Scott Rae, Rick Langer | 六月 5, 2026

Cultural Update: Rethinking Just War; Screen-Free Summer; Separation of Church and State

This week, we discuss: 

Rethinking Just War: Pope Francis’s comments on just war theory spark a timely conversation about self-defense, civilian harm, AI warfare, and whether Christian ethics needs fresh application in modern conflict.

Marriage Shapes Young Men: New research suggests that having marriage on the horizon can motivate young men toward work, maturity, commitment, and lower-risk choices.

Church And State Confusion: A debate over “separation of church and state” opens up deeper questions about religious liberty, political power, and why Christians should care about protecting the church from corruption.

Screen-Free Summer Reset: A radical family experiment in removing screens offers practical hope for helping kids rediscover books, outdoor play, creativity, and real-life community.

Listener Question: AI Fear Or Wisdom: A listener question about Anthropic’s AI blackmail test raises the need for Christians to avoid panic while still taking the risks of human-made technology seriously.

Listener Question: Sexuality And Church Leadership: A listener’s question about LGBTQ-affirming views in worship leadership leads to a nuanced distinction between disagreement among church members and qualifications for spiritual leadership.


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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