Think Well
Ryan Pauly
Training Christians to THINK WELL by curating conversations with Christian thinkers and giving a framework for engaging the culture with a biblical worldview.
Ryan Pauly has been working with students for over a decade as a teacher, missionary, and apologist. He is the Founder and President of Think Well, the Director of Immersive Experiences at MAVEN, and an Adjunct Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. His work creating online content, teaching, and speaking around the country focuses on equipping Christians to confidently and compassionately engage some of the most difficult cultural issues with a biblical worldview. Ryan holds a B.A. in Theology and Youth Leadership from Vanguard University, an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and is a doctoral candidate in Practical Theology at Talbot School of Theology. His dissertation looks at apathy among Christian students and how the church can instill a passionate and lasting faith.
Ryan Pauly has been working with students for over a decade as a teacher, missionary, and apologist. He is the Founder and President of Think Well, the Director of Immersive Experiences at MAVEN, and an Adjunct Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. His work creating online content, teaching, and speaking around the country focuses on equipping Christians to confidently and compassionately engage some of the most difficult cultural issues with a biblical worldview. Ryan holds a B.A. in Theology and Youth Leadership from Vanguard University, an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and is a doctoral candidate in Practical Theology at Talbot School of Theology. His dissertation looks at apathy among Christian students and how the church can instill a passionate and lasting faith.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 16, 2022 • 1h 3min
It's Possible God Exists & He's Better Than You Think (Dr. Paul Gould)
"The deep longing of the human heart is for a story that is both true and satisfying." But how can we know which story is true? Does the religious or non-religious story better line up with reality? Dr. Paul Goul looks at 11 clues to understand the universe at our place in it and encourages you to adopt a different posture toward the question of God.
Dr. Paul Gould is associate professor of philosophy and director of the philosophy of religion master's program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute, an apologetics institute and podcast, and a sought-after speaker. Gould has written numerous books, including "The Story of the Cosmos" and the award-winning "Cultural Apologetics."
Nov 26, 2022 • 1h
The Best Lies Sound The Most Beautiful (Alisa Childers)
Live your truth. Follow your heart. You only have one life to live. God just wants you to be happy. Love is love. These cultural statements flood our news feeds and sound so positive, but are they true? In order to Think Well we must discern the messages we see and compare them to biblical truth.
Alisa Childers joins me to discuss her new book, "Live Your Truth and Other Lies: Exposing Popular Deceptions That Make Us Anxious, Exhausted, and Self-Obsessed." This show will help you evaluate popular lies by looking at what Scripture has to say.
Nov 19, 2022 • 1h 2min
Famous Movies Reveal Our Desire for an Ultimate Hero (Dr. Frank Turek)
Instead of ignoring culture or simply imitating it, what if Christians took it seriously and thought well about how they could incorporate its valuable truths into our teaching? This is what the apostle Paul did with the Athenian leaders at Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-31). What would it look like in our day?
Dr. Frank Turek is the president of CrossExamined.org and the coauthor of "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist." Zack Turek is an officer in the United States Air Force and a graduate of Southern Evangelical Seminary. Together they have authored the book, "Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God."
Oct 22, 2022 • 60min
How Jesus Followers Have Shaped Everything (Dr. Jeff Myers)
It's shocking how the narrative of human history has changed. Students are being taught that religion (Christianity) is the cause of the world's problems. The truth may surprise you! Dr. Jeff Myers joins me to discuss how Jesus followers have, and can, transform the world in times of crisis.
Dr. Jeff Myers is the president of Summit Ministries. Summit is an organization that equips and supports the rising generation to embrace God's Truth and champion a biblical worldview. Dr. Jeff is one of America's most respected authorities on Christian worldview, apologetics, and youth leadership development.
Oct 15, 2022 • 35min
2 Bad Arguments Against Christianity
Does an all-knowing God make free will an illusion? Since heaven is without sadness, does mean that we won't be ourselves? These two arguments were put forth in posts that students sent my way. Let's work through these bad arguments and learn to think well.
Sep 17, 2022 • 1h 4min
Navigate Tricky Conversations with Mormons (Eric Johnson)
This conversation will get you ready to present the case for Christianity with confidence and grace. You'll be better equipped to navigate those tricky conversations as you delineate biblical teachings from Mormon doctrine. Join us and Think Well about some of the the most important theological topics.
Eric Johnson works with Mormonism Research Ministry (https://www.mrm.org/) and has written and coauthored several books, including "Answering Mormon's Questions," "Mormonism 101," and "Sharing the Good News with Mormons." He currently lives in Utah with his wife and three daughters.
Sep 10, 2022 • 1h 15min
Why You Can't Separate Love From Belief- A Response To Randal Rauser
I invited Randal Rauser on my show back in July. After our live conversation, he offered me a thought experiment that tried to show that loving rightly is more important than believing rightly. His thought experiment is in his video, "How You LOVE is More Important than What You BELIEVE" on YouTube. I told him that I would make a video with a more detailed response, so here it is!
Aug 21, 2022 • 56min
How Relativism Undermines Your Faith In Christ
Our culture has gone through a major shift that is influencing and impacting our students. We may think that our students are protected from the culture inside their churches, families, and schools. However, recent studies show that the relativistic ideas in our culture are undermining the faith of students. How can Jesus be the Truth if there is no truth? Ryan explains how relativism is undermining your student’s faith in Christ and gives practical ways in which we can respond.
Aug 11, 2022 • 1h 3min
Cultivate a Real Love in Your Relationship with God
Ryan talks to many students who simply seem bored with Christianity. They have grown up in a Christian home, attended Christian schools, and have gone to church every week. They are tired of the same stories being repeated over and over again. Their knowledge of God is limited to: God loves me, he has a plan for me, and Jesus died for me… that’s all. No wonder they’re bored! Other students keep hearing about God but become bitter because they keep asking “Where is he? Does he even exist?”, only to never get their questions answered. That is why Ryan created this talk. He thinks that when we understand how relationships are formed, then our students will grow into a deep, loving, committed relationship with God.
This was the first of five sessions given at the Bread of Life English Summer Conference. We begin with a short Q&A before jumping into the session.
Jul 27, 2022 • 1h 3min
Do More Than "Keep Your Cool" In Today's Heated Topics (Dr. Sean McDowell)
What does it look like for Christians to stand up to the most heated topics of today in a just and loving manner? This conversation will help you think well about the many moral issues facing this generation and offer practical steps to make a positive difference.
Dr. Sean McDowell is an author, speaker, and associate professor at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He has two master's degrees and a PhD in apologetics and worldview studies. He has authored or edited more than twenty books. Sean is the cohost for the "Think Biblically" podcast, which is one of the most popular podcasts on faith and cultural engagement. He is also active on social media and has a popular YouTube channel.
