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

Latest Episodes:

The State of the Persecuted Church as a New Decade Begins Jan 16, 2020

Show notes

With the release of the World Watch List in January 2020, we get a catalog of the most difficult places for the followers of Jesus around the world. Join us for an inside look at some of these places from someone who travels there regularly and has first hand exposure as Scott interviews Rienk and hears of the stories of the persecuted church in 2020.

To learn more about the World Watch List, watch their 2020 press conference.
For security reasons, we cannot reveal the name of our guest for this week’s podcast. He is known by his pseudonym, Rienk.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/the-state-of-the-persecuted-church-as-a-new-decade-begins

==========
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.

Love Unleashes Life—the Pro-Life Message in a Polarized Culture (with Stephanie Gray) Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

How can the pro-life message be effective in an increasingly polarized culture? How can the movement move from controversy to civility and still be a compelling message defending the unborn? Join us for our conversation with Stephanie Gray, a veteran of the pro-life movement who describes how to defend the unborn in today’s culture.
Stephanie Gray is a seasoned and international speaker who began presenting at the age of 18. She has given over 900 pro-life presentations across North America as well as in Scotland, England, Ireland, Austria, Latvia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. She has spoken at many post-secondary institutions such as Yale University, George Washington University, and the University of California, Berkeley. In 2017, Stephanie was a presenter for the series "Talks at Google," speaking on abortion at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. Stephanie is author of Love Unleashes Life: Abortion & the Art of Communicating Truth as well as A Physician’s Guide to Discussing Abortion. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UBC in Vancouver, and a Certification, with Distinction, in Health Care Ethics, from the NCBC in Philadelphia.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/love-unleashes-life-the-pro-life-message-in-a-polarized-culture

The Bible Is Not What You Think (with Michael and Lauren McAfee) Jan 02, 2020

Show notes

Many Millennials are skeptical of the Bible, viewing it as an outdated, intolerant book. Yet fellow Millennials Michael and Lauren McAfee, authors of Not What You Think, are up for the challenge. They make the case for their generation and for Gen Zers that the Bible is a must-read, life-changing book. In this podcast, Sean and Scott interview them about how they invite their generation to reconsider the Bible.
The McAfees are a husband and wife team who are both working on their PhDs at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Lauren works at the Hobby Lobby corporate offices and Michael is the Director of Community Initiatives for the Museum of the Bible, and is a teaching pastor in Oklahoma City. They are both sought-after speakers for conferences, schools, and other events.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/the-bible-is-not-what-you-think

It Takes a Family - to Raise a Village (with Jennifer Morse) Dec 26, 2019

Show notes

In her important book, Love and Economics, economist Dr. Jennifer Morse argues the family is the central cultural institution responsible for the prosperity and well being of the next generation. She maintains that all of the virtues necessary for flourishing economically are learned in the family. You may not see how love and economics go together, so join us for this interesting discussion of how they connect.
Dr. Jennifer Morse is the president of the Ruth Institute, a non-profit organization committed to inspiring survivors of the Sexual Revolution. She is the author of multiple books including The Sexual State as well as numerous pamphlets and tracts, Dr. Morse earned her Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Rochester in 1980. She taught economics at Yale University and George Mason University. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Reason, Policy Review, National Review Online, the Journal of Political Economy, the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, the University of Chicago Law Review and she has been a guest on Fox News, CNN and EWTN.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/it-takes-a-family-to-raise-a-village

The Reliability of the Gospels and the Historical Jesus (with Darrell Bock) Dec 22, 2019

Show notes

What is the state of historical Jesus studies today? How has the landscape changed over the past few decades? Dr. Darrell Bock provides some remarkable insight about how historical Jesus studies have moved in a positive direction towards embracing many key facts surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Sean and Scott interview him about his journey to faith, his love for studying the historical Jesus, and what non academics can learn from academic research today.
Darrell Bock is one of the leading contemporary scholars on the historical Jesus. He is the Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He has written over 40 books and is a New York Times best-selling author. Dr. Bock is the editor of the recent book Jesus, Skepticism, & the Problem of History.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/the-reliability-of-the-gospels-and-the-historical-jesus

Was Jesus a Socialist? (with Lawrence Reed) Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

It has not been uncommon for advocates of virtually every economic system to invoke Jesus in support of their views, though some of the most ardent advocates for both capitalism and socialism did not have any particular religious views themselves (Rand, Marx). Over the years, some of the more recent advocates of socialist type economic arrangements have appealed to Jesus and the gospels in support of such systems. Economist Lawrence Reed helps us sort out the application of the teaching of Jesus to economics and its relevance for economic life today. Join us for this provocative conversation as he tackles the question of Jesus and socialism.
Dr. Lawrence Reed is President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Freedom, having served also as professor of economics and founder of Mackinac Center for Public Policy. He has authored over 1,000 newspaper columns and articles, dozens of articles in magazines and journals in the U. S. and abroad. His writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, among many others. He has authored or co-authored five books, the most recent ones being A Republic—If We Can Keep It and Striking the Root: Essays on Liberty. He is frequently interviewed on radio talk shows and has appeared as a guest on numerous television programs and lectures around the world annually.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/was-jesus-a-socialist

Atheist Overreach (with Christian Smith) Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

In his recent book Atheist Overreach, Dr. Christian Smith argues that public atheist spokespersons often overreach their position regarding what atheism can actually explain about morality and science. Sean and Scott ask him probing questions about the nature of the secular-religious dialogue and why he thinks atheists sometimes overreach their position. As one of the leading Christian sociologists today, Dr. Smith's insights are both helpful and timely.
Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. He worked at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill from 1994-2006 where he served as Associate Chair of the Department of Sociology from 2000 to 2005. He is the author of many books including Religious Parenting: Transmitting Faith and Values in Contemporary America, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Emerging Adults, and Atheist Overreach.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/atheist-overreach

Gratitude and Thanksgiving (with Stacy Eltiti) Nov 28, 2019

Show notes

With the Thanksgiving season upon us, we thought it fitting to do some theological and psychological reflection on gratitude. Join us for this stimulating conversation with Rosemead Professor Dr. Stacy Eltiti, as we explore dimensions of gratitude that you might not have thought about before. It can be applied all year round, not just during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Dr. Stacy Eltiti is Associate Professor of Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University. She has a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Essex in the UK. Among her areas of expertise is the psychology of gratitude. She has written and presented widely in a variety of areas on the field of psychology.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/gratitude-and-thanksgiving

The Inside Story (with Greg Koukl) Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

As the president of Stand to Reason, Greg Koukl is one of the leading Christian apologists today. Sean asks Greg questions about his personal faith journey and about life lessons he has learned thorough his radio, speaking, and writing ministries.
Greg Koukl is the president and founder of Stand to Reason. He is the author of multiple books including Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted In Mid-Air and most recently The Story of Reality. He has been featured on Focus on the Family radio, interviewed on CBN, and quoted in many publications including the LA Times. Check out STR.org.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/the-inside-story

Seeing God and His Beauty in Math (with Jason Wilson) Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Wilson has been thinking long and hard about how the mathematical structure of the world points towards God's existence and beauty. in this interview, he explains how his understanding of math drives him to worship God more deeply and how math should motivate Christians to care about doing good in the world. And for fun, he even offers some reflections on the movie Moneyball and how statistics can help in baseball.
Jason Wilson oversees the statistics service courses in the Department of Math and Computer Science at Biola University. Giving students a vision of how the natural laws of the world described by mathematics reflect the nature of God (Romans 1:20), and how that nature empowers them to live for Him (2 Peter 1:4) is a theme of Wilson’s courses. He also enjoys baseball statistics and debunking books such as The Bible Code.
Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/seeing-god-and-his-beauty-in-math