Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

• Cultural Update: Jesus Bots; UCSD Education Crisis; The New Singlehood Dilemma; Guns in Church

  This week: “Jesus Bots” & AI Spirituality: Sean and Scott discuss a New York Times piece on religious chatbots, raising concerns about me-centered faith, shallow “AI Jesus” advice, and how tech may distort spiritual formation.UC San Diego’s Education Crisis: A Wall Street Journal editorial reveals that 1 in 12 UCSD freshmen can’t perform middle-school math, prompting a conversation about grade inflation, DEI pressures, COVID learning loss, and the need for academic accountability.AI & the Decline of Critical Thinking: An Atlantic article sparks discussion on how people increasingly outsource decision-making to AI, rewiring their brains, avoiding discomfort, and creating new forms of dependency.The New Singlehood Dilemma: The hosts unpack cultural mixed messages—society simultaneously pushes people to find a partner and to celebrate being single—leading to confusion, shame, and loneliness.Listener Question – Tattoos & Piercings: Sean and Scott explain that Old Testament prohibitions were tied to pagan rituals, meaning tattoos today are largely a wisdom issue rather than a moral one.Listener Question – Guns in Church Security: They discuss self-defense biblically and practically, concluding that armed security can be appropriate when trained and focused on protecting the congregation.Listener Question – Devotionals for Teens: Recommendations include reading Scripture together or using teen-friendly devotionals, with Sean mentioning his book A Rebel’s Manifesto as a helpful cultural guide.==========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. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. 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].

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• Biola's Commitment to Biblical Truth: A Conversation with President Corey

  Is Biola University staying true to its biblical mission? In this candid episode of the Think Biblically podcast, Biola University President Dr. Barry H. Corey joins hosts Dr. Sean McDowell, associate professor of Christian apologetics, and Dr. Scott Rae, senior advisor to the president for university mission and professor of philosophy and Christian ethics, for a conversation about the pressures facing Christian universities and what it takes to stay faithful in an increasingly hostile culture.With nearly two decades of presidential leadership behind him, Dr. Corey reflects on Biola’s unwavering 117-year mission, the challenges of guiding a university in a polarized world, and his vision for raising up a generation that holds firmly to biblical truth while embodying the winsome fragrance of Christ.Together, they address some of today’s most important questions facing Christian institutions, including:Has Biola experienced mission drift?How has the university course-corrected over the years?What role do critical theories play in higher education today?How are hiring practices shaped by theological conviction?Whether you’re a Biola student, alumnus, parent, or someone following the future of Christian universities, this episode offers clarity, transparency, and hope rooted in biblical conviction.Further Reading:Biola University Theological PositionsArticles of Faith (included in the Red Book)Statement of Biblical PrinciplesPrinciples of Free Expression and Diversity of ThoughtAbout President CoreyBarry H. Corey is the eighth president of Biola University. Since assuming the role in 2007, Corey has led Biola into its second century with the launch of an ambitious 10‐year university plan, completing the largest fundraising campaign in Biola’s history by exceeding its $180 million goal, creating four new academic schools and embarking on a major university transformation journey to position Biola to flourish for decades to come. He has done this while honoring the mission of the university and its unique contribution to the landscape of higher education.==========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. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. 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].

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• Seeing Good in the World (with Tim Muehlhoff)

  Why is it that Christians tend to focus on the brokenness of creation rather than its goodness? What if we shifted our attention to highlighting that God made the world to be our home, and as a result, focused on loving the world? Sean and Tim Muehlhoff discuss the proper balance we can find between recognizing the sinfulness and goodness of the world and what this means for discipleship and evangelism. Tim Muehlhoff (PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) is senior director of Biola's Winsome Conviction Project that seeks to open lines of communication rather than close them. He is the author of multiple books, including "End the Stalemate," with Sean McDowell. He is a popular speaker at churches, conferences, and universities.==========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. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. 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].

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• The Cost of Ambition (with Miroslav Volf)

  While God has made us to be ambitious, there can be a deep spiritual cost for striving to be better than others. Miroslav Volf is one of the leading public theologians. In this episode, based on his book "The Cost of Ambition," Dr. Volf explains how the teachings of Jesus and Paul offer a means for how we can aim for excellence without being plagued by our own sense of inferiority. Miroslav Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and is the founder and director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He was educated in his native Croatia, the United States, and Germany, earning doctoral and post-doctoral degrees (with highest honors) from the University of Tübingen, Germany. He has written or edited more than 20 books, over 100 scholarly articles, and his work has been featured in the Washington Post, Christianity Today, Christian Century, Sojourners, and several other outlets, including NPR's Speaking of Faith (now On Being with Krista Tippett) and Public Television’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. ========== PLEASE NOTE: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will not be a Weekly Cultural Update airing this Friday. Please join us next week when a regular episode will air on Tuesday. Have a happy Thanksgiving. We're especially thankful for your support of the Think Biblically podcast.==========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. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. 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].

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• Cultural Update: The Loneliness Epidemic; Tesla’s Robot Army; Why Orthodoxy is Surging in the U.S.

  Loneliness & Misinformation: Sean and Rick unpack new research linking rising loneliness, especially among young adults, to increased susceptibility to conspiracy theories and online misinformation, emphasizing the need for real community and diverse conversation partners.Tesla’s ‘Robot Army’: They discuss Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to deploy one million humanoid robots, raising concerns about work, human purpose, and the worldview assumptions behind a future where “work becomes optional.”How Movies Get Rated: The hosts explore newly revealed insights from the film ratings board, explaining shifting standards around nudity, marijuana, violence, and how Christians can think more deeply about film beyond simple PG-13/R labels.Orthodox Christianity’s Surprising Growth: A major feature covers why young men are increasingly drawn to Eastern Orthodoxy for its beauty, tradition, masculinity, and supernaturalism, and how this trend fits into broader signs of spiritual renewal in the U.S.Listener Questions: Unpacking the millennial reign of Christ.Helping someone who is struggling with pedophilia.Understanding the theological significance of rainbows in today's culture.==========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. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. 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].

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