Impact 360 Institute

Is intelligent design undeniable? Can evolution explain the origin and complexity of life? How do we make the case for design? Is there such thing as common sense science? Are humans just cosmic accidents? Where did Charles Darwin go wrong? What is Neo-Darwinism? In this podcast Jonathan Morrow will explore these questions and more with author and researcher Dr. Douglas Axe. Dr. Douglas Axe explains one of the ways design intuition has really triumphed over the Darwin’s evolutionary story, “These extraordinary improbabilities of the coincidence you would need for accidental processes to do something that looks brilliant. Accidental causes are not brilliant they are stupid. So, for a stupid process to do something that makes it look like a genius is a coincidence and it’s an extreme coincidence.” Dr. Douglas Axe, author of the book Undeniable, is the director of Biologic Institute. His research uses both experiments and computer simulations to examine the functional and structural constraints on the evolution of proteins and protein systems. After a Caltech PhD he held postdoctoral and research scientist positions at the University of Cambridge, the Cambridge Medical Research Council Centre, and the Babraham Institute in Cambridge. His work and ideas have been featured in many scientific journals, including the Journal of Molecular Biology, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Nature, and in such books as Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt by Stephen Meyer and Life’s Solution by Simon Conway Morris.

What is philosophy and why study it? Isn’t theology more important? How does philosophy and theology relate? If Ephesians sheds a little bit of negative light on philosophy, how can we support the study? Isn’t philosophy atheistic? What does it mean to doubt wisely? Do we need to have absolutely certainty in order to know things as Christians? “The Philosopher, Alvin Plantinga said that, ‘Philosophy is just hard thinking about things: in particular hard thinking about ethnics, about knowledge, about reality.’ And, theology is going to involve hard thinking about God. And so it’s not as though we are going to make a hard and fast distinction between theology and philosophy because philosophy is also going to include thinking about God.” – Dr. Paul Copan Those are some of the important questions we are going to be talking about today in this podcast with Dr. Paul Copan (Ph.D., philosophy, Marquette University) is Professor and Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is author of "True for You, But Not for Me" (Bethany House), "That's Just Your Interpretation,""How Do You Know You're Not Wrong?", When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics (all with Baker), and Loving Wisdom: Christian Philosophy of Religion (Chalice Press). These are all books that seek to make available accessible answers to the toughest questions asked of Christians. He has co-authored (with William Lane Craig) Creation Out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (Baker Academic). He is co-editor of three books on the historical Jesus and of three other books in the philosophy of religion, The Rationality of Theism (Routledge), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion (Routledge), and Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues (Blackwell). He has co-edited (with William Craig) Passionate Conviction and Contending with Christianity's Critics. He has contributed articles and book reviews to various professional journals as well: Philosophia Christi, Faith and Philosophy, Trinity Journal, Southern Journal of Theology, the Journal for the Evangelical Theological Society, and The Review of Metaphysics. He is presently writing a book on Old Testament ethics and co-authoring a book on the moral argument.

What does the attack on HGTV’s Chip and Joanna Gaines, their church, and their position on same-sex marriage say about the current cultural climate for Christians today? In this podcast we will talk about these and other questions: • When it comes to the Biblical positions that we hold as Christians, is being “nice” enough in today’s cultural climate? • When it comes to the issue of God’s design for sexuality being critiqued, is being artful and attractive in the ways we talk about things enough? • What do we need to be aware of in the 21st century as a Christian with theological beliefs under scrutiny? • How can Christians be faithful with the call to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have yet to do it with gentleness and respect? “Society tolerates the practice of the Christian faith in private devotions and in church serves, but it increasingly deprecates public witness. To the relativist and secularist, public witness to faith in God smacks too much of proselytizing and fundamentalist extremism. They therefore regard it more and more as a threat to social stability and human freedom.” - John Lennox For an interesting perspective on the LGTB conversation with the church check out this article in the Washington Post: BuzzFeed’s hit piece on Chip and Joanna Gaines is dangerous.

Should Christians just keep their faith to themselves? Whose free speech matters most? How should Christians balance turning the other cheek versus taking a stand on principle? Are Christians bullied on college campuses today? What do parents need to know (and do) before sending their students off to college? Author and popular speaker Jonathan Morrow talks about these and other important questions facing students and parents in this episode of the Impact 360 Institute podcast. George Yancey is professor of sociology at the University of North Texas. He is the author of numerous books, including Compromising Scholarship: Religious and Political Bias in American Higher Education and Dehumanizing Christians: Cultural Competition in a Multicultural World, and Hostile Environment: Understanding and Responding to Anti-Christian Bias. His teaching and research focus on race and religion. He blogs for The Stream as well as at Patheos.

Are religious liberties shrinking in today’s political climate?  How do Christians be faithful in this current cultural moment? How do we respect other opinions without losing our convictions? In this episode of the Impact 360 Institute podcast, Jonathan Morrow interviews Hunter Baker to explore these and other important questions that affect all of us. Hunter Baker, J.D., Ph.D. is a university fellow and associate professor at Union University. He is the author of three books on religion and politics and serves as a research fellow of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. If you enjoyed this podcast clip, make sure to check out the whole conversation with Hunter Baker about Christianity & Politics!

Is it OK to disagree with other people’s deeply held beliefs anymore? Is education really possible if everyone always agrees? As Christians, how can we resist the tyranny of tolerance in today’s culture? In this episode of the Impact 360 Institute podcast Jonathan Morrow, Impact 360 faculty, author, and communicator digs deeper into these and other issues of tolerance in higher education and in our broader culture. Jonathan Morrow (D.Min) is a sought after speaker and teacher who has a gift for explaining challenging topics in ways the rest of us can understand. He is the author of several books including Questioning the Bible and Welcome to College and also contributed articles to the Apologetics Study Bible for Students. He is the Director of Cultural Engagement for Impact 360 Institute where he teaches in the college Gap Year program and high school summer Immersion experience. He has earned master’s degrees in Philosophy of Religion and Theology as well as a Doctorate in Worldview and Culture from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. As the founder of ThinkChristianly.org Jonathan speaks nationally on worldview, apologetics, and culture and is passionate about seeing a new generation of Christ-followers understand what they believe, why they believe it, and why it matters in life. His books have been featured on shows like Family Life Today, Stand to Reason, Breakpoint, Chris Fabry Live, and In the Market with Janet Parshall. He and his wife have been married for 15 years and have three children. Follow him on twitter: @Jonathan_Morrow

Is the idea, “Don’t think just believe Biblical?” How do you test another worldview? How does Christianity give us a perspective on every area of life? What do you do with doubts? What do you do if you are a Christian simply because your family is? How essential is it that we learn the secular worldviews of those around us? Does every worldview outside of Christianity have an idol? What should parents do when trying to raise their children in a Christian worldview? Should students just adopt a Christian worldview simply because it is from the Bible? Those are the important questions we are going to be talking about today in this podcast with Nancy Pearcey,author of Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity, which was a 2005 ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner, and How Now Shall We Live? (coauthored by Harold Fickett and Chuck Colson), which was a 2000 ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner. Her latest book is Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes.

Formerly an agnostic, Pearcey studied under Francis Schaeffer at L'Abri in Switzerland. She earned an MA from Covenant Theological Seminary and pursued further graduate work in History of Philosophy at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. 

Heralded as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual" (The Economist), Pearcey is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Baptist University. She is a fellow of the Discovery Institute and editor-at-large of The Pearcey Report. As founding editor of the radio program BreakPoint, she also coauthored a monthly column with Chuck Colson in Christianity Today. 

Pearcey has contributed to several books and published more than a hundred articles. She has spoken in the US Capitol and the White House; at universities such as Princeton, Stanford, and Dartmouth; to actors in Hollywood and artists in New York City; on NPR and C-SPAN. Her earlier books include The Soul of Science and Saving Leonardo.

Should Christians be tolerant? Is it ever okay to be intolerant? How has the definition of tolerance changed over the years? Does being tolerant mean you have to agree with everyone’s beliefs? How does love fit in with truth and tolerance? And How do we find the balance between loving and being gracious to people, without compromising truth? In this episode of the Impact 360 Institute podcast Jonathan Morrow interviews author, communicator, and professor of Christian Apologetics Sean McDowell. About Today’s Guest: Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of Apologetics at Biola University. He graduated summa cum laude from Talbot Theological Seminary with a double master's degree in philosophy and theology. He earned his PH.D. in Apologetics and Worldview Studies from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over fifteen books including Ethix: Being Bold in a Whatever World, Understanding Intelligent Design, the Apologetics Study Bible for Students, Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage, The Beauty of Intolerance and Is God Just a Human Invention?. Sean was named Educator of the Year for San Juan Capistrano in 2007-08. His apologetics training has received exemplary status from the Association of Christian Schools International. He is a regular guest on various radio and TV shows. In April 2000, Sean married his high school sweetheart, Stephanie. They have three children, Scottie, Shauna, and Shane and live in San Juan Capistrano, California. Visit him online here (http://www.seanmcdowell.org)

What is one thing every young leader should do? How important is it for a leader to be mentored? How important is it for leaders to invest in others? How does a leader create a development culture in your organization? In this episode of the Impact 360 Institute podcast Phil Alsup Interviews Selma Wilson, Vice President of Organizational Development at Life Way Resources. Selma Wilson Selma Wilson serves as Vice President of LifeWay’s Organizational Development Division which includes human resources and leadership development. Prior to this appointment, Selma served four years as Vice President of B&H Publishing Group. She first joined LifeWay's church resources division in 1989 where she served as director of the discipleship and family magazine department, the director of organizational performance in church resources and, as the associate to the vice president of church resources. Additionally, Wilson, along with her husband, Rodney, served as executive editors of HomeLife magazine. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and has completed continuing education courses, with emphases in organizational development and human resource management, at the University of Southern California and Columbia University. She and Rodney have two adult daughters and three grandchildren. If you enjoyed this podcast, check out more resources on leadership! Leadership, Influence, and Authority – An Interview with Mike Duke Using the Pareto Principle to Increase Personal Productivity What To Do When You’ve Messed Up

What is the key to influence? How do leaders have the opportunity to leverage authority? Can that influence help out in the work environment? Can it help extend even into personal lives and values? As a leader, how important is it to have mentors in your life? What is the most important thing in a mentor-mentee relationship? How important is it to have influence/buy-in as a leader as opposed to positional authority? How can a young leader begin building their influence among their peers? Those are some of the important questions we are going to be talking about today in this podcast with Mike Duke retired president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. During his 19 years with the company, including a five-year tenure as CEO, Duke delivered strong financial results and broadened Walmart’s commitment to lead some of the most pressing social and environmental issues of our time. He has served on the board of directors of The Consumer Goods Forum, the executive committee of Business Roundtable and is on the executive board of Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business. He also serves on the board of advisors for the University of Arkansas and the advisory board of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing, China. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Duke earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1971 and now serves as a member of the institution’s advisory board. If you enjoyed this podcast, check out these great resources for young leaders! How to Leverage Creativity for Greater Influence How to Develop Your Personal Leadership Philosophy Five Key Steps for Planning Anything: Step One-the “Why”