Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

New developments in biotechnology promise breakthroughs that could improve people’s lives, but also threaten to enhance human beings and alter human nature. Biochemist Fazale (Fuz) Rana opens a window to the new world of human enhancement technologies and the movement of transhumanism (transcending human nature) in this stimulating conversation.  Biochemist Dr. Fazale (Fuz) Rana writes and speaks extensively about evidence for creation emerging from biochemistry, genetics, human origins, and synthetic biology. As vice president of research and apologetics at Reasons to Believe (RTB), he is dedicated to communicating to skeptics and believers alike the powerful scientific case for God's existence and the Bible's reliability.  Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/humans-2-0  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Becket Cook has a remarkable story of transformation by the gospel. Before becoming a Christian, he lived as a gay man in Hollywood as a successful set designer. His life centered around celebrity-filled Hollywood parties and he traveled to society hot-spots around the world — until a chance encounter with a pastor at an LA coffee shop one morning changed everything. Sean interviews Becket about his story and his excellent new book.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/a-change-of-affection  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

The naïve and increasingly common assumption that reason and faith are incompatible is simply at odds with the facts of history. The revelation in the Hebrew Scriptures of a reasonable Creator imbued Judaism and Christianity with a conviction that the world is intelligible, leading to the flowering of reason and the invention of science in the West. It was no accident that the Enlightenment took place in the culture formed by the Jewish and Christian faiths. Join us as we talk with Dr. Sam Gregg about the unique role of faith and reason both at the foundation of Western civilization and how both are necessary for a society to flourish.  Dr. Samuel Gregg is director of research at the Acton Institute. He has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy, economic history, ethics in finance, and natural law theory. He has an MA in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in moral philosophy and political economy from the University of Oxford. He is the author of several books, including For God and Profit: How Banking and Finance Can Serve the Common Good(2016) and Becoming Europe: Economic Decline, Culture, and How America Can Avoid a European Future(2013). He is a regular writer of opinion-pieces which appear in publications such as the Wall Street Journal Europe; First Things; Investors Business Daily; Washington Times; American Banker; National Review; The Stream; Public Discourse; American Spectator; El Mercurio; Australian Financial Review; Jerusalem Post; La Nacion, and Business Review Weekly.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/faith-reason-and-western-civilization  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

How should we think about our economy as followers of Jesus? Do we accept economic life as "it is what it is?" Or does the way we think about economics make a difference in our discipleship? Co-authors Victor Claar (economist) and Greg Forster (political philosopher) talk about their new book on the most influential economist of our time, Sir John Maynard Keynes, and how his views on economics have shaped how culture sees human beings, morality, consumption and prosperity. Be sure not to miss their critique of Keynes from a Christian world view. Join us for this enlightening conversation.  Dr. Victor Claar is Associate Professor of Economics and holds the BB&T Distinguished Professorship in Free Enterprise at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. He is the author of several books on the intersection of Christian faith and economics, including, Economics in Christian Perspective: Theory, Policy and Life Choices (with Robin J. Klay).  Dr. Greg Forster is Greg Forster serves as the director of the Oikonomia Network at the Center for Transformational Churches at Trinity International University, and is a visiting assistant professor of faith and culture. He has a Ph.D. with distinction in political philosophy from Yale University. He is the author of seven books, most recently The Church on Notice and Joy for the World, and the co-editor of four books.  Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/how-to-think-christianly-about-the-economy  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

How did a violent Klansman become a champion of racial reconciliation? In his new book, Consumed by Hate, Redeemed by Love, former white supremacist Tom Tarrants tells a remarkable story of transformation by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Join us as Scott interviews Tom as he tells his story of Klan involvement, prison, and redemption. You won’t want to miss this one!  Tom Tarrants is President Emeritus of the C.S. Lewis Institute, where he served for more than 20 years. Tom holds a Master of Divinity Degree, as well as a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Christian Spirituality. He is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Church Alliance and a member of the Evangelical Theological Society.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/from-white-supremacist-to-racial-reconciliation  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

With the release of the World Watch List in January 2020, we get a catalog of the most difficult places for the followers of Jesus around the world. Join us for an inside look at some of these places from someone who travels there regularly and has first hand exposure as Scott interviews Rienk and hears of the stories of the persecuted church in 2020.  To learn more about the World Watch List, watch their 2020 press conference.  For security reasons, we cannot reveal the name of our guest for this week’s podcast. He is known by his pseudonym, Rienk.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/the-state-of-the-persecuted-church-as-a-new-decade-begins  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

How can the pro-life message be effective in an increasingly polarized culture? How can the movement move from controversy to civility and still be a compelling message defending the unborn? Join us for our conversation with Stephanie Gray, a veteran of the pro-life movement who describes how to defend the unborn in today’s culture.  Stephanie Gray is a seasoned and international speaker who began presenting at the age of 18. She has given over 900 pro-life presentations across North America as well as in Scotland, England, Ireland, Austria, Latvia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. She has spoken at many post-secondary institutions such as Yale University, George Washington University, and the University of California, Berkeley. In 2017, Stephanie was a presenter for the series "Talks at Google," speaking on abortion at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. Stephanie is author of Love Unleashes Life: Abortion & the Art of Communicating Truth as well as A Physician’s Guide to Discussing Abortion. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UBC in Vancouver, and a Certification, with Distinction, in Health Care Ethics, from the NCBC in Philadelphia.  Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/love-unleashes-life-the-pro-life-message-in-a-polarized-culture  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

In this engaging discussion, Michael McAfee, Director of Community Initiatives for the Museum of the Bible, and his wife Lauren, a communicator and theologian, tackle millennials' skepticism towards the Bible. They emphasize the necessity of approaching the Bible as a mentor text, arguing that understanding truth is crucial before evaluating its messages. The McAfees highlight the cultural impact of Scripture in inspiring human rights and discuss how a pre-apologetic approach can rekindle interest in younger generations.

In her important book, Love and Economics, economist Dr. Jennifer Morse argues the family is the central cultural institution responsible for the prosperity and well being of the next generation. She maintains that all of the virtues necessary for flourishing economically are learned in the family. You may not see how love and economics go together, so join us for this interesting discussion of how they connect.  Dr. Jennifer Morse is the president of the Ruth Institute, a non-profit organization committed to inspiring survivors of the Sexual Revolution. She is the author of multiple books including The Sexual State as well as numerous pamphlets and tracts, Dr. Morse earned her Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Rochester in 1980. She taught economics at Yale University and George Mason University. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Reason, Policy Review, National Review Online, the Journal of Political Economy, the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, the University of Chicago Law Review and she has been a guest on Fox News, CNN and EWTN.  Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/it-takes-a-family-to-raise-a-village  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

What is the state of historical Jesus studies today? How has the landscape changed over the past few decades? Dr. Darrell Bock provides some remarkable insight about how historical Jesus studies have moved in a positive direction towards embracing many key facts surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Sean and Scott interview him about his journey to faith, his love for studying the historical Jesus, and what non academics can learn from academic research today.  Darrell Bock is one of the leading contemporary scholars on the historical Jesus. He is the Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He has written over 40 books and is a New York Times best-selling author. Dr. Bock is the editor of the recent book Jesus, Skepticism, & the Problem of History.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/the-reliability-of-the-gospels-and-the-historical-jesus  ==========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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.