Talbot School of Theology at Biola University / Sean McDowell & Scott Rae | 九月 19, 2025

Cultural Update: Cancel Culture Resurfaces; Surveillance State in New York

This week's topics:

  • Police surveillance in New York – Sean and Scott discuss the rise of citywide tracking, privacy rights, and biblical perspectives on government power and personal freedom.
  • Graphic killings on social media – They reflect on how viral videos of violent deaths, including Charlie Kirk’s assassination, can deaden our souls, dehumanize victims, and reveal troubling cultural values.
  • Cancel culture resurfaces – A look at employees fired over mocking Kirk’s death online, raising questions about free speech, company reputation, and the lack of forgiveness in cancel culture.
  • Spiritual chatbots – Millions are turning to AI-driven faith apps. The hosts consider whether they nurture spiritual hunger or risk replacing biblical truth with feel-good validation.
  • Listener questions – Advice on handling a child’s relationship with a transgender partner, leaving a church where the pastor embraces progressive views, and whether combat sports like MMA are ethically problematic.

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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.
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 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