09: The Surprising Heart of 1 & 2 Samuel: Power, Pride, and the People We Overlook

In this episode of the Bible in a Year podcast, Jennifer Wojciechowski and Kristofer Phan Coffman welcome theologian, ELCA pastor, and author Cory Driver to unpack the rich and often surprising world of 1 and 2 Samuel. Cory opens up these two books through the lens of the women who drive the narrative — from Hannah, who invents silent prayer at the very opening of the text, to Michal, Tamar, Bathsheba, and Rizpa — revealing how their stories carry the central theological message of 1 and 2 Samuel: God is a God who knows, and God raises the lowly while humbling the proud.Along the way, the conversation explores the genre and structure of these books, the fascinating adventures of the Ark of the Covenant, the surprising role of foreigners from the Philistine city of Gath, and the transition from seers to prophets in ancient Israel. Cory's signature wit and scholarly depth make 1 and 2 Samuel come alive in ways that are both academically grounded and deeply relevant for Christian life and faith today.