If minds had brainstormed how to create a podcast that would jump to number one in Apple’s podcast rankings, they never would have landed on The Bible in a Year, jokes biblical scholar Jeff Cavins. Source: CNS.
Yet, two weeks into 2021, The Bible in a Year with Fr Mike Schmitz tops the charts and has since 48 hours after its January 1 launch.
With the backing of Ascension, a multimedia Catholic publisher, Mr Cavins, the creator of the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, and Fr Schmitz, a priest of the Duluth diocese, Minnesota, and popular Catholic speaker and author, created The Bible in a Year, a daily podcast that leads listeners through the Bible’s narrative.
The aim is for listeners to understand how God’s plan for mankind’s salvation undergirds biblical events and the lives of its central figures.
Each episode is about 20 minutes and includes Fr Schmitz reading several chapters from Scripture, often from different books, and then giving a short reflection on the readings.
Mr Cavins and Fr Schmitz expected to meet a need among Catholics for an entry point into understanding Scripture, but Mr Cavins said he was amazed the program was so popular, with more than 1 million in its first five days, and more than 3.5 million by January 12.
Apple Podcasts listed it at Number One, above chart-toppers The Daily from The New York Times, Crime Junkie and The Joe Rogan Experience.
There was widespread hunger for the word of God and people wanted to find and do something positive after the hardships of 2020, Mr Cavins said.
FULL STORY
Daily podcast that leads listeners through Bible’s narrative is No. 1 in US (By Maria Wiering, CNS).
RELATED COVERAGE
Catholic duo reach Number 1 on Apple's podcast rankings (Catholic Leader/CNS)
Catholic Bible in a year podcast with Father Mike Schmitz tops the charts (CNA)
