29 Apr 2026
Dangerous Prayers and Holy Texts: Rev. Dr. Robert Wallace on the Bible, Palestine, and the Work of Justice
…And we’re back with an episode for this Mini Season featuring the Rev. Dr. Rob Wallace, a Baptist pastor, teacher, and scholar who tells us that his radicalization came from one major place - the Bible itself. It wasn’t a political awakening, it wasn’t a protest, but rather decades of sitting with scripture, letting it say what it actually says, and following it into places that made him uncomfortable, that ultimately led him to the work of his life.
NOTE: You may have noticed that Lauren is missing from this episode — she is deep in the manuscript of her forthcoming book, Becoming Soulful Revolutionaries (https://laurengrubaughthomas.substack.com/p/were-making-repression-backfire), and we are so grateful for your patience and support as she heads into the home stretch! In her absence, Hannah is holding down the podcast with a mini season of conversations with people who have shaped her own journey.In this episode, Hannah sits down with her long-time friend and former professor Rob — a Hebrew Bible scholar, Senior Pastor of McLean Baptist Church, (https://www.mcleanbaptist.org/) and one of the most quietly radical people she knows — for a conversation that is equal parts theological lecture, personal testimony, and holy roast. They trace the through-line of a life shaped by curiosity and commitment (and a sense of humor, of course): from a classroom in Indiana to archaeological digs in Israel, a “flipped” university classroom, and finally to Wednesday night Bible studies that are, as Hannah says, “not what I would call a ‘Bible study’.” (*air quotes*)
Whether he’s forewarning us about the “dangerous prayer” that is the Lord’s Prayer (stay with us here), or talking about the interpretive framework that has distorted a century of evangelical thinking about Israel and Palestine, OR pointing out the deeply plural grammar of the Gospels…he does so with a characteristic warmth, precision, and wit that pushes us further in the impetus that we, as the body of Christ, are called to do this work together. He is a person who has made a career of saying “I love this, let me show you why”…and in this conversation, you will understand exactly why Hannah has kept going back to him for guidance for years.
As always, thank you for listening.To watch the extended video version of this interview here, subscribe to this publication.
About Dr. Rob
Robert considers Indiana home, though he has moved quite a bit in his life. He started taking classes in engineering at Purdue University, but he later found his calling in the study and teaching of Scripture. Robert spent over 20 years as Professor of Biblical Studies striving to bridge the gap between the academy and the church. While finishing his Ph.D. at Baylor University, he was ordained at First Baptist Church of Waco, Texas, and he maintained an active, ecumenical ministry of supply and interim preaching.In 2018, Robert felt God calling him to on the other side of the bridge!
He accepted the call to Mclean Baptist Church and has since tried to maintain an active role in teaching and writing. He has been an Advisory Group member for the Institute for Justice Formation, associated with the John Leland Center for Teaching and Theological Studies since 2020. In 2024 he was asked to be a contributing author to The Christian Citizen, and he regularly publishes articles there.
Robert has a deep love of the Psalms, and much of his academic research has focused on that area. In March of 2025, Robert published an introduction to the Old Testament with Smyth & Helwys books, titled, A Prism of Song: Seeing the Old Testament through the Psalms. It is his deepest conviction that the grace of God provides humanity the opportunity to live creatively and meaningfully in this world, and that this message is found throughout Scripture—from Genesis to Revelation.
Rob’s Work & Writing
McLean Baptist Church (https://www.mcleanbaptist.org/) — Rob’s church in McLean, Virginia (Sunday worship live at 10am on YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo)
rwallace.net (https://rwallace.net/) — Dr. Rob’s Website with contact, teaching resources, and CV
Dr. Rob’s YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@barkokba) — The “flipped” classroom he speaks of, making biblical scholarship accessible around the world.
A Prism of Song: Seeing the Old Testament through the Psalms (https://www.helwys.com/a-prism-of-song) (https://www.helwys.com/a-prism-of-song)— Rob’s 2025 book, available from the publisher (https://www.helwys.com/product/a-prism-of-song/) but also available on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Prism-Song-Seeing-Testament-through/dp/1641735821) (also available in Spanish!)
The Christian Citizen (https://www.christiancitizen.us/) — where Rob regularly publishes articles on faith, justice, and culture
Institute for Justice Formation (https://www.ijformation.org/) — the justice formation organization Rob serves as an advisory group member and guest lecturer
Referenced in This Episode
More on dispensationalism, Darby, and the Scofield Bible:
“Christian Zionism: Theology That Legitimates Oppression” (https://sojo.net/articles/christian-zionism-theology-legitimates-oppression) — Sojourners — on the theological roots of Christian Zionism in Darby’s 19th-century dispensationalism, and its present-day consequences for Palestinian Christians
“Evangelicals and Israel: Theological Roots of a Political Alliance” (https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-03/evangelicals-and-israel) — The Christian Century — a historically grounded look at how dispensationalism shaped Christian Zionist politics in America, from the Scofield Bible forward
The Late Great Planet Earth (https://www.amazon.com/Late-Great-Planet-Earth/dp/0310277817) by Hal Lindsey (https://www.amazon.com/Late-Great-Planet-Earth/dp/0310277817) — the 1970 bestseller Rob references as a popularizer of dispensational eschatology
“Why did we stop using Thou?” Beating people is not a good way to enact grammatical change (https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/why-did-we-stop-using-thou) — This is Merriam-Webster’s history of how “you” replaced “thou,” relevant to Rob’s closing reflection on the plural pronouns of scripture and why “y’all” may be the most biblically faithful option
Preaching During Covid-tide: Sermons of Hope to Empty Pews (https://www.amazon.com/Preaching-During-Covid-tide-Sermons-Empty-ebook/dp/B09QPK1Q1Z) — Rob’s self-published collection of sermons from March–December 2020, available on Amazon
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