We're back with our Friday Weekly Cultural Updates. This week, Scott and guest co-host Rick Langer discuss a series of recent New York Times opinion pieces, including: 

• Faith vs. Conduct: Will the American church's destiny be defined by beliefs or actions.
• Sexual Orientation: Challenging the "born this way" narrative.
• AI Optimism: David Brooks argues that AI is an ally, not a rival, and highlights its potential to complement human capabilities.
• Market Fallibility: How the market doesn't always get it right, with a focus on universities and media prioritizing customer desires over quality.
• Listener Question: Christian Commitment: How to respond to those who follow Christianity only when convenient.
• Listener Question: Rights vs. Obligations: Discussion on prioritizing obligations over rights from a Christian perspective, advocating for a love-centered approach.
• Listener Question: Mental Health and Salvation: Consideration of the salvation of those with mental illnesses.

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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 [email protected].

What was it like for a teenage girl to escape from North Korea and make it to the US? How did she adjust to life in the US as compared to North Korea? How was her criticism of China received in the US? How did her experience at an elite Ivy League university remind her of life in North Korea? We’ll answer these questions and more as we discuss the new book from Yeonmi Park, While Time Remains.

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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 [email protected].

Should Christians use preferred pronouns? What is at stake in this question? How can Christians navigate relationships when people want them to use preferred pronouns? In this longer-than-usual podcast, Sean and Biola communications professor Tim Muehlhoff discuss these questions and more. In co-writing their book End the Stalemate, Sean and Tim realized they have much in common, but also some practical and biblical differences about how and when to use (and not use) preferred pronouns. They aim to model a healthy dialogue about a contentious issue.

This episode is also available as a video on Biola's YouTube channel. 

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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 [email protected].

Why are healthy marriages so vital for a flourishing society? What factor best predicts a high-quality marriage? What are some of the most common myths people believe about marriage today and how can Christians make a difference to encourage a marriage-friendly culture? These are just a few of the questions Sean discusses with sociologist Brad Wilcox regarding his new book Get Married. Dr. Wilcox brings his years of studying marriage to respond to some of the biggest myths about marriage, but also give some practical insights about how to help create a marriage-friendly culture. 

Brad Wilcox is Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, Future of Freedom Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. The author of Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families and Save Civilization (Harper Collins, 2024), Wilcox studies marriage, fatherhood, and the impact of strong and stable families on men, women, and children. 

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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 [email protected].

This week, we have an excerpt of a recent event that Sean participated in with atheist journalist Adam Davidson. The two dialogued about their perspectives on issues like cancel culture, perceptions of evangelicals, and the importance of civil discourse. Highlighting areas of both agreement and disagreement, this episode demonstrates the value of thoughtful dialogue between differing worldviews.

This discussion was moderated by Sean's "End the Stalemate" co-author, Tim Muehlhoff.

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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 [email protected].

What are the essential truths of the Christian faith? How do we know they are true, and how do we live them out in relationships? In this episode, Scott interviews Sean about his recent book 12 Crucial Truths of the Christian Faith. They discuss the core issues of Christianity, how we know they are true, and why they matter for our relationship with God and others.

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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 [email protected].

This week, Scott & Sean discuss:

• Current struggles and internal conflicts within the pro-life movement after the Dobbs decision
• Implications of a New York bill that could impact private and religious schools' policies on gender expression
• The rise of anti-Semitism on elite university campuses and its  effects on Jewish students
• Incident involving Venezuelan migrants in Texas and its impact on the immigration debate
• Listener Question: Women's Roles in Church Leadership
• Listener Question: God's Moral Character
• Listener Question: CRT and Diversity Training

Scheduling Note: Our Friday "Cultural Update" episodes will be on hiatus during the month of July, as we enjoy a bit of a summer break. Our regular episodes will continue to publish on Tuesdays.

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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 [email protected].

Why is it so important that we reclaim the historic Christian faith in a culture dominated by individualism and identity politics?

Join Sean for an interview with Carl Trueman, as they discuss how believers can use the traditional creeds to evaluate modern cultural questions.

Carl's new book is Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity.

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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 [email protected].

This week, Sean and Scott discuss: 

• Louisiana mandates public schools to display the Ten Commandments, sparking legal debates and opposition.
• A federal judge in Kentucky blocks Biden's Title IX rules, arguing gender identity and sex are distinct.
• The U.S. Surgeon General advocates for warning labels on social media to protect adolescents' mental health.
• Listener question: Navigating self-defense as a Christian in light of Jesus' teachings on non-retaliation.
• Listener question: Ethics of IVF and alternatives for pro-life couples concerned about genetic conditions.
• Listener question: Ethical considerations of using a pen name for publishing controversial religious content.

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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 [email protected].

Why do conversations today so often descend into unhealthy arguments and cancellation? Is it possible to have meaningful, positive conversations on difficult topics with people who see the world differently? And if so, how do we do it? Sean talks with Tim Muehlhoff, Biola communications professor, about these questions and more. They discuss their latest co-written book End the Stalemate and offer some biblical insights for effective conversations across worldview divides.

Tim Muehlhoff (Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is a Professor of Communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California where he teaches classes in conflict resolution, apologetics, gender, and family communication.  He is co-director of Biola’s Winsome Conviction Project that seeks to reintroduce compassion and civility into our disagreements.  He’s the co-host of the Winsome Conviction Podcast where people with differing viewpoints are brought on for engaging dialogue.

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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 [email protected].