4.97: Is There Hope For Creation?

Co-hosts speak with Ellen Davis, professor at Duke Divinity School, asking, "Is There Hope For Creation?"

In this episode, Prof. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Katie Langston gather to answer the listener submitted questions. Guest, Ellen F. Davis, is Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School.

Show notes

Biblical books and passages mentioned

Genesis

Topics, themes and figures mentioned

Creation
Earth
Farming
Land
Canaan
Iowa
Egypt
Mesopotamia
Literary Context
Territory
Authority of God
Habitat Destruction
Repentance
Climate Change
Vocation
Adam
Observe
Preserve
Law of God
Fertile Soil
Despair
Climate Activism
Realistic Hope
Exile

Resources mentioned

Ellen F. Davis: Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture An Agrarian Reading of the Bible
Avery Davis Lamb: author and founder
Amy Peterson: Episcopal priest and author

Featuring

Ellen F. Davis

Ellen F. Davis is Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School.

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Hosted By

Kathryn Schifferdecker

Kathryn M Schifferdecker is Professor and Elva B. Lovell Chair of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2001, Schifferdecker was associate pastor for five years at Trinity Lutheran Church, Arkdale, Wisconsin, before coming to Luther in 2006. Schifferdecker is a frequent contributor to Working Preacher, Word & World, and the author of "Out of the Whirlwind: Creation Theology in the Book of Job" (Harvard University Press, 2008). She is currently writing a commentary on the book of Esther.

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Katie Langston

Katie Langston is a doubter by nature and a believer by grace. She grew up Mormon in a small Utah town and still isn't sure she fits in anywhere sophisticated enough to have a Target. She's the author of Sealed: An Unexpected Journey into the Heart of Grace, an acclaimed spiritual memoir about her conversion to orthodox Christianity. Katie is Pastor of Mission and Outreach at New Promise Lutheran Church in St. George, Utah. From 2020-2025, she was the director of digital strategy for Luther Seminary's innovation team, where she oversaw digital projects aimed at cultivating vibrant Christian spirituality in a post-modern, post-Christian cultural context.

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About Enter the Bible Podcast

The Enter the Bible podcast is where you can get answers (or at least reflections) on everything you wanted to know about the Bible but were afraid to ask. Each season, the podcast hosts address questions submitted by listeners. If you have a question you’d like us to discuss in the upcoming season of the Enter the Bible podcast, submit it here.

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