Holy Spirits, the Podcast

For our penultimate episode of Genesis, we are picking back up with the story of Joseph in Egypt - what was his relationship like with Potiphar? What exactly happened with Potiphar's wife? Wait, has Mike been working out? Come see how a random Hebrew slave rose up through the Egyptian government (allegedly) and took control of one of the most important world powers of the time. Donny Osmond facts abound in this one - Tara in particular took the challenge seriously and pulled through! We even watch a couple of clips from the Donny Osmond movie of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. PLUS: our bonus segment this time around concerns the Bronze Age Collapse - a mysterious event that shook the ancient world to its very foundation. Holy Spirit: Decadent Summer Things

Next stop: the story of Joseph! With just a few detours along the way. Where did Jacob end up? Wait, who died? And then WHO slept with WHOM? Come on our journey as we start on the long and beautiful path of the Joseph story, most famously immortalized in the musical stylings of Donald Osmond. Why was there conflict between Joseph and his brothers? What was the deal with this dreamcoat? And WHAT is a cistern? Suddenly, things take a turn as we pivot to Joseph's brother Judah. He has three sons, right? What are the laws re: marriage if one were to die? LOTS of weird sex stuff and legal intrigue in this episode, culminating in yet another surprise episode of Maury. This was another super fun one to record! Remember... *Someone* is always watching. XOXO - Gossip God Holy Spirit: Desserts/Something Sweet!

The long-awaited Tara episode is finally here! And it's a great one. This time, we go on an adventure through time and space as we discuss the story of Jacob's wives, as well as that of Dinah - Jacob's only daughter. What were the dynamics of power in these relationships? How does Rabbinical literature think of them? Is it a good idea to throw death curses around? And have you really considered your feelings on circumcision? Plus: a bonus segment about how the story of Dinah is used to define Black women in the United States - and how a potentially empowering story takes a dark turn. Holy Spirit: Fruit Wine! (Well, all wine is Fruit Wine, but only Mike is drinking grape wine.)

We are BACK from our (extremely unscheduled) winter hiatus! We didn't mean to totally vanish, but life (as it so often does) got in the way. Following along on our trek through Genesis, we arrive at the story of a young man with dubious ethics: Jacob. Why is his relationship with Esau, his older brother, so fraught? Was Jacob really that good at making soup? And how hairy is Esau, anyway? We've got some light incest, a bait-and-switch wedding, a dishonest dick of a father-in-law, plenty of reproduction, and some visits from God along the way. Fellas, is it gay to wrestle with a total stranger all night long? We also take the chance to reminisce about the time Mike's family partook in not one but THREE church musicals. Creepy picture to be posted on Facebook! PLUS: a quick bonus segment about the mystery of the Philistines. Who were they - and why did they have so much beef with the Israelites? And, more importantly, how does that affect the way we think about the world today? Holy Spirit: the Great Mimosa Competition of 2021!

It's a recurring theme on the show that we love talking about women in the Bible, so we decided to talk about the very most important one: the Virgin Mary. Was she a semi-divine perpetual virgin, or just a child caught up in "God's plan"? What was it like rearing a baby that would grow up to change the world? And, crucially, what did she want for herself? Join us on this special Christmas episode as we talk breastfeeding, the suuuper messed up "Ordeal of Bitter Waters," and the times our parents left us places. PLUS: There are really two bonus segments this time around: one tale of Tara getting kicked out of Awana (for perhaps obvious reasons), and another of the mysterious Magi and the gifts they brought a "newborn king" (that can't be racist, can it?). Holy Spirit: the "classics" -- White Zinfandel, Rum & Coke, and Truly

We're back to Abraham this time for the exciting conclusion to the life of the Biblical patriarch--among other things. After some reminiscence of our first alcoholic beverages, we go on a journey to notable anti-tourist traps Sodom and Gomorrah to catch up with Abraham's nephew Lot. Although he seems not to be a fan of hiking, see how one trip up a mountain takes an unsettling turn. Then we meander back to the Abrafamily for a DIFFERENT hiking trip that ALSO takes a turn. Lot of hiking in this episode, turns out. Just so everyone is aware (and as Mike's boyfriend Justin disclaims at the beginning of the episode), this episode has a lot of potentially upsetting sexual content--including the classic Biblical acts of rape and incest. Holy Spirit: Rum and Coke (with cherry)

This time around, we're back to the old Testament with the first Patriarch: Abraham. Or wait, is it Abram? This one has everything: covenants, Tara feuding with a Champagne bottle, a surprise episode of Maury, and a deep dive into Biblical feminism. Is Sarai/Sarah a powerful woman, or a pawn of the patriarchy? Oh, also Tara discovers Mike's "Godfather" voice. PLUS: for our bonus segment we're talking about Nimrod--who was he, and why does Bugs Bunny always bring him up? Holy Spirit: Champagne (kind of)

Today we're straying from the beaten path (and indulging Mike) to discuss a character who had great influence on the Bible, even though he is just barely in it--Alexander the Great. Learn about history's "Greatest" conqueror and how he rose to prominence, how long spears may have changed the world, and Tara's deep-seated fear of horses. We also talk about Alexander's sexuality--was he "gay," and how would the Greeks have thought about it? PLUS: our bonus segment for this episode challenges what you think you know about Ancient Sparta. Spoiler alert: the movie 300 is bad. Holy Spirit: Tequila

Mike, Heather, and Tara take a new approach to the podcast - this time, we EACH did research! Mike begins with the story of the Tower of Babel (starting at 9:00), Heather tells us about the story of Peter being freed from prison by an angel (starting at 30:00), and Tara takes us home with two of Jesus' parables (starting at 1:03:00). Highlights include: the origin of babbling words, a Trumpian king of Judaea, and Tara finding out that the Mount of Olives was not... made out of olives. This was our first remote episode, and our first time using our new microphones, so please excuse any sound issues - Tara does crackle a bit, so we're working on how to get that resolved. Holy Spirit: a variety of Truly, White Zinfandel, and Tara's abomination

Mike, Heather, and Tara dive into the history and legacy of Simon-Peter (or Peter, or Saint Peter, or Cephas, or Rock), who was (maybe) Jesus' favorite Disciple. We also talk about languages (shocking), some miracles of Jesus, and issues with institutional religion. Plus: a bonus segment about a certain scary number! Sorry about the sound quality on this one; we weren't recording in our usual space, and a thunderstorm started while we were recording. Yes, Heather's dog did get stressed out and poop on the carpet. Holy Spirit: Vodka and vodka-adjacent beverages (Heather is drinking a Smirnoff ice)

This time we unlearn what we learned from the 2014 Russell Crowe movie and dig into the real story of Noah. We've got arks, we've got floods, we've got weird incest. We celebrate Pride and protests for civil rights by digging into some more Biblical justifications for racism - and why they're bullshit. PLUS: Our bonus segment this week centers around the civilizations that spring up from Noah's sons (allegedly). What is the "Ashkenazi" of "Ashkenazi Jews"? Holy Spirit: Cherry Vodka

This time, we take a look at the controversial story of Mary Magdalene. What do we know about one of Jesus' closest confidantes? What was their relationship, exactly? Mike geeks out about Coptic, and we review a few Apocryphal sources, including the mysterious "Gospel of Jesus' Wife." Of course, we also talk about the Da Vinci Code and other more modern legends surrounding Mary Magdalene. PLUS: This time our bonus segment is a particularly grisly bit of Apocrypha involving Mary Magdalene, Jesus himself, and many, many bodily fluids. Holy Spirit: Tequila

We're back to Genesis! We take a deep dive into the Cain and Abel story, who they were, and what they signified. Was it about the hot sister this whole time? Which parts of the story were cherrypicked to justify racism? What is the Mark of Cain, really? What are your career options when God curses you to a life of wandering? PLUS: Stick around for a bonus segment at the end, which explores the connections between Greek gods and the Bible. Holy Spirit: Whiskey

We take a break from the Genesis stories and dig into the mythology of angels - what they look like, where they come from, and what they do in pursuit of God's will. Who (or what) is the Angel of the LORD? What happened to Lucifer? And what in the world are Nephilim? Holy Spirit: Vodka

It's time to take it alllllll the way back to creation - starting in Chapter 1, verse 1 of Genesis. This time we learn about Adam & Eve, Original Sin, and the Mesopotamian source material that inspired it all. Find out how ancient people viewed history, why Eve was made from Adam's "rib," and how woman-blaming became the default. Holy Spirit: Rum

Pilot episode - Mike, Tara, and Heather get together to take our first deep dive into the Bible, exploring one of its most controversial figures: Pontius Pilate. We get drunk and dig in to the circumstances around Jesus' execution, the Roman conquest of Judaea, and Anti-Semitism in the Gospels. We also learn the definition of Henotheism: Mars may buy you dinner, but Saturn got the diamonds. Holy Spirit: Gin

Intro - Welcome to the Podcast! by Holy Spirits, the Podcast