Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

What does the Bible say, if anything, about living together before marriage? Given that 70% of Americans now cohabit before marriage, and roughly 2/3 believe it will improve the odds of relationship success, what does the data show about how effective it is? While this is a huge topic in the church and culture today, surprisingly, few people are discussing it. In this episode, Sean and Scott discuss a recent study on cohabitation f...

Topics this week: 

• Controversy after Christianity Today published an article questioning whether Jesus was crucified with nails.    
• The Supreme Court is debating whether parents can opt their kids out of LGBTQ-themed books in elementary schools.    
• The New York Times and USA Today published articles discussing the return to church, particularly among young men, and the increased interest in the supernatural in today's cultu...

How many Americans are engaging the Bible today? And in what ways? How does Bible reading affect giving to charity, life flourishing, and experience with loneliness? Sean and Scott discuss these questions, and more, by analyzing the latest report from the American Bible Society. While some of the findings are expected, quite a few are eye-opening and unexpected.

Read and download the report here.

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Think B...

Topics this week:

• Women's Basketball Player Embraces Her Faith
• The UK Supreme Court Rules on Gender
• France's Law on Anonymous Sperm and Egg Donation
• Richard Dawkins' Blog Post on Christianity

Listener Questions:

• Further questions concerning the life of MLK jr.
• How should someone approach talking with parents in the midst of deconstruction?
• Is there continuity of life between now and the new heavens and new earth...

Michael Heiser is one of the most influential Old Testament scholars over the past decade. In this video, Sean is joined by Talbot Old Testament professor Charlie Trimm to discuss Heiser’s best-selling book “The Unseen Realm.” They discuss these questions and more: Why has Heiser been so influential? Are his ideas orthodox? Should Christians read his works? What does it mean to biblically embrace the supernatural realm?

 Charlie Tri...

Topics this week:

• An Atlantic article on Elaine Pagels' new book, "Miracles and Wonder." Is she downplaying the supernatural? This episode dives into her controversial take on New Testament miracles.
• Florida teacher fired for using a student's preferred name without parental consent. Where do parental rights collide with student support? 
• Scientists have brought back the dire wolf. Is this a cool breakthrough o...

What should apologetics look like for this generation? What does it mean that apologetics is for everyone, not just specialists? How is the gospel good news, especially for women? We’ll discuss these questions and more with Sean around his new book Apologetics for an Ever-Changing Culture. 

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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which ...

This week's topics:

• Polygany Found to Cause Lower Birthrates than Monogamy
• AI Chatbots can Allow People to Talk with Deceased Relatives
• New Tech allows for more Control Over Embryo Selection.

Listener Questions: A Listener shares their experience working in secular spaces and using preferred pronouns. Should christians identify as gay? Are near death experiences biblical?

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Think Biblically: Conversa...

What is the state of the intelligent design movement today? How is it faring in the scientific realm, the church, and in the public? How has the strategy of the ID movement shifted, and what has it learned over the past 20 years? Our guest today is Biola University Biology professor Doug Axe.

Douglas Axe is the Maxwell Professor of Molecular Biology at Biola University, the founding Director of Biologic Institute, the founding Edito...

This week's topics: 

The Ethics of Embryo Research: The abortion debate is shifting toward the status and treatment of embryos—especially in light of new scientific experimentation pushing past the 14-day research limit.

Science vs. Philosophy: Scott and Sean discuss the crucial distinction between biological life and personhood—and why science can’t answer moral questions about human identity.

Christianity’s Resurgence in Silico...

What is the enduring legacy of MLK?, why has the culture neglected the theological basis for his civil rights work?, what assumptions to white and black people have about each other that are inaccurate or unhelpful? We'll discuss these questions and more in a joint podcast with the Biola Winsome Convictions Podcast and my co-host Tim Muehlhoff. Our guest is Pastor Chris Brooks, pastor of Woodside Bible Church in metro Detroit ...

Decline of Romantic Relationships Among Young People – Dating among high school and college students is decreasing due to emotional intimacy fears, digital distractions, and safety concerns, highlighting the theological importance of relationships.

Rise of Pornography Over Real Relationships – Many young men now prefer pornography over romantic relationships, leading to emotional desensitization, weakened human connections, and the ...

Should Christians identify as gay? Is this a secondary issue that should not divide Christians, or is more at stake? Sean and Preston Sprinkle continue the dialogue from last week and focus on the question of whether homosexuality can be one part of Christian identity.

Preston Sprinkle is Biblical scholar, speaker, and the head of the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender. He is the best-selling author of multiple books including ...

This week, Sean and Scott discuss: 

• New Study on Gender Affirming Surgery – A major peer-reviewed study finds increased psychological distress post-surgery, sparking discussion on long-term mental health effects and the importance of pre-surgical mental health assessments.
• The Future of Faith in America – Pew data suggests the rise of the “nones” (religiously unaffiliated) has plateaued, but experts predict continued secularizati...

Should Christians use preferred pronouns? Is it wise and biblically permissible, or not? While Sean has had this discussion before on the Think Biblically podcast, this episode features a conversation with Preston Sprinkle, and they go even deeper. They also discuss how the LGBTQ conversation has shifted in the church over the past decade.

Preston Sprinkle is Biblical scholar, speaker, and the head of the Center for Faith, Sexuality...

• Maine Continues to Fight over Transgender Athletes
• A Bill to Recognise First Cousin Marriage
• Is America Becoming a Theocracy?
• A Bill in Washington Challenges Religous Liberty

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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 Biblicall...

How strong is the evidence for near-death experiences? How has the field of study changed over the past 50 years since doctors, academics, and other experts began studying them? And what do they reveal about the soul or the afterlife? In this episode, Sean and Scott talk with Dr. Steve Miller, a near-death experience researcher and author, about these questions and more. They discuss how the study of near-death experiences, and dea...

• Humanoid Robots in the Workforce. AI-powered robots are becoming more common for tasks like stacking and sorting, though their abilities remain limited.
• Medically Assisted Suicide and Alzheimer's: Quebec now allows terminally ill patients to choose assisted death years in advance, sparking ethical debates.
• Christianity’s Resilience in America: New research challenges the idea of Christianity’s decline, showing signs of resil...

What are the sociological effects for women from trans ideology? How do we think biblically given our confused cultural moment about sex, gender, and identity? And what does all this mean for those who want to reach and disciple Gen Z? Sean and Scott address these questions and more with Katie McCoy, author of To Be a Woman. 

Katie McCoy holds a PhD in Systematic Theology from Southwestern Seminary (TX), where she served on faculty ...