Robert Alter's work in translating the Hebrew Bible is explored in Raphael Magarik's discussion, highlighting Alter's efforts to humanize and secularize the Bible through his literary translations.

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove questioned the relevance of Jewish studies professors to the broader Jewish community, highlighting the disconnect between academic work and everyday Jewish life.

In his article "On the Irrelevance of Biblical Criticism," Jerome Marcus challenges the approach of biblical criticism, arguing that it leads to a shallow reading of scripture.

The discussion centers on the traditional stenographic theory of revelation versus the participatory theory in Jewish theology.