Talbot School of Theology at Biola University / Sean McDowell & Scott Rae | 四月 17, 2026

Cultural Update: Rise of Religiosity in Men; Trump's Messianic Imagery; The Ethics of Sports Gambling; Awareness in Vegetative Patients

Rise of Religiosity Among Young Men: A recent Gallup survey shows a significant 14% increase in men under 30 who say religion is "very important" to them, even as interest among young women has dropped.

Trump’s Messianic Imagery: The hosts examine the controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s social media posts, specifically a meme depicting himself as a messianic figure, and how it relates to historical tensions between heads of state and religious leaders.

Sports Gambling as the New Pornography: Scott and Sean explore the cultural impact and addictive nature of the burgeoning sports gambling industry, drawing parallels to the social harms of pornography.

Hidden Awareness in Vegetative Patients: New research into the consciousness of patients in vegetative states is analyzed, raising profound ethical and theological questions about human value and medical care.

Audience Question: Politicians and the Bible in War: A listener asked about the ethics of politicians using biblical passages to justify military conflict, leading to a discussion on the "just war" tradition and the potential for scriptural misappropriation.

Audience Question: Favorite Movies of All Time: In a lighter segment, the hosts share their personal favorite movies, discussing how film can reflect deep human truths and provide meaningful entertainment.


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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