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

Latest Episodes:

The Gathering Storm (with Albert Mohler, Jr.) Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

How deeply has secularism infiltrated our society and the church? In his latest book, The Gathering Storm, Dr. Albert Mohler argues that Western civilization and the church stand at a consequential crossroads in regard to its future. Scott interviews Dr. Mohler about the ideologies threatening society as well as the church and how to best contend for the faith today.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been recognized as a leader among evangelicals by organizations such as Time and Christianity Today. He hosts “The Briefing,” which is a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview and “Thinking in Public,” a series of conversations with the day’s leading thinkers. He is the author of multiple books including The Gathering Storm.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2021/the-gathering-storm

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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.

I Am Restored (with Lecrae Moore) Jan 15, 2021

Show notes

Grammy Award winner and hip hop artist Lecrae tells his story of artistic success, battle with addiction and depression, and being restored in this fascinating new book. Lecrae is vulnerable and open about his background, mistakes he made and how his restored faith in Christ is making a difference in his life going forward. Join Scott and Sean for this conversation with Lecrae.
Lecrae Moore is a Grammy Award winner and NY Times Bestselling Author, as well as successful hip-hop artist. He is also the author of Unashamed.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2021/i-am-restored

Turn Your Season Around (with Darryl Strawberry) Jan 07, 2021

Show notes

Darryl Strawberry is a legendary baseball player who had everything the world has to offer, and yet he was broken and hurting inside. In this interview, Strawberry shares some powerful stories from his life that led him to become a follower of Jesus and experience a transformed life. He uses sports as a metaphor to offer some memorable and helpful spiritual insights.
Darryl Strawberry won four World Series titles, had eight all-star game appearances, and was nominated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. Today, he is a traveling speaker and evangelist. He is the author of the recent book Turn Your Season Around: How God Transforms Your Life.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2021/turn-your-season-around

[Bonus] Is the Christian God a Genocidal Bully? (with Charlie Trimm) Dec 29, 2020

Show notes

One of the toughest challenges to the Christian faith is the claim that God is unnecessarily violent. How could God command "genocide" in the Old Testament? In this interview, Sean and Biola professor Charlie Trimm walk through the various options Christians have to approach Old Testament violence. This interview was first recorded on Sean's YouTube channel, which is in partnership with the Talbot Apologetics program, and is posted here as a bonus episode.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/bonus-is-christian-god-a-genocidal-bully

[Bonus] Our Deepest Desires (with Greg Ganssle) Dec 22, 2020

Show notes

As human beings, we have deep desires for freedom, beauty, goodness and truth. According to Biola professor Greg Ganssle, these desires point to the reality of the Christian faith. In this BONUS episode, Sean interviews Dr. Ganssle about his book "Our Deepest Desires: How the Christian Story Fulfills Human Aspirations." Dr. Ganssle argues not that Christianity is true, although he believes that, but that it is good and fulfills our deepest longings as human beings. We hope you will enjoy this discussion, which took place on Sean's YouTube channel.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/bonus-our-deepest-desires

Can We Trust the Bible On the Historical Jesus? (with Craig Evans) Dec 17, 2020

Show notes

Does the Bible present an accurate view of the historical Jesus? Craig Evans is one of the leading New Testament scholars today, and he answers this question with a resounding "yes." In this interview, Sean and Scott ask him about his latest book, which highlights Dr. Evans's latest debate with Bart Ehrman. They discuss the historical evidence for the New Testament, both from within and outside the Bible, and respond to common criticisms.
New Testament scholar, prolific author, and popular teacher/speaker, Craig A. Evans is well-known for his contribution to work on the Gospels, the Historical Jesus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and archaeology of the New Testament. He regularly appears in documentaries, TV, and radio interviews. He lectures extensively and participates in archaeological digs and Holy Land tours.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/trust-bible-historical-jesus

Can We Trust the Copying of the Bible? (with Peter Gurry) Dec 11, 2020

Show notes

What is the best way to defend the reliability of the Bible? What are common mistakes Christians often make when responding to critics who challenge the Bible? Sean and Scott interview Dr. Peter Gurry about his latest book, which aims to correct myths and mistakes often made in defense of the New Testament. The good news is that a solid case can be made for the trustworthiness of the New Testament, as Dr. Gurry describes, but we also need to be careful when presenting that case.
Peter Gurry joined the Phoenix Seminary faculty in 2017 and teaches courses in Greek Language and New Testament literature. His research interests range across Greek grammar, the history and formation of the Bible, and the history of New Testament scholarship. He has presented his work at the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the British New Testament Conference among others. He and his wife are members at Whitton Avenue Bible Church. He is known to enjoy cheap fast food, good typography, and Jack London stories.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/trust-copying-of-bible

The Sexual Purity Movement Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

What should a biblical sexual purity message look like for today? In this episode, Scott interviews Sean about his latest book: Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships In A Confused World. They discuss pressing questions, such as: Is sex really a big deal? Isn't it a private act between consenting? Is a biblical sexual ethic really good for individuals and society? Sean's latest book is part of the True Love Waits campaign that is geared towards helping young people make wise, biblically-based choices in their relationships. They reflect upon earlier purity campaigns and what we can learn from them for today.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/sexual-purity-movement

Born Again This Way (with Rachel Gilson) Nov 27, 2020

Show notes

The journey of authentic Christian faith and sexuality is often a rocky and complicated one. Rachel Gilson, in her book, Born Again This Way, tells her story of this journey, with some surprising twists and turns along the way. Join Scott and Sean for this fascinating conversation about faith and sexuality.

Rachel Gilson is director of theological development at Cru Northeast. She holds a BA in history from Yale College and is completing her MDiv at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She blogs at rachelgilson.com.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/born-again-this-way

Does God Command That We Curse Our Enemies? (with Charlie Trimm) Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

The imprecatory psalms--some of the most difficult parts of the Bible, are the places in which the psalmist asks God to bring judgment on one's enemies, often in very harsh language. Talbot OT professor, Dr. Charlie Trimm, helps us understand how these psalms fit in with Jesus' command to love your enemies. Join Scott and Sean for an interesting discussion that will help you understand this complicated area of the Bible.
Charlie Trimm is an associate professor and chair of the Old Testament program at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. Trimm loves to inspire students to recognize the beauty of the Old Testament and its relevance for the life of the church today. Having served for several years in pastoral ministry, he strives to encourage the spiritual growth of his students in all his classes. He received his Ph.D. from Wheaton College in 2012, writing his dissertation on God acting as a divine warrior in the exodus. His research interests include warfare in the ancient Near East, the family in the Old Testament, and difficult topics relating to the ethics of God in the Old Testament. He is married to Mariah, has four children, Eily, Kellen, Brynne and Deklan. When he is not teaching, he can often be found watching soccer.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/curse-our-enemies