S5:E20 The Scofield Reference Bible

S5:E20 The Scofield Reference Bible

by | Sep 27, 2022 | Episodes

What kind of Bible do you have?

Most of us would answer with the translation we carry. Maybe it’s New Living, the King James, or the New International Version. I’ve heard plenty of conversations about translations in my life. But I’ve never heard a serious discussion about the notes in various Bibles.

Continuing our long exploration of the Christian fundamentalist movement, we explore the Bible version that nudged the United States toward a particular negative theology. One that encouraged people to question the trajectory of history itself. That was one of the purposes of the Scofield Reference Bible, named for its author C.I. Scofield.

The Bible that changed our view of the end

The Scofield Reference Bible emphasizes the premillennial dispensationalist theology we’ve been talking about all season. It expects that world history is sliding into chaos. That was not the primary view in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the US. Most people thought that humanity could improve things until Jesus returned. This Bible is one of the things that changed that.

Special thanks to Nick, Melanie, Hannah, Marc, and Marian for their help with this episode!

Discussion Questions:

  • What kind of Bible do you have? Why did you choose it?
  • What agenda does your Bible have?
  • What audience is it intended for?
  • Who wrote your Bible notes?
  • Flip to Genesis 1 and Revelation 1. What position does it take on creationism? The end of the world?
  • Have you ever considered the origins of your study notes?

How do you feel about us having so many different targeted Bibles?

Select Sources for this Episode:

  • The History of the Scofield Reference Bible by Arno C. Gaebelein
  • The Evangelicals by Frances Fitgerald
  • Fundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden
  • Article on Lyman Stewart who financed this Bible
  • A Godly Hero by Michael Kazin
  • Isaiah 37
  • A Christianity Today article about the changes made to the Scofield Bible (material not used for the episode, but still interesting)
  • The Scofield Reference Bible (1945 edition)
  • The MacArthur Study Bible
  • The Founders Bible
  • The Battlefield of the Mind Bible
S5:E19 The Treaties of William Jennings Bryan

S5:E19 The Treaties of William Jennings Bryan

by | Sep 13, 2022 | Episodes

Can one man end war forever?

William Jennings Bryan.

If we know him at all it is from the Scopes Monkey Trial at the end of his life. Or maybe we know of his 3 failed campaigns for President of the United States on the Democratic ticket. But many of us are unaware of his efforts to establish world peace. William Jennings Bryan hated war. He wasn’t a pacifist – he enlisted for the Spanish-American War after all. But he saw the meaningless carnage of war and vowed to do his best to reduce the amount of bloodshed.

So “The Commoner” used his position as Secretary of State under President Wilson to establish 30 peace treaties. In this mini-episode, we revisit his career and talk about the impact this man might have had if WWI hadn’t slowed his progress.

God-willing I’ll be back soon with a full episode! Thanks for your patience!

Helpful Sources:

  • “A Godly Hero” book by Michael Kazin
  • “A Righteous Cause” book by Robert Cherny
  • “The Evangelicals” by Frances Fitgerald
  • “Money: The True Story of a Made Up Thing” by Jacob Goldstein
  • “What’s Your Problem?” podcast from Pushkin Industries, hosted by Jacob Goldstein

Discussion Questions:

  • William Jennings Bryan was the head of the party of Jim Crow. Do his actions to stop imperialism or war shape how you feel about him?
  • Would a conciliation treaty policy work today?
  • Is world peace a worthy goal today? What role do weapons play in that?
  • How might this tie into fundamentalism?