The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Ep. 228, "The Wisdom of Hope" Emilie Townes
Dear Research Network, Colleagues and Friends,
Please see the enclosed episode, "The Wisdom of Hope" which features the insights of our beloved Prof. Emilie Townes. In a day when hope and optimism is fleeting at best, we hope it will encourage and inspire you.
The Misogynoir to Mishpat (M2M) Research Network © 2025
https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episode-228-emilie-townes-the-wisdom-of-hope-reissue/
Show Notes
In this episode of The Bible for Normal People Podcast, Pete and Jared talk with Emilie Townes about womanist ethics, interpreting the Bible, and hope as they explore the following questions:
What is womanist ethics?
Where did the term “womanist ethics” come from?
How does the Bible fit into womanist ethics?
What are the limits of using the Bible in ethics?
Does the Bible still have things to say to people today?
What is the role of community in biblical interpretation?
How do questions of religion help us stay engaged in other people’s lives?
What are the benefits of asking questions about the Bible and God?
How does seeking certainty and absolutes close us off to others?
What is the purpose of having hope?
What is the difference between God’s transcendence and imminence?
What gives Emilie hope?
Pithy, shareable, less-than-280-character statements from Emilie Townes you can share.
“Scripture… may have meant something to the people in that era that that passage comes from, but it could mean something completely different now because things have changed.” @emtownes
“I think we must wrestle with scripture and we often don’t. We want to come up with something that more rubber stamps our opinion as opposed to looking at the complicated world of the Bible.” @emtownes
“We so often in the church act like God can’t handle our questions.” @emtownes
“Genuine community is more like a cacophony rather than barbershop quartet harmony. It’s really having to recognize the kind of chaos the world was called into being through and to recognize that we all don’t have to agree.” @emtownes
“As an ethicist, I use the Bible very carefully because I have been trained to literally use the Bible. That does not mean that I’m really representing the diversity of thought that’s in the Bible as I have a viewpoint.” @emtownes
“I think the Bible is best engaged in community.” @emtownes