Podcast appearances and mentions of Angela N Parker

This is a teaser of our April 2025 bonus episode! Jared Byas, Angela N. Parker, and Jennifer Garcia Bashaw answer supporter questions all about the New Testament. Want to hear the rest of the episode? Join our online community the Society of Normal People and you'll get monthly bonus episodes; livestreams of guest interviews; Q&As with Pete, Jared, and the Nerds; and an all-access pass to our classes and courses. Head to www.thebiblefornormalpeople.com/join and become a member of SoNP for as little as $12/month and support us as we bring the best in biblical scholarship to everyday people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Faith for Normal People, nerds-in-residence Anna Sieges-Beal and Dr. Angela N. Parker talk with Dr. Wylin D. Wilson about the intersection of faith, justice, and healthcare through the lens of womanist bioethics. They explore how Black women's lived experiences reveal deep ethical gaps in the medical system and how centering the most vulnerable offers a path toward collective healing and solidarity. Show Notes → https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episode-56-wylin-d-wilson-womanist-wisdom-for-a-wounded-world/  Watch this episode on YouTube → https://youtu.be/Nw6hWhjKvRg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Summary:You need to sit down for this episode.Mercer University's Dr. Angela Parker joins me today on the podcast for a heart-wrenching conversation about white supremacy, intersectionality, womanist theology, authoritarian Christianity, decolonization, Kamala Harris, and her sought-after book, If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I? According to Eerdmans Publishing House, “Angela Parker wasn't just trained to be a biblical scholar; she was trained to be a White male biblical scholar. She is neither White nor male.” Thank God.Womanist theology is a methodological approach to theology that centers the experiences and perspectives of Black women, particularly African-American women. Emerging in the mid to late 1980s, it serves as a corrective to early feminist theology—which often overlooked racial issues—and Black theology, which predominantly reflected male viewpoints. In plain language, Womanist theology interprets the Bible, Christianity, and life here in the American empire through the eyes and lived experiences of Black women.As a Black scholar who traces her family history out of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, and into the halls of higher education, Dr. Parker talks candidly about what it means to be an educated Black woman in both predominantly white higher education and Trump's MAGA America.I know I say this a lot, but this is one of the most important conversations we've had to date on Holy Heretics.If the United States is to survive the MAGA cult, it will be through the embodied actions, wisdom, spirituality, and lived experience of Black women and men who understand what it takes to resist, regroup, and offer the world a beautiful invitation into God's beloved, alternative community. In the context of Trump's America, characterized by racist policies and rhetoric, Womanist theology is particularly poignant. By offering a framework that not only addresses the intersections of race, gender, and class, “womanism” also actively resists the oppressive structures of White America.BIO:Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker is associate professor of New Testament and Greek at McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University. She received her B.A. in religion and philosophy from Shaw University (2008), her M.T.S. from Duke Divinity School (2008-2010) and her Ph.D. in Bible, culture, and hermeneutics from Chicago Theological Seminary (2015). Before this position, Dr. Parker was assistant professor of Biblical Studies at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. She teaches courses in New Testament, Greek Exegesis, the Gospel of Mark, the Corinthians Correspondence, the Gospel of John, and Womanist and Feminist Hermeneutics unto preaching.In her research, Dr. Parker merges Womanist thought and postcolonial theory while reading biblical texts. Dr. Parker's most popular book is titled, If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority. In this book, Dr. Parker draws from her experience as a Womanist New Testament scholar in order to deconstruct one of White Christianity's most pernicious lies: the conflation of biblical authority with the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility. As Dr. Parker shows, these doctrines are less about the text of the Bible itself and more about the arbiters of its interpretation—historically, White males in positions of power who have used Scripture to justify control over marginalized groups. This oppressive use of the Bible has been suffocating. To learn to breathe again, Dr. Parker says, we must “let God breathe in us.”Please Follow us on social media (use the buttons below) and help us get the word out! (Also, please don't hesitate to use any of these channels or email to contact us with any questions, concerns, or feedback.)If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and a review, or share on your socials

Settle in, listeners. Jen and Amy have invited Greek and New Testament professor and scholar, Reverend Dr. Angela N. Parker to the show to reflect on the Advent season with some words of hope and liberation. She took our butts to seminary, opening our eyes to what it looks like when you examine the scripture through the lens of womanist theology and the experiences of Black women. But as Dr. Parker tells us, “I've lived long enough to know that God will bring me through but sometimes it's hard and sometimes it hurts. But even after the hurt, the tender spots get more resilient.” There's so much to unpack in this one. Jen and Amy discuss their favorite Christmas movies and debate whether classics like Gremlins and Die Hard fit the genre  Dr. Parker explains how liberation is a collective journey, not an individual one – and how everyone, including white men, can need it. We learn how understanding the historical context of scripture is vital for its interpretation. And we also talk about some of the holiday hullabaloo we're ready to Bless and Release this season. *** Thought-provoking Quotes: “If I'm liberated, I don't want to be liberated alone.” – Dr. Angela N. Parker “We don't want to think about the early church being enslavers.” – Dr. Angela N. Parker “If our biblical text is wrestling with the idea of empire from Genesis to Revelation, we are wrestling with empire as well.” –– Dr. Angela N. Parker “When we work as a collective, we actually do better to transform society.” – Dr. Angela N. Parker “The tree at the end of Revelation 21 has the leaves for the healing of all the “Ethnae”, for all the ethnicities, for all the nations. That's what John the Revelator sees in his final vision.” – Dr. Angela N. Parker “In my own work, I talk about how I try to even get whiteness out of me. Even as an African American woman born and raised in these United States, there are elements of whiteness that are in me, on me and a part of me. That's just what we swim in.” – Dr. Angela N. Parker “Hope breaks forth in the midst of terror, fear, and overwhelm. It's normal to have [those feelings]. Don't trick yourself into ignoring them. It's best for us to acknowledge what is going on around us but to remember that hope breaks through.” – Dr. Angela N. Parker “I've lived long enough to know that God will bring me through but sometimes it's still hard and sometimes it still hurts. But even after the hurt, the tender spots get more resilient.” – Dr. Angela N. Parker Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Orange Theory - https://www.orangetheory.com/en-us James Hal Cone - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Cone Jacquelyn Grant - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquelyn_Grant Delores Williams - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delores_S._Williams Katie Cannon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Cannon Alice Walker - https://alicewalkersgarden.com/ Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer - https://www.austinseminary.edu/cf_directory/dirprofile.cfm?p=2576&id=4459 Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God by Delores Williams - https://amzn.to/4eV3Nce If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority by Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker - https://amzn.to/3YkO9Qo Guest's Links: Angela's website - https://theology.mercer.edu/faculty-and-staff/parker/ Angela's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/boozybiblescholar/ Angela's Twitter - https://x.com/BzyBibleScholar Angela's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WomanistNTScholar/ Angela's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@boozybiblescholar   Connect with Jen! Jen's website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode brings you a special presentation on the politics of secularization, featuring a presentation from Dr. John Compton and responses from Rev. Dr. David Gushee and Rev. Dr. Angela Parker. Given the week after the 2024 presidential election, the lecture and responses explore how rising secularism contributes to the growth of political extremism, how flagging participation in faith traditions correlates to diminishing civic engagement, and the importance of taking a holistic approach to the various issues undermining democracy and dividing progressive movements.   Segment 1 (starting at 00:37): Today's episode Dr. John Compton was the speaker for the 20th annual Walter B. and Kay W. Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State, presenting three lectures on the politics of secularization Nov. 13-14 on the campuses of Mercer University in Atlanta and Macon, Ga.  To watch each of the three presentations in their entirety, click on the titles below: Lecture 1: Democratic Values in a Secular Age Lecture 2: Secularization and the Rise of Political Extremism Lecture 3: Secularization and the Fracturing of the American Left (featured in this podcast, including responses from Rev. Dr. Parker and Rev. Dr. Gushee) You can also read a recap of the lecture series in BJC's winter 2024 magazine, Report from the Capital.   Segment 2 (starting at 03:18): Dr. John Compton A professor of political science and chair of the political science department at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., Dr. Compton's lectures focused on the theme of the politics of secularization. Read more about Dr. Compton on his faculty page.    Segment 3 (starting 36:13): Response from Rev. Dr. David Gushee Rev. Dr. David P. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit (“Free University”) Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow at the International Baptist Theological Study Centre. Learn more about him on his website or on his faculty page at Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology.   Segment 4 (starting 45:24): Response from Rev. Dr. Angela Parker Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker is associate professor of New Testament and Greek at Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology. In her research, Dr. Parker merges Womanist thought and postcolonial theory while reading biblical texts. Read more about Dr. Parker on her faculty page.  Respecting Religion is made possible by BJC's generous donors. You can support these conversations with a gift to BJC.

Follow Rev Dr. Angela N. Parker's work. Check out our website for merch, educational materials, and how to join our community! If you'd like to support our work, you can DONATE here! Follow Us On Instagram @thenewevangelicals  Subscribe On YouTube The New Evangelicals exists to support those who are tired of how evangelical church has been done before and want to see an authentic faith lived out with Jesus at the center. We are committed to building a caring community that emulates the ways of Jesus by reclaiming the evangelical tradition and embracing values that build a better way forward. If you've been marginalized by your faith, you are welcome here. We've built an empathetic and inclusive space that encourages authentic conversations, connections and faith. Whether you consider yourself a Christian, an exvangelical, someone who's questioning your faith, or someone who's left the faith entirely, you are welcome here! Summary Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker, a theologian and professor, is interviewed by Tim. They discuss Dr. Parker's work and the upcoming book by Richard Hayes titled:'The Widening of God's Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story,' which challenges traditional non-affirming views on sexuality and presents an affirming standpoint. Richard Hayes is an influential New Testament scholar known for his work on the faithfulness of Christ. One of his influential books is The Moral Vision of the New Testament, which includes a chapter on homosexuality. The conversation explores the problematic idea of trying to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQIA+ Christians. It discusses the pressure for LGBTQIA+ individuals to conform to a monolithic identity in order to be accepted by churches. The conversation also highlights the dominance of mostly white men in the field of biblical scholarship and the need for diverse perspectives. The conversation discusses the impact of Hayes' earlier teaching against queer affirming theology and the harm caused by his narrow perspectives. The conversation touches on the need for white men to listen to and learn from queer scholars who have already done extensive biblical scholarship. It emphasizes the importance of not overshadowing or dismissing the work of marginalized voices. Takeaways The field of biblical scholarship needs more diversity and representation Listening to diverse perspectives can help challenge and broaden our understanding of the world  Acknowledging and making amends for past harm is an important part of personal growth and repentance. White men should listen to and learn from marginalized voices, particularly queer scholars, who have already done extensive biblical scholarship on queer affirmation. The conversation highlights the need for humility and a willingness to learn and change. The work of white evangelicals should involve fighting against Christian nationalism and working towards justice and equality. We need to critically think about who we invite into our spaces and the perspectives we prioritize. Treating marginalized groups as monolithic is dangerous and perpetuates stereotypes. Living in cognitive dissonance is challenging but can lead to growth and change. There is a need for liberation from hateful rhetoric against LGBTQIA+ individuals within denominations and churches. Flourishing and full participation should be possible for all members of the community. Recognizing and amplifying the work of queer scholars and biblical scholarship is important. Biblical scholarship has a significant impact on shaping Christian culture. Faith should be a catalyst for social justice and dismantling systems of oppression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Parker is wildly smart, kind, and always looking to keep helping others and learning. Support the show

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker joins Pete and Jared to talk about the impact of white supremacy in the field of biblical interpretation, whether we can truly read the Bible objectively, and how a womanist interpretation of the Bible can lead to liberation for all. Show Notes → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bekah talks with Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker, author of If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I? They talk about how Black motherhood has been pathologized, and how womanist parenting can heal both society and parenting from perfectionism. Of course, this bumps into issues of "authority" and "what the Bible says" which happens to be Dr. Parker's area of expertise... You can buy Dr. Parker's book here: https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/7926/if-god-still-breathes-why-cant-i.aspx

New Testament scholar and Womanist theologian Dr. Angela N. Parker discusses her book, “If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority,” with Faithfully Magazine Managing Editor Nicola A. Menzie. In the book, Parker argues that white supremacy undergirds the Christian doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility, and offers an approach that embraces women and people of color. Learn more at https://faithfullymagazine.com (https://amzn.to/3eKTNVl).

Dr. Angela N. Parker is a Womanist New Testament scholar and an Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek at Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology. With an  M.T.S. from Duke Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Bible, Culture, & Hermeneutics from Chicago Theological Seminary she is a notably educated and accomplished author, speaker and theologian. However Angela Parker wasn't just trained to be a biblical scholar; she was trained to be a White male biblical scholar. Dr. Parker's experience of being taught to forsake her embodied identity in order to contort herself into the stifling construct of Whiteness is common among American Christians, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. In her latest book,  If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority, Dr. Parker draws from her perspective as a Womanist New Testament scholar. She shares how she learned to deconstruct one of White Christianity's most pernicious lies: the conflation of biblical authority with the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility. In our conversation we talk about this and how historically, White males in positions of power have used Scripture to justify control over marginalized groups. 

In this interview with Dr. Angela N. Parker, we discuss contemplation, mysticism and the movement of collective breath. On the topic of mysticism she said, “I think that's what mysticism is for me: how do I replenish myself so that I can do what god has called me to do?” In this conversation she also explores the ways in which collective breath can allow us to move together in various forms of protest and collective care, “when I read Jesus in the biblical text I see Jesus gathering groups of people to actually walk against a Roman imperialistic supremacist system." Dr. Angela N. Parker a Biblical scholar currently teaching at McAfee School of Theology. In her research, Dr. Parker merges Womanist thought and postcolonial theory while reading biblical texts. Dr. Parker's books include If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority. In this book, Dr. Parker draws from her experience as a Womanist New Testament scholar in order deconstruct one of White Christianity's most pernicious lies: the conflation of biblical authority with the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility. In her second book entitled Bodies, Violence, & Emotions: A Womanist Study of the Gospel of Mark, Dr. Parker thinks through the issue of imperial violence and its effects on the bodies of Jesus, John the Baptizer, and the woman suffering in a flow of blood in Mark 5. This study allows Dr. Parker to engage real lived experiences of violence and emotions in contemporary society. “Allow what you're fighting for to shine through… Find what you can do and work with that hurt… We are all too valuable to burn out.”

In this conversation we talk about his new book, “If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?” the difference between being a chaplain for the empire and a prophet for the revolution, and how white supremacist authoritarianism take up residency in our minds and bodies.

Three New Testament Scholars, A Womanist, A White Feminist, and an Indian Postcolonial Feminist, discuss the issues of our time and what it means to build a multi racial coalition within the academy to begin to dismantle the whiteness within our institutions, our scholarship, and the world.Dr. Sharon Jacob: Assistant Professor of New TestamentDr. Angela N. Parker: Assistant Professor of New Testament and GreekDr. Karri L. Whipple: Faculty Fellow in Global Works and Society

Dr. Angela N. Parker has a Ph.D. in Bible, Culture, and Hermeneutics (New Testament focus) from Chicago Theological Seminary. Angela’s book entitled Bodies, Violence, and Emotions:  A Womanist Study of σῶμα (body) and πτῶμα (fallen body) in the Gospel of Mark is currently under contract with Wipf & Stock. Reading through the lens of womanist and postcolonial thought, Angela’s work addresses the issue of bodies falling as a result of imperial violence in the Gospel of Mark. The issue of fallen bodies is especially important for contemporary Christian communities who witness police violence against black and brown bodies.  Prior to receiving her Ph.D., Angela earned the Master of Theological Studies degree from Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Shaw University, a historically black institution in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Ordained as a Baptist minister and well-versed as a teacher in the church, Angela’s academic teaching experience comprises courses in New Testament and Biblical Greek. When not teaching or writing, Angela enjoys time spent with her husband, Victor, as they explore all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. When not in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Parker often travels to North Carolina to spend time with her children and grandchildren. Areas of Research New Testament Text and Context, The Gospel of Mark, Pauline Epistles and Theology, Womanist Biblical Interpretation, Theology and Ethics, Contemporary Hermeneutical Strategies, and Postcolonial Theory GIVE THE SHOW SOME LOVE 1) If you would be so kind to hop on iTunes (or your feed of choice) and leave The Paulcast a review there, that would be amazing. The more reviews we can get will lead to greater visibility in iTunes. And I (Kurt) LOVE reading your comments! 2) Also, please consider hitting up The Paulcast Patreon online tip-jar (think Kickstarter for ongoing content creators). For $3 per month, or more, you can make a direct impact on this show. Financial partners like you really do make this all possible! Through Patreon, you make a tangible difference in this show’s sustainability and quality! https://theologycurator.com/support EPISODE SPONSORS This episode is sponsored by Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. They are excited to announce the launch of the new Master of Arts in Ministry, Leadership and Culture. This online program, designed for practicing pastors and ministry entrepreneurs, will help you understand and integrate sub-cultures, theology, and leadership into practice. Guest faculty like Bruxy Cavey, Greg Boyd and Brian Zahnd model practical integration of Anabaptist theology and 21st century kingdom work. Learn more at fpu.edu/paulcast. *Sponsors do not endorse every word or idea on each episode.