Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture - Talbot School of Theology at Biola University / Sean McDowell & Scott Rae

Latest Episodes:

Cultural Update: Is Climate Change a Big Deal?; Adulthood Milestones Delayed; School Shooting Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

This week, Scott & Sean discuss:

A massive new government study challenges common narratives about climate change
A new study shows that markers of adulthood are occurring later and later for millennials and Gen Zers
A terrible school shooting at a Catholic elementary school in Minnesota
Listener Questions

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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California.
Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.
To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Is Business a Force for Good? (with Jim Otteson) Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

What’s a business for? Why is there skepticism about business among younger generations today? What do we say to the notion that business is based on greed, that it creates consumerism and contributes to growing economic inequality? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest Dr. Jim Otteson, professor of business ethics at Notre Dame.

James R. Otteson is the John T. Ryan Jr. Professor of Business Ethics in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. He is also a concurrent Professor of Political Science. Among his recent books are Honorable Business (Oxford, 2019), Seven Deadly Economic Sins (Cambridge, 2021), and Should Wealth Be Redistributed? A Debate (with Steven McMullen; Routledge, 2023).

Cultural Update: Single Dads by Choice; Abortion Pills at Costco; Americans dying more often Aug 22, 2025

Show notes

This week, Sean and guest co-host Rick Langer discuss:

A growing trend of men becoming single dads by choice sparks discussion on meaning, technology, and the impact on children when family design is redefined.
New research shows American millennials and Gen Z are dying at 2.6 times the rate of peers in other wealthy nations—raising questions about loneliness, disordered loves, and deeper spiritual needs.
Costco’s decision not to sell the abortion pill is examined—what it reveals about business choices, public health concerns, and the cultural effort to normalize abortion.
Listener questions: whether AI can teach critical thinking, how to disagree with grace, and how parents can wisely navigate kids’ involvement in theater and performance.

A Biblical Guide to Navigating Youth Sports (with Ed Uszynski) Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

How can Christian parents and other Christian leaders best navigate youth sports? What are some of the toxic elements of youth sports that Christians can avoid, or strategically use as an opportunity for ministry and growth? Our guest today, Ed Uszynski, is the author of a new book Away Game: A Christian Parent's Guide to Navigating Youth Sports. Ed joins Sean and Scott to discuss how our perspective of youth sports needs to shift so we can better watch, coach, and help young people participate in youth sports.

Ed Uszynski is an author, speaker, and sports minister with over three decades of experience discipling college and professional athletes. He has written articles, essays, and training materials at the intersection of faith and sports. He received his PH.D. in American cultural Studies from Bowling Green State University.

Cultural Update: AI takeover of education; proposed law overturning same-sex marriage; increased demand for euthanasia Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

AI's takeover of education leaves rising seniors as the last students to remember high school before ChatGPT, raising questions about AI’s lasting impact on education.
A Supreme Court case seeks to overturn same-sex marriage, prompting discussion on how Christians should respond culturally and theologically.
Demand for euthanasia in Canada now outpaces available providers, sparking ethical debate on life, suffering, and medical limits.
Listener questions on the forming of a will, convincing non-believers of their limitations, and the origins of the soul in the context of IVF.

Economics and the Fertility Gap (with Clara Piano) Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

Why is fertility in decline around the world? What is the long term social impact of this decline? And why is marriage so central to fertility rates? We’ll discuss these questions and much more with our guest, University of Mississippi economist Dr. Clara Piano.

Dr. Clara Piano is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Mississippi. Her primary research areas are family economics, law and economics, and the economics of religion. She has won several grants and awards for her work, including the Women and Economic Freedom Grant from the Bridwell Institute and the Novak Award from the Acton Institute.

Cultural Update: Teen use of AI chatbots; Canada pushes to expand euthanasia; cash aid lacks results; designer babies fall short Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

Teen use of AI chatbots is on the rise, prompting concern over emotional dependency, harmful content, and the loss of real human connection.
Cash aid to low-income families lacks results, challenging assumptions about poverty and flourishing.
Canada pushes to expand euthanasia to mental illness, raising ethical alarms about autonomy, consent, and the value of life.
Designer baby hype falls short, exposing the limits of genetic screening and the dangers of treating children as customizable products.
Listener questions on gender theory origins, biblical examples of success, and why everyday work counts as ministry in God’s design.

The Pursuit of Safety — At What Cost? (with Jeremy Lundgren) Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Does God promise to always keep us safe? What does the Bible have to say about our pursuit of safety for ourselves and our kids? How can the pursuit of safety become a form of idolatry in our lives? We’ll discuss these questions and more with our guest, Talbot grad Jeremy Lundgren in his new book, The Pursuit of Safety: A Theology of Danger, Risk and Security.

Jeremy Lundgren (PhD, Wheaton College) is director of Nicolet Bible Institute and coordinator of the MA in Biblical and Theological Studies program at Wheaton College.

[BONUS] An Ex-Abortion Doctor Shares Her Story (with Catherine Wheeler) Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

Why would an abortion doctor change her mind about the morality of abortion and become a Christian? On this bonus episode of the Think Biblically podcast, Dr. Catherine Wheeler shares her compelling and powerful story of redemption and transformation from an abortionist to a pro-life activist. If you want to watch this episode in person, please visit Sean's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5kYzcQtlk8

Dr. Wheeler is an Ob/Gyn physician who practiced in Salt Lake City, Utah for 24 years, before moving to Colorado. In Utah, she was an originating shareholder of a private Ob/Gyn practice. Later in her career, she developed midlife women’s health clinic and educational programs at the University of Utah. She then developed a gynecology clinic with HCA St. Mark’s Hospital.

Scrolling Ourselves to Death (with Brett McCracken) Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

Screens and social media have reshaped the world and our minds, bringing an appetite for distraction, loneliness, and increased rates of mental health challenges. It is time for Christians to rethink their relationship with screens and to consider what it means to live faithfully in our screen-dominated world. Our guest today, Brett McCracken, is the co-editor of a helpful and insightful new book Scrolling Ourselves to Death.

Brett McCracken is a senior editor and director of communications for The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of multiple books including The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World (Crossway, 2021), as well as the co-editor of Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age (Crossway, 2025). He has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, CNN.com, Christianity Today, and many other publications.

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