In this episode of It's In the Code, host Dan Miller tackles one of the most provocative questions a believer can ask: Did God lie in the Garden of Eden? Beginning with a listener's question about Genesis and God's warning that Adam and Eve would die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Dan takes a close look at the biblical text itself rather than the assumptions many Christians bring to it. Along the way, he explores how later theological traditions—including original sin, spiritual death, and the identification of the serpent with Satan—have shaped the way this familiar story is understood, often in ways that go beyond what the text actually says.

Drawing connections to his previous episode on Job, Dan argues that some of the Bible's most challenging passages become even more unsettling when read carefully and without inherited interpretations. He examines the role of the serpent, the meaning of knowledge, and why difficult questions about scripture are so often discouraged in high-control religious communities. Rather than seeing these questions as signs of weak faith, Dan suggests they emerge from taking the Bible seriously enough to wrestle honestly with its complexities. If you've ever been told there are questions you're not supposed to ask in church, this episode invites you to ask them anyway.

If you value independent analysis at the intersection of religion and politics, subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on Substack at ⁠⁠⁠https://axismundinetwork.substack.com⁠⁠⁠ for daily briefings, exclusive podcasts, and live events. You can also support our work by becoming a member or making a tax-deductible donation through the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement (IRMCE) at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.irmce.org⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to Axis Mundi Media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://axismundinetwork.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://axismundinetwork.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠... Make a tax-deductible donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.irmce.org/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices