Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

What would happen if a leading lawyer examined some of the biggest religions in the world? How would Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Mormonism, and other religions fare when put on trial? Our guest today, Mark Lanier, is a trial lawyer who was named on the list of Best Lawyers in America for 9 consecutive years. He is the author of Religions on Trial . We discuss how his legal training prepares him to...

Can the miracles of Jesus be explained as magic? Since magic is forbidden in the Bible, can a Christian be a magician? What are some principles we can learn from the practice of magic to help be more discerning in our age of fake news? These are just a few of the questions we explore with our guest, Joshua Ng, a practicing magician, member of the academy of magical arts, and student in the MA Apol...

Why would a megachurch pastor leave his faith? What questions are raised through his journey that we need to address, and how can we better love people who deconstruct and ultimately deconvert? In this episode, Sean and Scott discuss a book called Goodbye Jesus by former megachurch pastor, now Humanist, Tim Sledge. This episode is also available as a video on Biola's YouTube channel: https://...

Is the message of the gospel and the Kingdom inherently political messages? If so, what does that mean? How is the Christian message both politically and culturally subversive and submissive to government at the same time? What does it mean for the church to be subversive in today’s polarized culture? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest Patrick Schreiner, and his new book, Politic...

Why does the church reflect the polarization of the culture at large? What is the future of Christian higher education? Why is formal theological education sometimes seen as irrelevant by the church? Sean and Scott will answer these questions and more with our guest, new Talbot dean Dr. Ed Stetzer. Dr. Ed Stetzer is the new dean of Talbot School of Theology, starting in July, 2023.  Dr. Stetzer ho...

What’s the best way to read the Old Testament? Should we even engage the OT since it’s hard to understand? Dr. Dominick Hernández is a professor of the Old Testament and the author of a new book Engaging the Old Testament. We discuss some bizarre passages in the Old Testament and offer some practical tips for reading the OT well. Dr. Dominick Hernández currently serves as an Associate Professor of...

Has evangelicalism increasingly "othered" certain groups such as liberals, blacks, gays, feminists, and progressives? Is the evangelical movement in crisis and needs transforming? In this episode, Sean and Scott discuss a recent book by Isaac Sharp called The Other Evangelicals. They discuss his Sharp's thesis about the exclusive nature of evangelicalism and the battle over the defi...

What is the evidence, outside the Bible, that Jesus existed and was who He said He was? What is the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus? How was Jesus unique among other religious founders? And how do we know that the gospels are reliable records of first century history? Sean and Scott will answer these questions and many more as we discuss his new book, Evidence for Jesus . Read a transcript...

How can Christians best respond to pride month? While this is a big question, Sean shares a bonus episode of a conversation he had a few months ago with a lesbian YouTuber to encourage and equip you. We hope you enjoy this conversation and will consider reaching out, during Pride Month, to have a similar conversation with someone who sees the world differently than you. Read a transcript of this e...

Have we been looking in the wrong place–politics and religion–when we should be looking to a sport to save us? In this (fun) episode, Sean and Scott discuss a recent book called How Basketball Can Save the World , by NYU professor David Hollander. They discuss certain life principles that can be garnered from basketball and assess the idea of whether or not basketball can save us. This episode is...

In our polarized culture, how do we hold our convictions with conviction, but also with kindness, so that our style doesn’t alienate people who might be open to a conversation about things that matter? In this joint podcast with the Winsome Conviction Project at Biola, Scott and WCP co-director, Dr. Tim Muehlhoff interview Dr. Russell Moore about his journey in this important area. Join Scott and...

What is a biblical approach to history? While we often discuss contemporary cultural issues on this podcast, this episode we talk about how to think biblically about history itself by exploring what biblical principles approach how we think about the past. Our guest is Dr. Vern Poythress, author of Redeeming Our Thinking about History . Vern S. Poythress, Ph. D. Harvard University, is Distinguishe...

What is an evangelical? What does that term describe? Is it a movement that is contrary to the way of Jesus presented in the Bible? Has evangelical faith become too politicized? How should we understand Jesus’ saying that His Kingdom is not of this world? Join Scott and Sean for this important conversation, discussing the book Jesus v. Evangelicals by Constantine Campbell. This episode is also ava...

What are the biggest barriers to faith in the urban setting? What are the most common counterfeit worldviews that are contending for the hearts and minds of people in the inner city? And how can Christians of all backgrounds partner with and learn from those doing apologetics in the city? These are just a few of the questions we explore with our guest, Chris Brooks, author of Urban Apologetics and...

What is the difference between sex and gender? What does the Bible tell us about sex and gender? How is that different from the dominant narrative of our culture? How should Christians relate to those in the midst of gender dysphoria? Join us as we answer these questions and more with our guest, Abagail Favale and her new book, The Genesis of Gender . Dr. Abigail Favale is a writer and professor i...

What happens to people when they start to wonder “is this is all there is to life?”  Os Guinness calls that a signal of transcendence, but what exactly does that mean?  How do the life stories of people like C.S. Lewis, G.K Chesterton, and Malcom Muggeridge provide examples of these small openings in the windows of the transcendent?  Join us as answer these questions and more with our guest, Os Gu...

How can Christians best love their transgender friends, family members, and co-workers? How should Christians think about transgender ideology? In this discussion, Sean and Scott review the recent book, In The Margins: A Transgender Man's Journey with Scripture . They discuss gender stereotypes, preferred pronouns, and more. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/th...

We all know that we have limits, that’s a part of being human.  But most of us see our limits as a curse not a gift.  How do our limits reflect God’s design?  How are our limits actually good news for us?  How is it a good thing that we are dependent beings?  We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, Dr. Kelly Kapic, a theologian at Covenant College in his book, You’re Only Human . Dr....

What are the toughest and most common arguments for pro-choice? And how can thoughtful Christians respond? In this podcast, which is also available as video on the Biola YouTube channel , Sean and Scott respond to 12 pro-choice arguments. They bring clarity on the underlying issues beneath the pro-choice position and also offer some practical talking points for engaging others thoughtfully and gra...

How does the Bible guide us in applying its truths to our culture?  Of course the Bible applies to our individual lives, but the Bible is also a rich resource for critique of any culture.  Join Scott and Sean with their guest, British philosopher Chris Watkin for a fascinating journey through the major theological emphases in Scripture and how they apply to various aspects of contemporary culture....

What is a critical theory?  Aren’t various critical theories used widely in the academy and the culture to deconstruct Christian faith?  Is there something to be learned from various critical theories in the way the critique culture?  How does the Bible engage in cultural critique and provide resources for doing so?  This is not just an academic discussion but one that has ripple effects throughou...

What are most current and pressing ethical issues in the field of bioethics?  How is euthanasia being practiced in Canada?  What are the new horizons in surrogacy?  What is the state of the law concerning IVF in the US? Join Scott and Sean for this stimulating discussion of the most current issues especially some of the “out there” new horizons in bioethics. Read a transcript of this episode at: h...

What does it mean to think biblically about video games? How much and what kinds of video games should Christians play? Bottom line, what is a theology of video games? Our guest today, Drew Dixon, author of Know Thy Gamer: A Parent’s Guide to Video Games , is going to help us think through these questions and more. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/...

What does it mean to have knowledge of God—is it similar to knowledge in the sciences, etc.? Is there a dichotomy between faith in God and knowledge of God? How does our knowledge of God connect with our spiritual lives being a matter of the heart? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, Dr. Tim Pickavance, author of Knowledge for the Love of God, and interim Dean of Talbot. This epi...

We have a flood of information available today that we’ve never had before—what is doing to our brains? To our culture? To our ability to have civil conversations about hard issues? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, journalist Bonnie Kristian. Bonnie is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Commun...