Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Polyamorous Domestic Partnerships in West Hollywood: West Hollywood’s city council unanimously approved a domestic partnership registry for multi-partner relationships, granting rights such as hospital visitation and tenant protections. Sean and Scott examine how this move follows an incremental cultural playbook that prioritizes adult autonomy and feelings over what is scientifically and biblically best for children. 
Parents Suing Schools Over Bad Grades: From elementary school report card comments in Palo Alto to disputed grades in Nashville, affluent parents are increasingly using lawyers and administrative pressure to overturn educators' evaluations. Scott and Sean critique this extreme helicopter parenting, arguing that shielding kids from adversity puts worldly accomplishment ahead of character and resilience. 
Can AI Really Read Minds?: New research combining MRI machines with AI models attempts to reconstruct silent narratives and visual experiences from changes in brain blood flow. While weighing future privacy concerns, Scott and Sean explain the crucial metaphysical gap between the physical brain and the immaterial soul, noting that AI only correlates physical signals rather than truly reading minds. 
Potential Jail Time for UK Parents Over Gender Transition: A broadly drafted conversion therapy ban proposed in the UK could threaten parents with up to five years in prison for refusing to fund a child's gender transition or declining to use preferred pronouns. Sean and Scott discuss how this legislation clashes with the findings of the UK's own Cass Review and contrast British legal vulnerabilities with constitutional religious liberty protections in the U.S. 
Audience Question: Understanding Psalm 37:19 Amid Persecution: A missionary in Taiwan asks how to trust Psalm 37:19's promise of provision during famine when faithful Christians in places like Nigeria suffer starvation and martyrdom. Scott and Sean clarify that this wisdom passage points to God's covenant faithfulness during national famine rather than an exemption from the persecution that the New Testament explicitly warns believers to expect. 
Audience Question: Addressing Sharia Law in America: Following a recent episode on Sharia, a listener asks what practical steps Christians can take beyond voting to address the influence of Islamic legal practices in the U.S. The hosts advise staying grounded without falling into hysteria, educating oneself on the differences between Islamic jurisprudence and the U.S. Constitution, and sharing well-researched resources with lawmakers. 
Audience Question: Why Modern Culture Rejects Intelligent Design: A listener wonders what drove the cultural shift from early science's belief in a Creator to today's dismissal of an intelligent designer. Sean and Scott explain that the shift stems from the philosophical dominance of naturalism rather than scientific data, though discoveries around cosmic fine-tuning continue to make Christian theism compelling. 

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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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Is the universe fine-tuned for life? Or has the fine-tuning argument been defeated? In this conversation, Sean sits down with Dr. Jay Richards, a philosopher, co-author of The Privileged Planet, and one of the world's leading defenders of the fine-tuning argument to explore one of the most compelling cases for design today. Dr. Richards walks through how the fine-tuning argument has improved over 30 years and why even atheists like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins have admitted this is the argument that gives them pause.
Jay W. Richards, Ph.D., is Vice President of Social and Domestic Policy and the William E. Simon Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute. Richards is author or editor of more than a dozen books, including the New York Times bestsellers Infiltrated and Indivisible; The Human Advantage; Money, Greed, and God, winner of a 2010 Templeton Enterprise Award; The Privileged Planet with Guillermo Gonzalez
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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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Political Identity 2.0: Scott and Sean examine how identity politics is shifting from race and gender toward economic class. They encourage believers to reject zero-sum financial mindsets while engaging civically. 
Colorado Pre-K & Religious Liberty: The hosts discuss a Supreme Court case challenging Colorado for withholding funding from religious pre-K programs that maintain biblical views on sexuality. They highlight why institutional religious freedom must be protected in the public square. 
Family Time Over Friendships: Evaluating data that shows Americans prioritizing home life over outside social ties, the hosts weigh the trade-offs. They affirm strong family bonds while stressing the biblical necessity of intentional friendships. 
Doctors Counseling on Climate Change: Reacting to a National Review piece on bioethicists urging physicians to counsel patients on climate change, the hosts critique expanding medical consultation into political activism. They argue that doctors should remain focused on individual patient health rather than lecturing on planetary care.  
Audience Question: Serving on Ideologically Opposing Boards: The hosts advise Christians on navigating boards with conflicting worldviews by drawing on Daniel's diplomatic example in Scripture. They encourage working for positive change from within unless core convictions are compromised. 
Audience Question: Duty to Vote with Flawed Candidates: Addressing moral hesitation in elections, Scott and Sean explain voting as a neighbor-loving duty to lessen evil. They remind voters that all political options in a fallen world are mixed bags. 
Audience Question: Clarifying the Threat of Sharia Law: Addressing a follow-up question on whether the threat of Sharia Law in the U.S. is exaggerated, the hosts clarify their previous guest's core argument. They explain that while an imminent takeover of American institutions is unlikely under the Constitution, Sharia law fundamentally conflicts with constitutional freedoms. 

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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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Should Christians be concerned about Sharia law being implemented in the US What is Sharia Law, and is it compatible with the U.S. Constitution? Sean and Scott are shared by Dr. A.S. Ibrahim to discuss his latest book Sharia Versus the U.S. Constitution. Dr. Ibrahim grew up in Egypt, and has two doctorates in Islam, and so he has a unique perspective to speak on this topic.
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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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Key Issues Ignored by Christian Voters : Host Scott Rae and guest host Rick Langer examine an article highlighting critical societal issues—such as systemic poverty, housing affordability, and long-term care—that Christian voters frequently overlook in favor of high-profile political debates.
Measuring Faith with the Religious Behavior Index: The discussion dives into recent survey data analyzing shifting trends in religious practice, exploring how active engagement is measured and what declining scores signal for the future of the local church. 
When AI Anticipates Crime: The hosts unpack the bioethical dilemma surrounding Anthropic's Claude AI flagging a murder plot in Pakistan before it occurred, weighing predictive safety interventions against severe risks to user privacy and free expression.
Thank God for Brave Men: Unpacking Louise Perry’s WSJ piece, the episode highlights the vital role of traditional male heroism and courage in maintaining civil safety and civic flourishing.
Audience Question: Use of AI for Children's Cognitive Development: Scott and Rick respond to a listener's question wondering if AI could have positive uses in helping in childhood cognitive development.
Audience Question: Engaging in Existential Apologetics: Following up on last week's conversation, an audience member wonders what are some good ways of engaging in an Existential Apologetics Dialogue.
Audience Question: Defeated Satan and Spiritual Warfare: An audience member questions how we still engage in Spiritual Warfare even when Satan is defeated. Scott and Rick expand on the idea explaining that Satan's fate is known but that does not mean that the battle is over.
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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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.