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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

By: Talbot School of Theology at Biola University / Sean McDowell & Scott Rae
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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.© 2025 Biola University Christianity Spirituality
Episodes
  • Cultural Update: Regretting Smartphones; Can Moms Have It All?; Assisted Suicide and the Slippery Slope
    Jun 20 2025

    This week, Scott is joined by Erik Thoennes, Professor of Theology at Talbot School of Theology.

    • Smartphone Regret Among Parents: A new survey reveals most parents regret giving their kids smartphones and social media too early—many now see platforms like TikTok and Snapchat as more harmful than alcohol or even guns.
    • Assisted Suicide and the Slippery Slope: A New York Times op-ed warns that limiting euthanasia to the terminally ill won’t last; cultural emphasis on autonomy may push boundaries further.
    • Can Moms Really Have It All?: A new wave of voices—this time from the political right—encourage women to pursue careers and motherhood.
    • Listener Question: Can Biola Be Trusted?
    • Listener Followup on AI Chatbots in Medicine
    • Listener Question: Should I Be Worried That My Teen Is Drawn to Catholicism?


    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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.

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Medicine’s Wrong Turn? (with Brent Waters)
    Jun 17 2025

    Despite medicine’s remarkable advances, has it actually taken a wrong turn and lost something pretty important? What is the dominant worldview of medicine and health care today and how has that affected both patients and health care providers? What are the virtues that should govern health care to get it back on track? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, Dr. Brent Waters, emeritus professor and founding director of the Stead Center for Ethics and Values at Garrett Evangelical Seminary. Brent will be a plenary speaker at the national conference of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, June 26-28. See cbhd.org/conference for more information.

    Guest Bio: Brent Waters is the Emeritus Jerre and Mary Joy Professor of Christian Social Ethics, and Emeritus Director of the Jerre L. and Mary Joy Stead Center for Ethics and Values at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. He came to Garrett in 2001 and retired in 2022.

    Waters is the author or co-editor of 11 books, including most recently, Common Callings and Ordinary Virtues: Christian Ethics for Everyday Life.


    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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.

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    29 mins
  • Cultural Update: Selecting embryos; AI romantic chatbots; Is sunlight and fresh air a human right?
    Jun 13 2025

    This week, Scott and guest host Carmen Imes discuss:

    • Can AI romantic chatbots become dangerously addictive? Exploring the emotional and ethical consequences of these pseudo-relationships.
    • What do couples do with leftover embryos after IVF? A Psychology Today article opens a discussion on grief, responsibility, and the image of God.
    • New genetic screening allows parents to select embryos based on up to 900 traits—raising urgent questions about modern eugenics and human worth.
    • A report from The Marshall Project details how some U.S. prisons deprive inmates of sunlight and fresh air.
    • Honoring the lives and legacies of Jennifer Lyell, a courageous abuse survivor, and Walter Brueggemann, a groundbreaking Old Testament scholar.
    • Listener Questions: Bible translation preferences, defining God’s sovereignty, and how Christians should think about taxes in light of American history.


    ==========

    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.
    Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video.

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
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