In this episode, Sean and Craig Hazen discuss some of the most challenging questions about Christian faith. They discussed this together at Yorba Linda Friends Church. Join them as they give succinct and clear answers to these important questions. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/answering-the-toughest-questions ========== Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University , w...
Mar 05, 2020•49 min•Ep. 119
Where does the time go?, we frequently lament. Time is fixed for all of us yet around the world and historically there have been many different views of time, that emerge out of the worldview of the day. Best selling author and speaker Os Guinness reflects on our views of time and how a Christian worldview impacts how we view our time. Join us for this insightful conversation around his new book, Carpe Diem Redeemed . Os Guinness is an author, social critic, and great-great-great grandson of Art...
Feb 27, 2020•31 min•Ep. 118
New developments in biotechnology promise breakthroughs that could improve people’s lives, but also threaten to enhance human beings and alter human nature. Biochemist Fazale (Fuz) Rana opens a window to the new world of human enhancement technologies and the movement of transhumanism (transcending human nature) in this stimulating conversation. Biochemist Dr. Fazale (Fuz) Rana writes and speaks extensively about evidence for creation emerging from biochemistry, genetics, human origins, and synt...
Feb 23, 2020•31 min•Ep. 117
Becket Cook has a remarkable story of transformation by the gospel. Before becoming a Christian, he lived as a gay man in Hollywood as a successful set designer. His life centered around celebrity-filled Hollywood parties and he traveled to society hot-spots around the world — until a chance encounter with a pastor at an LA coffee shop one morning changed everything. Sean interviews Becket about his story and his excellent new book . Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/bl...
Feb 13, 2020•31 min•Ep. 116
The naïve and increasingly common assumption that reason and faith are incompatible is simply at odds with the facts of history. The revelation in the Hebrew Scriptures of a reasonable Creator imbued Judaism and Christianity with a conviction that the world is intelligible, leading to the flowering of reason and the invention of science in the West. It was no accident that the Enlightenment took place in the culture formed by the Jewish and Christian faiths. Join us as we talk with Dr. Sam Gregg...
Feb 06, 2020•35 min•Ep. 115
How should we think about our economy as followers of Jesus? Do we accept economic life as "it is what it is?" Or does the way we think about economics make a difference in our discipleship? Co-authors Victor Claar (economist) and Greg Forster (political philosopher) talk about their new book on the most influential economist of our time, Sir John Maynard Keynes, and how his views on economics have shaped how culture sees human beings, morality, consumption and prosperity. Be sure not to miss th...
Jan 30, 2020•33 min•Ep. 114
How did a violent Klansman become a champion of racial reconciliation? In his new book, Consumed by Hate, Redeemed by Love , former white supremacist Tom Tarrants tells a remarkable story of transformation by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Join us as Scott interviews Tom as he tells his story of Klan involvement, prison, and redemption. You won’t want to miss this one! Tom Tarrants is President Emeritus of the C.S. Lewis Institute, where he served for more than 20 years. Tom holds a Master of Divin...
Jan 26, 2020•32 min•Ep. 113
With the release of the World Watch List in January 2020, we get a catalog of the most difficult places for the followers of Jesus around the world. Join us for an inside look at some of these places from someone who travels there regularly and has first hand exposure as Scott interviews Rienk and hears of the stories of the persecuted church in 2020. To learn more about the World Watch List, watch their 2020 press conference . For security reasons, we cannot reveal the name of our guest for thi...
Jan 16, 2020•27 min•Ep. 112
How can the pro-life message be effective in an increasingly polarized culture? How can the movement move from controversy to civility and still be a compelling message defending the unborn? Join us for our conversation with Stephanie Gray, a veteran of the pro-life movement who describes how to defend the unborn in today’s culture. Stephanie Gray is a seasoned and international speaker who began presenting at the age of 18. She has given over 900 pro-life presentations across North America as w...
Jan 09, 2020•35 min•Ep. 111
Many Millennials are skeptical of the Bible, viewing it as an outdated, intolerant book. Yet fellow Millennials Michael and Lauren McAfee, authors of Not What You Think , are up for the challenge. They make the case for their generation and for Gen Zers that the Bible is a must-read, life-changing book. In this podcast, Sean and Scott interview them about how they invite their generation to reconsider the Bible. The McAfees are a husband and wife team who are both working on their PhDs at Southe...
Jan 02, 2020•30 min•Ep. 110
In her important book, Love and Economics , economist Dr. Jennifer Morse argues the family is the central cultural institution responsible for the prosperity and well being of the next generation. She maintains that all of the virtues necessary for flourishing economically are learned in the family. You may not see how love and economics go together, so join us for this interesting discussion of how they connect. Dr. Jennifer Morse is the president of the Ruth Institute, a non-profit organizatio...
Dec 27, 2019•36 min•Ep. 109
What is the state of historical Jesus studies today? How has the landscape changed over the past few decades? Dr. Darrell Bock provides some remarkable insight about how historical Jesus studies have moved in a positive direction towards embracing many key facts surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Sean and Scott interview him about his journey to faith, his love for studying the historical Jesus, and what non academics can learn from academic research today. Darrell Bock is o...
Dec 23, 2019•35 min•Ep. 108
It has not been uncommon for advocates of virtually every economic system to invoke Jesus in support of their views, though some of the most ardent advocates for both capitalism and socialism did not have any particular religious views themselves (Rand, Marx). Over the years, some of the more recent advocates of socialist type economic arrangements have appealed to Jesus and the gospels in support of such systems. Economist Lawrence Reed helps us sort out the application of the teaching of Jesus...
Dec 17, 2019•31 min•Ep. 107
In his recent book Atheist Overreach , Dr. Christian Smith argues that public atheist spokespersons often overreach their position regarding what atheism can actually explain about morality and science. Sean and Scott ask him probing questions about the nature of the secular-religious dialogue and why he thinks atheists sometimes overreach their position. As one of the leading Christian sociologists today, Dr. Smith's insights are both helpful and timely. Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan,...
Dec 05, 2019•33 min•Ep. 106
With the Thanksgiving season upon us, we thought it fitting to do some theological and psychological reflection on gratitude. Join us for this stimulating conversation with Rosemead Professor Dr. Stacy Eltiti, as we explore dimensions of gratitude that you might not have thought about before. It can be applied all year round, not just during the Thanksgiving holiday. Dr. Stacy Eltiti is Associate Professor of Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology , Biola University. She has a Ph.D. in cogn...
Nov 28, 2019•27 min•Ep. 105
As the president of Stand to Reason, Greg Koukl is one of the leading Christian apologists today. Sean asks Greg questions about his personal faith journey and about life lessons he has learned thorough his radio, speaking, and writing ministries. Greg Koukl is the president and founder of Stand to Reason. He is the author of multiple books including Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted In Mid-Air and most recently The Story of Reality. ...
Nov 21, 2019•32 min•Ep. 104
Dr. Wilson has been thinking long and hard about how the mathematical structure of the world points towards God's existence and beauty. in this interview, he explains how his understanding of math drives him to worship God more deeply and how math should motivate Christians to care about doing good in the world. And for fun, he even offers some reflections on the movie Moneyball and how statistics can help in baseball. Jason Wilson oversees the statistics service courses in the Department of Mat...
Nov 15, 2019•30 min•Ep. 103
In this session, we will introduce you to a series of compelling stories about the intersection of Christian faith and business—the Faith and Co. film series . Produced by Seattle Pacific University Professor (and Biola graduate) Dr. Kenman Wong, the series tells 13 different stories of Christian faith informing the mission of companies around the world. You’ll want to view the film series too after hearing this conversation with Dr. Wong. Dr. Kenman Wong is Professor of Business Ethics at Seatt...
Nov 13, 2019•29 min
What does economics have to with our criminal justice system? Well, quite a bit, according to economist, Dr. Sarah Estelle. Listen in for Dr. Estelle’s enlightening perspective on how her field of economics intersects with our justice system—we think you’ll find this a fascinating discussion. Dr. Sarah Estelle is an associate professor of economics at Hope College. She extends the theories and empirical techniques of microeconomics to questions located along the "imperialist" frontier of economi...
Nov 07, 2019•36 min•Ep. 102
As a former atheist from the Pacific Northwest, Mary Jo Sharp thought religion was for the weak-minded. But she was transformed by encountering Jesus in the New Testament. In this episode, Sean and Scott interview MJ about her latest book Why I Still Believe . She shares her journey to faith, including some difficult experiences she had adapting to church culture. Professor Sharp offers some powerful wisdom for engaging non-believers today. Mary Jo Sharp is one of the leading apologists today. S...
Nov 05, 2019•31 min
What are the most powerful ways culture influences the beliefs and behaviors of students? Should parents and other youth influencers be concerned, in particular, about the influence of the occult? Sean and Scott interview youth ministry guru Walt Mueller about the most pressing areas of concerning for both reaching and equipping the next generation. And they offer practical tools for any concerned adult for how to engage young people today. Walt Mueller is the founder and President of the Center...
Oct 31, 2019•27 min•Ep. 101
The end of life is not normally a subject we talk about that much, but it’s rare that we have someone who can approach it with the insight and sensitivity of our guest—Dr. Katie Butler. She approaches and clarifies many issues around the end of life from the perspective of a biblically centered physician who has specialized in critical care surgery in her practice. Join us for this helpful and practical discussion about something that we all will face. Dr. Katie Butler is a trauma and critical c...
Oct 24, 2019•36 min•Ep. 100
Progress in the development and application of artificial intelligence is coming at a rapid pace today, and is challenging not only our view of work in the future, but also our view of human persons. Can machines have consciousness like a person does? How about rationality? Moral reasoning? Creativity? Join us for this fascinating discussion with philosopher Dr. Mihretu Guta as he explains what artificial intelligence involves and how it impacts our view of what constitutes a human person. Dr. M...
Oct 17, 2019•33 min•Ep. 99
Churches in North America today have over $1 trillion in assets that are significantly underutilized. The subtitle for this stimulating book is the topic of our conversation on this podcast — " Why tithes and offerings are no longer enough ." Join us for this fascinating conversation about how churches can leverage their assets to serve the community and contribute to their financial sustainability. Mark DeYmaz is pastor of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, in Little Rock, Arkansas and presiden...
Oct 12, 2019•33 min•Ep. 98
The wage gap between men and women in the workplace is the subject of ongoing debate and controversy. This gender wage gap is actually larger for older workers and there is a greater disparity in some specific industries. In addition, the "glass ceiling" for women in the executive suite is still a matter of intense discussion. Listen as economist Dr. Angela Dills explains the data behind the discussion and helps put this difficult issue in perspective. Dr. Angela Dills is Professor of Economics ...
Oct 03, 2019•29 min•Ep. 97
There seems to be a wider gap with this younger generation, dubbed Gen Z, than previous generations. This brings unique challenges to those who care about engaging the next generation. Sean and Scott interview Steven Argue about his new book Growing With . They discuss what makes engaging and reaching this generation so tough and offer some practical strategies for doing so effectively. Get a free sample chapter of Steven's new book here: https://growingwithbook.com/think-biblically/ Steven Argu...
Sep 26, 2019•30 min•Ep. 96
It seems that every time an election season comes around, candidates decry growing economic inequality and demand for solutions to "make things more equal." In addition, it is not uncommon to hear about our economic system being rigged to favor the rich and powerful. Join us for this stimulating conversation with economist Dr. Anne Bradley, who put inequality in theological perspective and addresses the problems associated with crony capitalism. Dr. Anne Bradley, Ph.D. is Vice President for Econ...
Sep 20, 2019•36 min•Ep. 95
After the sudden death of her husband, former major league pitcher and radio host Frank Pastore, his widow Gina Pastore was faced with how to pick up the pieces of what had become a shattered life. In her book, Picking Up the Pieces of My Shattered Life , Gina tells the fascinating story of their life together, and how she moved forward with her life after her loss. Join us for this touching conversation with Gina as she gives clues to recovering from devastating loss. Gina Pastore is the host o...
Sep 13, 2019•32 min•Ep. 94
What is the role of contemplation in the Christian life? In our busy and distracted age, how can we find time to connect with God through both prayer and reflection? In this interview, Sean and Scott talk with theologian Kyle Strobel about his book Embracing Contemplation . Strobel clears up some confusion about the nature of contemplation and offers some biblical and practical insights for embracing contemplation as part of the Christian life today. Read a transcript of this episode at: https:/...
Sep 05, 2019•32 min•Ep. 93
Younger generations today have the unique challenge of learning to follow Jesus in a world that has been transformed by digital technology. Based on years of research with Millennials and Gen Z, David discusses the unique challenges young people face today as well as offers some practical wisdom for helping disciple them to follow Jesus. Sean and Scott ask David questions from his latest book Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon . David Kinnaman is the...
Sep 04, 2019•35 min•Ep. 92
