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Bible misinformation is going viral... & scholars have thoughts

C. J. Cornthwaite

37,837 views

I sat down with Dan McClellan — one of the most followed actual biblical scholars online — to talk about how we got here, why it matters, and what real scholarship looks like when it finally
shows up to the fight.

We cover:
→ Why "biblical" is a political term, not a scholarly one
→ How apologists learned to sound credentialed without being credentialed
→ Why real scholars abandoned the public square — and what it cost us
→ The identity politics engine driving Bible misinformation
→ What it looks like when actual scholarship pushes back
→ Dan's new book "The Bible Says So" — and what it gets right
that apologists get wrong

Dan McClellan: @maklelan on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram
Book: "The Bible Says So" https://amzn.to/4dROdjF (Affiliate Link)
Podcast: Data Over Dogma - @dataoverdogma

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:16 What does "biblical" actually mean?
03:57 How "biblical" became an identity signal
08:13 The abortion debate — invented in the 1970s
10:35 What the Bible actually says about abortion
17:38 Child sacrifice in the Bible
23:04 God's wife and how she was erased
27:08 The Bible as propaganda
31:08 Canon formation — there is no "the Bible"
38:17 How fake scholarship captures massive audiences
41:09 The most frustrating apologists — and why
47:22 Do apologists lie to children for a living?
50:33 Homosexuality, purity culture, and real harm
58:21 Dan's next book
1:04:06 Linguistics and biblical scholarship
1:07:00 Where to find Dan

20 Comments

@cjcornthwaite Creator 3 months ago Pinned

What do you think? Let me know!! 👇👇👇
Get Dan's book here 👉 https://amzn.to/4dROdjF (Affiliate Link)

@anthonypride1946 3 months ago

Two biblical scholars that I really enjoy together on the same video. I would love to see this more often.

@The116thDoctor 3 months ago

“CJ and Dan, in the same video? What is this a crossover episode!?”

@Musix4me-Accompaniments 3 months ago

Perfect. Two of my favorite Christian/Biblical scholars who are not afraid of the truth while still practicing their faith.

@Jim-t6v 3 months ago

I was in my late 40's - I'd go to a non-denominational church fairly regularly. But - I reached a point where I couldn't do it anymore - and stopped.. A few months later - I was at a gas station. While filling my tank - a lady from the church came by - and stopped and asked me why I no longer attend church. I quietly told her that I really wasn't sure I believed in Christianity anymore. At that point she loudly screamed at me - "I hope you go to hell then". At that point I realized I made the right decision.

@dedueck 3 months ago

This is two of my favorite Christian content creators chatting with each other. I am a Canadian who moved from Fundamentalism through Evangelicalism to a more tentative approach to God and the Bible. I attended Trinity Western University and also lived in Southern Ontario and know the worlds that the two of you have traveled through. I am thankful that you are both reflecting another, more authentic way of approaching the Bible.

@MisterNoManaus 3 months ago

Wow! Two favorites from a group of Bible scholars I regularly follow - in the same video! You have no idea what a seriously important job you guys are doing. There is never too much historical-critical interpretation of the Bible! Also, the process of deconstructing toxic ideas is never finished, and even when it is done, the Bible is a wonderful rabbit hole to learn the depth of which requires more than one lifetime.

Although each case is specific, getting to know the historical-critical method in the last 20 years, reading academic and popular books and listening to lectures by Bart Ehrman, Amy-Jill Levine, John Shelby Spong and many other wonderful people and experts brought me liberation, a faith that I am not afraid of but enjoy it, and peace in life that I never dreamed was possible.

I enjoyed Dan's book and, although I belong to the older generation, I think I can say that books are still much more important than responding to every TikTok rapture fanatic, so I encourage him in his new book projects, including his own translation of the Bible, with quality apparatus and short and effective historical-critical annotations that present the essence of contemporary thought of biblical scholars (in book form and online). I often wonder why we don't have something like that in the 21st century yet.

@48walk 3 months ago

Yes! The collab I have been waiting for! Glad you could have him on!

@Ad4msI 3 months ago

The team up we’ve all been waiting for

@iamjustamom 3 months ago

THIS IS MY ENDGAME BABY

@bitcores 3 months ago

I do not blame blocking Inspiring Philosophy at all.
I saw an example just today where he was giving a presentation and on one of his slides he had a quote that said "not any" while the source had "not many". You could defend it as a typo, but this is a situation where you can just copy and paste.

@annestephens9631 1 day ago

So very pleased to find this conversation in my feed this morning. Thank you.

@ReVeralife 3 months ago (edited)

EEEEEHHHHAAA!!!! My current 2 favorite YouTubers talking!!! (I’m an atheist who grew up Christian and the actual scholarship is fascinating to me. )
I understand and appreciate a more metaphorical kind of Christianity now as well after watching both of you for months

@ericbrown8106 3 months ago

YES! Two of my favorite scholars of YouTube in one episode! 🎉
Great interview! Thank you, CJ and Dan! (Get Dan’s book!)

@CharlesMartel676 3 months ago

You guys are awesome! You've helped me keep my sanity during my deconstruction.

@Satans_lil_helper 3 months ago

👁👄👁 CJ and Dan on a Friday night?
Honey, I'm home!

@ahwell9984 3 months ago

I appreciate so much what you mentioned about abortion, and James Talarico's comments on it. It's a great example and something that so rarely is acknowledged.

@TouChan2957 3 months ago

On that sex education talking point:
It blew my mind when I found out not all plan b's are the same. The one you take shortly after sex stops fertilisation and is not abortion.