Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Talbot School of Theology at Biola University / Sean McDowell & Scott Rae

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.

  • 59 minutes 11 seconds
    Christians in the TV & Film Industry (with Tom Halleen)

    How can Christians think biblically about TV and movies? What kinds of entertainment should Christians consume? And can Christians survive and thrive in Hollywood today? These are the kinds of questions Sean and Scott ask their special guest, Biola professor and dean Tom Halleen, who has worked as an executive in Hollywood for over three decades.

    Tom Halleen, former executive vice president of programming strategy, acquisitions and scheduling at AMC Networks, is the founding dean of Biola’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts. Through his nearly 30 years as an entertainment industry executive, Halleen has experience in all divisions of programming national television networks including acquisitions, scheduling, development, production, operations, viewer services, research, legal, standards and practices, and promo/media planning. Throughout his career, Halleen has negotiated for the acquisition of over $1 billion in series, specials and movies. 

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    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    21 January 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 1 hour 5 seconds
    Cultural Update: Making sense of the fires; Anti-Semitic views on the rise; Pharmacists prescribing abortion pills

    This week, Scott & Sean discuss: 

    • Biblical Perspective on Southern California Fires
      Exploring the theological implications of natural disasters, addressing questions about God's sovereignty and goodness amidst tragedy.

    • Rising Global Anti-Semitism
      Report showing an alarming increase in anti-Semitic sentiments worldwide, especially among younger generations, and highlights the role of social media in spreading these views.

    • Pharmacists Prescribing Abortion Pills
      Examines the new policy in Washington State and its broader implications, including ethical, medical, and biblical perspectives.

    • Listener Questions
      On human rights, biblical definitions of flourishing, and the church's responsibility to address poverty and inequality.


    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    17 January 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 30 minutes 56 seconds
    Engaging Jesus with Our Senses? (with Jeannine Hanger)

    What does it mean to engage Jesus with our senses? What is an embodied approach to studying the life of Jesus as opposed to the way we normally read the gospel accounts? How could this change the way we encounter Jesus in the gospels? We’ll discuss these questions and more with our guest, Talbot colleague Jeannine Hanger in her new book, Engaging Jesus with Our Senses

    Dr. Jeannine Hanger is Associate Professor of New Testament at Talbot. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen, and is scholar in residence at Coastline
    Covenant Church in Southern California.

    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    14 January 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 56 minutes 32 seconds
    Cultural Update: Atheist Says Christianity Is Key to Saving America; Right to Die for Mental Decline; AI Choosing Embryos

    For the first week of the new year, Sean & Scott discuss:

    • Update on the wildfires in Southern California.
    • Atheist author argues that true Christianity is key to saving America.
    • The California Senate revisits expanding aid-in-dying laws to include dementia and Alzheimer's patients.
    • AI’s role in selecting embryos raises significant ethical and moral questions about life and reproduction.
    • Listener Response to Jim Daly on singleness
    • Listener Question: Responsibility to leave inheritance to a child living a life you don't agree with.


    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    10 January 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 33 minutes 47 seconds
    Have We Lost Our Minds? (with Stan Wallace)

    What does it mean to say that we are body and soul both? Have the neurosciences done away with the soul? Are we little more than our physical stuff that is reducible to chemistry and physics? We’ll answer these questions and much more in our conversation with Stan Wallace around his new book, Have We Lost Our Minds?: Neuroscience, Neurotheology the Soul and Human Flourishing.

    Stan Wallace is President and CEO of Global Scholars. He is a MA Phil graduate of Talbot School of Theology

    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    7 January 2025, 1:00 pm
  • 30 minutes 57 seconds
    Focusing on the Family Today (with Jim Daly)

    What new challenges have emerged to the family in the past few years? How is the family doing today versus in the past? What biblical principles must Christians keep in mind when thinking about the family today? These are a few of the questions we ask Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family. He discusses radical shifts in the modern family as well as gives practical ideas on how to pass on the faith and engage others in the culture who view the family differently.

    Jim Daly is president of Focus on the Family and host of its daily show, heard by more than 6 million listeners a week on nearly 2,000 radio stations across the U.S. The show has been honored as Program of the Year by the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). In March 2022, he celebrated his 33rd anniversary with the ministry. 

    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    31 December 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 56 minutes 57 seconds
    We Who Wrestle with God: Book Review

    Jordan Peterson is one of the leading intellectuals of our day. He is a mega-selling author, psychologist, and popular influencer. In this discussion, Sean and Scott review his latest book We Who Wrestle with God. They discuss key lessons and insights from the book, but also help listeners think biblically about some of Peterson's psychological insights. 

    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    24 December 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 58 minutes 55 seconds
    Cultural Update: Ethics of psychedelic treatments; Child labor powering batteries

    Topics this week: 

    • Veterans are increasingly exploring psychedelic treatments in Mexico for trauma and brain injuries, raising medical, ethical, and spiritual questions.
    • Syrian Christians face uncertainty and displacement following the rise of Islamist-led groups after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
    • Over 1 million children in Nigeria are forced into hazardous lithium mining, sacrificing education and health for survival.
    • Listener question: balancing faith with worldly pressures.
    • Listener question: insights on identity, morality, and how to live out gospel values in a broken world. 


    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    20 December 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 38 minutes 47 seconds
    Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Discipleship (with Brant Himes)

    Who was the "real" Bonhoeffer and why has he left such an enduring legacy? What can we learn from his life today? And is the new film about his life, Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin, accurate? In this interview, we talk with Dr. Brant Himes, a professor and scholar who has studied the life and theology of Bonhoeffer for two decades.

    Brant is a full time faculty member at Los Angeles Pacific University (part of the Azusa Pacific University System), teaching online courses in Bible, theology, and history. He also serves as the Young Adults Coordinator at Westside Church in Bend, Oregon. His publications include Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Discipleship for the Common Good; Faith, Life and Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Neo-Calvinism in Dialogue: Perspectives in Public Theology. 

    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    17 December 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 57 minutes 47 seconds
    Cultural Update: AI video generator; designer babies are now teens; UK bans puberty blockers for children

    This week, Sean & Scott discuss: 

    • UK bans puberty blockers for children, citing insufficient evidence of safety and efficacy, sparking international comparisons and debate.
    • OpenAI's new AI video generator, Sora, raises ethical and biblical questions about truth and technology's societal impact.
    • Designer babies now teens, with many experiencing identity struggles, reveal the unintended consequences of parental expectations and genetic tailoring.
    • The legacy of Hal Lindsey, author of The Late Great Planet Earth, prompts reflection on eschatology and its influence on evangelical social action.
    • Listener questions on foster care goals and Bible study methods for teaching and preaching.

    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    13 December 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 35 minutes 59 seconds
    Eye-Opening New Study on Porn

    The Barna Group has released a new alarming study about the extent and impact of pornography in the culture and the church. Some of the findings are truly eye-opening and disturbing. For example, 55% of practicing Christians reportedly believe that one can view porn and be sexually healthy. How did we get here, and what can we do about it? Sean and Scott discuss this new study and then give suggestions for how we move forward in our lives and relationships. 

    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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 [email protected].

    10 December 2024, 1:00 pm
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