An Interview with Dr. Meredith J. C. Warren

How did anti-Jewish interpretations become embedded in readings of the New Testament? In this Bible and Beyond Podcast episode, Shirley Paulson speaks with biblical scholar Meredith Warren about "Judeophobia"—its historical context and the responsibility of modern Bible readers. Drawing on her new co-edited volume, Judeophobia and the New Testament, Warren explores how later interpretations distorted ancient texts—and how reading critically and kindly can help prevent harm today.

Dr. Meredith J. C. Warren is a Senior Lecturer in Biblical and Religious Studies at the University of Sheffield, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies, and author of several other insightful works. She is known for her views on the New Testament and early Judaism, and has been featured by media outlets including The Washington Post and BBC radio. This podcast interview highlights the book she co-authored with Eric Vanden Eykel and Sarah Rollens.

A transcript is available here: https://earlychristiantexts.com/anti-jewish-readings-distort-new-testament/

An Interview with Dr. Ward Sanford

Dr. Ward Sanford recounts the dramatic history of the ancient Romans' destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. His historical novel weaves fictional characters into well-researched events, bringing the story alive for modern readers. The full arc, from 63 CE to 70 CE, unfolds across four books. In this interview, he focuses on the forces at play in the first volume, covering 63 to 66 CE, when tensions between Rome and Jerusalem began to erupt.

Before becoming a novelist, Dr. Ward Sanford enjoyed a 35-year career as a highly respected scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Now he brings the same intellectual rigor and curiosity to his research and writing. He is passionate about helping believers see the historical and cultural context of first century Judea in which the earliest Christian church struggled to survive. Dr. Sanford has also been a Christian counselor for the past 13 years.

The Cry for Jerusalem series discussed in this podcast explores the spiritual tensions, political chaos, and prophetic significance of a nation on the brink, as seen through Josephus's eyes. Ward has also written dozens of highly popular blogs concerning the subject matter of first century Judea and related Christian apologetics.

A complete transcript is available on the Bible and Beyond website.

An Interview with Dr. Tobias Nicklas

Professor Tobias Nicklas explores the surprising world of Christian Apocrypha — stories and traditions that continued shaping faith far beyond the biblical canon. From the Infancy Gospel of Thomas to the Acts of John and the Acts of Paul and Thecla, these writings raise profound questions about Jesus's humanity and childhood, a suffering God, and the role of women and imagination in early Christianity. Their influence, Nicklas shows, still colors Christian memory and art today.

Professor Tobias Nicklas studied Theology and Mathematics at Universität Regensburg, Germany, and he did his doctorate on the "Jews in the Gospel of John." His German post-doc focused on Christian Apocrypha including the Unknown Gospel on Papyrus Egerton 2, one of the most ancient witnesses of early Christianity. He has been teaching at the Universität Regensburg since 2007. In 2018 he—and colleagues—founded the Centre for Advanced Studies "Beyond Canon" at the same University. Tobias has authored several monographs, including The Canon and Beyond (Tübingen, 2024) and the book we discuss in the podcast, Reading Christian Apocrypha with Janet E. Spittler (Minneapolis, 2025).

A complete transcript is available here: https://earlychristiantexts.com/beyond-the-canon/