Would Jesus have had a podcast?
There is so much happening in the world we live in. We often seem to be moving from one level of information to another at a very rapid pace. With Artificial Intelligence, (AI) facts and information on the widest range of topics is right at our fingertips. Sometimes when I listen to a show on podcast or watch it on TV, I tend to feel that I have mastered a topic but I’m learning that that is not the necessarily the case. Additionally, we get global news quicker than ever before (in the history of mankind). It’s up to us to decide what is of interest and we will get the information. The smartphone has revolutionized movement of information, and I argue that there is indeed an increase in knowledge as was written in Daniel 12:4. But do we understand what is happening around us? Can we connect the dots? Are we able to Form solid opinions and stand by them?
Of late, I have also been thinking about the life and works of Jesus Christ. He was at the beginning of creation and will be at the end of all things. He lived and walked among men yet was God and had power to do all things. If He wanted, he could have challenged the “status quo” and begun a podcast, or TV show. Maybe we didn’t have to wait too long to experience the technologies we use today. Instead, He referred to what was written in the Old Testament; often citing the law, the prophets and other written scriptures. In that time, along with oral instruction, reading was a key medium and a way to learn about the workings of culture and faith. So, what is it about the written word that remains so compelling and powerful? I still have not found the ultimate answer, but Adler indicates that prior to the advent of modernity through new media forms, “readers would gain a large share of their information about and their understanding of the world from the written word” (Adler, 2014). What strikes me about this excerpt is the idea of “understanding” what is happening around us. In my life, I enjoy a good read here and there but admittedly, I get more information through TV, radio and social media. With a few scrolls on “X” I usually seem to have caught up on what is happening in many parts of the world. But do I really understand the times we are living in, and can I form a qualified opinion on certain topics? It’s a challenge for me as a leader in the space God has placed me.
I also learned from Adler [1]that there are four levels of reading a book:
- Elementary Reading
- Inspectional Reading
- Analytical Reading
- Syntopical Reading
My take on his categorization of reading is that different books require different approaches, but I want to be more intentional about reading (multiple books) to understand a subject with the aim of forming an opinion about a subject and even developing questions about the said subject. Looking at the life of Christ and authors like Paul, I believe they led a life of reading. They had a good grasp of subject matter, formed opinions and even asked questions to trigger new ways of seeing things. Even though there was no modern media in their time, what they documented in written form demonstrated that they had a deep understanding. This idea ties well with Paul Richards’ and Linda Elders thoughts on critical thinking as they outline the elements of thought. The authors assert that thinking generates purpose, raises questions, uses information, utilizes concepts, makes inferences, makes assumptions, generates implications and embodies a point of view. [2]
And so, would Jesus have had a podcast back in the day? I think He would and would be great at it. I also know that whatever they discussed (in that podcast) would have been as a result of critical thinking and a deeper level of reading.
[1] Adler, Mortimer Jerome, and Charles Van Doren. How to Read a Book. Rev. and Updated ed. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2014
[2] Paul, Richard, and Linda Elder. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools. 8th edition. Thinker’s Guide Library. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
About the Author
Alex Mwaura
7 responses to “Would Jesus have had a podcast?”
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You bring up a great thought about the Apostle Paul. It seems as though he could have nearly mastered Symbolic reading!
I am enjoying your thoughts and wonder what will be (or maybe already has been) lost as modern society appetite grows for the spoken word (podcasts) over the written and how that will impact critical thinking?
I do agree that knowledge today is easily accessible and seems to be torrential in quantity, and online knowledge is obviously often not substantiated by evidence. The global news that we get so fast can be significantly biased or only offer an element of the story, leaving the listener or reader to filter the information. Hopefully, adults will be engaged in teaching children and young people how to ‘read’ online information and ‘connect the dots’ as you say; so that context, bias and perception become elements for them to be aware of. These skills of filtering are vital for emotional safety, aren’t they? Without them, there can be some significantly negative repercussions.
And my goodness, a podcast with Jesus would be fascinating. I think I prefer to read the words He spoke!
I love your thought-provoking post title, Alex. Would Jesus have had a podcast? I wonder about that. Writing was a technology available to him, but God allowed other writers to document his life. Why is that, after God had spoken through the prophets’ writings for so long?
If Jesus did have a podcast, I’d ask for his first episode to be on what he wrote in the sand after speaking with the pharisees who had the woman caught in adultery on trial! Sometimes the absence of words is just as interesting as the presence!
Alex,
I once heard a preacher say that he felt the apostle Paul would have used any means necessary to spread the gospel. He thought Paul would have Church the church today to use all forms of social media and podcasting. But he didn’t mention whether or not he thought Jesus would. Such an interesting question!
What we do know is that Jesus was a master at asking questions. Much of our discipleship comes from asking questions. So, I wonder what questions Jesus would pose on his podcast first? What parables would he use to teach modern listeners? He had to have been the best of critical thinkers – I could chew on that for a minute.
If he was practicing reading the way of Adler and Van Doren, which books would he do an inspectional reading of?
Alex, this is an intriguing and thought-provoking question. At first glance, I thought, “Why not?” But it would be viewed differently than how we listen and interact with podcasts today. I don’t listen to many podcasts, but my favorite is Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History. He explores and looks at the story behind the story across people and key events of the past. He challenges conventional thought and wisdom of topics and looks to present an objective answer that frequently isn’t just a message delivered by the winners. I would always look forward to a new season and, like clockwork, listen to a new release on my commute to and from work each week.
After sitting with this thought, I would argue that Jesus didn’t really fit into that format. While his messages were designed to challenge, he was on the fringe and not looking to be on a fixed schedule, time, or even topic. His work was mostly done in the margins. With podcasts, you lose that personal touch, and that is where I struggle with this format and feel it would break. However, as illustrated in earlier comments, the list of podcast guest speakers would be extraordinary.
What are your thoughts on how this format and could it stand the test?
Alex, You got me thinking a lot about the sources of our information intake. I also, consume a large amount of my knowledge through YouTube, podcasts, videos and so on. I listen or watch everything at least 1.5 speed. The pace at which it is consumed makes me wonder how much are we really understanding. I am often accompanied by that anxiety-on-the-chest feeling, whenever I am learning online. I know there have been so many things written about our social and technology driven intake, but still can’t seem to understand it’s effects on my. I even wonder the effects of reading on a screen as opposed to reading in a book. I am doing most of my reading online and feel a difference in internal peace. I do not attribute it to the dreaded blue light either. (I really wanted to put the winking, smiley emoji there. I find it so difficult to not put emoticons to better communicate my tone, reviling the interesting effect that media has on the way we communicate) Clearly, social media has led often to one-sided, cancel- culture (I cringe writing that word) where critical thinking is discouraged and many people blindly follow one path of thought.
I have noted that our readings were written or informed by times in the past. Times before computers were in common use. I admit it made me question their relevance,
but I now see that sometimes the good old standards still work. Though, thank God for the computer smart notes version Obsidian and the fact that I can read the books online!
I also, think Jesus would have had a good podcast but he would then go home to his community and eat and laugh together for the rest of the night.
Alex,
I can tell you that if Jesus would have had a podcast, if certainly would have been in NPR or some sort of revolutionary platform, His take on everything was out of the norm for the times He lived in and I would have loved to have been able to tune in. I guess depending on how you see it, perhaps He was the original Podcaster as He sat with others around him, discussing the Word, disagreeing with many and taking questions from the audience. I believe their deep understanding of the Word or even of the Master came from engaging and processing together; In community!
In this day and age, we don’t have time to sit together and read and process together, our world moves so fast that I feel the appeal of media and news is due to the fact that we can get facts (whether right or wrong) and form a thought or understanding and keep up with the world and have some input. I wonder what would happen though if we took the time to process the written word at our own time and speed, came together as a community and created safe spaces in which we could engage and grow? Unfortunately, in this ever changing, fast pace world, that seems like a dream.