New Books in Religion

Can creative writing become a form of biblical interpretation?

That is the provocative question at the heart of my conversation with Sarah Rosenson about her new book, Fan Fiction on the Book of Genesis: A Guide to Close Reading of and Creative Writing on the Bible (Cherry Orchard Books, 2026).

The modern phenomenon of fan fiction involves readers writing
creative pieces that answer questions left open in favorite works of
literature. This also describes the ancient tradition of midrash, where
readers write stories filling in gaps in the Bible. In Fan Fiction on the Book of Genesis
Sarah Rosenson discusses the questions left open in the first book of
the Bible, and every chapter includes questions for the characters in
the stories, which can serve as prompts for conversations or creative
writing.

Rosenson argues that careful reading reveals narrative gaps:
characters whose motivations remain unexplained, conversations that
never occur, ethical dilemmas left unresolved, and emotions that are
only implied. Drawing on the long tradition of Jewish midrash, she
proposes that readers can engage these silences through disciplined
creative writing, using imagination not as a substitute for close
reading but as an extension of it.

In our conversation, we
discussed some of Genesis's most familiar stories from unexpected
angles. What if Eve's pursuit of knowledge is more complex than simple
disobedience? Why does Noah never challenge God's decision to destroy
the world? What happens when Hagar's perspective becomes central rather
than peripheral? Why does Abraham argue for the people of Sodom but
remain silent when Isaac is placed on the altar? And how does the Joseph
narrative negotiate the relationship between divine providence and
human responsibility?

We also explore the broader methodological
questions raised by the book. Does describing midrash as "fan fiction"
make an ancient interpretive tradition more accessible, or does it risk
misunderstanding it? How far can readers imaginatively expand biblical
narratives while remaining faithful to the text? And what safeguards
distinguish responsible interpretation from speculation?

Whether
you are interested in biblical studies, literary criticism, Jewish
interpretation, or creative writing, our conversation offers a
thoughtful discussion of how ancient texts continue to invite new
readings. More than providing answers, Rosenson's book encourages
readers to ask better questions and, in doing so, to discover that
Genesis remains as intellectually and ethically challenging today as it
has been for centuries.

You can find more about Sarah and her work here.

Amisah Bakuri (PhD) is
an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her work explores the intersections of
religion, sexuality, gender, and migration, especially within African
diasporic communities in the Netherlands.
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How have Buddhist teachings come to be in modern and contemporary
Japan and how are they taught? This pioneering work seeks to answer
these questions by highlighting the public teachings of Temple Buddhism
institutions, in particular Temple Buddhism kindergartens and Buddhist
secondary schools and colleges. The community outreach provided by these
Buddhist facilities is far greater than any other with the possible
exception of funerals yet until now it has received little attention
from scholars of Japanese religion.

After determining what is taught in Buddhist education and how,
Stephen Covell introduces readers to a select group of monks who undergo
some of the most grueling practices in Japanese Temple Buddhism to
determine if the public-facing teachings of Buddhist education are
unique or similar to those of elite Buddhist practitioners. The
teachings and sites of teaching examined here include but are not
limited to classical doctrinal studies and temples focused on the
education of Buddhist clergy. Covell uncovers the arguments made by
priests involved in morals education, the dharma talks of famous
ascetics, and the ways in which laws and legal codes have changed
Buddhist education. He looks at what is taught on the ground, online,
and in popular texts to discuss the current teachings embraced as
Buddhism within the institutions of Temple Buddhism. Among his numerous
findings is such teachings and worldview are remarkably similar to those
of New Religions and Buddhist lay movements as outlined by Japan
religion scholars and government bodies in charge of education.

The Teaching and Teachings of Temple Buddhism in Contemporary Japan (University of Hawaii Press, 2024) will
be welcomed by students and scholars in Japanese religious studies and
early childhood and higher education as well as those interested in
current Buddhist practice and teachings in general.

Dr. Victoria Montrose is the James B. Duke Assistant Professor of Asian Studies and Religion at Furman University. Her recent research, “From Disciples to Dissidents: Student Protests and Reform Movements in Meiji-Era Buddhist Universities” was published in the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies in late 2025.
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New Perspectives on Old Princeton, 1812-1929 (Routledge, 2024) focuses on Princeton
Theological Seminary and the theologians who taught there from the time
of its founding in 1812 to the time of its reorganization in 1929. It
confronts the standard assessment of Old Princeton in the historiography
of North American evangelicalism and sets out why a new paradigm is
needed. The volume critically engages with the 'Ahlstrom thesis' and
other more recent scholarship concerning Old Princeton's relationship to
the Scottish intellectual tradition. The contributions seek to move
beyond Old Princeton's alleged indebtedness to Enlightenment thought and
advance a more constructive reading of the Old Princetonians, their
theology, and their place in the American evangelical experience. The
book offers a fresh and more accurate assessment of the theological and
philosophical assumptions that held sway at Old Princeton and through
the seminary to the American continent and beyond. It will appeal to
scholars interested in theology, religious history and intellectual
history.

Paul K. Helseth (PhD, Marquette University) is associate professor of
Christian thought at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and
the author of Right Reason and the Princeton Mind (2010).

David Smith (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is pastor in
the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and adjunct faculty in
historical theology at Erksine Theological Seminary. He received his
M.Div. from Covenant Seminary (1995) and completed his dissertation,
published as B. B. Warfield’s Scientifically Constructive Theological Scholarship in 2010, under John Woodbridge.
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With the plurality of Hinduism in mind, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Hindu Ethics focuses on the human, sociological and situational ethical framework underpinning Hindu ethics. Chapters go beyond the traditional classical sources-such as the Vedas, epics, mythological narratives and Dharmasastra texts-to include lesser known vernacular based moral texts, as well as contemporary sources from organizations, intellectuals and movements of religious, social and political nature.Going beyond only theological and philosophical discussions, this handbook presents a truly multidisciplinary approach to Hindu ethics. This book will benefit not only scholars and students within religious studies and philosophy, but also those from sociology, history, theology, law, anthropology and literature.
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In this episode, host Pierce Salguero sits down with Linda C. Ceriello, a scholar of mysticism and popular culture from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Linda is one of the foremost scholars of metamodernism, with particular focus on contemporary spirituality and mystical experiences. She talks with us about what this concept of metamodernism means, and how it can open up new kinds of more capacious thinking. I’m sure you will agree that a lot of what we’ve been doing on the Black Beryl podcast over the past 4 years — juxtaposing different perspectives, exposing our full selves, exploring the dark sides of spirituality, leaning into sincerity, etc. — has all embodied a metamodern sensibility. Anyway, I think she’s the perfect guest to talk with as we launch season 4, and I hope you’ll enjoy the show.

If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in multidisciplinary conversations about Asian healing and mystical traditions, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. Also check out our members area on Substack (blackberyl.substack.com), as each episode our guests share downloadable PDFs of articles, book chapters, and other materials for you.

One last thing: we are planning an “Ask Me Anything” episode coming up soon, so reach out via Substack or my website here, and let me know your questions. Ok, on with the show!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

“What is Metamodern?” website

“What is Metamodern? Conversations” on YouTube

Bloomsbury Press series: Studies in Metamodernism, Theory and Criticism Across the Disciplines

Vermeulen and van den Akker, “Notes on Metamodernism” (2010)

Kersten, Polo, Wilbers, Glocal Metamodernisms: European Fiction After Postmodernism (2026)

Disambiguation video

Recorded lecture: “An Overview of the Academic Research on Metamodernism” (2023)

Recorded panel: “A Bodhisattva Move: Popular Mysticism’s Influence on the Metamodern Turn?” (2021)

Subscribe on blackberyl.substack.com to unlock our members-only benefits, including these PDFs of Linda’s work:


Metamodern Mysticisms (2018)

“Toward a metamodern reading of Spiritual but Not Religious mysticisms” (2018)

“The Metamodern Bend: Theorizations for Religious Studies” (2022)

Black Beryl’s host Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University’s Abington College, located near Philadelphia. See www.piercesalguero.com
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