The Milkshake Theologians Podcast

In this second episode of The Milkshake Theologians, Grant Hazell has a sit down conversation with world-renowned Astronomer, Professor David Block from University of the Witwatersrand, Gauteng, South Africa. Professor David Block is an astronomer and renowned speaker on astronomy and the Science/Faith dialogue. For over 40 years, he has inspired global audiences to “Look Up!”—sharing insights from his research with passion and depth. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society at 19, he published his first paper on relativistic astrophysics at 20. He has been a visiting research astronomer at institutions like ANU, Caltech, Harvard, and the European Southern Observatory. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, his work has twice featured on the cover of Nature. A former professor at Wits University, he now holds Emeritus status. His accolades include the NSTF-BHP Billiton Award and Wits’ highest research honor. Dr. Block also leads Reasons to Believe Africa, a ministry demonstrating the harmony between science and biblical truth. Visit his website: davidblock.co.za

In this first episode of The Milkshake Theologians, Grant Hazell has a sit down conversation with Old Testament Scholar, Professor John Walton from Wheaton College, Illinois, USA. John H. Walton (born 1952) is an American Old Testament scholar renowned for his expertise in Ancient Near Eastern backgrounds of the Old Testament, particularly the Book of Genesis and its creation narrative, as well as the interpretation of the Book of Job. He is Professor Emeritus at Wheaton College and previously served as a professor at Moody Bible Institute. Walton advocates for understanding the Genesis creation narrative through the lens of ancient Near Eastern perspectives. He suggests the text functions similarly to a temple dedication ceremony, focusing on functional origins rather than a material account of cosmological beginnings. In his book "The Lost World of Genesis One," Walton presents the creation account as emphasising purpose and function over material origins. Throughout his career, Walton has authored several influential works, including: "Ancient Israelite Literature in its Cultural Context" (1989) "A Survey of the Old Testament" (1991, co-authored with Andrew H. Hill) "Genesis" (2001) "Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament" (2006) "The Lost World of Genesis One" (2009) "The Lost World of Adam and Eve" (2015) These publications reflect his commitment to exploring the cultural and literary contexts of biblical texts, offering fresh insights into their interpretation.