The Sean McDowell Show

Dr. Sean McDowell 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 is an Associate Professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. On this channel he tackles some of the biggest questions about God, morality, and contemporary culture. Visit www.seanmcdowell.org for more posts and info.

  1. 1 day ago

    Asking a Mormon Leader My Hardest Questions

    I got a tour inside the San Diego Latter-day Saint temple and now I'm following up with an interview with Neal Walton who is a stake president in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Diego. Apparently, I was the first Christian apologist who'd ever shown up with a film crew and asked for an interview. We worked through the differences plainly. The Trinity. Whether God the Father has a physical body. Baptism for the dead. Faith and works. Exaltation versus salvation. Whether Jesus is the uncreated, eternal God. Neither of us pretended those are small, and neither of us tried to win. READ: End the Stalemate, by Sean McDowell (https://amzn.to/4eLrUdM) CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) CHECK OUT: Full Mormon Temple Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfgyW-s5KTE&t=1065s *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org 0:00 — What a stake president actually does 0:47 — "Has an apologist ever shown up before?" 1:20 — No pay, no degree, no formal training 2:05 — The morning I went to seminary at 5 a.m. 2:48 — Losing a four-year-old daughter 3:14 — "If your God is good, why would he allow this?" 4:40 — Did it make you doubt? 5:21 — The verse that settled him 6:26 — Do you have doubts now? 7:51 — What am I missing out on? 9:03 — Temples, service, and interfaith work 10:28 — Pushing back on "one big happy family" 11:01 — "Go straight to the source" 12:04 — Seven questions to gauge whether you love truth 12:21 — I read it. I prayed. I wasn't settled. 12:57 — "So what's my next step?" 14:44 — My dad's story 16:13 — "Son, love truth" 16:44 — Is there evidence behind the Book of Mormon? 17:12 — Questions versus doubts 19:16 — What a Sunday sermon looks like 21:26 — How he defines faith 22:36 — The biggest misconceptions 23:26 — Three distinct beings 25:13 — Where we actually differ 27:20 — The Trinity 28:16 — A physical body, baptism for the dead, faith and works 29:02 — Exaltation, and whether Jesus is uncreated 29:30 — His response 32:36 — Temple recommends and the celestial kingdom 32:54 — "There's order in God's house" 34:38 — He turns the question on me 35:50 — Why I actually came 36:19 — "I don't find it true or compelling — and I think I get it" Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  2. 2 days ago

    Scott Rae Debunks 10 Common Moral Slogans

    Can you legislate morality? Is secular ethics neutral? Did Jesus really say "never judge"? Dr. Scott Rae, one of the world's leading Christian ethicists and Sean's Think Biblically co-host, is here to work through ten of the most common moral slogans in circulation, and why each one falls apart under scrutiny. Scott addresses all ten in the newly released fifth edition of Moral Choices, updated with new material on the ethics of technology and AI, criminal justice, gender, race, immigration, and gene editing. CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org 0:00 — The slogans, and why they don't hold up 0:55 — Introducing Dr. Scott Rae 1:57 — #1 "You can't legislate morality" 4:31 — #2 "Secular ethics is neutral, religious ethics is biased" 8:41 — #3 "You shouldn't force your morals on others" 12:05 — #4 "Right and wrong are products of evolution" 16:50 — #5 "Religion is private and has no place in public ethics" 18:55 — A word from Logos 19:49 — What counts as a religion? 23:11 — #6 "Morality is subjective taste, not objective truth" 27:38 — #7 "Science can tell us what is right and wrong" 31:19 — #8 "Cultural disagreement proves there's no moral truth" 33:51 — #9 "Jesus said never judge, so don't" 36:37 — #10 "Religious views don't belong in politics" 40:32 — What's new in the fifth edition of Moral Choices 43:25 — Send us your ethics questions Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  3. 14 Aug

    J.P. Moreland on Suffering, Doubt, and Facing Death Without Fear

    J.P. Moreland is one of the most influential Christian philosophers alive and he's spent the last twelve years enduring what most of us never will: a rare genetic condition, more than two dozen cancer surgeries, and two seasons of debilitating anxiety and depression. In this deeply personal conversation, he sits down with me to talk about pain, doubt, and why he says he now has no fear of death. CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell... Instagram:   / seanmcdowell   Website: https://seanmcdowell.org   CHAPTERS 00:00 – The worst physical pain of my life 00:38 – Introducing J.P. Moreland 02:18 – From skeptical chemistry major to Christian 07:49 – Why he chose philosophy of mind 09:19 – Advice for young apologists and thinkers 13:04 – How Talbot shaped Sean 14:11 – Where the church needs thinkers next 16:03 – The most important training: philosophy 19:04 – Distinctions that dissolve bad arguments 23:04 – Two seasons of anxiety and depression 26:17 – "Don't waste your suffering" 30:24 – Depression, the body, and the soul 34:09 – Two kinds of doubt, and how to handle each 37:00 – "When did you last hear a truly new objection?" 40:47 – Afterlife apologetics and near-death experiences 42:15 – Facing death in a hospital parking lot 48:12 – 25 surgeries and a rare genetic condition 54:52 – Sean's own season of pain 58:00 – Faith, politics, and getting removed from a church 1:05:48 – What he's working on now 1:09:46 – Closing Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  4. 24 Jul

    Does Evil Actually Prove God Exists? | Christian vs. Atheist Dialogue

    "If God is good, why is there pain and suffering?". Today, we have a video of atheist professor Paul Rinzler and I to discuss evil. This is our return to the Cal Poly Veritas Forum for a second year this time on the hardest question in apologetics. Not a debate to be won. A real conversation between two people who disagree deeply and like each other anyway. CHECK OUT:Paul Rinzler - Professor Emeritus at Cal Poly State University https://music.calpoly.edu/faculty/rinzler/index.html WATCH: Are Miracles Real? A Christian & Atheist Explore (Veritas Forum) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cWui4CRfZc CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org CHAPTERS 00:00 – Welcome and framing 00:28 – Sean's opening: four points on evil and suffering 08:19 – Paul's opening: the case from natural suffering 15:43 – A time you experienced pain 21:23 – Is pain part of God's plan? 22:47 – Would a "bad God" explain the world better? 24:04 – Does evil actually exist? 25:47 – Moral evil, free will, and determinism 33:46 – Does the moral project require agency? 36:23 – Making sense of randomness in natural disasters 42:25 – When suffering seems cruel and unnecessary 47:20 – Where do you find hope? 51:21 – What's more powerful: death or love? 54:01 – Advice for students in hard seasons 59:00 – What's the purpose of life for an atheist? 1:02:30 – Can objective morality exist without God? 1:04:46 – Why pursue justice if suffering is endless? 1:08:08 – The biggest doubt about your own worldview 1:10:18 – The question of hell 1:15:02 – Morality, evolution, and caring beyond your tribe 1:20:05 – How do you define love? 1:24:42 – Closing thoughts Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  5. 17 Jul

    The Most Compelling Heaven Testimonies Ever Collected? | Skeptic Investigates 140 NDEs

    Randy Kay was a biotech CEO and a self-described skeptic who didn't believe in near-death experiences until he flatlined for 30 minutes in 2005 and, in his telling, found himself face to face with Jesus. Now he's collected 140 NDE accounts he says he's vetted more rigorously than any single volume before. Today, I asked the obvious question: does the evidence actually stack up? READ: Heaven Encounters: 140 Near-Death Experiences Revealing the Afterlife by Randy Kay (https://amzn.to/4x1azpF) CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org CHAPTERS 00:00 – "I was cheek to cheek with Jesus" 00:36 – Is heaven real? Meet Randy Kay 01:50 – The near-death experience: septic shock and seven blood clots 03:15 – What Kay says he saw and heard 05:22 – "How do you know it wasn't a dream?" 07:47 – The cost of going public after 14 years of silence 11:49 – Why Christians can be the hardest audience 14:11 – How the book vets 140 accounts 19:32 – What "verifying" an account does and doesn't mean 22:43 – What would signal a story is fabricated 27:05 – Reincarnation, universalism, and hellish NDEs 31:06 – The "core" features of a near-death experience 34:46 – Case: Mike Olson and the lung donor 42:19 – Case: Dean Braxton's 1 hour 45 minutes 45:14 – Case: Jeffrey Porter, the atheist 53:08 – Case: Lisa — a hellish NDE and a rescue 56:38 – The life review and what it implies 59:17 – Randy's own life review: a dying boy's prayer 1:04:23 – NDEs as a second chance 1:04:50 – Answering the skeptic 1:13:49 – Where to find Randy's work Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  6. 15 Jul

    Is Michael Heiser's Unseen Realm the Best Way to Read the Bible?

    Giants. A divine council. Demons and the Nephilim. Michael Heiser made the Bible's strangest passages impossible to ignore and sold hundreds of thousands of books doing it. So what does one of the world's leading spiritual-warfare scholars actually think of his work? Dr. Clint Arnold joins me today to say where Heiser gets it right, and where he pushes back. CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org CHAPTERS 00:00 – Why Heiser captivated so many 00:35 – Who is Michael Heiser? Who is Clint Arnold? 02:45 – What makes Heiser's work unique 05:59 – Where Arnold agrees with Heiser 09:35 – The premise of The Unseen Realm: recovering a supernatural worldview 11:12 – Psalm 82, Job 38, and the divine council 14:01 – What "Elohim" actually means 15:21 – Isn't this just polytheism? 18:33 – Genesis 1:26 — "Let us make man" 21:47 – The Deuteronomy 32 worldview and cosmic geography 24:01 – David, Goliath, and the gods behind the idols 26:24 – Bashan, Caesarea Philippi, and "portals" 28:58 – Paul's theology of the unseen world (Ephesians 6) 32:14 – Does this change our spiritual warfare today? 32:32 – Peter Wagner and "strategic-level" spiritual warfare 34:12 – Why Arnold rejects targeting territorial spirits 38:24 – Command vs. prayer — and reprisal in the spirit realm 40:53 – The big disagreement: where do demons come from? 42:46 – The traditional view: a primordial angelic fall 45:59 – Genesis 6 and the sons of God 48:05 – How much weight should 1 Enoch carry? 50:53 – No exorcism in the Old Testament? 53:33 – Luke 10 and "I saw Satan fall like lightning" 56:14 – Arnold's one big addition to Heiser 58:16 – Should you read Heiser? 59:04 – Spiritual warfare at Talbot Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

About

Dr. Sean McDowell 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 is an Associate Professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. On this channel he tackles some of the biggest questions about God, morality, and contemporary culture. Visit www.seanmcdowell.org for more posts and info.

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