Latest Posts

• Biola News

  Crowell School of Business Launches Startup Competition

  Students and alumni invited to enter Biola’s first annual competition for capital to launch a new business

  Olivia Bersin — September 14, 2015

  The first annual Biola Startup Competition, hosted by Biola University’s Crowell School of Business, will launch this month giving students and...

• The Good Book Blog

  Is God’s Life Absurd?

  William Lane Craig — September 11, 2015

  Dear Doctor Craig, I have recently thought myself into a theological dilemma, which, to be perfectly honest, I find somewhat frightening. I look forward to your analysis: I do not want to say or even think that God's existence might be purposeless, but I'm having a hard time not coming to that conclusion. Consider: purposes do not lie within themselves. Purposes depend upon an external factor, or judgment. Does the purpose of a tree lie within that tree's mere existence? No. The purpose of the tree becomes known only after observing the tree with various other things, i.e. the bird nesting in its branches, the shade its leaves provide on a hot summer day. Therefore, it follows that for one to assert a /purpose/ for God implies that there remains something outside of God, thus making God God ...

• Biola News

  Biola Named NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution

  Claims character award for eighth year in a row.

  Neil Morgan — September 10, 2015

  NAIA RELEASE Biola is named a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Champions of Character Five-Star Institution for the eighth...

• The Good Book Blog

  Comical Zondervan Ice Cream Video Features a Talbot Professor

  Joanne Jung — September 08, 2015

  Have you ever wondered what theology and ice cream have in common? Some Zondervan authors shed some light on the matter, and our very own Dr. Joanne Jung chimes in.

• The Good Book Blog

  Questions Sparked by Defenders Class

  William Lane Craig — September 04, 2015

  Weekly Q & A with Dr. William Lane Craig: ... I have found your descriptions of omni-temporalism and middle-knowledge have challenged some of my assumptions, but instead of finding this irritating or threatening I am grateful to have had my horizons extended, and I am very interested to know more. I suspect I shall have to track down a copy of your book "Time and Eternity" for a detailed explanation, but I wondered if you could find the time to provide a short answer? ... But I am finding the idea of omni-temporalism much harder to get my head around. If God didn't create time then who did? Also aren't temporal beings in a sense controlled by time? As you point out, God would still has his perfect knowledge of the past, but does omni-temporalism lead to a belief that God is under the control of time? ... are these valid thoughts to ponder as I weigh a-temporalism and a tense-less B-theory against omni-temporalism, or have I misunderstood the debate?

• Biola News

  Biola University Receives $500,000 Grant from Kay Family Foundation

  Grant will fund initiatives to bolster university’s global impact

  Jenna Loumagne  — September 02, 2015

  Biola University has received a $500,000 grant from the Kay Family Foundation to enhance Biola’s Talbot School of Theology ’s global impact. The...

• Biola News

  Amy Jungkeit Hired As Assistant AD for Compliance

  Biola Athletics brings on board an alum of The Master's College.

  Neil Morgan — September 02, 2015

  Amy Jungkeit officially began duties as Biola's Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance on Aug. 24, 2015. She joins Biola's staff following...

• The Good Book Blog

  Can One Person Change the World? Questions Over Breakfast #12

  Kenneth Berding — September 01, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim comes to a close: Michael: But what if it doesn’t happen the way I hope? What if I set out on a course of action and my impact turns out to be minimal? Jim: I don’t believe that anyone who lives a life of whole devotion to God will only have minimal impact. But it’s not until eternity that we will be able to see all that has occurred through our lives. In other words, we don’t always see fully now. But, let’s say that you really don’t make an impact; you can’t even see a dent. Even then, you’ve lived life according to the purpose for which you were created, and that can never be called an empty life. Michael: But if your ministry is unsuccessful, you haven’t succeeded. Jim: Not necessarily ...

• The Good Book Blog

  The Key to Successful Debating

  William Lane Craig — August 28, 2015

  Dear Dr. Craig, You were the first Christian apologist I came across when I was researching a credible answer from Christianity to Atheist and Islam in 2002. Since then I have been following you through different medium on the internet. May God bless you for bringing the Christian truth with precision and clarity and with so much needed nuances. I was re-watching your debate with Dr. Richard Carrier on the Resurrection of Jesus. I can't remember anyone really dismantling his case as you did. So I wondered how do you do to prepare for a debate? Most speakers are good at their opening speech but fair less well during the rebuttals, failure you seem immune to. Do you also prepare the rebuttals before your debates? If yes, how on earth do you do that since you can't possibly know what the opponent would say? ...

• Biola News

  Biola Welcomes New Faculty for Fall 2015

  From gourmet food trucks to 18th century British literature, Biola’s new faculty bring a diverse set of experience to the classroom

  Jenna Loumagne — August 28, 2015

  Biola University welcomes 30 new faculty members this fall — each of whom represent the university’s aspiration to attract and retain the finest...

• Biola News

  Faculty Spotlight: Greg Peters

  The Story of Monasticism: A Q&A with Greg Peters on his new book

  Quinn Clark and Jenna Loumagne — August 27, 2015

  Some evangelicals perceive monasticism as a relic from the past, a retreat from the world or a shirking of the call to the Great Commision. But...

• The Good Book Blog

  What About All the Hypocrites? Questions Over Breakfast #11

  Kenneth Berding — August 27, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Michael: I think I’ll never find a church I can take my family to. Jim: WHY NOT?! Michael: There’s just too much hypocrisy! Jim: I have to agree with you there. Michael: (not listening to Jim’s answer) … I know it’s hard for you to hear this, since you’re in the ministry and everything … (all of a sudden catching on) … did you say you agree?! Jim: Of course I do ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Christians in the World: A Triumphal Church or a Persecuted Minority? Questions Over Breakfast #10

  Kenneth Berding — August 25, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Michael: I admire your courage. But I still think that what you’re trying to do is almost impossible. Jim: That’s one of the reasons we’re trying it. God is the one who makes the impossible possible. What do you think, Michael? Is the church a triumphant church, or are we just a band of persecuted idealists? Michael: In your case I’d say that you look more like a group of persecuted idealists. At the same time, the church does seem to be making strides in many places in the world ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Are There Uncreated Abstract Objects?

  William Lane Craig — August 21, 2015

  ... I've been reading "Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview" for the past few months and have repeatedly been fascinated by what I am reading. One of my favorite areas of philosophy is ontology, and I was particularly interested in abstract objects. I had heard you explain abstract objects briefly and often in your debates and lectures as one of the only two options for a first cause of the universe. As you've said, abstract objects do not stand in causal relations. In thinking about this, however, something has come to mind. If abstract objects do not stand in causal relations, what is their relationship with God? Both God and abstract objects are metaphysically necessary beings, meaning that they exist in every possible world. This seems to me to conflict with a theological view that God is the creator of everything. If God didn't exist, nothing would. Though it seems to me that if God didn't exist, abstract objects still would. Thus, it seems that mathematical entities, for instance, would and do exist independently of whether or not God exists ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Do We Make Decisions through Wisdom or Guidance? Questions Over Breakfast #9

  Kenneth Berding — August 20, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Jim: The issue, as I see it, is this: Are we supposed to make decisions according to wisdom or should we look for special guidance from God? Michael: That’s the question. Jim: Proverbs tells us that we’re supposed to seek after wisdom in every area of life.[1] Michael: So wisdom is obviously important. Jim: Definitely. But Paul describes the believer as one “led by the Spirit.”[2] This description may be broader than simply the internal processes in decision-making, but also probably includes those as well. The Bible also presents many examples of God giving specific guidance to individuals for specific situations by various means ...

• Biola News

  Biola Named a “Best In The West” College by The Princeton Review

  Annual rankings honor Biola for its academic excellence

  Jenna Loumagne — August 18, 2015

  Biola University is one of the best colleges in the West according to newly released college rankings from The Princeton Review . Biola is one of...

• The Good Book Blog

  How Do You Know If You’re Doing Okay in Your Spiritual Life? Questions Over Breakfast #8

  Kenneth Berding — August 18, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Michael: How do you know things are going well? How do you know you’re not actually doing badly in your walk with God and that you just don’t realize it? Jim: What kind of question is that? Michael: A question to frustrate you. Jim: Thanks ...

• Biola News

  Biola’s Chief of Campus Safety Named Campus Safety Director of the Year

  Campus Safety magazine awards John Ojeisekhoba for outstanding leadership in campus safety

  Quinn Clark — August 18, 2015

  Biola University’s Chief of Campus Safety, John Ojeisekhoba, has been named Campus Safety Director of the Year — an honor annually awarded by...

• The Good Book Blog

  Intransigence about Objective Moral Values

  William Lane Craig — August 14, 2015

  Hello, The last few weeks I have been working my way through On Guard (and was, needless to say, thrilled by it, just as I was by Reasonable Faith). I just had a long conversation with a fellow student of our local university. He knows that I am a Christian, and since the topic shifted toward values and ethics, I began asking him questions about his beliefs on the existence of subjective and objective values - based on the premises that 1. If God does not exist, then objective values do not exist. 2. Objective Values exist. 3. Therefore, God exists. It was a very tough conversation (albeit a cordial one), and I am very glad that my friend is still interested in picking up the conversation where we left off (it is now past 3am in Germany) - he seemed surprisingly hooked by the debate, took his time to think his answers through, and was the one to suggest continuing it sometime soon. (I am praying for him to find Christ) ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Are Self-Disciplined People More Spiritual? Questions Over Breakfast #7

  Kenneth Berding — August 13, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Jim: Even in areas of sin, simple confession is often not enough to rid you of the habit that has been formed through patterns of sin. Sin has two main dimensions, the rebellion side and the habit side. Rebellion is dealt with through confession. Ungodly habits are usually eliminated by putting good habits in their place. And the only way to develop permanent good habits is by implementing self-discipline. Michael: (looking frustrated) By raising the issue of discipline, you’ve really hit a sensitive nerve with me. I’ve heard countless messages on self-discipline and am extremely uncomfortable whenever I hear them. Is a disciplined person like you more spiritual than a lazy bum like me? ...

• The Good Book Blog

  La Comida y la Vida Espiritual – Food and Spiritual Life

  Octavio Esqueda — August 12, 2015

  En el 2006, Ken Ferraro, un profesor de sociología de la universidad Purdue publicó un interesante artículo en la revista especializada “Journal for the Scientific Study of Religión” en el que reportaba los resultados de su investigación acerca de la relación entre la religión y el índice de masa corporal. En su estudio, Ferraro descubrió que sí existe una relación entre algunas religiones y la tendencia de sus miembros para ser obesos. Lamentablemente, los cristianos tienen la masa corporal más alta y los bautistas, en particular son los más obesos en los Estados Unidos. De hecho, cerca del 27 por ciento de los bautistas son obesos y, por lo tanto, el grupo religioso con mayor sobrepeso en un gran contraste con religiones no cristianas como la judía, musulmana y budista donde menos del uno por ciento de sus miembros son obesos ...

• Biola News

  Men's Soccer Serves In Japan

  The men's soccer team took a 12-day service trip to Japan.

  Neil Morgan — August 12, 2015

  Photos (courtesy Gil Mellis) LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola Men's Soccer had the opportunity to take 12 days from its busy preseason schedule to...

• The Good Book Blog

  Do Mature Christians Struggle More or Less with Sin? Questions Over Breakfast #6

  Kenneth Berding — August 11, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Jim: Maybe we should talk about sin today. Michael: That sounds like a good way to mess up a nice morning … Jim: At least it’s a useful subject. Michael: I’m not so sure about that. Jim: Maybe it would be good to try. Michael: OK, if you insist ...

• The Good Book Blog

  One-on-One Discipleship: Identifying Someone to Disciple

  Freddy Cardoza — August 10, 2015

  As we consider doing personal discipleship, who we disciple is an important factor. It's important to keep in mind that who God might have you disciple may not be the ideal candidate at first glance ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Blind Faith

  William Lane Craig — August 07, 2015

  Dr. WIlliam Lane Craig, On October 21, 2013, you responded to a question by a lifelong Christian who said they were having trouble believing because of reading material from people like Richard Dawkins, and from discussions they had with their atheist friends (http://www.reasonablefaith.org/garbage-in-garbage-out). You chided this person (and other Christians like them) very strongly for the "cavalier way" that they "expose themselves to material which is potentially destructive to them." ... ... Personally, I don't understand what the value is of asking questions is, if you consider anyone who doesn't agree with the answers you already have to be "the wrong people." But that's not my main point. I'm more concerned about that first sentence, which sounds more like something you might hear from an imam of ISIS than a prominent Christian philosopher, who believes so strongly that Christianity is a reasonable faith. If Christianity truly is consistent with reality itself, then shouldn't it hold up to scrutiny? ...