Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture
A weekly podcast that offers Christian perspectives on some of the most significant issues facing today's church and culture. In each episode, hosts Scott Rae and Sean McDowell — professors at Biola University's Talbot School of Theology — draw upon biblical wisdom and insights from guest experts as they explore how Christians can thoughtfully and faithfully engage with cultural trends and current events.
Lovingly Confronting Silence & Arrogance (With Shane Idleman)
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 th...
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
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 Yo...
The Vanishing Church (With Ryan Burge)
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 Ti...
Cultural Update: World Cup Faith; When Faith is Just an App; The No-Human Future
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, p...Billie Jean's Daughter: How God's Grace Redeemed My Story (With La Nej Garrison)
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 on...
Weekly Cultural Update: Peter Singer critiques the Pope; The Neurobiology of Fatherhood; Gene Editing; Gen Z Men Resisting Temptation
Peter Singer critiques the Pope on Human Dignity: Scott and Erik discuss philosopher Peter Singer’s reaction to the Pope’s recent encyclical, analyzing how a purely functional definition of human value leads to terrifying ethical conclusions.
The Neurobiology of Fatherhood: Discussing a recent New York Times piece, Scott and Erik break down the scientific evidence showing how active fatherhood positively rewires and protects a man’s brain as he ages.
Gene Editing and the Genetic Caste System: Analyzing a recent article on "base editing" technologies, the hosts explore the bioet...
The Desecration of Man (With Carl Trueman)
Has Western culture merely forgotten God, or is the problem even deeper? In his remarkable new book The Desecration of Man, Dr. Carl Trueman argues that we have reached a new point in which culture has not only rejected God, but now desecrates Him. We can see this in the "shout your abortion" movement or the reveling in the mistreatment of immigrants. In this episode, Carl discusses the common thread of dehumanizing people that we see in the Sexual Revolution, technology, and how Christians approach death.
Dr. Carl R. Trueman is Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies...
Cultural Update: Rethinking Just War; Screen-Free Summer; Separation of Church and State
This week, we discuss:
Rethinking Just War: Pope Francis’s comments on just war theory spark a timely conversation about self-defense, civilian harm, AI warfare, and whether Christian ethics needs fresh application in modern conflict.
Marriage Shapes Young Men: New research suggests that having marriage on the horizon can motivate young men toward work, maturity, commitment, and lower-risk choices.
Church And State Confusion: A debate over “separation of church and state” opens up deeper questions about religious liberty, political power, and why Christians should care about protecting the chu...
Moral Choices (With Scott Rae)
Maybe you have heard some of these kinds of claims:
"Religious views don’t belong in politics." "Jesus said never judge–so don’t." "You can’t legislate morality." These are some of the most common moral slogans proclaimed today. But they are deeply misguided. Today, Sean interviews Scott to get his responses to the top ten misguided moral claims that need debunking! Scott deals with these objections in the first two chapters of his book Moral Choices, which is newly released in its 5th edition.
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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a...
Cultural Update: Pope's Encyclical on AI; Research on Politics in Church; Texas Creates Clinic for De-transitioners
The Pope's New AI Encyclical: The hosts discuss a groundbreaking 250-page encyclical from Pope Leo XIV that explores the intersection of Catholic faith and artificial intelligence. The encyclical calls for AI to serve humanity rather than displace it, emphasizing that our inherent human limitations and vulnerabilities are actually a good design by God.
Pew Research on Church Politics: A surprising new poll reveals how much churches actually address political and social issues like abortion, immigration, and environment from the pulpit. The hosts unpack how these subjects are fundamentally theological and ethical rather than p...
When God Seems Distant (With Kyle Strobel)
Why have we misunderstood what is normally involved in spiritual growth? What does it mean to say that our God is a withdrawing God?” And what do we do when the bible becomes boring and prayer seems pointless? We’ll discuss these questions and more with our guest Dr. Kyle Strobel around his new book When God Seems Distant.
Kyle Strobel (Ph.D. University of Aberdeen) is the director of Talbot's Institute for Spiritual Formation and Marriage and Family Therapy program. He is a systematic theologian interested in theological anthropology, Jonathan Edwards, spiritual formation and prayer. He writ...
Cultural Update: The Threat to Christian Colleges; Harvard's Reparations Collapse; Turning the Page on Campus Coddling; A Lesson in Political Shrewdness
The Financial Metric Threatening Christian Colleges: Rick and Erik discuss a new federal regulation requiring college degree holders to out-earn non-degree peers, explaining how it creates an "existential threat" by penalizing faith-based programs that prioritize service over high salaries.
The Collapse of Harvard's Reparations Initiative: The hosts explore why Harvard University’s $100 million plan broke down, detailing how a combination of resignations, researcher firings, and the sheer logistical nightmare of identifying descendants of American slaves halted the effort.
The Turning Tide on Campus Coddling: Rick and Erik examine how un...
The Devil Reads Nietzsche (With Greg Ganssle)
How do we live out our faith in a post Christian age? How do we react to thinkers who are aiming to undermine Christianity, such as Frederich Nietzsche? What is the enduring impact of someone such as Nietzsche on our culture today. We’ll discuss this and more around a new book entitled The Devil Reads Nietzsche, with our resident Nietzsche expert, our colleague in philosophy Dr. Greg Ganssle.
Greg Ganssle is Professor of Philosophy at Talbot. In addition to publishing about fifty articles, chapters and reviews, Greg has edited three books, God and Time: Four Views (IV...
Cultural Update: China Rewrites the Bible; Going "No Contact"; AI Tests Academic Honor
This week, Sean and guest co-host Thaddeus Williams discuss:
AI Tests Academic Honor: Princeton’s return to proctored exams shows how generative AI is exposing deeper questions about virtue, trust, and human nature.
China Rewrites Scripture: The Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to reshape the Bible highlight the clash between state power and the lordship of Christ.
Ben Sasse Faces Death: Ben Sasse’s public battle with pancreatic cancer becomes a powerful witness to Christian hope, resurrection, and true dignity in dying.
Cutoff Culture Grows...
The Unseen Spiritual Battle (With Joel Muddamalle)
What have modern Christians missed about spiritual warfare? Have we overly focused on demonic exorcisms and missed the cosmic worldview, as found in Scripture, and what that means for how we encounter the spiritual realm? In the spirit of Michael Heiser, Dr. Joel Muddamalle argues that there is an unseen battle taking place that helps us make better sense of evil powers and equips us to conquer them through Christ.
Joel Muddamalle, Ph.D. is the director of theology and research at Proverbs 31 Ministries and cohosts the Therapy and Theology podcast. He speaks frequently at churches, conferences...
Cultural Update: Smartphone Ban Outcomes; The Rise of Teen Takeovers; Abortion Pills & Access; The Speed of the Expanding Universe
Smartphone Bans in Schools: Scott and Sean discuss a new large-scale study revealing that while banning phones hasn't significantly boosted test scores, it has notably increased students' sense of well-being and encouraged more face-to-face social interaction.
"Teen Takeovers": Cities are seeing a rise in spontaneous, large-scale youth gatherings organized via social media, leading to discussions on how to provide safe spaces for teens to socialize during the summer.
Abortion Pill Legal Battles: The hosts discuss the potential impact of legal rulings regarding the abortion pill mifepristone and what it mi...
The Gospel and My Black Skin (With JP Foster)
How has Christianity been weaponized to harm black people? How is the gospel being distorted today to harm black people? How does the hope of the gospel lead to racial reconciliation? We’ll look at these questions and more with our guest Dr. and Pastor JP Foster around his new book The Gospel in My Black Skin.
Dr. JP Foster is senior pastor of Faithful Central Church in Inglewood, California and Ministry Affiliate Faculty member at Talbot/Biola. He is the author of Finding Freedom in Jesus, in addition to The Gospel in My Black Skin.
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Cultural Update: Silicon Valley and the Catholic Church; The Ethics of Microlooting; High IQ Political Attackers; Rising Belief in the Afterlife
The Ethics of AI and the Catholic Church: Silicon Valley is increasingly consulting the Catholic Church to address complex AI ethics through the "Minerva Dialogues," a partnership that has lasted for over a decade. While tech companies seek to rehabilitate their reputations, the Church aims to insert theological and ethical considerations into a field often dominated by transhumanist views.
The Rise of "Microlooting": A new trend reveals that some individuals feel morally justified in stealing small items from large corporations, viewing it as a form of "theft as justice". This mindset often stems f...
Transformed: A Detransitioner Speaks Out (With Kyla Gillespie)
Why would a professional Canadian hockey player, who grew up as a Christian, transition from female to male, and then detransition back? How did God’s word transform her life and what did she learn through the process of gender confusion, reassignment surgery and detransitioning? In this episode, Sean talks with author Kyla Gillespie about her new riveting book Transformed.
Kyla Gillespie was born in BC, Canada. Being raised in a Christian home, she came to faith in Jesus Christ at a young age. As early as the age of five, she began to experience gender dysphoria. In...
Cultural Update: Supreme Court Religious Liberty Case; The Ethics of Consensual Non-Monogamy; Virtuous AI Chatbots; Policy Shifts on Psychedelics
Supreme Court Case on Religious Liberty: Sean and Scott discuss a new case involving Catholic preschools in Colorado that were denied public funding for refusing to enroll children from LGBTQ families. The debate centers on whether the state can mandate non-discrimination policies for faith-based organizations receiving public funds.
The Ethics of Monogamy and Infidelity: Despite a near-unanimous American disapproval of infidelity, the hosts analyze a recent article questioning if it is time to move beyond traditional monogamy. They explore the rise of "consensual non-monogamy" and how individualistic cultural tendencies are shifting moral perspectives...
Suffering Used for Our Good? (with Clay Jones)
How does God use our suffering for our good? What does it mean for us honor God in our suffering? And how does our eternal hope give us comfort in the midst of suffering? We’ll address these questions and more with our guest and former colleague, Clay Jones around his new book co-authored with his wife, How Does God Use our Suffering for our Good?
Dr. Clay Jones served as a Professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University and is former Chairman of the Board for Ratio Christi, a university apologetics ministry. He is the author of...
Cultural Update: Rise of Religiosity in Men; Trump's Messianic Imagery; The Ethics of Sports Gambling; Awareness in Vegetative Patients
Rise of Religiosity Among Young Men: A recent Gallup survey shows a significant 14% increase in men under 30 who say religion is "very important" to them, even as interest among young women has dropped.
Trump’s Messianic Imagery: The hosts examine the controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s social media posts, specifically a meme depicting himself as a messianic figure, and how it relates to historical tensions between heads of state and religious leaders.
Sports Gambling as the New Pornography: Scott and Sean explore the cultural impact and addictive nature of the...
The Body God Gives (With Robert S. Smith)
What is a biblical response to transgender theory? What is the relationship between sex and gender? How can Christians best navigate our cultural moment with biblical conviction and compassion? In our discussion, Dr. Smith argues that God's design is for a person's gender to be rooted in his or her biological sex, which is the body God gives. Smith offers a helpful and pastoral critique of transgender theory and talks about where this debate may be headed.
Dr. Robert S. Smith is an Australian ordained minister in the Anglican church and a writer in theology, ethics, and...
Cultural Update: Fertility Rates Drop in the US; Canada's "Online Harms" Bill; Finland Pushes Back on Gender Affirming Care; The Ethics of Parents Using Their Kids for Clicks
Declining U.S. Fertility Rates: Scott and Sean discuss how the U.S. fertility rate has hit a historic low. They explore how economic pressures and a secular worldview that prioritizes personal "settling" over family are driving this decline.
Canada’s "Online Harms" Bill (C-63): They examine a new Canadian bill that aims to combat hate but may threaten religious liberty. Concerns are raised about increased penalties for "hate crimes" and how broadly "hate" might be defined by the government.
Finland’s Shift on Gender Care: A peer-reviewed study from...
The New Pornocracy and Why It Matters
In terms of influence and economic power, the porn industry is one of the largest and most influential industries in the world. A new book has been released which offers a secular critique of the "pornocracy," which means that it is no longer just conservatives proclaiming that porn rewires the brain and normalizes sexual violence. Sean and Scott discuss this disturbing new book and what it means for the church. *Warning: this episode is not for children.
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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at...
Cultural Update: The Pope Speaks on War; Supreme Court Rules on Conversion Therapy; Christian Crypto Culture
The Pope’s Call for Peace: Scott and Erik analyze Pope Francis’s Palm Sunday homily, where he argued that Jesus cannot be used to justify war. They discuss whether this represents a shift toward pacifism and how it contrasts with the historic Christian "Just War" tradition.
Supreme Court & "Talk Therapy": The hosts break down the recent 8-1 SCOTUS decision favoring a Christian therapist in Colorado. They explore why the court viewed the state's ban on conversion "talk therapy" as an unconstitutional assault on free speech and religious liberty.
The Rise...
The Jewish Roots of American Liberty (with Stuart Halpern)
What is the contribution of Judaism and the Hebrew Bible to Western concept of liberty? How did the Hebrew Bible influence Western concepts of law in particular? And how did the experience of Israel and the main characters in Israel’s history impact the American founders? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest Rabbi Stuart Halpern around his book, The Jewish Roots of American Liberty.
Dr. Stuart Halpern is Senior Adviser to the Provost of Yeshiva University and Deputy Director of Y.U.’s Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. His books include The Pro...
Weekly Cultural Update: Paper Drugs in Prisons; Public Muslim Prayer; The Catholic Church and Social Justice; Meta and Youtube Lawsuit
The New Frontier of the Drug War: Hosts Sean McDowell and Scott Ray discuss a terrifying "quantum leap" in the drug trade where synthetic, lab-made drugs are being sprayed onto innocuous items like books and letters to be smuggled into prisons.
Public Prayer and Religious Liberty: The hosts examine the implications of thousands of Muslims praying publicly in New York City, balancing the Judeo-Christian roots of religious freedom with the need to maintain the right to disagree with different worldviews.
A Shift in Catholic Priorities?: Sean and Scott examine...
Reading Scripture as a Gift and not a Burden (with Uche Anizor)
What are the different gifts we get from being immersed in God’s Word? How do we develop a hunger for Scripture? And why do we so often see reading Scripture as a burden rather than a blessing. We’ll tackle these questions and more with our guest, our Talbot colleague in theology, Dr. Uche Anizor around his new book, The Goodness of God in the Gift of Scripture.
Dr. Uche Anizor is Professor and Chair of the Undergraduate Theology at Talbot. He is the author of eight books, including the award winning book, Overcoming Apathy: Gospel Hope...
Cultural Update: Is Iran War Ethical?; Rigging March Madness; Sexual Recession
This week, Scott and Sean discuss:
Just War, Modern Targets: Sean and Scott weigh whether Israel’s targeted killings of Iranian leaders can fit within just war reasoning while warning against pulling Old Testament examples out of context.
March Madness, Trust Erodes: A college basketball betting scandal raises the bigger fear that even suspected game-rigging can make fans wonder whether what they’re watching is real.
The Sexual Recession: Two new books spark a conversation about why fewer people are having sex, with the deeper issue framed as lone...
Living in the Shadow of Grief (with Dave Keehn)
Is it possible to find hope and healing in the shadow of grief? How can we move forward after the loss of a loved one, such as a child, and both trust God and appropriately grieve? In today’s episode, Sean talks with Talbot professor Dr. Dave Keehn, who is the author of a new, heart-wrenching, hopeful, and biblically-based book about processing grief after the premature loss of his son, Adam.
Dave Keehn has served for over 30 years in youth ministry in both small and large churches. After teaching ministry courses as an adjunct for 12 years at Tal...
Cultural Update: American Support for Israel; Researchers Uncover Evil AI; Wealth of Nations; Talarico's New Style
American Support for Israel: Support for Israel among younger evangelicals has dropped significantly, moving from 75% in 2018 to just 34% in 2021. This shift is attributed to younger generations being less tethered to traditional end-times theology than their predecessors.
Evil AI and Virtue Ethics: Researchers found that even small coding errors in AI can lead to "blatantly evil" suggestions. This has sparked a resurgence of interest in classical virtue ethics as a way to prioritize character and the "good life" in both humans and machines.
Adam Smith and The Wealth of...
Hell in the Bible: Eternal Torment or Annihilation? (with Paul Copan and Chris Date)
Is hell eternal conscious punishment or does the Bible teach that the wicked will ultimately be destroyed? This is one of the most debated theological questions among Christians today. Today, we have two leading scholars to explore the biblical case for two different views of hell: eternal conscious punishment and conditional immortality (annihilationism). Together they examine key passages from both the Old and New Testaments and covers major texts such as Daniel 12, Matthew 25, Mark 9, Luke 16, 2 Thessalonians 1, and Revelation 14–20, along with the historical views of the church and the philosophical and pastoral implications of each position.
If you're lis...
Cultural Update: Talarico's Progressive Christianity; Epstein Files and Moral Unity; Supreme Court Backs Parental Rights
Supreme Court Backs Parental Rights: The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 emergency injunction blocking California's policy that required schools to hide students' gender transitions from their parents, affirming that parents—not the state—hold primary authority in their children's upbringing.Progressive Christianity Enters Texas Politics: James Talarico, a self-described progressive Christian who won the Texas Senate primary, claims to offer a faith-based alternative to the Christian right.Epstein Files and Moral Unity: The near-universal outrage over the Epstein revelations is a rare moment of cross-partisan moral agreement.Listener Question: Attending a "Believer-Unbeliever" Wedding...
The Virtues of Capitalism, Part 2 of 2
Should Christians support capitalism? How effective has capitalism been in elevating people out of poverty? In this episode, which is the second part of a two-part series, Sean and Scott lay out the positive case for capitalism (aka, market economics). In the first part of this series, they offer a critique of socialism. In this episode, they advance a moral and biblical case for free markets and they respond to the most common objections.
Scott's 2010 book on this subject is called The Virtues of Capitalism: A Moral Case for Free Markets.
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Think Bi...
Cultural Update: AI Date Cafe; Skincare for Toddlers; Questions on Youth Gender Treatment: Iranian Doctors and Nurses on Massacre
AI Date Cafe: A New York City cafe is offering "tables for one" designed for people to take their AI chatbots on public dates, prompting a discussion on isolation and the value of messy, real-life relationships.
The Toddler Skincare Trend: Major brands are now marketing multi-step skincare routines to toddlers and elementary-aged children, raising concerns about the early onset of vanity and appearance-based anxiety.
Shifting Gender Narratives: Scott and Sean examine a recent New York Times piece criticizing medical organizations for prioritizing ideology over scientific rigor regarding youth gender-affirming c...
Why Christians Should Not Be Leftists, Part 1 of 2
What is Leftism and can it be consistently wed with a Christian worldview? And is Leftism gaining ground in the culture and church? In this episode, Sean and Scott explore these questions and more in their review of the book Why Christians Should Be Leftists by Phil Christman. They carefully define Leftism, look for positives and common ground in the case made by Christman, and then compare Leftism with the biblical, economic, and historical facts.
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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University...
Cultural Update: The Monetization of Loneliness; Hospital Ends Youth Gender Treatment; Alarming U.K. Abortion Data
The Monetization of Loneliness: A new study shows that Americans spend more on OnlyFans than on ChatGPT and The New York Times combined, suggesting the platform is monetizing deep-seated cultural loneliness.
Manhattan Hospital Ends Youth Gender Treatments: Sean and Scott discuss reports on NYU Langone Health's decision to discontinue its transgender youth medical program following federal funding threats and proposed regulatory changes.
Surprising UK Abortion Data: The discussion covers alarming new data from the UK revealing a significant increase in abortions, prompting a conversation on the ethical...
Finding Freedom in Jesus (with JP Foster)
What does it mean to experience genuine freedom today? And how can a study of God’s attributes bring that freedom? In this episode, we talk with pastor JP Foster about his new book (co-written with Talbot professor Matt Williams): Finding Freedom in Jesus: The 21 Attributes of Your Identity in Christ. We discuss how understanding God’s character can transform our understanding of who we are, and as a result, leading to relational, spiritual, and emotional freedom.
JP Foster serves as Senior Pastor at Faithful Central Bible Church, one of the largest African American churches in Los Angele...
Cultural Update: Social Network for Bots; AI Revolution in Jobs; Science of Happiness
This week:
AI Bots' Social Network: Moltbook platform allows AI agents to interact with each other while humans can only observe, raising questions about whether artificial general intelligence (AGI) is emerging as bots create their own theology, dating profiles, and secret communication systems.
NYT Reverses Marijuana Stance: The New York Times published an article admitting many of its earlier predictions about marijuana legalization were wrong, acknowledging unexpected negative consequences.
AI Revolution in Jobs: New research explores how artificial intelligence may fundamentally transform the labor market and whether Am...
