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.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 39 minutes
- Episodes
- 513
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Understanding Critical Theory (with Carl Trueman)
What is critical theory and why is it so vital for Christians to understand today? What are its historical roots and where do we see it manifest today? Carl Trueman is one of the leading Christian so…
Cultural Update: Regretting Smartphones; Can Moms Have It All?; Assisted Suicide and the Slippery Slope
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 smartphone…
Medicine’s Wrong Turn? (with Brent Waters)
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 affec…
Cultural Update: Selecting embryos; AI romantic chatbots; Is sunlight and fresh air a human right?
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 coup…
Work and the Meaning of Life (with David Bahnsen)
How is work connected to one’s purpose and meaning in life? What can churches do to foster a biblical view of work? How do certain lower paying jobs contribute to a person’s sense of purpose? We’ll a…
Cultural Update: Is Therapy Causing Childlessness?; Gene Editing Moratorium; Charismatic Christianity's Growth
This week:
- Therapy Culture & Childlessness – Sean and Scott discuss a New York Times article suggesting that the rise in childlessness among Millennials and Gen Z may be linked to therapeutic culture…
AI: Prospects and Perils (with Yohan Lee)
How should we think biblically about AI? What are some of the exciting prospects for AI in the future? What should make us nervous about some of the uses of AI that are growing rapidly? We'll discuss…
Answering Your Questions!
We got so many great questions from our listeners and we only have time for 2-3 in the Weekly Cultural Update. We have quite a backlog so we're devoting this episode entirely to your insightful quest…
The State of the Persecuted Church Today (with Brian Orme)
What parts of the world are the most challenging for believers today? How has the relative comfort of American Christianity impacted spiritual growth, compared to communities experiencing persecution…
Cultural Update: Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery; Colorado Gender Laws; A Braindead Pregnant Woman Kept on Life Support; Personalized Gene-Editing
- New federal law targets the removal of deepfakes and non-consensual intimate imagery online.
- Colorado law sparks controversy over parental rights and biblical views on sex and gender.
- Georgia hospital …
Thinking Biblically about Exercise (with David Mathis)
Why would a pastor write a theological book on exercise? Would Jesus exercise if he were here bodily today? What does the Bible say about exercise and physical activity? And are Christians sinning if…
Cultural Update: Are Young Men Lost?; Physician's Critique of Assisted Suicide; Pornhub's Secrets
This week:
Are Young Men Lost or Returning to Faith?
A deep dive into seemingly contradictory studies on young men: while many are falling behind in education and mental health, others are returning …
Is Empathy a Sin? (with Tim Muehlhoff)
Is empathy being weaponized by Progressives to manipulate Christians into adopting certain ethical and political views? Is empathy a virtue, or merely an emotion that is sometimes a valuable and impo…
Cultural Update: New Pope, Supreme Court Hears Case on Religious Charter Schools, New Successful Argument Against Transgenderism
Thinking Biblically About Disability (with Chris Ralston)
Why does God allow disabilities? What is the point of someone's disability? What is disability theology, and what are the implications of this for the church? In what sense will disabilities be heale…
Cultural Update: The Abortion Pill Harms Women; Dads Are Spending More Time With Their Kids
This week's topics:
Abortion Pill Study: A massive study reveals serious health risks linked to the abortion pill mifepristone, with adverse events 22 times higher than FDA estimates—raising ethical …
Cohabitation: Is it Biblical and Wise?
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 …
Cultural Update: Was Jesus crucified with nails?; Young men return to church; Are Megachurches Ethical?
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…
The State of the Bible in 2025
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 ques…