In his latest book , William Lane Craig explains the significance of the atonement of Jesus and defends it against some of the most common critiques. This interview was recorded on Sean's YouTube channel, and is longer than our typical episodes, but it falls right in line with the focus of the Think Biblically podcast. Enjoy! Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/bonus-atonement-jesus-defensible ========== Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith...
Sep 02, 2020•1 hr 3 min
You may not realize it, but couples wanting to adopt a child can actually adopt embryos that have been placed for adoption by the couples who conceived them through advanced reproductive technology. The very first person in the world who was adopted as an embryo is current Biola student, Hannah Strege . Join Scott and Sean for a conversation with Hannah and her adoptive parents about their experience with embryo adoption . This episode was recorded prior to the coronavirus shutdown. The Strege f...
Aug 28, 2020•37 min•Ep. 143
In the past few years, sexual misconduct among leaders has been exposed in various sectors of society, including Hollywood, the church and youth sports. One of the most egregious examples occurred in youth gymnastics, resulting in the conviction and prison sentence of Dr. Larry Nasser of multiple counts of sexual abuse and assault of young girls. Listen in as Scott and Sean interview Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to come forward and testify against Dr. Nasser, which sparked over 250 othe...
Aug 25, 2020•38 min•Ep. 142
Many critics of the Bible hold that the OT views women as property and is demeaning toward women. OT scholar Dr. Sandra Richter looks at the parts of the Mosaic law that deal with sexual violence toward women and concludes that, "far fewer lives were ravaged by sexual misconduct in the central hill country of Israel in the Iron Age than in southern California in 2019." Join us as Scott interviews Dr. Richter on this fascinating topic. Dr. Sandra Richter, Ph.D (Harvard), holds the Robert H. Gundr...
Aug 19, 2020•38 min•Ep. 141
Why do humans wonder so deeply about the nature and purpose of the world? And what does this tell us about what it means to be human? In this episode, Sean and Scott interview Oxford professor Alister McGrath about his latest book . McGrath makes a powerful case that naturalism is insufficient to account for the universal human sense of wonder and that this feature of the world points us to Christianity. Dr. Alister McGrath teaches in the areas of theology and science at Oxford University. He sp...
Aug 06, 2020•33 min•Ep. 141
Jon Steingard is the former lead singer for the Christian rock band Hawk Nelson. Not long ago, he announced that he no longer considers himself a Christian. In this episode, we are featuring a conversation between Jon and Sean McDowell about faith, doubt, and evidence for the Christian faith, which first aired on the Unbelievable? radio show in the U.K. If you enjoy this episode, check out the follow up conversation with Sean and Jon on Sean's YouTube channel Read a transcript of this episode at...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 27 min
Why should Christians care about euthanasia and physician assisted suicide? And how did we get to the place we are today in which "death with dignity" is considered increasingly acceptable? In this episode, Sean interviews historian Richard Weikart on these questions and more. Professor Weikart describes some of they key ideas that gave rise to the euthanasia movement and explains how the debate about euthanasia is part of a larger conflict between competing ideas. Dr. Richard Weikart is profess...
Jul 31, 2020•32 min•Ep. 140
Managing the end of life is challenging both for patients/families, and also for physicians. Join us as Scott interviews Dr. Ryan Nash, who has dealt with thousands of patients and families at the end of life as he shares his expertise on end of life care and assisted suicide. Dr. Ryan Nash, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities at Ohio State University School of Medicine. He also serves as the Hagop S. Mekhjian, MD, Chair in Medic...
Jul 24, 2020•36 min•Ep. 139
One of the church’s most respected theologians, Dr. Wayne Grudem, has re-thought the Bible’s teaching on divorce and remarriage , and has helpful insight for pastors, counselors and those who have been touched by divorce. Join Scott for this stimulating discussion of the Bible’s teaching on divorce and remarriage. Dr. Wayne Grudem is Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary. He is the author of more than 20 books on a variety of subjects related to theology and the...
Jul 21, 2020•35 min•Ep. 138
The evidence for the existence of the soul is stronger than many people think. In this episode, Sean interviews JP Moreland about the nature of the soul, how we know the soul is real, and why it matters. This is a bonus episode from the YouTube channel that Sean hosts in partnership with the Talbot Apologetics program. We take live questions from the viewing audience. JP Moreland is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is the author of multiple...
Jul 12, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Eschatology, or the doctrine of the end times, often is portrayed largely speculation, based on difficult to interpret biblical texts and subject to widespread disagreement among theological scholars. Join us for Scott and Sean’s interview with Talbot professor Dr. Mark Saucy, as he explains why eschatology is important, and why a particular view of eschatology is significant for the follower of Jesus. Mark Saucy's interests lie primarily in the areas of systematic and biblical theology. Before ...
Jul 10, 2020•31 min•Ep. 137
With religious freedom under assault around the world and increasingly in the United States, it’s critical to go back to the American founding and hear from the founding fathers about how they viewed religious freedom, and why they enshrined it in the first amendment to the Constitution. Join us for this conversation with noted scholar Dr. Daniel Dreisbach about the religious beliefs of the founders and their views of religious freedom. Dr. Daniel Dreisbach is professor in the department of Just...
Jul 03, 2020•35 min•Ep. 136
Sean recently had a radio debate with a popular YouTuber on the question of whether the apostles died as martyrs. Do we have good historical sources for their fates? How does the evidence support the larger case for the resurrection of Jesus? This is a lively but respectful discussion about the founders of the Christian faith. This is a bonus episode that aired first on Unbelievable? at Premier Christian Radio. Justin Brierley, the host of Unbelievable? was also a recent guest on the Think Bibli...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 7 min
How do we experience God's forgiveness in our own lives? How does unforgiveness sabotage our relationships with others? In this powerful and memorable interview, Ruth Graham shares some of the difficulties of having a father (Billy Graham) who traveled so much and was so busy. With vulnerability, she shares her personal journey to forgiving her father and to experiencing God's love and forgiveness in her own life. Ruth Graham is the author of nine books, including the bestselling In Every Pew Si...
Jun 25, 2020•28 min•Ep. 135
How should we think theologically about the COVID-19 pandemic? Join Scott and Sean as they interview internationally acclaimed New Testament scholar, NT Wright, as he talks about his new book, God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath . NT Wright is Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews and Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Prior to that he was the Anglican Bishop of Durham (2003-10). Prof...
Jun 19, 2020•30 min•Ep. 134
From time-to-time, we'll re-air an important episode that newer listeners may have missed. This episode was originally recorded in October 2017. In part two of our conversation on race and the church, Sean McDowell and Scott Rae talk with Pastor Chris Brooks about the Black Lives Matter movement, the protests at NFL games and the notion of white privilege. Brooks is pastor of Evangel Ministries, a large and predominantly African-American church in the heart of Detroit. He is also the author of U...
Jun 12, 2020•24 min•Ep. 133
From time-to-time, we'll re-air an important episode that newer listeners may have missed. This episode was originally recorded in October 2017. Issues around race continue to be front-page news both in the culture at large and in the church. In this episode and the one that follows, Scott Rae and Sean McDowell interview Chris Brooks, pastor of Evangel Ministries, a large and predominantly African-American church in the heart of Detroit. Pastor Brooks is also the author of Urban Apologetics and ...
Jun 06, 2020•21 min•Ep. 132
Immigration continues to be one of the most divisive issues, both in the culture at large and in the church. Migration was one of the central concerns of the Bible since the people of God were a people on the move for much of biblical history. Join Sean and Scott for this stimulating discussion with Dr. Daniel Carroll Rodas, on what the Bible has to say about immigration. Dr. M. Daniel Carroll, R.(Rodas), is Blanchard Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He is the author of several boo...
May 29, 2020•35 min•Ep. 131
The issue of gun violence and gun control is one of the most divisive issues in the US today. Philosopher Mike Austin has written a provocative book that attempts to bridge a cultural divide on this controversial issue. Join Scott and Sean for this stimulating discussion of what the Bible contributes to the issue of gun control, gun ownership and the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Dr. Mike Austin is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of History, Philosophy and Religion at Ea...
May 22, 2020•31 min•Ep. 130
Few issues are more difficult and controversial at the same time than the ethical issues around the end of life, particularly assisted suicide. Dealing with the inevitable losses and suffering that come at the end of life are often what motivates a request for assisted suicide. Yet there can be ways of dealing with suffering without eliminating the sufferer. Join Scott and Sean in part two of their interview pro-life advocate Stephanie Gray in a conversation about suffering and the end of life. ...
May 15, 2020•35 min•Ep. 129
Few issues are more difficult and controversial at the same time than the ethical issues around the end of life, particularly assisted suicide. Dealing with the inevitable losses and suffering that come at the end of life are often what motivates a request for assisted suicide. Yet there can be ways of dealing with suffering without eliminating the sufferer. Join Scott and Sean in part one of their interview pro-life advocate Stephanie Gray in a conversation about suffering and the end of life. ...
May 09, 2020•31 min•Ep. 128
How should we assess the accuracy of the gospel record of the life of Jesus, since the conventions of history writing were somewhat different in the ancient world compared to today. In his massive study, Christobiography , NT scholar Craig Keener compares the gospel record to the way ancient biography was written. Keener insists that the gospels should be regarded as historically accurate biographies, not historical novels, as some critics have maintained. Join us for part two of this conversati...
May 01, 2020•29 min•Ep. 127
How should we assess the accuracy of the gospel record of the life of Jesus, since the conventions of history writing were somewhat different in the ancient world compared to today. In his massive study, Christobiography , NT scholar Craig Keener compares the gospel record to the way ancient biography was written. Keener insists that the gospels should be regarded as historically accurate biographies, not historical novels, as some critics have maintained. Join us for the two part conversation o...
Apr 24, 2020•32 min•Ep. 126
Twenty-five years ago, the Oklahoma City bombing became the worst act of terrorism on American soil. Yet out of this horrible tragedy, a story has emerged of remarkable redemption and reconciliation. Sean and Scott interview Jeanne Bishop, the author of a new book that chronicles the road to reconciliation of two unlikely fathers: Bill McVeigh (father of Timothy McVeigh) and Bud Welch (father of one of the victims). This is a moving podcast you will not want to miss. Jeanne Bishop is a public de...
Apr 21, 2020•28 min•Ep. 125
God is moving powerfully among the Jewish community in Israel. From the perspective of a Bible professor in Israel, Dr. Mishkin shares how the Jewish Messianic movement in Israel is growing and thriving. He shares his personal story of coming to the Christian faith, his assessment of Jewish-Christian relations, and how to lovingly talk about Jesus with Jews. David Mishkin serves on the faculty of Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel. He is the co-editor of Jewish Roots of the Christian...
Apr 14, 2020•29 min•Ep. 124
One of the most destructive departures from biblical teaching spreading around the world today is what is known as the “prosperity gospel.” Scott and Sean interview pastor Costi Hinn, nephew of the well-known televangelist and proponent of the prosperity gospel, Benny Hinn. Join us for an inside look at the prosperity gospel from someone who has been on the inside and has re-examined it, and left the movement. Costi's book is titled God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel: How Truth Overwhelms a...
Apr 02, 2020•33 min•Ep. 123
While leading a recent student trip to Berkeley, Sean gave a pre-evangelistic message on the UC Berkeley campus. His approach was to give four reasons why a thought spiritual quest should begin with Christianity. And then he took live questions from students on a range of ethical, scientific, and theological issues. Enjoy this bonus episode of the Think Biblically podcast. Our apologies for the poor audio quality — the audio was not recorded by Biola University. Read a transcript of this episode...
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 4 min
According to David Platt, we live in a culture with values in deep conflict with the gospel. What does it mean to live out the Christian faith in such a world? In this interview about his book Counter Culture: Following Christ in an Anti-Christian Age , Sean interviews Dr. Platt about how Christians can lovingly and truthfully approach some of the toughest issues today including poverty, sex trafficking, and abortion through the lens of the gospel. Dr. David Platt serves as pastor at McLean Bibl...
Mar 27, 2020•31 min•Ep. 122
For over a decade, Justin Brierley has been hosting the popular radio show Unbelievable? , which is a program that features discussions between Christians and non-Christians. In this interview, Justin shares some of the insights he has learned about how to communicate gospel truth effectively in our increasingly secular world. And he shares some of the reasons he is still a Christian after all these years of conversation with atheists, skeptics, and other non-believers. Justin Brierley is the ho...
Mar 19, 2020•36 min•Ep. 121
If the Bible seems complicated to you, you’re in good company, and this conversation with Steve Green will help. In his new book, This Beautiful Book , Green lays out with clarity and simplicity, the big storyline of the Bible. Join us for this discussion of “this beautiful book.” Steve Green is president of Hobby Lobby and co-founder of the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC. Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/this-beautiful-book ==========...
Mar 12, 2020•34 min•Ep. 120
