Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Does God cause our suffering? How is it a privilege to suffer for Christ? And what happens to a person’s faith when experiencing suffering, and how can we have joy in adversity? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest Dr. Craig Keener, around his new book entitled, Suffering: Its Meaning for the Spirit-Filled Life. 

Dr. Craig S. Keener is F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminar...

This week, Scott and Erik Thoennes discuss: 

$2 Million Gender Medicine Verdict: A New York jury awarded $2 million to a detransitioner who underwent a double mastectomy at age 16, marking a landmark legal decision that could significantly impact gender medicine practices as about 30 similar cases wind through the legal system.

The Rise of AI Boyfriends: Women are increasingly using AI companions, raising concerns about artificial in...

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, Dr. Liz Hall, who contributed to a new book, Watching The Chosen. 

Dr. Liz Hall is Professor of Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University. Her research interests include wo...

This week: 

UK Revival Claims Questioned: A new Pew Research study challenges recent claims of spiritual revival among young adults in the UK, suggesting that opt-in surveys may be misleading and random sampling shows Christian identification is actually declining, not increasing.

Social Media Child Safety: Social media giants face a landmark legal case regarding child safety, raising important questions about platform accountability...

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 address these questions and more with our guest Anna, faculty member at Talbot's Kyiv Theological Seminary. 

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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture ...

This week, Scott and Sean discuss: 

• America's Historic Crime Drop - The U.S. has experienced its largest homicide rate reduction in 125 years, with all seven categories of violent crime falling below pre-pandemic levels. Baltimore serves as a compelling case study, cutting homicides by nearly 60% through proactive outreach to at-risk individuals and community investment.
• The Dark Side of AI - Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok...

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 about the historical and biblical reasons to be Protestant. We also carefully define what is meant by “Protestant” and respond to common objections such as the claim that Protestantism shifts the locus of authority to the individ...

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 and virtue matters more than just better tech. 
• AI manipulation + Iran protests: How AI can distort protest footage and narratives, making propaganda easier and truth harder to confirm in real time.
• Affirmative action after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling: Is affirmative action “dead,” what ...

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 vibrant spiritual life but don’t need the church? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest colleague in OT, Dr. Carmen Imes, from her new book, Becoming God’s Family. 

Dr. Carmen Imes is...

To kick off 2026, Sean and Scott discuss:

• The Top 5 Religious Trends to Watch in 2026
• A federal judge's ruling about teachers' rights to inform parents about a child's gender identity.
• Arguments for allowing organ donation prior to death
• A New York Times feature on near-death experiences
• Listener followup on our recent episode about alcohol

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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Cult...

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, around his book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook. 

Dr. Donal O'Mathuna, a native of Ireland, is Professor in the College of Nursing at Ohio State University. He is the ...

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 guest Dr. John Anthony Dunne around his book The Mountains Shall Drip Sweet Wine. 

Dr. John Anthony Dunne is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary. He's a Talbot grad, twi...

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 evangelicalism. And we explore the growth and status of other religious groups such as Jews, Muslims, Latter-day Saints, Black Protestants, Secularism, and more. Finally, we ask Dr. Burge for his ins...

Stories this week:

• A woman in Japan “marries” an AI chatbot, raising serious questions about the nature of marriage, human relationships, and how emerging technologies blur the line between real and artificial intimacy. 
• An Atlantic article suggests physics may be reaching the limits of reductionism, as living systems exhibit emergence, self-organization, and information that can’t be explained by particles alone. 
• A New York Time...

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 of new AI technology? In this unique episode, Sean is joined by three Biola/Talbot professors who are experts in their fields and in AI: Yohan Lee, Associate Dean of Technology and Professor o...

Stories this week: 

• Marijuana and youth health: New medical studies show legalization has coincided with a sharp rise in adolescent ER visits, including severe physical and psychiatric effects, raising ethical and biblical concerns about bodily stewardship. 
• Australia’s social media ban: Australia enacted the world’s first nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16, shifting responsibility to tech companies and...

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 questions and more with our guest and Dr. Koop’s biographer, Dr. Nigel Cameron. 

Biographer Nigel Cameron is President Emeritus of the Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies (C-PET) in Wa...

This week: 

“Jesus Bots” & AI Spirituality: Sean and Scott discuss a New York Times piece on religious chatbots, raising concerns about me-centered faith, shallow “AI Jesus” advice, and how tech may distort spiritual formation.

UC San Diego’s Education Crisis: A Wall Street Journal editorial reveals that 1 in 12 UCSD freshmen can’t perform middle-school math, prompting a conversation about grade inflation, DEI pressures, COVID le...

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 Christian apologetics, and Dr. Scott Rae, senior advisor to the president for university mission and professor of philosophy and Christian ethics, for a conversation about the pressures facing Christian universities and w...