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

Latest Episodes:

Cultural Update: Polyamory, Lab Grown Eggs, Atheist Churches, and the Responsibility of Christian Voters Jan 19, 2024

Show notes

In today's episode, Scott & Sean discuss these topics and articles:

A recent issue of New York Magazine focused on the mainstreaming of polyamory.
Potential advances in lab-grown human eggs.
Church without God: How secular congregations fill a need for some nonreligious Americans
New York Times Editorial Board piece on The Responsibility of Republican Voters.
Listener Question: "Couple to Throuple" Dating Show
Listener Question: Are Old Testament saints born again?

Send your thoughts and questions for future episodes to thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

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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.

A Compelling Vision of Friendship (with Rebecca McLaughlin) Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

Why would an apologist write a book on friendship? What can we learn about friendship from the example and teachings of Jesus and Paul? How can we recover the lost art of friendship? In this interview, Sean and Scott talk with Rebecca McLaughlin about her new book No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision of Friendship.
Rebecca McLaughlin holds a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature from Cambridge University. Her first book Confronting Christianity was named book of the year by Christianity Today. She is a popular speaker who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband, three children, and church family.
Read a transcript of this episode at https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2024/a-compelling-vision-of-friendship.

Cultural Update: Kim Davis; Texas Abortion Law Enforcement; Balancing Head & Heart; Should churches be involved in politics? Jan 12, 2024

Show notes

In addition to our regular weekly episodes, we're starting a new series where we discuss a few current cultural issues that are in the news — and also answer some listener questions.
This week, we discuss:

Kim Davis' legal fees
Enforcement of Texas abortion law, particularly around children with birth complications
Listener Question: Balancing the head & the heart
Listener Question: Should churches be involved in politics?

Let us know what you think by emailing thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Who are the "Nones?" (with Ryan Burge) Jan 08, 2024

Show notes

The fastest growing “religious” group in the US is the “nones”, those with no religious affiliation. Who are these “nones” and what accounts for their religious disaffiliation over the last 30 years? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, political scientist and pastor, Ryan Burge from his updated book called “The Nones.”
Ryan Burge is an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University. He is the author of numerous books and journal articles and is a pastor in the American Baptist Church.
Read a transcript of this episode at https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2024/who-are-the-nones.

Don’t Follow Your Heart?? (with Thaddeus Williams) Jan 04, 2024

Show notes

What is humanity’s oldest lie? And how is it freshly emerging to steal the hearts and minds of a new generation? Our guest today, Biola professor Thaddeus Williams, has a new book out called Don't Follow Your Heart: Boldly Breaking the Ten Commandments of Self-Worship. Join Scott and Thaddeus as we dissect his “ten commandments” and talk about how to be a cultural heretic today.
Thaddeus Williams is Associate Professor of Theology at Biola University and the author of several books and numerous articles. He is the author of Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth and REFLECT: Becoming Yourself by Mirroring the Greatest Person In History.
Read a transcript of this episode at https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2024/don-t-follow-your-heart.

Developing Spiritual Street Smarts (with Greg Koukl) Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

Evil. Slavery. Contradictions in the Bible. How can we best answer the top objections to the Christianity? Greg Koukl has taught numerous people how to defend the Christian faith against the toughest questions. His earlier book, Tactics is a must-read book. In fact, we have Greg teach a full class for our Biola MA apologetics program on that book. He has a new book out called Street Smarts, in which he offers even further strategies for navigating spiritual conversations. Join Scott and Sean for this great conversation with Greg.
Greg Koukl serves as President of Stand to Reason. which he founded in 1993. He has spoken on more than 70 college and university campuses both in the U.S. and abroad and has hosted his own call-in radio show for 27 years, advocating for “Christianity worth thinking about.” An award-winning writer and best-selling author, Greg has written seven books, and has been featured on Focus on the Family radio and has been interviewed for CBN and the BBC. He's been quoted in Christianity Today, the U.S. News & World Report, and the L.A. Times.
Read a transcript of this episode at https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2023/developing-spiritual-street-smarts.

Two Months In — Update on the Israel-Hamas War (with Darrell Bock) Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

We’re more than 2 months into the Israel-Hamas war? What has happened since the start of the war on October 7? What are some of the ways Christians are responding to this war? How should believers think about this war given that there are so many casualties of innocents on both sides? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, Dr. Darrell Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement at the Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Darrell Bock is Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author of more than 40 books in New Testament and Faith and Culture.
Read a transcript of this episode at https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2023/two-months-in-update-on-the-israel-hamas-war.

Cultural Update: Healthcare in Gaza; Ending anonymous sperm donations; Assisted suicide; and Listener Questions Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

We're trying something different today! A new bonus series where we'll discuss a few current cultural issues that are in the news — and also answer some Q&A sent in by listeners.
A brief programming note: Our regular weekly full-length episodes — where we do a deep dive on a topic or have an in-depth discussion with an author — aren't going anywhere! We'll still be releasing those weekly. This new series will be an additional episode in your podcast feeds each week, starting in the new year.
Let us know what you think by emailing thinkbiblically@biola.edu.
Enjoy!

What is a Person? And Why It Matters (with JP Moreland) Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

Who counts as a person? The severely mentally challenged? The elderly person at the end of Alzheimer’s? The unborn? On what basis do we decide this critical question? How do we know that we have a soul? Hasn’t science decided that all of what the soul does actually occurs in the brain? Join Scott as he tackles these questions and more with our colleague and guest, JP Moreland, and co-author of a new book, The Substance of Consciousness.
P Moreland is Distinguished Professor Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He author, edited or contributed papers to 95 books and authored dozens of articles defending orthodox Christianity, and he is a widely sought after speaker both in the US and around the world. In 2015 he was named one of the 50 greatest living philosophers in the world.
Read a transcript of this episode at https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2023/what-is-a-person-and-why-it-matters.

Understanding the Generations (with Jean Twenge) Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

How can we best understand and engage younger generations today? Our guest today, Dr. Jean Twenge, is a professor of psychology at SDSU and the author of Generations. She has been one of our go-to scholars on generational trends and has just released a 500-page book that traces generational changes from Silents (b. 1925-1945), Boomers, Xers, Millennials, Gen Z, and up to the newest generation emerging today (polars). Join Scott and Dr. Twenge as they discusses the research on Gen Z and what it means for pastors, parents, and others who care about understanding and mentoring the next generation.
Jean M. Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 180 scientific publications and 7 books, including iGen, GenerationMe, and The Narcissism Epidemic.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2023/understanding-the-generations

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