Who Owns the Ten Commandments? Mark Glanville on Power and Sacred Symbols

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected] June 2024, Louisiana passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom—reviving old debates about church-state separation and moral authority. But what if we’ve misunderstood the Ten Commandments all along?Dr. Mark Glanville, Old Testament scholar, jazz pianist, and director of the Centre for Missional Leadership at UBC, joins the podcast to reframe how we read scripture in public life. Drawing on his essay “Ten Commandments, Zero Context,” Glanville explains how these ancient laws were never about symbolic domination or individual morality, but about shaping a just, compassionate community freed from oppression.From biblical law’s roots in slave emancipation to today’s debates over Christian nationalism, immigration, and public theology, this episode asks: What kind of society are we really trying to build? And whose law are we following—Pharaoh’s or God’s?🎧 Listen in, then share this episode with a friend or pastor.📬 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of faith and politics.Guest Bio:Dr. Mark Glanville is an Old Testament scholar and the Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. A professional jazz pianist and theologian, Glanville is the author of Improvising Church and Preaching in a New Key. He also hosts the Blue Note Theology podcast—“the only theology podcast hosted from a grand piano.”🔗 Resource LinksImprovising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781514007457Mark Glanville’s Website: https://www.markglanville.org/Support the show🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest?👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going:https://www.patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPolitics📩 Reach out to us:Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: [email protected] Host, Will Wright: [email protected]📱 Follow & connect with us:Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitikInstagram: faithful_politicsFacebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcastLinkedIn: faithfulpolitics📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content:faithfulpolitics.substack.com