Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

The Pope’s Call for Peace: Scott and Erik analyze Pope Francis’s Palm Sunday homily, where he argued that Jesus cannot be used to justify war. They discuss whether this represents a shift toward pacifism and how it contrasts with the historic Christian "Just War" tradition.
Supreme Court & "Talk Therapy": The hosts break down the recent 8-1 SCOTUS decision favoring a Christian therapist in Colorado. They explore why the court viewed the state's ban on conversion "talk therapy" as an unconstitutional assault on free speech and religious liberty.
The Rise of Christian Bitcoin: Is cryptocurrency "God’s money"? Scott and Erik examine a provocative piece on the growing subculture of Christian Bitcoin enthusiasts and whether digital currency aligns with biblical views on stewardship and decentralized power.
Healing the Brain: The discussion touches on the impact of technology and AI on our ability to think, exploring how modern tools might be changing our cognitive habits and the importance of maintaining mental discipline. 
Listener Question: Decolonizing the Gospel: In response to a listener’s question, They hosts discuss the "decolonization" movement, emphasizing the need to separate the timeless core of the Gospel from historical Western cultural imprints.
Listener Question: Guardian Angels: The hosts respond to a listener's question about guardian angels and the Protestant church reluctance to include spiritual forces such as angels and demons in teachings.

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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 Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.   

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 [email protected].

What is the contribution of Judaism and the Hebrew Bible to Western concept of liberty? How did the Hebrew Bible influence Western concepts of law in particular? And how did the experience of Israel and the main characters in Israel’s history impact the American founders? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest Rabbi Stuart Halpern around his book, The Jewish Roots of American Liberty. 
Dr. Stuart Halpern is Senior Adviser to the Provost of Yeshiva University and Deputy Director of Y.U.’s Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. His books include The Promise of Liberty: A Passover Haggada, which examines the Exodus story’s impact on the United States, Esther in America, Gleanings: Reflections on Ruth and Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land: The Hebrew Bible in the United States. 
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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 Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.   

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 [email protected].

The New Frontier of the Drug War: Hosts Sean McDowell and Scott Ray discuss a terrifying "quantum leap" in the drug trade where synthetic, lab-made drugs are being sprayed onto innocuous items like books and letters to be smuggled into prisons.
Public Prayer and Religious Liberty: The hosts examine the implications of thousands of Muslims praying publicly in New York City, balancing the Judeo-Christian roots of religious freedom with the need to maintain the right to disagree with different worldviews.
A Shift in Catholic Priorities?: Sean and Scott examine an Atlantic article suggesting the U.S. Catholic Church is pivoting from abortion to immigration as its most urgent issue, reflecting a broader trend in leadership messaging toward social justice and migrant care.
Meta and Youtube Negligence Lawsuit: he hosts break down a recent case where Meta and YouTube were found negligent for using addictive design features that caused mental health distress to young users.
Listener Question: Just War Theory and Iran: Following up on last week's discussion, the hosts discuss whether a war with Iran could be considered "Just War," noting that while Iran is an imminent threat to Israel, it is not currently one to the U.S. unless it acquires nuclear weapons.
Listener Question: Biblical Perspectives on Cremation: In response to a listener's question, Scott and Sean discuss the theological precedents for burial over cremation, answering whether or not that's a barrier to funeral attendance.
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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 Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.   

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 [email protected].

What are the different gifts we get from being immersed in God’s Word? How do we develop a hunger for Scripture? And why do we so often see reading Scripture as a burden rather than a blessing. We’ll tackle these questions and more with our guest, our Talbot colleague in theology, Dr. Uche Anizor around his new book, The Goodness of God in the Gift of Scripture. 
Dr. Uche Anizor is Professor and Chair of the Undergraduate Theology at Talbot. He is the author of eight books, including the award winning book, Overcoming Apathy: Gospel Hope for Those Who Struggle to Care, and How to Read Theology. 
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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 Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.   

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 [email protected].

This week, Scott and Sean discuss: 
Just War, Modern Targets: Sean and Scott weigh whether Israel’s targeted killings of Iranian leaders can fit within just war reasoning while warning against pulling Old Testament examples out of context. 
March Madness, Trust Erodes: A college basketball betting scandal raises the bigger fear that even suspected game-rigging can make fans wonder whether what they’re watching is real. 
The Sexual Recession: Two new books spark a conversation about why fewer people are having sex, with the deeper issue framed as loneliness, screen-shaped isolation, and collapsing relational confidence. 
UK Abortion Alarm: The final segment takes up a proposed UK bill that they say would remove penalties for self-induced abortion at any stage of pregnancy, prompting a blunt moral critique.  

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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 Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.   

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 [email protected].