Is the House of David TV series, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, any good? Is it closer to "The Ten Commandments" or "Prince of Egypt" or "Exodus: Gods and Kings"? Or is it just like all the other examples -- and there are far too many -- of cringey, cheap, contrived, and cloying faith-based media? What about its use of extra-biblical traditions? Can we trust the filmmakers to finally give us art that is beautiful, accurate, and moving?

This is the penultimate episode in Season 1, in another bonus review. This is mostly spoiler-free, although it does get into details which are also in the biblical narrative. I turn my somewhat-jaded eye (and heart) onto this adaptation of the story of David and Goliath, and find myself pleasantly surprised and cautiously hopeful for the future of Christian media. I hope this is one more waypoint on your journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!

What is the center of a person? Why does our heart need to be pure? How does God heal the broken-hearted? If our heart is sick, do we have free will? How can we be more free -- by choosing what we want, or choosing well? How do we "see" with the "eyes of the soul" what to choose? Is this even possible when that "eye" is darkened? What is the difference between soul and spirit? Is the soul created at the same time as the body, and how can it exist apart from the body? What does that mean, and how does that relate to the Resurrection body? What about final judgment? How can we have a secure soul-attachment to our bodies?

This is the (finally) final episode of our Anthropology of Adam series, looking at the Greek words for heart, will, mind/spirit, and soul. We will take a close look at how the nous (mind/spirit) is central the health of the soul, and what it means to love Adonai with our whole being. I hope you will join me for a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!

The Mind and the Heart in the Christian East and West

Nous - OrthodoxWiki

Nathan Jacobs Podcast -- apokatastasis

Saint Origen - First Things

What in Tarnation? | Ancient Faith Ministries

Soul, Heart, and Mind: Orthodox video

Powers of the Soul: Orthodox video

What is "nature"? Did the first Christians change this because of Greek philosophy? What is a "person"? Whom am I, underneath all the "masks"? What does it mean to be Self-led, or self-controlled? What does it mean to partake of the divine nature, and how do we do that? What are passions, and how did we get them? How do we overcome them? Do we have a sin(ful) nature? Is it even possible for flesh to seek after God? And what purpose did the Law of God serve in this goal? What does it mean for our nature -- and person -- to find its rest in God?

This is the third of four in our Anthropology of Adam series. This one covers the Greek words for body, flesh, nature, being/essence, person, and individual/subject. This covers a ton of philosophical ground, but I hope it doesn't hurt your head too much. I always pray it doesn't hurt your heart. I hope that you can join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!

Orthodox Apologetics: Prosopon and Hypostases

St Gregory of Nyssa: Differentiating Ousia and Hypostasis | Eclectic Orthodoxy

The Christian Transformation of Greek Philosophical Concepts ---- The Distinction of ousia and hypostasis in the Formation of the Trinitarian Formula “One ousia and three hypostaseis”.

Basil ousia and hypostasis

Greek Trinitarian Terms in the Early Church (Part 1) – Krisis & Praxis

Anthropological background: The human composite and spiritual healing

Substance, Nature, and Human Personhood

The "Sinful Nature" Translation Dilemma and the Upcoming NIV Revision - Jason Staples

Our Heart is Restless Until It Rests in You - Augustine -

What is the human heart, according to the Bible? Is it the seat of thoughts, or emotions? How is it related to our desires and our wills? Is it "desperately wicked"? Can we trust our feelings? What does it mean to have our "bowels moved" for someone else, and is it really as gross as it sounds? Does God feel toward us like a Father, or like a Mother? Or does he just demand blood to satisfy his anger?

This is the second of three "Anthropology of Adam" episodes, where we will look at the words in the Hebrew Bible which represent who is. Along the way, we learn that our hearts are deep, murky waters with thoughts and intentions that can either incline toward or away from Adonai. We also discover that Adonai himself is inclined toward us, with a gut-level compassion that comes out of his "womb". I hope you will join us on a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction. Podcast episode from BibleProject about the "Womb of God"

What is "the flesh"? What is the best way to think of and treat our bodies? What is the relationship between the spirit and the body? Is our spirit the essence of who we really are? Or is that our soul? Is that something other than our body? Do we have souls or not? And will our bodies be part of the new heavens and new earth? This is the first of three "Anthropology of Adam" episodes, where we will look at the words in the Hebrew Bible which represent who is. Along the way, we learn that we are souls, composed of body and spirit, who are created good and despite the falls of humanity are still able to desire and seek out Adonai. I hope you will join us on a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction.

What are spiritual beings? Are they some kind of ethereal substance, or just in our minds? Are things in our minds real? Where do our thoughts come from? What about ideas? Can spiritual beings influence us, and in what ways do they do so? Is that the same as being "possessed"? What does it mean to conform our wills to theirs? And what does it mean to actually have "free" wills?

In this episode, we take a look at what it means to be human, and what it means to be a spiritual being, and explore the overlap of the two. Along the way, we discover that humans are permeable creatures: designed to have our wills interact with the wills of the spiritual realm. In the end, we try to understand how all this relates to everyday life and becoming better "spiritual beings" ourselves. I hope you will join me on the journey of finding resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!

But We Have the Mind of Christ | Ancient Faith Ministries

The Most Important Question -- Nathan Jacobs Podcast

What's a Spirit When It's at Home? | Ancient Faith Ministries

Bible Project video on spiritual beings

Stimulus - Reaction - Response graphic

What is the third "fall" of humanity? Why is it so bad for people to build a tower? Does it actually reach to the heavens? Why does God confuse their language and scatter the people? And who are the gods of the nations? Do they exist at all? What is their purpose? Is there anything we can learn from the Babel narrative about what God wants for his human family?

In today's episode, we take a closer look at the Genesis 11 Babel event and its connection to the redemptive plan of God: to lovingly shepherd his children back to him, in order to unite them in their diversity, so that the unique glory each possesses can participate in his life once more. I hope you will join us on a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!

The Gods of the Nations | Ancient Faith Ministries

Pentecost and the Ziggurat — Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

The Human Desire to Be Godlike - TheTorah.com

Language Is Baffling – The Story of the Tower of Babel - TheTorah.com

What-is-spiritual-warfare-from-Heiser-DEMONS-MS-unedited.pdf

The Angels Who Left Their Former Estate - The Whole Counsel Blog

The Unseen Realm Collection (10 book series) Paperback Edition

What the heck is happening in Noah's tent after the Flood? Why is Canaan cursed, and not Ham? What is the meaning of Ham's genealogical line? Does it mean that biological descent curses people? How much does God actually care about ethnicity, anyway? Isn't that what Israel being his chosen people is all about? What is the "table of nations", and why do the nations matter?

In this episode, we take a closer look at the relationship of the chosen seed and the sons of promise to the rest of the family of God -- the nations of the earth. We challenge the idea that ethnicity plays a major role in salvation history, and examine what the vocation of the "firstborn son" was supposed to be. Namely: to be a light to the nations. I hope you will join us on a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!

Naked Bible 159: Noah’s Nakedness, the Sin of Ham, and the Curse of Canaan | The Naked Bible Podcast

Sukkot's Seventy Bulls - TheTorah.com

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