Posts by Erik Thoennes

Erik Thoennes

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Talbot Magazine
That's a Great Question!
Talbot professors share the most challenging, insightful inquiries they’ve faced from students recently — and how they responded
Kenneth Berding, Orbelina Eguizabal Escobar, Mihretu Guta, Carmen Imes, Scott Smith, Erik Thoennes, Kenneth Way, Thaddeus Williams — August 27, 2026
Teaching Theology means learning to expect the unexpected. A hand shoots up in class. A knock comes during office hours. A student catches your eye...
Think Biblically
Weekly Cultural Update: Peter Singer critiques the Pope; The Neurobiology of Fatherhood; Gene Editing; Gen Z Men Resisting Temptation
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — June 12, 2026
Peter Singer critiques the Pope on Human Dignity: Scott and Erik discuss philosopher Peter Singer’s reaction to the Pope’s recent encyclical,...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: The Threat to Christian Colleges; Harvard's Reparations Collapse; Turning the Page on Campus Coddling; A Lesson in Political Shrewdness
Rick Langer, Erik Thoennes — May 22, 2026
The Financial Metric Threatening Christian Colleges: Rick and Erik discuss a new federal regulation requiring college degree holders to out-earn...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: The Pope Speaks on War; Supreme Court Rules on Conversion Therapy; Christian Crypto Culture
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — April 03, 2026
The Pope’s Call for Peace: Scott and Erik analyze Pope Francis’s Palm Sunday homily, where he argued that Jesus cannot be used to justify war....
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: $2 Million Gender Medicine Verdict; AI Boyfriends; Politics at the Grammys
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — February 06, 2026
This week, Scott and Erik Thoennes discuss: $2 Million Gender Medicine Verdict : A New York jury awarded $2 million to a detransitioner who...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: Hostages Released; Gen Z Christianity and Suicide; Nigerian Persecutions
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — October 17, 2025
Scott is joined by guest co-host Erik Thoennes to discuss: Hostage Return in Gaza : Celebrating the return of all surviving Israeli hostages and...
Think Biblically
Can Christlikeness and Competitiveness Go Together?
with Erik Thoennes
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — September 23, 2025
What does it mean to play sports for the glory of God? How do you keep someone from tying their identity to their success in sports? And why do...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: Does Marriage Have a Future?; Women's Happiness Around the World
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — September 05, 2025
Scott is joined by guest co-host Erik Thoennes this week to discuss: Marriage: A New Atlantis essay argues tech and economics have “unbundled”...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: Regretting Smartphones; Can Moms Have It All?; Assisted Suicide and the Slippery Slope
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — June 20, 2025
This week, Scott is joined by Erik Thoennes, Professor of Theology at Talbot School of Theology. Smartphone Regret Among Parents: A new survey...
Think Biblically
Weekly Cultural Update: Rise of Christian Faith in Women's Basketball, UK Supreme Court Rules on Gender, France Passes a New Law Regarding Sperm Donation, Richard Dawkins Asks, "Who is a Christian?"
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — April 18, 2025
Topics this week: Women's Basketball Player Embraces Her Faith The UK Supreme Court Rules on Gender France's Law on Anonymous Sperm and Egg...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: Why is Dating Dying in Younger Generations? Porn is Becoming More Popular than Real Relationships, The App Store Enables New Age Restrictions on Downloading Certain Apps, An Australian Blood Donor Saves Thousands!
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — March 21, 2025
Decline of Romantic Relationships Among Young People – Dating among high school and college students is decreasing due to emotional intimacy...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: Religion at the Inauguration; Liberal Atheist Grappling with the Sanctity of Life
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — January 24, 2025
Scott is joined by Erik Thoennes to discuss: Religious Elements in Presidential Inaugurations: A discussion on the profound religious traditions...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: IVF Mix-Up; Assisted Suicide Legislation; Faith Amid Chaos; Hunter's Pardon
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — December 06, 2024
This week, Scott and Erik Thoennes discuss: IVF Mix-Up Drama: A heartbreaking in vitro fertilization mix-up forces two families to navigate moral,...
Think Biblically
Cultural Update: College wins Title IX case; Gender Divide in Gen Z; Students can't read an entire book
Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — October 04, 2024
This week, Scott and special guest Erik Thoennes discuss: Hillsdale College wins an important Title IX court decision on religious freedom. A new...
The Good Book Blog
Young Men of Resurrection Power
Erik Thoennes — March 11, 2024
After thirty years of ministry, I feel more burdened for the lives of young men than I have ever felt before. Has a more challenging time existed for a young man to figure out who he is supposed to be?
Think Biblically
Scripture and Gender
with Erik Thoennes
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — May 13, 2022
Biblically speaking, is our biological sex an essential part of our identity? Are there unique differences and roles for men and women? In this...
Think Biblically
Godly Jealousy
with Erik Thoennes
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae, Erik Thoennes — March 18, 2022
How can a loving God be jealous, as the Bible describes? Is God envious? In this interview, Sean and Scott talk with Erik Thoennes about the proper...
The Good Book Blog
Do You Believe Jesus Rose From the Dead?
Erik Thoennes — March 16, 2022
My good friend Jon Lunde does a lot of counseling with people who are going through many kinds of challenges. Through the years, he has learned...
The Good Book Blog
Reflections on the death of Kobe Bryant
Erik Thoennes — January 29, 2020
Tough, grown men, who almost never cry, cried this week, all over LA, and around the world. The sudden and tragic death of Kobe Bryant has had a...
Talbot Magazine
Shelf Life
Recent publications from our very own Talbot faculty.
Uche Anizor, Octavio Esqueda, Erik Thoennes, Markus Zehnder — December 02, 2019
Marriage: Its Foundation, Theology and Mission in a Changing World Erik Thoennes Professor of TheologyEditor & Contributor Moody...
The Good Book Blog
Five Things to Help Us Live for What Really Matters
Erik Thoennes — February 20, 2019
I love the autofocus feature on my camera. I know serious photographers will cringe when they read that, but I’m not a serious photographer, and I...
The Good Book Blog
Thoughts on Billy Graham
Erik Thoennes — March 01, 2018
I’m happy to introduce my friend, Laura Rosenkranz, to the readers of the Good Book Blog as a guest contributor. We serve together at Grace...
The Good Book Blog
What is Theology?
Erik Thoennes — May 16, 2016
The study of theology is considered by many to be dry, boring, irrelevant, and complicated. But for those who want to know God, the study of theology is indispensable. The word “theology” comes from two Greek words, theos (“God”) and logos (“word”). The study of theology is an effort to make definitive statements about God and his implications in an accurate, coherent, relevant way, based on God’s self-revelations. Doctrine equips people to fulfill their primary purpose, which is to glorify and delight in God through a deep personal knowledge of him. Meaningful relationship with God is dependent on correct knowledge of him ...
The Good Book Blog
Religion in America
Erik Thoennes — November 01, 2012
The recent statistics released by The Pew Forum on Religious & Public Life showing a decline among Americans who consider themselves religious are sure to alarm many concerned about the spiritual state of the nation. For evangelicals, the most potentially jarring of these statistics shows that for the first time in its history the United States does not have a Protestant majority. The study found that about 20% of Americans say they have no religious affiliation, an increase from 15% in the last five years. The sobering reality in all this for evangelicals is that, although our churches continue to grow, our evangelistic effectiveness has significantly lagged behind the US population growth. This study is a clear challenge to evangelicals to live up to our name and proclaim the good news in a culture where we can no longer assume common theological foundations. Evangelical Christians have to learn to preach the gospel in a culture where we are no longer part of the Protestant majority. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. A few observations about the data shows that the picture is not as bleak as it may seem.
The Good Book Blog
How To Plant Flags
Erik Thoennes — October 03, 2011
There is always a tension between the purity and unity of the church. How do Christians decide how much weight to put on certain beliefs? Here is how I think we need to figure out how to plant flags wisely.