Ep. 582: Considering Sparrows: A Conversation with Kevin Burrell

About this episode

Pastor Kevin Burrell discusses the significance of birds in theology and culture, drawing from his new book 'Considering Sparrows'.

I’m not an avid bird watcher, but I’ve long been interested in the way birds intervene in our lives, our stories, our cultural myths. Think about the story of the raven and the dove in the Genesis account of the flood. Or the use of the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Jesus said that the foxes have their dens and the birds have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head to rest. He commanded us to consider the sparrows if we are to learn about the Kingdom of God. One of the most famous stories in western literature is a story told by the Venerable Bede more than a thousand years ago. He tells the story of a bird fleeing a storm and darkness by flying into a great hall. The bird then flies out the other side. The Venerable Bede says that the time the bird spent in the hall was like the span of our lives. Short, and surrounded by mystery. But the Christian story tells us what is beyond the boundaries of our lives, This story is credited with playing a major role in the Christianization of England. The lessons of birds have concerned Pastor Kevin Burrell for years. And he has written a new book about his adventures with theology and with…

People in this episode

Guest: Kevin Burrell

Topics covered

• birds
• theology
• Christianity
• cultural myths

Keywords

• sparrows
• raven
• dove
• Kingdom of God
• Venerable Bede

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Considering Sparrows

Books & works: Considering Sparrows:, Genesis, the New Testament, Considering Sparrows: What, Ornitheology

Places: England, Charlotte, North Carolina

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