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

Latest Episodes:

[BONUS] Action Apologetics (with Tim Yoder) Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

After many years of study and experience of how people come to faith in Christ, professor Tim Yoder proposed what he calls “action apologetics,” a powerful way of bearing witness to the gospel by acts of love, charity, justice and sacrifice, to supplement traditional intellectual apologetics. Join Scott for this discussion of the various means of defending the truth and goodness of Christian faith.
Timothy Yoder is Associate Professor of Theological Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He has taught for many years at Cairn University and also at Marquette University. He has also served as a missionary in Russia, and has served in France, Italy and Ukraine.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/bonus-action-apologetics

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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.

Common Callings, Ordinary Virtues (with Brent Waters) Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

So much of our spiritual formation comes when we’re not thinking about it—in the course of our everyday lives. Understanding the role of “ordinary life” in shaping us spiritually is so important. We realize that “ordinary life” may sound boring, but this session with our friend and theologian Dr. Brent Waters is anything but that! Join Scott and Sean as they explore an area you might not have thought that much about.
Brent's latest book is Common Callings and Ordinary Virtues: Christian Ethics for Everyday Life.
Brent Waters is Jerre and Mary Jo Stead Professor of Christian Social Ethics at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary and Director of the Stead Center for Ethics and Values at Garrett. He is the author several books in Christian ethics including Just Capitalism, about which he’s appeared on this podcast several times.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/common-callings-ordinary-virtues

The Great Question (with Os Guinness) Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

What are the best steps to find a meaningful life? What can we learn from the most influential thinkers in history about how to find truth and meaning? In this interview, Sean and Scott talk with Os Guinness about his latest book: The Great Quest. Os shares his personal journey to faith and they discuss practical ways for living an examined life.
Os Guinness is an author and social critic. He has written more than 30 books. Since moving to the United States in 1984, Os has been a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies, a Guest Scholar and Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum and the EastWest Institute in New York.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/the-great-question

[BONUS] The Bible and LGBTQ Relationships (with Colby Martin) Jun 26, 2022

Show notes

In this bonus episode, Sean talks with progressive Christian pastor Colby Martin about Scripture and same-sex unions. They discuss what the Bible says and how Christians can best love their LGBTQ neighbors. This episode was first recorded on Sean's YouTube channel and is longer than typical interviews here. But if you enjoy our regular interviews, you will love this one too.
Colby Martin is the author of two books (“UnClobber: Rethinking our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality” and "The Shift: Surviving and Thriving after Moving from Conservative to Progressive Christianity"). He is progressive Christian pastor of Sojourn Grace Collective in San Diego, California.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/bonus-the-bible-and-lgbtq-relationships

How Not to Read the Bible (with Dan Kimball) Jun 23, 2022

Show notes

What do we say to some of the hard questions skeptics raise about the Bible? Some of the Bible is hard to understand and gives us pretty tough questions to answer. Dan Kimball, author of How Not to Read the Bible, goes through some of these hard questions and gives answers that make sense. Join Scott and Sean for this insightful interview about his new book.
Dan Kimball is Pastor for Mission and Theology at Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California and professor at George Fox University. He also hosts The Bible Project podcast.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/how-not-to-read-the-bible

Darwinian Racism (with Richard Weikart) Jun 16, 2022

Show notes

What exactly is the connection between Darwinian evolutionary theory and what is often called “social Darwinism” that emerged out of it—that includes eugenics and race based selection and preferences. Historian Richard Weikart has been with us before on the ideological roots of Naziism, and he extends his past work to connect the philosophy underlying Darwinian evolutionary theory and the race based implications coming out of it, both in Nazi Germany and the current white nationalist movement. Join Scott and Sean for this fascinating historical look at some of the ideas that came out of Darwin’s work on evolution.

Dr. Weikart's latest book is Darwinian Racism: How Darwinism Influenced Hitler, Nazism, and White Nationalism.

Dr. Richard Weikart is Professor Emeritus of History at California State University, Stanislaus. He is also Senior Fellow for the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute. He is the author of several books including Hitler’s Religion.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/darwinian-racism

The Revolutionary Disciple (with Jim Putman) Jun 10, 2022

Show notes

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus today? What unique challenges do Christians face in our present culture and how can we grow in our faith in our present moment? In this interview, Sean and Scott talk with pastor Jim Putman about his latest book The Revolutionary Disciple. They discuss unique challenges that Christians face today in the church and family and what barriers often prevent us from following Jesus today. Speaking from his own success and failures, Pastor Putman offers a bold and fresh challenge for Christians.

Jim Putman is the senior pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. He holds degrees from Boise State and Boise Bible College and is the author of multiple books including The Revolutionary Disciple (co-written with Chad Harrington).
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/revolutionary-disciple

Is the Gospel Inclusive? Jun 02, 2022

Show notes

Is the gospel really inclusive for all people? What does the Bible really say about LGBTQ relationships?
In this discussion, which can also be watched on Biola's YouTube channel, Sean and Scott discuss a recent book that makes an affirming case for same-sex unions. The book is The Gospel of Inclusion by Brandan J. Robertson. They discuss the most common arguments for LGBTQ inclusion by considering the biblical passages in context and ancient culture.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/is-gospel-inclusive

Becoming Whole: Poverty and the "American Dream" (with Brian Fikkert) May 31, 2022

Show notes

Many people consider the "American Dream" to be the goal of someone trying to get out of poverty. Both in the US and around the world, we have found that simply having more material goods doesn't necessarily lead to increased happiness. Join Scott and Sean for part II of Scott's earlier discussion with economist Dr. Brian Fikkert, as he critiques some of the most prominent poverty alleviation efforts and insists that flourishing involves more than accumulating material goods.

His latest book is Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn't the American Dream.

Dr. Brian Fikkert is Professor of Economics and Community Development and the Founder and President of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. He is coauthor of the best-selling book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself. He has a Ph.D. in Economics from Yale.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/poverty-and-the-american-dream

Economics and the Image of God (with Brian Fikkert) May 19, 2022

Show notes

Economics touches virtually every aspect of our lives on this side of eternity. Not surprisingly, the Bible has a great deal to say about economic life. How we think about economic life from a Christian worldview is a critical part of our engagement with our culture and helps us understand what it means to love our neighbors. Join Scott for this insightful discussion with economist Brian Fikkert about the intersection of economics and the image of God.

Dr. Brian Fikkert is Professor of Economics and Community Development and the Founder and President of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. He is coauthor of the best-selling book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself , and his newest book, Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty is Not the American Dream.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2022/economics-and-the-image-of-god