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

Latest Episodes:

BONUS: Why Todd McFarlane Denies God (but "loves" Spider-Man, His Family, and Life) Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Todd McFarlane is a legend in the comic world—co-creator of Venom, record-breaking Spider-Man artist, and the mind behind Spawn. But what does he really think about God? In this candid conversation, Todd opens up about his journey, his doubts, and why he once said, “I will never believe in God.” We also dive into creativity, comics, and the deeper questions behind the stories that shape culture. This conversation is a bonus on the Think Biblically podcast and first appeared on Sean's YouTube channel here.

Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn, is a multi-faceted artist and businessman with a broad range of experience in entertainment, sports, and publishing.

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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.

Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet (With John Turner) Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Who was Joseph Smith and what childhood experiences shaped his life, worldview, and the start of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? What are some of his positive characteristics that drew so many people to him and what were his flaws? How did his theology develop throughout his life? In this interview, Sean and Scott talk with John Turner about his fascinating biography: Joseph Smith: The Rise & Fall of an American Prophet.

John Turner is a cradle-to-halfway-to-the-grave Presbyterian (straddling mainline and evangelical Protestantism) and belongs to Burke Presbyterian Church. He came of age in evangelical parachurch organizations, namely Young Life and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. One of the things that drew him to the study of U.S. History was a desire to understand the institutions and personalities that had shaped my own religious culture. His dissertation-turned-first book, Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ: The Renewal of Evangelicalism in Postwar America, won Christianity Today’s 2009 prize for best History / Biography.

BONUS: Why Skeptics are Taking Religion Seriously (with Charles Murray) Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Charles Murray is a Harvard and MIT-trained policy analyst and the author of Taking Religion Seriously. He joins me to explore why many educated people never seriously consider God—not because they’ve disproven the supernatural, but because they’ve quietly learned to dismiss it. Charles describes his journey from “happy agnostic” to “Christian,” wrestling with questions like “Why is there something rather than nothing?” and “Why does consciousness seem to reach beyond the brain?” This isn’t the story of an aggressive atheist changing his mind. It’s about the subtle assumptions that shape what we think is reasonable and what we hesitate to question. This interview first aired on Sean's YouTube channel. You can watch the video here.

Charles Murray is a policy analyst educated at Harvard and M.I.T. He first came to national attention in 1984 with the publication Losing Ground, which changed the national conversation about the War on Poverty and its aftermath. In 1994, the best-selling The Bell Curve, coauthored with Richard Herrnstein, argued that the increasing role of intelligence over the twentieth century was transforming America’s social structure. In 2012, Coming Apart documented the growing divide between a new lower class and a new upper class that foreshadowed the political polarization of the 2016 election. His other books include In Pursuit (1988), Human Accomplishment (2003), Human Diversity (2020), and Facing Reality (2021). He is currently the Hayek Emeritus Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

The Changing Moral Landscape (with Scott Rae) Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

How has the ethical landscape changed over the past few decades? What new issues and technological challenges have emerged that Christians need to think about and respond to biblically? In this unique episode, Sean interviews Scott about the latest update (5th edition) of his best-selling book Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics. They discuss Scott's journey to becoming an ethicist, whether there are any issues Scott has changed his mind about, and what he considers the single toughest ethical issue today.

BONUS: Bart Ehrman on the Moral Argument and the Teachings of Jesus Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Did the teachings of Jesus actually transform the moral conscience of the West? And if they did… does that point to objective moral truth or just cultural evolution? Sean shares a bonus episode from his YouTube channel in which he invited Bart Ehrman, one of the leading atheists/agnostics today, to explore one of the most important questions in philosophy and faith: Is morality objective or is it simply a product of human development over time? Here is the link to watch the video on YouTube.

Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of multiple New York Times best-selling books and he writes a popular blog at https://ehrmanblog.org. Through his writings, speaking, and online presence, Dr. Ehrman is one of the most influential modern atheists/agnostics.

Lovingly Confronting Silence & Arrogance (With Shane Idleman) Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

America is in a divided and angry moment. Should "niceness" be our goal? When is it right to confront another Christian and how should we do so? What is the key to balancing grace and truth? In this conversation, Sean talks with pastor and podcaster Shane Idleman about some of the toughest challenges Christian face today.

Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship, in Lancaster, Ca. and now Leona Valley, Ca. He also began the Westside Christian Radio Network – WCFRadio.org – in 2019. His sermons, books, articles, and radio program have sparked change in the lives of many.

Cultural Update: What Americans Think When No One Is Watching; Gen Z and Risk-Taking; High Schoolers and Turning Point USA; Hidden Awareness in Vegetative States Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

What Americans Think When No One is Watching: Scott and Rick analyze "The Honesty Project" by The Free Press, highlighting the stark contrast between what Americans tell pollsters publicly versus what they actually believe in private.

Gen Z and Risk-Taking: Discussing an article on Gen Z's "great retreat from risk," Scott and Rick look at why fewer young adults are driving, dating, or working, and how a Christian worldview replaces fear with faith.

High Schoolers and Turning Point USA: Scott and Rick look at an article from The New Yorker exploring the organization's growing presence in public schools, sparking a deeper discussion on how tricky it is to define a "Christian nation".

Hidden Awareness in Vegetative States: Scott and Rick examine a neuroscientific study revealing conscious awareness in some coma patients and discuss the profound ethical implications for end-of-life care.

Audience Questions: Why Young People Are Attracted to Liturgical Services: Scott and Rick explore why many young Christians are moving away from modern, entertainment-driven church models in favor of the historical roots, structure, and deep reverence found in traditional liturgical services.

Audience Question: Doing Good to All People: Answering a listener's query, Scott and Rick explain that despite the complexities of personal responsibility or societal expectations, the biblical mandate is that everyone is due Christians doing good to them when it's in their power.

The Vanishing Church (With Ryan Burge) Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

Is it true that the moderates are a vanishing breed, both in the culture and the church? Who are the religious moderates and what are the implications of their disappearance? How has religion shifted from a faith journey to a tribal identity? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, Dr Ryan Burge, from his new book, The Vanishing Church.

Ryan Burge is professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. He is the author of 6 books and has written for the New York Times, POLITICO, and the Wall Street Journal. He has also appeared in a number of other media outlets including, the CBS Evening News, as well as 60 Minutes which called him, “one of the country’s leading data analysts on religion and politics."

Cultural Update: World Cup Faith; When Faith is Just an App; The No-Human Future Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

Scott is joined by Greg Ganssle, Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, to discuss:

World Cup Faith Goes Public: World Cup stars from the U.S., Brazil, England, Belgium, and beyond bring Christian faith into the public spotlight with unusual openness and confidence.
American Christianity Faces Its History: A New Yorker essay sparks a wide-ranging look at how revivalism, evangelicalism, politics, and cultural engagement shaped the church in America.
When Faith is Just an App: Christian apps may help people start spiritual habits, but screen-based faith can also flatten worship, prayer, Scripture, and community into another consumer experience.
The No-Human Future: Radical visions of a no-human future expose the stakes of human exceptionalism, transhumanism, and the Christian claim that people are more than machines.
Listener Question: Does Church Discipline Still Matter?: A listener question wrestles with whether church discipline can still work when people can simply leave one church and find another.
Listener Followup on Dad Brain Article: A physician listener challenges claims about fatherhood and brain health, prompting a careful reminder that good science depends on strong methodology.
Listener Question: Detransition Questions Demand Courage: A final listener question raises concern about medical and cultural pressure around detransitioning and the need for careful, compassionate engagement.

Billie Jean's Daughter: How God's Grace Redeemed My Story (With La Nej Garrison) Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

Most people recognize Michael Jackson’s 1983 mega-hit “Billie Jean,” but few know the human story behind the headlines. In this episode of Think Biblically, Sean sits down with Biola and Talbot graduate and educator La Nej Garrison, whose mother was a partial real-life inspiration behind the famous song.

La Nej Garrison is a dedicated family woman, editor, senior writer, and minister deeply passionate about her faith, family, and fostering meaningful conversations around religion and ethics. She holds a degree in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Talbot School of Theology.
Professionally, she serves as an editor for one of the largest African American publishing houses in the United States and as a senior writer for Women In Apologetics. You can read more of her work and stay connected by visiting her website at lanejgarrison.org or by following her on Instagram @la_nejg.

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