Not too long ago a friend asked me to thank my dad for recommending a podcast to her.
Incredulously I responded, “My dad knows what a podcast is?” Followed up by, “And what podcast would that be?”
My dad had recommended Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year podcast. Now, my dad and I talk a fair amount about religion so I was surprised he’d never mentioned this podcast to me. But that surprise was overshadowed by a bigger shock when I learned that it was the #1 Overall Podcast
in the U.S. last year! With 170 million downloads in 2021, how hadn’t this podcast fallen into my playlist?
For years I’ve been slowly reading the Bible. (Still haven’t made it out of the Old Testament, in case you were wondering.) The Bible hasn’t been a quick read for me. I’ve found it dense, with endless details and storylines and lessons and themes. My hand-written diagrams and notes have somewhat helped, but the accuracy of my interpretations are anyone’s guess.
The fact that there is now a (free) podcast in which a theologian (with a nice voice) is reading and interpreting the Bible makes me feel beyond grateful (and relieved)!
In my opinion, there are a few key elements that really make this podcast great. First, rather than taking a linear approach to the Bible, Fr. Mike threads the chapters and books into one giant epic story. (Forget the start-stop-reset approach.) Second, Father thoughtfully explains the readings, drawing the listener’s attention to key points that will likely be pondered far after the episode is over. Lastly, each episode is 20-25 minutes, the perfect length for a lunch break or commute.
So, if you’re looking for a new podcast in 2022, I’d highly recommend this one. Yes, you’ll be trendy, but you can thank my dad for that.