197]Abstract: Mormon describes Alma the Younger’s “go[ing] about secretly” to destroy the church that his father, Alma the Elder, had established (Mosiah 27:8–10), this as a narratalogical inversion of that period when Alma the Elder “went about privately” teaching the words of Abinadi and establishing a church “that it might not come to the […]
The post “He Did Go About Secretly”: Additional Thoughts on the Literary Use of Alma’s Name first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.2017-11-2425 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“I Kneeled Down Before My Maker”: Allusions to Esau in the Book of EnosThe Book of Enos constitutes a brief literary masterpiece. A close reading of Enos’s autobiography reveals textual dependency not only on 1 Nephi 1:1-2 and Genesis 32–33, but also on earlier parts of the Jacob‑Esau cycle in Genesis 25, 27. Enos’s autobiographical allusions to hunting and hungering serve as narrative inversions of Esau’s biography. The narrative of Genesis 27 exploits the name “Esau” in terms of the Hebrew verb ʿśh/ʿśy (“make,” “do”). Enos (“man”) himself incorporates paronomastic allusions to the name “Esau” in terms of ʿśh/ʿśy in surprising and subtle ways in order to illustrate his own transformation through the Atonement of Jesus Christ...2017-09-221h 04Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“If Ye Will Hearken”: Lehi’s Rhetorical Wordplay on Ishmael in 2 Nephi 1:28–29 and Its ImplicationsNephi’s preservation of the conditional “first blessing” that Lehi bestowed upon his elder sons (Laman, Lemuel, and Sam) and the sons of Ishmael, contains a dramatic wordplay on the name Ishmael in 2 Nephi 1:28–29. The name Ishmael — “May El hear [him],” “May El hearken,” or “El Has Hearkened” — derives from the Semitic (and later Hebrew) verb šāmaʿ (to “hear,” “hearken,” or “obey”). Lehi’s rhetorical wordplay juxtaposes the name Ishmael with a clustering of the verbs “obey” and “hearken,” both usually represented in Hebrew by the verb šāmaʿ. Lehi’s blessing is predicated on his sons’ and the sons of Ishmael’s “hearkening” to Nephi (“if ye will hearken”...2017-05-191h 06Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“By the Blood Ye Are Sanctified”: The Symbolic, Salvific, Interrelated, Additive, Retrospective, and Anticipatory Nature of the Ordinances of Spiritual Rebirth in John 3 and Moses 6In chapter 3 of the Gospel of John, Jesus described spiritual rebirth as consisting of two parts: being “born of water and of the spirit.” To this requirement of being “born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit,” Moses 6:59–60 adds that one must “be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; … For … by the blood ye are sanctified.” In this article, we will discuss the symbolism of water, spirit, and blood in scripture as they are actualized in the process of spiritual rebirth. We will highlight in particular the symbolic, salvific, interrelated, additive, retrospe...2017-03-242h 05Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“This Son Shall Comfort Us”: An Onomastic Tale of Two NoahsFrom an etiological perspective, the Hebrew Bible connects the name Noah with two distinct but somewhat homonymous verbal roots: nwḥ (“rest”) and nḥm (“comfort,” “regret” [sometimes “repent”]). Significantly, the Enoch and Noah material in the revealed text of the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis (especially Moses 7–8) also connects the name Noah in a positive sense to the earth’s “rest” and the Lord’s covenant with Enoch after the latter “refuse[d] to be comforted” regarding the imminent destruction of humanity in the flood. The Book of Mormon, on the other hand, connects the name Noah pejoratively to Hebrew nwḥ (“rest”) and nḥm (“comf...2017-02-031h 29Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Their Anger Did Increase Against Me”: Nephi’s Autobiographical Permutation of a Biblical Wordplay on the Name JosephNephi’s record on the small plates includes seven distinct scenes in which Nephi depicts the anger of his brethren against him. Each of these scenes includes language that recalls Genesis 37:5-10, 20, the biblical scene in which Joseph’s brothers “hate him yet the more [wayyôsipû ôd] for his dreams and for his words” because they fear that he intends to “reign” and to “have dominion” or rule over them (Genesis 37:8). Later, they plot to kill him (Genesis 37:20). Two of these “anger” scenes culminate in Nephi’s brothers’ bowing down before him in the same way that Joseph’s brothers bowed down in obei...2016-12-3052 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“Creator of the First Day”: The Glossing of Lord of Sabaoth in D&C 95:7The calqued name-title “Lord of Sabaoth,” echoing James 5:4, occurs four times in the Doctrine and Covenants in revelations given to the prophet Joseph Smith from December 25, 1832 to August 6, 1833. Of these occurrences, only D&C 95:7 offers a gloss or interpretation for the name “the Lord of Sabaoth,” which is, by interpretation, “the creator of the first day, the beginning and the end.” Upon close inspection, this explanation makes excellent sense from an ancient Israelite etiological as well as (perhaps) an etymological standpoint. Past criticisms of the gloss in D&C 95:7 have focused on the wrongly assumed incongruity of “first day” and “Sabaoth” (“...2016-09-301h 00Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“O Ye Fair Ones” — RevisitedThe best explanation for the name “Nephi” is that it derives from the Egyptian word nfr, “good,” “goodly,” “fine,” “fair,” “beautiful.” Nephi’s autobiographical wordplay on his own name in his self-introduction (and elsewhere throughout his writings) revolves around the evident meaning of his name. This has important implications for how the derived gentilic term “Nephites” was understood over time, especially among the Nephites themselves. Nephi’s early ethno-cultural descriptions of his people describe them as “fair” and “beautiful” (vis-à-vis the Lamanites). These early descriptions subsequently become the basis for Nephite ethno-cultural self-perceptions. The Nephites’ supposition that they were the “good” or “fair ones” was all too...2016-06-241h 07Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationThe Scalp of Your Head: Polysemy in Alma 44:14–18The fear that Moroni’s soldier’s speech (Alma 44:14) aroused in the Lamanite soldiers and the intensity of Zerahemnah’s subsequently redoubled anger are best explained by the polysemy (i.e., multiple meanings within a lexeme’s range of meaning) of a single word translated “chief” in Alma 44:14 and “heads” in Alma 44:18. As editor of a sacred history, Mormon was interested in showing the fulfilment of prophecy when such fulfilment occurred. Mormon’s description of the Lamanites “fall[ing] exceedingly fast” because of the exposure of the Lamanites’ “bare heads” to the Nephites’ swords and their being “smitten” in Alma 44:18 — just as “the scalp of...2016-05-2713 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationAlma — Young Man, Hidden ProphetThe biographical introduction of Alma the Elder into the Book of Mormon narrative (Mosiah 17:2) also introduces the name Alma into the text for the first time, this in close juxtaposition with a description of Alma as a “young man.” The best explanation for the name Alma is that it derives from the Semitic term ǵlm (Hebrew ʿelem), “young man,” “youth,” “lad.” This suggests the strong probability of an intentional wordplay on the name Alma in the Book of Mormon’s underlying text: Alma became “[God’s] young man” or “servant.” Additional lexical connections between Mosiah 17:2 and Mosiah 14:1 (quoting Isaiah 53:1) suggest that Abinadi identifie...2016-04-2224 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“See That Ye Are Not Lifted Up”: The Name Zoram and Its Paronomastic PejorationThe most likely etymology for the name Zoram is a third person singular perfect pôʿal form of the Semitic/Hebrew verb *zrm, with the meaning, “He [God] has poured forth in floods.” However, the name could also have been heard and interpreted as a theophoric –rām name, of which there are many in the biblical Hebrew onomasticon (Ram, Abram, Abiram, Joram/Jehoram, Malchiram, etc., cf. Hiram [Hyrum]/Huram). So analyzed, Zoram would connote something like “the one who is high,” “the one who is exalted” or even “the person of the Exalted One [or high place].” This has important implica...2016-03-181h 20Matthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“My People Are Willing”: The Mention of Aminadab in the Narrative Context of Helaman 5-6Aminadab, a Nephite by birth who later dissented to the Lamanites, played a crucial role in the mass conversion of three hundred Lamanites (and eventually many others). At the end of the pericope in which these events are recorded, Mormon states: “And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words” (Helaman 6:36), whereas he “began to withdraw” his Spirit from the Nephites “because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts” (Helaman 6:35). The name Aminadab is a Semitic/Hebrew name meaning “my kinsman is...2016-03-1852 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter FoundationOnomastic Wordplay on Joseph and Benjamin and Gezera Shawa in the Book of MormonThe Book of Mormon contains several quotations from the Hebrew Bible that have been juxtaposed on the basis of shared words or phrases, this for the purpose of interpreting the cited scriptural passages in light of one another. This exegetical technique — one that Jesus himself used — came to be known in later rabbinic times as Gezera Shawa (“equal statute”). In several additional instances, the use of Gezera Shawa converges with onomastic wordplay. Nephi uses a Gezera Shawa involving Isaiah 11:11 and Isaiah 29:14 twice on the basis of the yāsap verb‑forms yôsîp/yôsīp (2 Nephi 25:17 and quoting the Lor...2016-02-1944 minMatthew L. Bowen | The Interpreter Foundation“They Were Moved with Compassion” (Alma 27:4; 53:13): Toponymic Wordplay on Zarahemla and JershonAs in Hebrew biblical narrative, wordplay on (or play on the meaning of) toponyms, or “place names,” is a discernable feature of Book of Mormon narrative. The text repeatedly juxtaposes the toponym Jershon (“place of inheritance” or “place of possession”) with terms inherit, inheritance, possess, possession, etc. Similarly, the Mulekite personal name Zarahemla (“seed of compassion,” “seed of pity”), which becomes the paramount Nephite toponym as their national capital after the time of Mosiah I, is juxtaposed with the term compassion. Both wordplays occur and recur at crucial points in Nephite/Lamanite history. Moreover, both occur in connection with the migration of the...2016-02-1939 min
The Children's Book PodcastFred BowenFred Bowen (@FredBowenBooks), author most recently of Out of Bounds, stops by the podcast to talk about dealing with disappointment, the best place for kids to learn to lose, and how sometimes you try your best and it still doesn't work out for you. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message2016-01-1538 min