Cultural Update: What About Those Rapture Promises?; Charlie Kirk and Faith in Politics

Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — September 26, 2025

Scott & Sean's topics this week:

Failed rapture predictions once again made headlines, fueled by social media hype, raising questions about biblical teaching, authority, and how Christians should respond with truth and compassion
Reflection on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the role of faith in politics, with insights from David Brooks’ concerns about blurring Christianity and partisanship
A discussion on artificial intelligence entering personal and family life, from birthday planning to parenting, and why some areas should never be outsourced to machines
Listener question: How to respond when Protestant Christianity is called a cult
Listener question: How to comfort a grieving friend angry at God
Listener question: How to process Charlie Kirk’s legacy in light of divisive rhetoric and martyrdom language

Episode Transcript

Transcript coming soon.

Scott Rae

Scott Rae is professor of Christian ethics and dean of the faculty at Talbot School of Theology. A noted Christian scholar and ethicist, Scott is the author of such books as Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics; Business for the Common Good; and Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics. He has a Ph.D. and M.A. in social ethics from the University of Southern California, a Th.M. in Old Testament from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a B.A.S. in economics from Southern Methodist University. He has served in a variety of teaching and leadership roles, including a term as president of the Evangelical Theological Society in 2015. Along with Sean McDowell (Ph.D.), Scott co-hosts the Think Biblically podcast at Biola University.

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.

Cultural Update: What About Those Rapture Promises?; Charlie Kirk and Faith in Politics

Episode Transcript

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Scott Rae

Sean McDowell

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