Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture
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
555 episodes
Cultural Update: $2 Million Gender Medicine Verdict; AI Boyfriends; Politics at the Grammys
This week, Scott and Erik Thoennes discuss: $2 Million Gender Medicine Verdict: A New York jury awarded $2 million to a detransitioner who underwent...
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1:00:48
A Psychologist Watches "The Chosen" (with Liz Hall)
How would a psychologist view the TV series, The Chosen? What does the portrayal of the characters, namely Jesus, say about how we connect with God? We’ll talk about these questions and more with our guest, Rosemead colleague and psychologist, ...
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33:31
Cultural Update: UK Revival Questioned; Child Safety on Social Media; Posthumous Sperm Retrieval
This week: UK Revival Claims Questioned: A new Pew Research study ...
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58:44
Serving God Under Siege
What is like to serve God under the siege of the war in Ukraine? What theological questions are raised as a result of the war, especially about the goodness and sovereignty of God? And how are the churches dealing with the trauma of war? We’ll ...
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28:25
Cultural Update: "Looksmaxxing"; Grok's Sexual AI-Generated Images; Crime in Decline
This week, Scott and Sean discuss: America's Historic Crime Drop - The U.S. has experienced its largest homicide rate reduction in 125 years
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1:03:22
Why We are Protestants (with Fred Sanders)
Why are we committed to a Protestant understanding of Christianity? What is a unique Protestant view of the Bible, the gospel, and the ordinances? In this episode, we talk with Biola professor Fred Sanders
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47:54
Cultural Update: Is 2026 the year of AI slop?; Iran protests; Transgender athlete bans
Topics this week: Will AI slop take over in 2026? How AI-generated media is breaking our ability to tell what’s real, and why rebuilding trust...
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1:01:36
Why The Church Still Matters Today (with Carmen Imes)
With churchgoing in decline in the US, what is the relevance of the church today? What’s the significance of the Bible using the language of family to describe the church? And what do we say to the person who insists that they can have a vibran...
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32:38
Cultural Update: Religious Trends Ahead in 2026; Is Killing Organ Donors OK?; Near-Death Experiences
To kick off 2026, Sean and Scott discuss:The Top 5 Religious Trends to Watch in 2026A
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1:00:23
What to Make of Alternative Medicine? (with Donal O'Mathuna)
What is alternative medicine? What does the Bible have to say about it? What is the connection between one’s faith and one’s health? We'll answer these questions and more with our guest, Ohio State University Professor Dr. Donal O'Mathuna, arou...
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34:25
The Bible and The Use of Alcohol (with John Anthony Dunne)
What does the Bible say about the use of alcohol? How is alcohol both God’s gift and a curse at the same time? What does the use of wine in the Eucharist say about acceptability for other uses? We’ll address these questions and more with our gu...
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34:12
The American Religious Landscape (with Ryan Burge)
America has a religious landscape unlike any other country on earth. But it is rapidly changing. In this episode, we interview Ryan Burge, a leading demographer on religious trends in America. We discuss the present state and future of evangeli...
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34:32
Cultural Update: Disobeying Unlawful Orders; The Truth Physics Can No Longer Ignore; Rightward Shift Among Young Men
Stories this week:A woman in Japan “marries” an AI chatbot, raising serious questions about the nature of marriage, human relationships, and how eme...
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58:18
The AI Revolution: Expert Roundtable
It is not an understatement to say that AI has revolutionized virtually every aspect of human life. What should characterize a Christian posture towards AI? Should we be concerned? Optimistic? How do we think biblically about it the emergence o...
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1:29:07
Cultural update: Australia's Social Media Ban; Marijuana and Youth Health; Study on Charlie Kirk Death
Stories this week: Marijuana and youth health: New medical studies show legalization has coincided with a sh...
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1:01:07
The Remarkable and Influential Life of Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop
Who was Dr. C. Everett Koop and why is his life so significant? How did he become so passionate about abortion? How did he navigate bioethical controversies during his tenure as Surgeon General under President Ronald Reagan? We’ll discuss these...
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40:26
Cultural Update: Jesus Bots; UCSD Education Crisis; The New Singlehood Dilemma; Guns in Church
This week: “Jesus Bots” & AI Spirituality: Sean and Scott discuss a New York Times piece on religious chatbots, raising concerns about ...
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59:58
Biola's Commitment to Biblical Truth: A Conversation with President Corey
Is Biola University staying true to its biblical mission? In this candid episode of the Think Biblically podcast, Biola University President Dr. Barry H. Corey joins hosts Dr. Sean McDowell, associate professor of ...
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50:34
Seeing Good in the World (with Tim Muehlhoff)
Why is it that Christians tend to focus on the brokenness of creation rather than its goodness? What if we shifted our attention to highlighting that God made the world to be our home, and as a result, focused on loving the world? Sean and Tim ...
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47:43
The Cost of Ambition (with Miroslav Volf)
While God has made us to be ambitious, there can be a deep spiritual cost for striving to be better than others. Miroslav Volf is one of the leading public theologians. In this episode, based on his book "
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47:44
Cultural Update: The Loneliness Epidemic; Tesla’s Robot Army; Why Orthodoxy is Surging in the U.S.
Loneliness & Misinformation: Sean and Rick unpack new research linking rising loneliness, especially among young adults, to increased suscep...
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1:02:01
The Long Term Impact of the Sexual Revolution (with Jennifer Morse)
What are the main tenets of the sexual revolution and who are some of the main victims? How do the debates over gender connect to the overall sexual revolution? Who are some of the main victims of the sexual revolution? What is the view of the ...
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37:15
Cultural Update: Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson; Animal to Human Organ Transplants; Abortion Access
Abortion access after Dobbs: Sean and Scott unpack a New York Times editorial on how telehealth and the abortion pill have reshaped the landscape, debate conce...
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57:23