Jeremiah: The Prophet Who Accused God and Kept Going

What made Jeremiah the most radical prophet in the Hebrew Bible? In this episode of Bible in a Year, Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Jennie Wojciechowski welcome Dr. Marvin A. Sweeney, professor of Hebrew Bible at the Claremont School of Theology, for a Jeremiah Bible commentary that spans the full depth of this extraordinary book. Dr. Sweeney unpacks Jeremiah's identity as a prophet in the tradition of Moses, his priestly outsider status, the themes of exile and return, and the striking fact that two major versions of the Book of Jeremiah exist in the Christian canon with meaningfully different views of the Davidic covenant.Dr. Sweeney also brings Jeremiah's raw, unfiltered laments to life, including the famous passage where Jeremiah accuses God of betrayal while still refusing to abandon his faith. It's a portrait of a prophet who faced national disaster, persecution, and profound suffering and kept speaking anyway. Whether you're a first-time reader or a seasoned student of scripture, this conversation offers fresh insight into why the Book of Jeremiah remains one of the most urgent and human books in the entire Bible.