This is a wonderful podcast that presents diverse guests and topics. I always learn something new to add to my Bible knowledge. I admire the wit and wisdom of Pete and Jared.

Very good podcast that is not dogmatic, but willing to question things taken for granted. Very relaxing and thought provoking!

Whether or not you agree with everything they say, discuss or ask, this is a phenomenally honest podcast. Their approach is not so much a “This is right and that is wrong.” type of show. These are two well versed and educated hosts, who open up the doors to thought and faith in order to know God and what He would say, as much as possible. Ask questions, ask more questions, study and study more. Love it!

Very liberal slant to the Bible

I’m listening through the “Pete Ruins” series right now - and I love how interesting and mind blowing each episode is. So well done. Helps me with so many of the pieces of the Bible that just don’t make sense if you try to read it all literally or historically! This entire podcast is incredible, and I’ve found a deeper appreciation and respect for the Bible.

Quakers don’t get tied up in knots over Biblical interpretation — we call Jesus the Word. But we don’t all engage with the Bible as we might, so I’m especially appreciating the deep dives into its history and diversity. Great scholars abound!

I can’t truly express how meaningful these episodes have been as I’ve walked my path of faith. So many times the content resonates with my soul. I love that asking questions is a good thing and that experiencing doubt is okay. I love hearing different perspectives and the openness to exploring various interpretations of the Bible. Today I listened to Faith episode #40 with Anna Case-Winters. It continues to inspire me to hear women express deep spirituality and theology. Thank you for this podcast. My walk of faith would not be the same without it!

“She found God in witchcraft” What a trainwreck. This is demonic

An inspiring group of thoughtful conversations with diverse experts that ultimately proclaims that Christians should be rooted in love, serious about history, conscious of perspective, and emboldened by personal experience. Plus, sarcasm.

I am wrecked fundamentalist that finds recovery by using The Bible for Normal People as exposure therapy. The truth is more important than comfort. Expose your mind to knowledge as often as you can.

This podcast has changed my view of God and the Bible - saved my faith!

I listen to podcasts of a wide variety regularly. For me, history, music, science, sociology and faith are the go to’s that keep me intrigued in my life journey. The Bible for Normal People (and now Faith for Normal People) is an absolute must to keep circling back to. I believe Pete and Jared have served as guides for many of us trying to navigate meaningful and honest faith in our crazy world. Thanks guys and gals for making this available to us!

This interesting podcast is packed with a little bit of everything to make me think. Wrestling with new information and perspectives is just what I needed. Thanks for the deep dive in theology.

This podcast has changed my life and my outlook! Pete and Jared ask the tough questions and don’t try to smooth over the problems with awful “just have faith” platitudes. Thank God! I used to be really judgmental of “heretics” who didn’t have the “correct” beliefs until my personal biblical studies led me to many contradictions and dead ends that I just couldn’t ignore anymore. When I felt alone and crazy, I found this podcast (along with The Deconstructionists) and found a whole new world full of other heretics like me! It’s the best!! Thank you for all you do! Keep it going! Also, can you please make a T-shirt and/or hat with your logo nice and big? I want everyone to know about you guys!

As a student of the Bible for half a century since I was a child, and from an evangelical, fundamentalist, perspective, I have found this podcast interesting in expanding my understanding of a variety of different ways in which the Bible is interpreted. And additionally, an expanded understanding of the history which underpins how the Bible has been compiled over time. I recommend this podcast but only if you are ready to have some of the things about the scripture you are certain of, called up for reconsideration.

You guys ruined Christmas.

I loved the Bible growing up—I read it in its entirety for the first time when I was 7 years old, and reread it each year after for about 5 years (it was considerably easier as I got older, as you can imagine). I was raised in a church that read the Bible literally, thought of it as a history/rule book, and when I left the faith at 17 I still believed that’s what it was to ALL Christians. How grateful I am to be wrong! I am so, so deeply grateful to Pete and Jared for sharing their expertise on the Bible—their understanding of Truth has been immeasurably helpful in my journey back towards the faith a decade after I’d left it. I especially appreciate when they deep-dive into specific books. My read-as-literal understanding of them is still so deeply entrenched, and having someone break up the dirt is invaluable. Even after I’d come back to my faith, I was terrified to approach the Bible. This podcast has provided the tools to form a healthy relationship with this deeply human, deeply sacred text. I’m grateful that they’re not afraid to disagree, or to not know, or to ask questions. Would highly recommend for anyone whose faith is undergoing deconstruction or anyone attempting reconstruction. They don’t have all the answers, by far, but this podcast can give you the tools to look and strengthen your resolve to dig.

Love this podcast. Such a smart and informed way of looking at the Bible and the many questions that surround it.

I am so thankful for Pete and Jared. Growing up in the Deep South, I felt there was no room for laughter when it came to spirituality. I was led to believe that we were given the Bible and there was no questioning it in any way. There were always questions but the answer was always to pray and read. Well, the questions were about what I read. I have loved every episode and I feel like I learn more with every new episode I hear. Keep up the good work, guys!

Well! Had to unfollow the podcast and this page on social media because Pete blocked Royal Stollar’s request to not platform Tony Jones and theology beer camp! Extremely disappointed and surprised at this. Please listen to victims and survivors and marginalized communities.

Love the different topics and variety of guests. Some of them can get dense and deeply theological as well

This podcasts has excellent conversations with interesting and engaging people. Can’t say I understand all of the theological concepts since I don’t have background in theology, but I learn a lot and have been given a lot to think about. I also love the humor that is part of many of these conversations!

I might try to love God again because of this podcast.

I have learned so much from this podcast. It has scratched and itch I have to deeply explore my growing faith. There are many episodes I’ve listened to multiple times and I look forward to every episode that comes out.

I came to this podcast because I’ve read some of Pete’s books. Those books have challenged me in many ways and I really enjoyed them. This podcast feels like a new chapters that continue to challenge my understanding of the Bible and worldview. Both Pete and Jared are hilarious and intelligent. They make a great team. I’d recommend this podcast to anyone who wants to have a new perspective in all areas of life. Especially those with an evangelical background like myself.

There are only a few podcasts that get a same day ‘must listen’ rating in my book. This is one of them. As a life-long, now former evangelical, these guys are music to my ears. Pete and Jared make a great effort to present a balanced and incredibly well thought out approach. You can never ‘please everyone’, but these guys make the effort, and are both impressive scholars in their own right. Very deep wisdom and a measured, thoughtful approach. It saddens me to read the negative reviews (albeit few), as I know it must be hard for them. These guys really ‘go the extra mile’ to present a full, and all-encompassing viewpoint. Well done!

I love all the theological nerdiness, and there are some episodes that I have thoroughly enjoyed. That being said, I feel as though they misrepresent evangelicals and are not very charitable toward those who are more theologically conservative. There are much better podcasts out there for those who want to enrich their faith and renew their minds. I would recommend upstream, strong women, theology mom, Life Books and Everything, or Unashamed to name a few!

Jared and Pete, all the guest hosts, the guests you interview have all helped me be more kind to myself in all aspects of my Christian life

Each episode - full of helpful info. Great variety of teaching by Jared & Pete as well as guests on the show. Love this podcast. Thank you. 🙂

Then ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have learned so much from these two and their guests. Thank you for acknowledging white supremacy and for supporting anti racism and empowering women as well. I grew up learning not to really question the Bible and to view it as literal, inerrant, etc. You have helped make sense of what the culture was like in ancient times and what the authors were trying to get across to the people of that time. It’s fascinating! I only wrote “frustrating” in title because I was late to the podcast and have listened to bits and pieces and not all 189 episodes. I kept wanting to know where you guys stood and I wanted the answers and finally I heard one of you say (paraphrase) that it’s okay to question and not have all the answers. Thanks for all you have done and will continue to do.

Of all the things I could say about this podcast, the most powerful thing I can say right now is that it is the best podcast that I listen to. I am a Pastor and I have recommend the podcast to all my colleagues, and church members. There is wisdom, there is understanding, there is compassion, but the must important thing of all: there is love in the work that Pete and Jared, and all the team that collaborates with them, put forward to bring the program out. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

I like Jared and Pete’s point of view. One problem I do have is it seems to me they don’t get the inherent irony of bemoaning ‘gatekeepers’ in episode 239 while at the same time explaining the correct way to interpret scripture. I also don’t buy into the “we are all parts of the same body” mode of thinking that allows for the American Taliban to be normalized, pun not intended. Milquetoast Christianity will not survive. Please push back hard on the extremists by providing a robust exposition of your hermeneutic and own the fact that we do need a cultural gate keeper, before the extremists burn us all to the ground in an authoritarian overthrow. Also unfortunate that the only way to provide any feedback, seemingly, is through a review. There isn’t even any assurance that you could get a message through from the other side of the paywall.

I listen every week and have gone back and listened to most of their archives. Sheesh, I’m reading their books and just can’t get enough. They are so thoughtful and have helped save and greatly adapt my faith.

I was struggling with my faith about a year and a half ago. I saw the Bible for Normal people on tik Tok. Watching their podcast sent me into a tailspin I wasn’t sure how to come out of. I deleted them from my podcasts and blocked them on tik Tok because I was so shook up that everything I thought I knew was wrong. My whole life and faith felt like a lie. I decided to read the Bible with nothing else.. no podcasts, no commentaries nothing else. And that led me into an even bigger anxiety attack. I found other Christians and scholars felt very similar to Pete.. and it wasn’t actually as scary as I thought to start over from scratch. Now I can’t thank him enough for being intellectually honest with us. I can say now his books and podcasts have been such a blessing to my life and my new perspective is much more enjoyable and honest. Thank you so much Pete! You’re unblocked now 🤣

This podcast (and their online subscriber community)is pretty much the only connection I still have with Christianity. Because it has been the only one worth keeping. Insightful, informed, gracious, open-handed, and funny. Highly recommend.

i’m completely turned off by him saying that they are the only God ordained podcast. this seems arrogant and self-righteous. There are a couple of podcasts that just simply read the Bible. There are several that do an excellent job of bringing glory to God. /// I love God’s Word, but I need to hear it in a less condescending situation

Slowly opening up my mind to ways of thinking about the Bible that fit with my experience of God and free me from striving to be a perfect biblical Christian (is there even such a thing?).

The death episode was super impactful for me. Even the quiet time at the end. I also LOVED the first one after the name change. Curveball is also GREAT. Pete and Jared’s work came to me at the exact right time.

Sam Boyd espouses liberal ideological attacks against the Republican Party by virtue of a convoluted interpretation of the Tower or Babel passages. How sad that this podcast can’t simply stick to theology.

Every episode is thought provoking and confirming! Finally, this podcast has given me the permission to trust myself and not what has been spoon fed to me over the decades.

I’ve needed a podcast like this for a long time! So glad they are doing the work!

Thank you so much for doing what you are doing! I finally feel like I have a faith community again and it means so much! I love both podcasts and listen every week. Please keep doing what you are doing !

I’ve been listening to the Bible for Normal People (B4NP) podcast along with my wife for over 5 years. This podcast is the deep-dive into the mystery of “The Bible” I’ve been longing for my whole life! Pete and Jared (along with their esteemed roster of guests) unravel the ancient origins, contextual landscape and nuanced interpretations of “scripture” with fresh eyes devoted to biblical criticism. B4NP feeds the curious, intellectual mind who is hungry to better understand the Bible as a sacred patchwork of ancient Hebrew oral history, traditions, myths, poems, parables, letters, and mystic writings that has been passed down, written, edited, translated, collected, stitched together and interpreted by men over hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. B4NP is deconstruction at its finest…in that it gives its audience the perspectives, knowledge, wisdom and hope necessary to reconstruct a life of faith in light of an imperfect text (and an imperfect Church).

Wonderful podcast, great content, always makes me think. It’s expanding my knowledge about the Bible and my belief in God.

By far my favorite podcasts! A real lifeline for one thinking about Christian faith in our time, and part of the post-evangelical diaspora. As a former Pastor this podcast has been therapeutic for me in many ways. Thankful for your work!

I have so much love for Jared and Pete. I have been to an Evolving Faith conference and listened to most of the episodes of this podcast and bought Pete’s books. My faith has evolved and I am a humble thinker trying to really listen for truth. I am so thankful for the humble and genuine exploration Jared has done and the ways he has shared his heart and journey. Pete is a smart guy, but I am repeatedly overwhelmed by the resentments he has in the ways he has not been celebrated in ways he perhaps thinks he should have been. I love Jared‘s genuine heart, but I cannot trust someone like Pete who seems to perform out of personal resentment. I would absolutely love to meet Jared one day and give him a hug and thank him for thinking out loud and sharing his life. He has made the show what it is! I wish Pete would recuse himself until he is free of his personal resentments and able to think what he is for and not what he is against. He is using his listeners. There are much better podcasts for wanderers. American evangelicalism is desperate for a show like this, but we can all smell an understandable but sad and trite personal vendetta. Pete, I love you. I hope you find freedom.

This episode of an entrance into Faith for normal people… is exactly where I have been for many years… and often feeling very alone as I traverse this undiscussed space. I’m so looking forward to these conversations!!! Thank you 🙏

Without learning Greek or Hebrew is there a Bible version that is closer to the original?

There’s a lot I enjoy about this show, but am put off by the opening which says “it is the only God-ordained” podcast. I think that is tongue in cheek? I hope? Also, could do without the micro dosing advertisement. Otherwise, appreciate the conversational space.