

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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 22, 2024 • 53min
Cultural Update: Kanye's "God of Me"; AI Resurrections; Florida's DEI Departures
This podcast discusses Kanye West's controversial declarations, AI tech resurrecting the dead, and Florida's shift away from DEI initiatives. They touch on theological implications of self-sovereignty, healthy grieving with ghost bots, and biblical perspectives on diversity. Listener questions cover family planning with a non-Christian spouse and reflecting God's image amidst perpetuated evil.

9 snips
Mar 19, 2024 • 39min
A Biblical View of Mental Health (with Chris Adams)
Exploring the intersection of biblical and secular approaches to mental health, challenges faced by pastors in maintaining well-being, the importance of holistic care for mental illness in faith communities, and the role of church support in enhancing pastor flourishing and mental health.

Mar 15, 2024 • 51min
Cultural Update: China's Baby Bust; France Puts Abortion in Constitution; New Tech May Allow Embryo from Two Men
This podcast explores China's low birth rates and societal values, France enshrining abortion in the constitution, advancements in reproductive technology allowing for embryos from two men, ethical concerns of AI-generated pornography, and the challenges of drug decriminalization laws.

Mar 12, 2024 • 39min
Being God's Image (with Carmen Imes)
Explore the concept of being made in God's image with Dr. Carmen Imes, touching on topics like identity, work, sexuality, body image, disability, and transgender issues. Understand the essence of being God's image as a physical representation and embrace body image within God's design. Discuss the intersection of being made in God's image with LGBTQ experiences and the intentional design of disabilities by God. Delve into the significance of identifying as God's image in addressing mental health challenges.

Mar 8, 2024 • 52min
Cultural Update: Christian Nationalism; OTC abortion pills; AI-generated deepfakes; Political divisiveness and friendship
This podcast explores Christian nationalism, over-the-counter abortion pills, AI-generated deepfakes, political divisiveness, and moral differences between drug use and abortion. They discuss the implications of merging religion and nationalism, ethical concerns surrounding abortion pills and deepfakes, navigating political discussions in relationships, and comparing drug use with abortion regulations.

9 snips
Mar 5, 2024 • 48min
The Legacy of Humanism
Exploring the legacy of humanism, the podcast delves into the origins of humanistic thought, the intersection between Christianity and humanism, the Christian perspective on social change, the moral foundations of humanism, and the views on human nature and the future trajectory of humanity.

5 snips
Mar 1, 2024 • 49min
Cultural Update: AI and Truth; Gender Dysphoria; Gen X and Diversity; Alabama Embryo Update; Listener Questions
This podcast delves into the challenges posed by artificial intelligence in discerning truth, a study on gender dysphoria challenging common narratives, Gen X's perspective on diversity, legal implications of embryo cases, and listener questions on church leadership and moral dilemmas.

4 snips
Feb 27, 2024 • 33min
Decriminalizing Drug Possession — Seriously?? (with Christina Dent)
Exploring alternative strategies to the war on drugs with insights from a foster parent's perspective. Discussing the impact of the war on drugs, including barriers to employment and education. Advocating for diverse pathways to addiction recovery beyond spiritual transformation, highlighting the craft approach for family members.

Feb 23, 2024 • 50min
Cultural Update: AI's getting more human-like; Alabama ruling on embryos; Analyzing movies biblically
This podcast discusses Amazon's AI model with human-like language abilities, Alabama's ruling on embryos as human beings, Justice Alito's prediction on religious dissent, analyzing movies biblically, 'He Gets Us' campaign critique, Christian couples and having children, and ethical considerations of ending life by stopping medications.

Feb 20, 2024 • 42min
Social Justice Fallacies
In this episode, Sean and Scott explore the concept of social justice versus biblical justice, based on economist Thomas Sowell's book Social Justice Fallacies. They critique common misconceptions and disastrous consequences of social justice efforts, challenging racial stereotypes and genetic determinism. The discussion also delves into the impact of family background on opportunities and the fallacy of treating humans like chess pieces to achieve societal goals.