Latest Posts

• The Good Book Blog

  ​What Hurricane Harvey Reveals About Our Deepest Desires

  Sean McDowell — September 08, 2017

  By any measure, Hurricane Harvey has been a disaster. The financial damage is an estimated $180 billion. The destruction has spread over 300 miles and damaged about 200,000 homes. But the greatest damage is clearly the estimated 47 people who have died. The physical destruction is substantial, but the human loss is unmistakably the most significant ...

• The Good Book Blog

  How Can Space Be Flat but Finite?

  Weekly Q & A with Dr. William Lane Craig

  William Lane Craig — September 08, 2017

  We have established using philosophical arguments the impossibility of an actual infinite (I'm referring to an infinite set of objects, not an Infinite God which is not impossible), but I have read again and again that "the majority and best supported by the data hypothesis in physics is that the universe is flat and spatially infinite". Does this mean our philosophy was wrong, or does it mean that physicists have got necessarily something wrong, since their conclusion is against clear and distinct philosophical facts? ...

• Student Life Blog

  An Invitation from God: Pour Out Your Heart

  Lisa Igram — September 08, 2017

  “I don’t want to think about the hard things; I just need to trust God.”“I need to stop crying about it and just be strong.”“I feel dumb for...

• The Good Book Blog

  La Compasión: Una Marca Central de Jesús y Sus Seguidores / Compassion: A Central Mark for Jesus and his Followers

  Octavio Esqueda — September 07, 2017

  La compasión debe ser sentimiento esencial de aquellos que se dicen seguidores de Jesucristo. La palabra compasión significa “sufrir juntos” y es un sentimiento que se manifiesta al percibir y comprender el sufrimiento de los demás y, por lo tanto, produce el deseo de aliviar, reducir o eliminar este sufrimiento. Al ver las noticias, caminar por las calles o simplemente al conversar con personas a nuestro alrededor es fácil darse cuenta que muchas personas están sufriendo por diferentes circunstancias. La tendencia natural y tristemente común incluso en muchos de aquellos que se dicen cristianos es juzgar a los demás y asumir que sus circunstancias negativas son consecuencia de sus malas decisiones. Es fácil amar a los que nos aman y preocuparnos por aquellos que son cercanos a nosotros, pero una marca central de Jesús y sus seguidores debe ser amar y tener compasión por todos sin importar quienes son o qué han hecho ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Did God Use Evolution? Is the Earth Old? New Book Review

  Sean McDowell — September 06, 2017

  Questions related to origins are some of the most divisive in the church today: How old is the earth? Is there good evidence for intelligent design? Did God use evolution? Sadly, rather than discussing differences in a sober and gracious manner, conversations are often characterized by defensiveness, misunderstanding, and personal attacks. What a shame! But this need not be the case. The recent book Old-Earth or Evolutionary Creation? demonstrates that leading voices in the origins debate can come together and wrestle over big questions of faith and science with both “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15) ...

• Biola News

  Top Courses Now Available to Lifelong Learners at Fraction of the Cost

  Biola LEARN widens Biola’s educational opportunities

  Jenna Loumagne — September 06, 2017

  Today, Biola University launched its new online platform — Biola LEARN — for personal and professional development. Offering a variety of...

• The Good Book Blog

  Made in the Image of God, Made to Thrive

  Daniel Kim — September 05, 2017

  I had the occasion to watch a six-part DVD series called PovertyCure, produced by the Acton Institute. It is indeed an eye-opening series that I’d encourage you to watch. Each part is less than 30 minutes long and is available in the Biola Library (BV4647 .P6 P68 2012 DVD). It challenges the effectiveness of the traditional model of helping the poor through foreign aid in regions where there is wide-spread poverty and the economy is largely depressed. This aid can come in the form of government sponsored foreign aid, through global agencies such as the IMF or World Bank, and even from NGO’s (both secular and Christian). By the end of the series, I think most would at least pause to consider if “aid” (as a “handout”) helps to alleviate poverty, or whether it actually exacerbates the problem ...

• GRIT

  On Changing Majors, Imposter Syndrome, & Being "In Process"

  a guest post from Alumna Natalie Felix

  Sarah Schwartz — September 05, 2017

  Alumna Natalie Felix shares about finding her passion for deaf and hard of hearing students.

• The Good Book Blog

  8 Inconvenient Truths about Pornography

  Sean McDowell — September 04, 2017

  For the past few years, I have been speaking and writing about the dangers of pornography. Although I have read dozens of books about the effects of porn, I recently heard Matt Fradd discuss it on Unbelievable? radio and decided to pick up a copy of his recent book: The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. In fact, it’s now my top recommendation for a book of its kind. Without using Scripture or religious argumentation, and relying upon dozens of recent studies, Fradd makes the case that porn is damaging to individuals, relationships, and society as a whole. He is not out to censor porn, but to educate people so they can live more healthy sexual lives ...

• The Good Book Blog

  What is God's Purpose in Life?

  Weekly Q & A with Dr. William Lane Craig

  William Lane Craig — September 01, 2017

  Hi Dr. Craig, I appreciate your work for the kingdom of Christ. You have been of great influence in my life as a Christian. I recently came across this piece by an unknown skeptic that was reviewing a book by Stewart Goetz ( The Purpose Of Life: A Theistic Perspective) "The first question that seems fitting when discussing the purpose of life from a theistic perspective is: what is the purpose of God's life? If our being/life is somehow derived from God's being/life, then any relevant discussion of human purpose must be contingent upon God's purpose. But since purpose necessarily entails an initial directive, a beginning-less being cannot have a purpose. A being that has no origin or beginning cannot exist for anything. Since it would follow that this supposed being's actions must derive from the nature of its existence, it would be hard to logically defend the existence of purposeful actions resulting from a being that must be categorically devoid of purpose. " I'm completely puzzle by this. Does God exist for something? Can it be said that if God had remain in eternity without creating he would be living a purposeless life? ...

• Business. Ministry. Life.

  Bachelor of Science in Business Management

  David Bourgeois — August 31, 2017

  Biola University and the Crowell School of Business are excited to announce the launch of a new online business degree beginning this fall. This...

• Student Life Blog

  Looking for Joy? Hit “Return”

  Todd Pickett — August 31, 2017

  Joy is not quite the same as happiness. Happiness is an enduring mood state (sometimes called “well-being” or contentment) and comes to rest over...

• Business. Ministry. Life.

  The Ministry of Management

  Jim Canning — August 31, 2017

  When I was growing up in the 1940’s and ‘50’s, most churches and other ministries were small and not very complex. Much of the work was done by...

• The Good Book Blog

  Making Apologetics Personal: A Quick Lesson from John 4

  Sean McDowell — August 30, 2017

  It’s no secret that I love apologetics. I love to read apologetics blogs, study apologetics books, and have apologetics conversations. But there is a constant temptation I have to battle that I believe is common among many apologists: the temptation to simply study apologetics but not put it into practice ...

• Biola News

  Biola Welcomes New Faculty for Fall 2017

  17 new faculty members join Biola’s esteemed faculty

  Jenna Loumagne — August 30, 2017

  Biola University welcomes 17 new faculty members this fall — each of whom represent the university’s aspiration to attract and retain the finest...

• The Good Book Blog

  Warfare in the Ancient Near East and the Old Testament 4: Pictures From Friends

  Charlie Trimm — August 29, 2017

  My forthcoming book on warfare in the Ancient Near East and the Old Testament not only has many words, but also about 150 pictures. While ancient Near Eastern texts are somewhat familiar, visual imagery remains unknown for the most part. This is partly due to the difficulties of acquiring permission to print the pictures. Some pictures I was required to buy directly from museums or professional photographers (and so I will not be able to post these pictures online). However, I was also able to acquire pictures for free from three other sources. First, I will show some pictures that were taken by friends ...

• Student Life Blog

  Success is Not Accidental

  Louie Chong — August 28, 2017

  People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan...

• The Good Book Blog

  The Universe Diagnosed: Interview with Author Kris French, M.D.

  Sean McDowell — August 28, 2017

  Recently I had the opportunity to endorse a new book by Kris French, a medical doctor with an expertise in neuro-immunology. While he discusses many of the common arguments for God’s existence in The Universe Diagnosed, he does so uniquely from the perspective as a medic and in a way that is understandable to non-specialists. I think you will enjoy it! But first check out his answers to some of my tough questions about intelligent design, transgenderism, and more ...

• GRIT

  How To Survive the First Day of School

  a blogpost by Celeste Scott

  Celeste Scott — August 28, 2017

  Does anyone remember the opening scene in Finding Nemo? Nemo is bouncing around in his anemone screaming, “First day of school! First day of...

• The Good Book Blog

  Why Bother?

  Weekly Q & A with Dr. William Lane Craig

  William Lane Craig — August 25, 2017

  I am a very open minded person and consider all possibilities. I am open to the possibility of a God and an afterlife. I am also open to the possibility that this God could be one who demands and expects that I obey and serve him or that I would be condemned to a horrible afterlife. I have been doing some open-minded research on the subject of life after death. As of right now, it doesn't matter what anyone says to me or what claims other people present to me in regards to God's character, if he is real or not, or if I am a blind sinner or not. The reason why it doesn't matter to me is because, like I said, I am very open minded right now and am open to alternative explanations of the things people offer up here. I am a very wise open minded individual and I do not jump to any given conclusion based upon some things I read online or a holy book such as the Bible. There is so much more to look into and have an open mind to. Even things that sound very compelling cannot be trusted since there are plenty of things out there that sound compelling, but are actually not ...

• The Good Book Blog

  The Forgiveness of Jesus: No Longer in the Dark

  Matthew Williams — August 23, 2017

  This article gives an overview of one of the Bible studies from The Forgiveness of Jesus DVD Bible study in the Deeper Connections series: Jesus heals a blind man in John chapter nine. To most of us, this seems like a pretty cool miracle; and it is, but there is so much more behind this miracle that we miss because we do not understand the first century context. When we take the time to learn this historical context, the passage pops! ...

• The Good Book Blog

  What Can Christians Learn from the Apostolic Fathers? Interview with Author Ken Berding

  Sean McDowell — August 22, 2017

  Dr. Ken Berding is a colleague of mine at Biola University. Like me, he is very interested in the Apostolic Fathers. He recently wrote a brief and interesting introduction to the Apostolic Fathers called The Apostolic Fathers: A Narrative Introduction, which is different from any other book of its kind. Professor Berding was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about some of the earliest church fathers and his recent book. Enjoy! ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Everyone Loves Sex: So Why Wait? Interview with Author Bryan Sands

  Sean McDowell — August 21, 2017

  I recently received a book in the mail called Everyone Loves Sex: So Why Wait? by Bryan Sands. Given that my father launched the “Why Wait” sexual purity movement in the 1980s, when I was in my early teen years, I was curious to see what approach Sands would take. And I was pleasantly surprised! His book is balanced, biblical, hopeful, and grace-filled. In fact, when young people ask me for a book on sexual purity, this is going to be one of the first books I will recommend. After thirteen years as a local pastor, Bryan has served as the Director of Campus Ministries at Hope International University in Fullerton, CA since 2011. He is also a public speaker who encourages students across the country. You can find out about his book at www.EveryoneLovesSex.org. I recently caught up with Bryan and asked him a few questions. Enjoy! ...

• GRIT

  Welcome & Welcome Back!

  a welcome note from the GRIT Editorial Board

  Lisa Igram — August 21, 2017

  In less than a week, Biola’s rather quiet summer vibe will become lively again as something really important happens: YOU COME BACK! You are why we...

• The Good Book Blog

  Does God Love the Devil?

  Weekly Q & A with Dr. William Lane Craig

  William Lane Craig — August 18, 2017

  Greetings Dr Craig, I am a Muslim, from the westernmost parts of Africa. I have been following your work for years, watching practically all your debates, reading some of your articles and much of the weekly Q&A section. Even though I am not a Christian, you have helped me greatly in my own pursuit of truth, to identify much more with the issues that Christians face today, and in learning to appreciate the Christian tradition in philosophical and theological thought ...