Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

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 somethi...

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, whet...

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...

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...

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 drivi...

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 Joh...

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, evangelic...

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 passi...

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...

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...

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 choi...

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! S...

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 surp...

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&apos...

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...

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. Gre...

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 : Be...

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 th...

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 ,...

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...

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 vie...

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 bor...

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...

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...

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...