Talbot School of Theology at Biola University / Sean McDowell & Scott Rae | August 21, 2026

Weekly Cultural Update: Betting on the Palisades Fire; Meta Youth Lawsuits; Young Conservative Socialists; Building AI Influencers

Betting on the Palisades Fire: Scott and Sean examine the ethics surrounding Polymarket users placing financial wagers on the 2025 Palisades fire, asking where open market speculation crosses into exploiting human tragedy.

Meta Facing State Lawsuits: The hosts unpack a recent report detailing the major multi-state lawsuit against Meta, focusing on the legal and moral implications of algorithmic design and youth mental health.

The Rise of Young Conservative Socialists: Analyzing a thought-provoking Wall Street Journal report, the duo explores the growing phenomenon of young conservatives embracing socialist economic policies.

Building AI Influencers for Profit: Scott and Sean dissect a NY Times article on companies creating synthetic, AI-driven personalities and podcasts to market businesses, cut costs, and maximize corporate profits.

Audience Question: Commercializing the Human Body: The hosts provide a biblical framework for evaluating the ethics of monetizing human biology, touching on issues like blood plasma sales and organ donation.

Audience Question: Seminary in the '70s vs. Today: Scott contrasts the theological landscape of 1970s seminaries with today, highlighting past doctrinal battles alongside modern cultural issues that were previously unimagined.

Audience Question: Grant Underwood Conversation Follow-Up: Sean addresses audience feedback and expands on key insights from his previous discussion on LDS history and theology with scholar Grant Underwood.

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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.  

Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is a professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, best-selling author, popular speaker, part-time high school teacher, and the Resident Scholar for Summit Ministries, California. Follow him on Twitter: @sean_mcdowell