

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

Nov 28, 2019 • 27min
Gratitude and Thanksgiving (with Stacy Eltiti)
With the Thanksgiving season upon us, we thought it fitting to do some theological and psychological reflection on gratitude. Join us for this stimulating conversation with Rosemead Professor Dr. Stacy Eltiti, as we explore dimensions of gratitude that you might not have thought about before. It can be applied all year round, not just during the Thanksgiving holiday. Dr. Stacy Eltiti is Associate Professor of Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University. She has a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Essex in the UK. Among her areas of expertise is the psychology of gratitude. She has written and presented widely in a variety of areas on the field of psychology. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/gratitude-and-thanksgiving ==========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. 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.

Nov 21, 2019 • 32min
The Inside Story (with Greg Koukl)
As the president of Stand to Reason, Greg Koukl is one of the leading Christian apologists today. Sean asks Greg questions about his personal faith journey and about life lessons he has learned thorough his radio, speaking, and writing ministries. Greg Koukl is the president and founder of Stand to Reason. He is the author of multiple books including Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted In Mid-Air and most recently The Story of Reality. He has been featured on Focus on the Family radio, interviewed on CBN, and quoted in many publications including the LA Times. Check out STR.org. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/the-inside-story ==========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. 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.

Nov 15, 2019 • 30min
Seeing God and His Beauty in Math (with Jason Wilson)
Dr. Wilson has been thinking long and hard about how the mathematical structure of the world points towards God's existence and beauty. in this interview, he explains how his understanding of math drives him to worship God more deeply and how math should motivate Christians to care about doing good in the world. And for fun, he even offers some reflections on the movie Moneyball and how statistics can help in baseball. Jason Wilson oversees the statistics service courses in the Department of Math and Computer Science at Biola University. Giving students a vision of how the natural laws of the world described by mathematics reflect the nature of God (Romans 1:20), and how that nature empowers them to live for Him (2 Peter 1:4) is a theme of Wilson’s courses. He also enjoys baseball statistics and debunking books such as The Bible Code. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/seeing-god-and-his-beauty-in-math ==========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. 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.

Nov 13, 2019 • 29min
[Bonus Podcast] "Business on Purpose" (with Kenman Wong)
In this session, we will introduce you to a series of compelling stories about the intersection of Christian faith and business—the Faith and Co. film series. Produced by Seattle Pacific University Professor (and Biola graduate) Dr. Kenman Wong, the series tells 13 different stories of Christian faith informing the mission of companies around the world. You’ll want to view the film series too after hearing this conversation with Dr. Wong. Dr. Kenman Wong is Professor of Business Ethics at Seattle Pacific University. He holds an MBA from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. He is the co-author or editor of three books, most recently Business for the Common Good: A Christian Vision for the Marketplace (w/ Scott B. Rae; IVP Academic, 2011). His articles have been published in journals as the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Markets & Morality and Christian Scholars Review. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/business-on-purpose ==========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. 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.

Nov 7, 2019 • 36min
Economics and Criminal Justice (with Sarah Estelle)
What does economics have to with our criminal justice system? Well, quite a bit, according to economist, Dr. Sarah Estelle. Listen in for Dr. Estelle’s enlightening perspective on how her field of economics intersects with our justice system—we think you’ll find this a fascinating discussion. Dr. Sarah Estelle is an associate professor of economics at Hope College. She extends the theories and empirical techniques of microeconomics to questions located along the "imperialist" frontier of economic research. She is interested in public policy, especially criminal justice reform, education choices, risky health behaviors and parents' investments in children. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/economics-and-criminal-justice ==========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. 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.

Nov 5, 2019 • 31min
[Bonus Podcast] Why I Still Believe (with Mary Jo Sharp)
As a former atheist from the Pacific Northwest, Mary Jo Sharp thought religion was for the weak-minded. But she was transformed by encountering Jesus in the New Testament. In this episode, Sean and Scott interview MJ about her latest book Why I Still Believe. She shares her journey to faith, including some difficult experiences she had adapting to church culture. Professor Sharp offers some powerful wisdom for engaging non-believers today. Mary Jo Sharp is one of the leading apologists today. She travels and speaks widely, blogs regularly at confidentchristianity.com, and is the author of the new book Why I Still Believe. She holds a Masters in Christian Apologetics from Biola University and teaches at Houston Baptist University. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/why-i-still-believe ==========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. 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.

Oct 31, 2019 • 27min
Student Culture and the Occult (with Walt Mueller)
Walt Mueller, founder of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, delves into the dynamic influences of culture on today's youth. He emphasizes how culture serves as both a map and mirror, shaping beliefs and behaviors. Discussing the rise of expressive individualism, he warns against the subtle ways the occult may infiltrate student life. By unpacking supernatural themes in media like Stranger Things, he highlights the importance of understanding youth perspectives. Mueller offers practical insights for parents, particularly around sensitive topics like Halloween.

Oct 24, 2019 • 36min
Between Life and Death — Reflections on the End of Life from a Trauma Surgeon (with Kathryn Butler)
The end of life is not normally a subject we talk about that much, but it’s rare that we have someone who can approach it with the insight and sensitivity of our guest—Dr. Katie Butler. She approaches and clarifies many issues around the end of life from the perspective of a biblically centered physician who has specialized in critical care surgery in her practice. Join us for this helpful and practical discussion about something that we all will face. Dr. Katie Butler is a trauma and critical care surgeon, who trained at Columbia and practiced for many years at Harvard. She is now home schooling her kids and writes for Desiring God, the Gospel Coalition and her own blog at Oceans Rise. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/between-life-and-death-reflections-on-the-end-of-life-from-a-trauma-surgeon ==========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. 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.

Oct 17, 2019 • 33min
Artificial Intelligence and Our View of Human Persons (with Mihretu Guta)
Progress in the development and application of artificial intelligence is coming at a rapid pace today, and is challenging not only our view of work in the future, but also our view of human persons. Can machines have consciousness like a person does? How about rationality? Moral reasoning? Creativity? Join us for this fascinating discussion with philosopher Dr. Mihretu Guta as he explains what artificial intelligence involves and how it impacts our view of what constitutes a human person. Dr. Mihretu Guta is adjunct professor of philosophy at Biola University and Azusa Pacific University. He holds an MA in Philosophy from Talbot and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in the UK. He is the author/editor of several philosophical works, including, Consciousness and the Ontology of Properties. He has presented papers all over the world and published in several high level philosophical journals. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/artificial-intelligence-and-our-view-of-human-persons ==========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. 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.

Oct 12, 2019 • 33min
The Coming Revolution in Church Economics (with Mark DeYmaz)
Churches in North America today have over $1 trillion in assets that are significantly underutilized. The subtitle for this stimulating book is the topic of our conversation on this podcast — "Why tithes and offerings are no longer enough." Join us for this fascinating conversation about how churches can leverage their assets to serve the community and contribute to their financial sustainability. Mark DeYmaz is pastor of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, in Little Rock, Arkansas and president of the Mosaix Global Network and the convener of the National Multi-Ethnic Church Conference. He is the author of Disruption: Repurposing the Church to Redeem the Community, and Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2019/the-coming-revolution-in-church-economics ==========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. 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.


