The Religious Treehouse

#80 Ezekiel and Prophetic Sign Acts

Street theater in the Bible may be more common than you think! Jodie and Matthew introduce the book of Ezekiel and then look at one of the things he is most known for: Prophetic Sign acts. Especially in Ezekeil 3-5, Ezekiel acts out the siege of Jerualem, eats a scroll, and lays on his side for over a year to mediate prophecy for those in exile with him. Is God being an abusive leader or is Ezekiel delivering prophecy to people who deserve this punishment? Let us know your thoughts on Ezekiel and these sign acts! Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: The Prophetic Body by Anathea Portier-Young Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions! Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse  Facebook: TRT Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com [TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com]

#79 The Testament of Ann Lee (2025): A TRT Movie Review

Jodie and Matthew return to the cinema to discuss Mona Fastvold’s recent materpience: The Testament of Ann Lee (2025), starring Amanda Seyfried. This biopic explores the life of Ann Lee as she becomes the leader of the Shaker movement, an offshoot of the Quakers, started in the 1700s. The Testament of Ann Lee explores her fascinating life while also raising questions of femininity, motherhood, existing as an outsider, and religious practice while also showing beautiful choreography, music, and acting. Let us know your thoughts about the movie and any questions you have about Shakers! Matthew Rating: 4/5 Jodie Rating: 5/5 Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions! Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse  Facebook: TRT Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

#78 Habakkuk

Jodie and Matthew dive into the Minor Prophets and discuss the short, but beautiful, book of Habakkuk. After introducing the Biblical prophets as a whole, Jodie and Matthew talk the critical study of the Bible and how it relates to Habakkuk. They also look at modern interpretive lenses such as performance theory to understand how Habakkuk could be performed, reperformed, interpreted, and reinterpretted. There’s a lot going on in Habakkuk for such a short and overlooked book, but it should be much more appreciated. Please reach out with any question, comment, concerts, or ideas regarding this episode! Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: Performing Habakkuk by Jeanette Mathews  Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions! Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse  Facebook: TRT Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com [TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com]

#77 Evan Almighty (2007): A TRT Movie Review

In this week’s TRT movie review, Jodie and Matthew discuss Evan Almighty (2007) starring Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, John Goodman, and Lauren Graham. On the heels of Bruce Almighty (see TRT episode #55), Evan Almighty imagines if God asked a modern person to build an ark for a flood, just as God did in Genesis 6. But with these biblical themes, is this enough to make this a religious film, or does it push for vague western spirituality? Jodie and Matthew discuss this and more, so listen along and share with us your comments, questions, and concerns! Matthew Rating: 3/5 Jodie Rating: 5/5 Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions! Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse  Facebook: TRT Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

#76 Vile of the Bible: Goliath

Looking at the Vile of the Bible, Jodie and Matthew discuss one of the famous villains in the Bible: Goliath. Found primarily in 1 Samuel 17, the Goliath story acts as one of the introductions of David to the biblical narrative. Jodie and Matthew discuss some text critical issues examining how multiple sources were combined together to introduce David: One of which has David as a musician, and the other has David as a shepherd and warrior. Without getting too much into the weeds of the David narrative, Jodie and Matthew also look at verses in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles that may have different answers about who killed Goliath. Let us know any thoughts you have about Goliath and our episode! Works Referenced and Recommended Readings: The Historical David: The Real Life of an Invented Hero by Joel Baden Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions! Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse  Facebook: TRT Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com [TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com]