Cultural Update: The Ethics of Dire Wolves; What to Make of Miracles; Are Embryos Property?

04/12/25 • 60 min

Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Topics this week:

An Atlantic article on Elaine Pagels' new book, "Miracles and Wonder." Is she downplaying the supernatural? This episode dives into her controversial take on New Testament miracles.
Florida teacher fired for using a student's preferred name without parental consent. Where do parental rights collide with student support?
Scientists have brought back the dire wolf. Is this a cool breakthrough or a recipe for disaster? We debate the ethics of de-extinction.
Are embryos property? Are they human life? The Alabama court ruling ignited a firestorm, and we're tackling the tough questions.
Listener Question: Martin Luther King Jr.: Hero or flawed figure? We address a listener's challenge and discuss how to reconcile King's legacy with his imperfections.
Listener Questions: Psychedelics: Are they safe? We pump the brakes on the hype, exploring potential harms and the principle of double effect.

Apologies for the late publishing this week — our production team was busy with a large event on Thursday and Friday.

Join us for ANCHORED: A Conference for Pastors, Church Leaders and the Community June 9-11, 2025. Hosted by Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in Southern California. Learn more and register at https://www.biola.edu/anchored

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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].

Topics this week:

An Atlantic article on Elaine Pagels' new book, "Miracles and Wonder." Is she downplaying the supernatural? This episode dives into her controversial take on New Testament miracles.
Florida teacher fired for using a student's preferred name without parental consent. Where do parental rights collide with student support?
Scientists have brought back the dire wolf. Is this a cool breakthrough or a recipe for disaster? We debate the ethics of de-extinction.
Are embryos property? Are they human life? The Alabama court ruling ignited a firestorm, and we're tackling the tough questions.
Listener Question: Martin Luther King Jr.: Hero or flawed figure? We address a listener's challenge and discuss how to reconcile King's legacy with his imperfections.
Listener Questions: Psychedelics: Are they safe? We pump the brakes on the hype, exploring potential harms and the principle of double effect.

Apologies for the late publishing this week — our production team was busy with a large event on Thursday and Friday.

Previous Episode

Apologetics for a New Generation

What should apologetics look like for this generation? What does it mean that apologetics is for everyone, not just specialists? How is the gospel good news, especially for women? We’ll discuss these questions and more with Sean around his new book Apologetics for an Ever-Changing Culture.

Next Episode

The Unseen Realm: Analysis of the 10-year expanded edition

Michael Heiser is one of the most influential Old Testament scholars over the past decade. In this video, Sean is joined by Talbot Old Testament professor Charlie Trimm to discuss Heiser’s best-selling book “The Unseen Realm.” They discuss these questions and more: Why has Heiser been so influential? Are his ideas orthodox? Should Christians read his works? What does it mean to biblically embrace the supernatural realm?

Charlie Trimm received his Ph.D. from Wheaton College in 2012, writing his dissertation on God acting as a divine warrior in the exodus. His research interests include warfare in the ancient Near East, difficult topics relating to the ethics of God in the Old Testament, Exodus, and J.R.R. Tolkien. He is also a director of Every Voice: A Center for Kingdom Diversity in Christian Theological Education. When he is not teaching or writing, he can often be found spending time with family or watching Arsenal, his favorite football (soccer) team.