Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

In addition to our regular weekly episodes, we're starting a new series where we discuss a few current cultural issues that are in the news — and also answer some listener questions. This week, we discuss: Kim Davis' legal fees Enforcement of Texas abortion law, particularly around children with birth complications Listener Question: Balancing the head & the heart Listener Question:...

The fastest growing “religious” group in the US is the “nones”, those with no religious affiliation. Who are these “nones” and what accounts for their religious disaffiliation over the last 30 years? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, political scientist and pastor, Ryan Burge from his updated book called “ The Nones .” Ryan Burge is an assistant professor of political science a...

What is humanity’s oldest lie? And how is it freshly emerging to steal the hearts and minds of a new generation? Our guest today, Biola professor Thaddeus Williams, has a new book out called Don't Follow Your Heart: Boldly Breaking the Ten Commandments of Self-Worship . Join Scott and Thaddeus as we dissect his “ten commandments” and talk about how to be a cultural heretic today. Thaddeus Wil...

Evil. Slavery. Contradictions in the Bible. How can we best answer the top objections to the Christianity? Greg Koukl has taught numerous people how to defend the Christian faith against the toughest questions. His earlier book, Tactics is a must-read book. In fact, we have Greg teach a full class for our Biola MA apologetics program on that book. He has a new book out called Street Smarts , in wh...

We’re more than 2 months into the Israel-Hamas war? What has happened since the start of the war on October 7? What are some of the ways Christians are responding to this war? How should believers think about this war given that there are so many casualties of innocents on both sides? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, Dr. Darrell Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement...

We're trying something different today! A new bonus series where we'll discuss a few current cultural issues that are in the news — and also answer some Q&A sent in by listeners. A brief programming note: Our regular weekly full-length episodes — where we do a deep dive on a topic or have an in-depth discussion with an author — aren't going anywhere! We'll still be releasin...

Who counts as a person?  The severely mentally challenged?  The elderly person at the end of Alzheimer’s?  The unborn?  On what basis do we decide this critical question?  How do we know that we have a soul?  Hasn’t science decided that all of what the soul does actually occurs in the brain?  Join Scott as he tackles these questions and more with our colleague and guest, JP Moreland, and co-author...

How can we best understand and engage younger generations today? Our guest today, Dr. Jean Twenge, is a professor of psychology at SDSU and the author of Generations . She has been one of our go-to scholars on generational trends and has just released a 500-page book that traces generational changes from Silents (b. 1925-1945), Boomers, Xers, Millennials, Gen Z, and up to the newest generation eme...

How many people are really leaving the church today? Who are the people leaving and why are they “Dechurching”? According to our guest today, Dr. Ryan Burge, the shift away from religion is as large as the First and 2nd Great Awakenings combined, but in the opposite direction. Dr. Burge explains why this issue is so pressing today and how we can best respond. Ryan Burge is an assistant professor o...

During the Senate Confirmation hearings of the latest Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson was asked to define the term “woman.”  Her answer reflected the confusion in the culture about gender.  How would you define what a woman is?  On what basis would you make that determination?  How should we think about the number of minor children undergoing gender affirming treatments, and those who...

Where Are Critical Theory and the Social Justice Movement Taking Us? Sean shares a bonus episode on critical theory where its expression in fields such as critical race theory, critical pedagogy, and queer theory are having a profound impact on our culture. Contemporary critical theory’s ideas about race, class, gender, identity, and justice have dramatically shaped how people think, act, and view...

How did we get the specific books of Bible that we hold in our hands today?  Who decided and on what basis?   How was the New Testament originally formed?  How can we have confidence we have the right books today? These are just a few of the questions Scott discusses with our guest, Dr. Michael Kruger, one of the leading contemporary NT scholars who specializing in the formation of the NT canon. D...

How should we think about what has come to be called “gender ideology?”  How does gender ideology actually look a lot like a religion?   What is the view of truth that underlies the gender ideology discussion?  We’ll answer these questions and a lot more with our guest Joel Berry, co-author of The Babylon Bee Guide To Gender . Joel Berry is a writer for the Babylon Bee , a satire news site and aut...

What would happen if an agnostic committed to thinking about God for a year? In this episode, Sean and Scott discuss the recent book " My Year with God ," by Danish psychologist and Humanist of the Year Dr. Svend Brinkmann. They discuss positive takeaways from the book and some areas of disagreement about the intersection of science and faith, evidence for the soul, and how to go on a sp...

What on earth is going on in Israel this week? How is it affecting the Messianic Christians in Israel? What is being done to assist victims of the violence occuring there? There is new meaning today for the Psalmist's desire to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." Join Scott as he discusses the war in Israel with Mitch Glaser, President of Chosen People Ministries.  Dr. Mitch Glaser i...

Can we actually discover the real Jesus? Could the disciples have remembered the teachings of Jesus when they wrote the Gospels decades later? Sean and Scott welcome Dr. Craig Blomberg, a leading New Testament scholar, to discuss how Jesus scholarship has developed over the past few decades and some remarkable new trends. Dr. Craig Blomberg is professor Emeritus of New Testament at Denver Seminary...

What is the state of the current debate over the morality and legality of pornography? Is porn really harmful? Can pro-porn and anti-porn groups find common ground? In this episode, Sean and Scott discuss these questions and the recent book " The Pornography Wars " by sociologist Kelsy Burke. They also offer some practical advice for parents and church workers to help young people think...

Is the criminal justice system in the US broken? If so, what would it take to fix it? Are there parts of the justice system that are actually unjust? Join Scott and Sean as they discuss these questions and more with attorney Matthew Martens around his new book Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal . Matthew Martens is a long time attorney, has seen both sides of the criminal justice sys...

Is religious freedom the first and most fundamental freedom in a culture? Or is the claim for religious freedom simply code for various forms of bigotry? What is the state of free speech and the freedom to dissent on college campuses today. Join Scott as he discusses these questions and more with Princeton Professor Robert George. Robert George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director...

What does it mean that we must "lose our religion" in order to regain the integrity of the gospel message? What must the church do to regain its faithfulness to the way of Jesus in our polarized culture. Join Scott and Sean as they discuss these questions and more with Russell Moore, Editor in Chief of Christianity Today, and one of the most insightful commentators on the intersection of...

What is the condition of the global church in places where persecution is commonplace?  What are the countries where this persecution is the worst?  What are some of the stories of the heroic followers of Jesus that in the past and are currently enduring persecution for their faith?  We’ll answer these question and more with our guest, Johnnie Moore, a former member of the US Commission on Interna...

What does it mean to say that someone is deconstructing their faith? Can that be a good thing, or is it the first step in someone eventually abandoning their faith? How do you help someone to re-examine their faith in a constructive way? Join us as Scott interviews his co-host Sean McDowell and his co-author Dr. John Marriott, of the new book, Set Adrift . Dr. John Marriott serves at Biola Univers...

What’s is God’s design for our work? Is it more than simply a paycheck? What does it mean to work unto the Lord? What are the lies about work that we’ve believed and how can we exchange them for the truth of Scripture about work? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest Helen Mitchell, author of The Work Exchange . Helen Mitchell is Assistant Professor of Leadership and Ethics in the C...

What are conspiracy theories and why are Christians so drawn to them? How widespread are conspiracy theories in the church? What does it mean to think biblically about conspiracy theories? In this episode, we talk with philosopher Mike Austin about the recent book he co-edited QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross . Dr Mike Austin is a Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University. He teaches, writ...

What is meant by the term toxic masculinity? Where does it come from and is it, as some critics assert, “baked into Christian theology?” What is the “masculine mold” that the culture and the church tend to encourage? And most importantly, what does Christlike masculinity look like? We’ll answer these questions and more Sean and Scott discuss the currently controversial subject of toxic masculinity...