In his new book, written with his daughter, NT scholar Scot McKnight takes on the subject of toxic church cultures-how to diagnose them and how to fix them. Their book, A Church Called Tov, outlines how to create and maintain church cultures characterized by goodness (tov) and organizational health. Join Scott and Sean as they unpack this important area for churchgoers, pastors and church leaders. Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically
What does the most recent research show about how parents, teachers, youth pastors and concerned adults can pass on their faith to younger generations? In this interview, Sean and Scott talk with Dr. Christian Smith about his latest book Handing Down the Faith (Oxford Press, 2021). They explore the power of parental relationships and also common reasons that prevent faith transmission. Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. Smith is well known for his research focused on religion, adolescents and emerging adults, and social theory. Smith received his MA and PhD from Harvard University in 1990 and his BA from Gordon College in 1983. Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically
How to develop a life of wisdom in the midst of a culture that works against such a development? Gospel Coalition author and editor Brett McCracken provides an insightful diagnosis of our cultural moment with guidelines for developing a life characterized by wisdom. Join Sean and Scott for Brett's perceptive perspective on this important topic. Brett McCracken is Senior Editor and Director of Communications for The Gospel Coalition and author of Uncomfortable, Hipster Christianity, and Gray Matters. He has a regular blog post at brettmccracken.com Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically
Journalist Marvin Olasky tells the story of his sometimes rocky relationship with his father, the product of a good deal of fascinating research on his father after his death. Join Scott and Sean for this interview as he reflects on this relationship and what it taught him about his own role as a father to his own children. Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically
We're trying something new! This full episode of Think Biblically is also available as a video on Biola's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/edRCUXzuIXs. Leave a comment on YouTube and let us know if you want to see more episodes in video format! Shame has been maligned as a harmful emotion that has no place in human flourishing. But is this view correct? Is it biblical? Sean and Scott talk with Gregg Ten Elshof, a fellow Biola professor, about his latest book For Shame. Dr. Ten Elshof argues that shame is an important emotion, when experienced in the right way, to help with human flourishing in a well-ordered society. Gregg Ten Elshof is a professor of philosophy at Biola University. He is the founding director of Biola's Center for Christian thought, and has published a number of academic articles and several well-regarded books including Christianity Today's book award winner I Told Me So. Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically
How do we know the Bible is trustworthy? Are the Gospels really written by the people who they are attributed to? What about contradictions? In this interview, Sean and Scott talk with professor Bill Mounce about his latest book Why I Trust the Bible. Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically
Religious freedom is a universal freedom, grounded in the rights of conscience. Though it is true that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, they are not the only ones experiencing intense persecution. Join Scott as he interviews Rushan Abbas, a Uyghur Muslim, who will tell you about the experience of her people in China today, where she estimates that close to 3 million Uyghur Muslims are held in the equivalent of concentration camps in China today. Though you will not agree with everything that Rushan holds to theologically, there is common ground in our mutual desire to stand for religious freedom around the world. Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically
On December 1, 2021, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, around a Mississippi law that restricts abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Pro-life advocates view this as the best opportunity in some time to see Roe v. Wade reversed, and pro-choice supporters see this as a threat to what they consider a fundamental right of a woman over her own body. Join Scott and Sean as they discuss the arguments being made by both sides and outline the possibilities that the future might hold for abortion law in the US. Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically
Few subjects are more controversial today than immigration and the Christian debate reflects the discussion in the culture at large. There is still significant debate over what the Bible teaches on this subject and how the Bible's teaching should be applied. Markus Zehnder's new book, The Bible and Immigration, is a first rate resource not only on what the Bible says but how to properly use the Bible on subjects like this one. Join Scott and Sean for this interview with Dr. Zehnder, who brings his perspective from his European background to this issue. Markus Zehnder grew up in Switzerland and is an ordained minister of the Reformed Church of Switzerland. After the completion of his doctorate, he moved to Jerusalem and then to Boston for postdoctoral studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at Harvard University. He has held teaching positions in Switzerland, Germany, Norway, and Belgium. He has a passion to connect the Bible both with personal and societal issues. Questions relating to migration are at the top of the list of his research interests. Show notes, including a full transcript, are available at: biola.edu/thinkbiblically