Posts by Sean McDowell

Sean McDowell

Sean McDowell (Ph.D.) is an associate professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the Church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. Sean travels throughout the United States and abroad, speaking at camps, churches, schools, universities, and conferences. He is the co-host for the Think Biblically podcast, and he has authored or edited over twenty books, including Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships In A Confused Culture and So The Next Generation Will Know (with J. Warner Wallace). Sean hosts one of the leading apologetics blogs at seanmcdowell.org, and he hosts some great conversations on his YouTube channel. Sean and his wife, Stephanie, have three children and live in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

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The Good Book Blog
New Critique of Theistic Evolution: Interview with Author J.P. Moreland
Sean McDowell — November 21, 2017
J.P. Moreland is one of the top 50 most influential living philosophers. He is a distinguished professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, and is one of my all-time favorite teachers. Today he is a colleague and a good friend. I recently had the opportunity to interview him about his soon-to-be-released book: Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical and Theological Critique ...
Think Biblically
Getting Along Despite Our Deepest Differences
with Os Guinness
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — November 16, 2017
It doesn't take much to notice that there are deep divisions in our society, and discussions about controversial issues often sound like shouting...
The Good Book Blog
7 Insights from Traveling to Israel
Sean McDowell — November 13, 2017
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance of visiting the beautiful land of Israel. My wife and I went with Israel Collective, an organization dedicated to peace-making in Israel. We saw remarkable sites, met unique people (Israelis, Palestinians, Druze), heard powerful lectures, and ate some of the best food I have ever had—period ...
Think Biblically
500th Anniversary of the Reformation
with professor Alan Gomes
Alan Gomes, Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — November 09, 2017
On Oct. 31, we celebrated the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses on the door of his church in Wittenburg, Germany. Alan...
The Good Book Blog
The Trinity Solves the First Philosophical Question about Reality
Sean McDowell — November 06, 2017
How is there both unity and diversity in reality? Why is there both change and sameness over time? According to Frederick Copleston, in his massive ten-volume A History of Philosophy, these questions relate to the first philosophical issue people wrestled with, which is often called the problem of the one and the many. In the 5th and 6th centuries B.C., Greek philosophers wanted to know what accounted for both the unity and diversity within nature and so they began to offer various theories for ultimate reality ...
The Good Book Blog
Unbelievable? Interview with Justin Brierley about His New Book
Sean McDowell — October 30, 2017
Justin Brierley is the host of " Unbelievable?" the UK-based apologetics radio/podcast show (which is one of my personal favorites!). I have had the privilege of being on the program twice to discuss the martyrdom of the apostles and talk about why I am a Christian with Ryan Bell, the pastor-turned-atheist. For over ten years, Justin has been leading discussions between Christians and atheists, and yet he still believes in God. This Thursday he releases a new book Unbelievable? which I had the privilege to endorse. In the UK, it is available here: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk. Brierley offers some lessons from his conversations as well as the evidence he finds most compelling. Check out this interview and consider ordering a copy of his excellent book ...
Think Biblically
Faith at the World Series
with Dodgers chaplain Brandon Cash
Brandon Cash, Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — October 26, 2017
Talbot School of Theology professor Brandon Cash has served as chaplain for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the past seven years. Listen in as Scott...
The Good Book Blog
Was Jesus An Apologist?
Sean McDowell — October 23, 2017
A few years ago, I had a discussion with an influential theologian who claimed that Jesus was not an apologist. He pointed out that, except for 1 Peter 3:15, the New Testament appearances of apologia (“defense”) all come from the writing or ministry of Paul. Does this mean Jesus was not an apologist? Was Jesus more interested in proclaiming and illustrating the faith than defending it? ...
Think Biblically
5 Decades of Faithful Apologetics
with Josh McDowell
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — October 19, 2017
Josh McDowell has long been one of the leading spokespersons and apologists for Christianity, having spoken to hundreds of thousands of students...
The Good Book Blog
5 Earth-Shattering Events Linked to the Bible
Sean McDowell — October 16, 2017
In the recent update to my father’s classic book Evidence that Demands a Verdict, we begin with a chapter on the uniqueness of the Bible. Unquestionably, in comparison to every book ever written, the Bible stands out as unique in a number of areas including authorship, literary genres, translation, geographical production, circulation, survival, and impact. The Bible truly stands in a category of its own ...
The Good Book Blog
What is the Most Powerful Evidence for the Christian Faith?
Sean McDowell — October 09, 2017
For the past three years I have been helping my father update his classic book Evidence that Demands a Verdict. There is no doubt that the evidence for Christianity has grown substantially since the book first released in 1972 ...
The Good Book Blog
Apologetics Is Not Saying You’re Sorry
Sean McDowell — October 02, 2017
As a professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, I (Sean) help prepare students to answer tough questions raised against the Christian faith. One day someone from outside the Biola academic community called our university to ask why we offer classes on apologizing for the faith. She thought apologetics meant teaching students to say they were sorry for their beliefs! While her question was well intentioned, she didn’t grasp the nature of apologetics and its role in the Christian life. Christians certainly should apologize for their faith, but not in the way she had in mind ...
The Good Book Blog
Is Biblical Teaching on Sex Hateful and Repressive?
Sean McDowell — September 29, 2017
Let’s face it; we live in a world saturated with sex. Our movies, music, novels, politics, and even advertisements are dominated by sex. Essentially, the celebrated view of sex in our culture is: if it feels good, do it. According to the ideas propagated by the late Hugh Hefner, and others in the sexual revolution, anything that prevents someone from experiencing consensual sex in whatever fashion he or she desires is viewed as harmful and repressive ...
The Good Book Blog
Interview: Updated and Revised Evidence that Demands a Verdict
Sean McDowell — September 25, 2017
My friend Timothy Fox at Freethinking Ministries recently interviewed me regarding the updated version of Evidence That Demands A Verdict, which I had the opportunity to co-write with my father. He asked some great questions about the history of the book, its impact, and details regarding some of the updates. Enjoy! ...
The Good Book Blog
Cordial Disagreement is the Highest Honor
Sean McDowell — September 19, 2017
We live in a time when impatience, personal attacks, and shallow criticism characterize much of the cultural dialogue. I can hardly ever post a blog without receiving personal criticism from someone to my left or my right ...
The Good Book Blog
A Simple Case for Religious Liberty
Sean McDowell — September 13, 2017
As John Stonestreet and I argue in our book Same-Sex Marriage, we are currently undergoing one of the most sweeping social revolutions in world history. Until the Obergefell v. Hodges SCOTUS decision in 2015, the definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman was the understanding of virtually every civilization throughout history. But this has all changed ...
The Good Book Blog
What is the Core Reason Kids Leave the Faith?
Sean McDowell — September 11, 2017
There has been a lot of discussion recently about why kids leave the faith. People have rightly drawn attention to the role of poor theology, the importance of kids owning their faith, the significance of intellectual issues such as the apparent tension between science and religion, and more. But there seems to be a core issue that is often overlooked—to develop a lasting faith, kids need to grasp their need for God. Let me explain ...
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
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) ...
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
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 ...
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 ...
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! ...
The Good Book Blog
How Do We Cultivate the Art of Listening Well?
Sean McDowell — August 15, 2017
Along with asking good questions, cultivating the art of listening well is one of the most important skills for Christians to develop today. And it is especially important for those who want to be effective apologists in our “argumentative” culture ... So, how does one develop the art of listening well? Here are four tips I have learned from personal experience as well as through my undergrad Communication Studies program at Biola University ...