• This/That: Sermon on the Mount Unpacked Michel Foucault and B.F. Skinner Explore Translation, Power, and Behavior

  • Feb 22 2025
  • Length: 45 mins
  • Podcast

This/That: Sermon on the Mount Unpacked Michel Foucault and B.F. Skinner Explore Translation, Power, and Behavior

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  • Summary

  • In this informal “Study Hall” podcast episode, two 20th-century figures—Michel Foucault and B.F. Skinner—are reimagined (with the help of A.I.) to explore the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5–7. Drawing on each thinker’s intellectual background, the conversation playfully highlights how different English Bible translations (e.g., King James Version, English Standard Version, and New American Bible) alter the text’s tone and interpretation. Foucault applies a “genealogical” lens, showing how power and historical context influence translation choices, while Skinner, from a behaviorist perspective, notes that varied wording can shift how people emotionally and ethically respond.

    They illustrate how even small translation tweaks—“earth” vs. “land,” “debts” vs. “trespasses,” “evil” vs. “the evil one”—can yield different theological and behavioral consequences, from views on the “reward” awaiting the meek to whether sin is seen as a “debt” or a “trespass.” Foucault and Skinner also discuss institutional factors (such as the Church of England for the KJV or the U.S. Catholic bishops for the NAB), revealing how centuries of scholarship and ecclesiastical authority shape modern readings. Throughout, the hosts remind listeners that translations are never neutral word swaps: they embody layers of cultural, social, and religious power.

    Finally, the episode underscores that these insights were generated via an A.I. recreation of Skinner’s and Foucault’s perspectives, rooted in their well-known works. Listeners are encouraged to compare translations themselves, explore the subtle shifts in meaning, and appreciate that every biblical text is a product of both its original languages and the interpretive lenses of translators across time.
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