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  • The Good Book Blog

    What Does a Swastika Mean to Me?

    Rick Langer — 

    In light of Holocaust Remembrance Week and Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 5, professor Rick Langer shares what a swastika means to him. ... Likewise, the swastika, the twisted cross, is a distillation of all of Nazism. It proclaims “racial purity” and narratives of “supermen” and “lives unworthy of living.” Its jagged arms encompass a thousand crimes both large and small, and circumscribe many million corpses, named and unnamed, which lie in graves across the continent of Europe. But the swastika has also etched a personal meaning into countless souls. Some of these souls whisper stories from their graves, but others still walk among us. And for some, myself included, the stories of our fathers and mothers have been etched into our souls as well ...

  • The Good Book Blog

    How Do We Truly Help Those in Need?

    Karin Stetina — 

    As the Gospels proclaim, the poor will always be with us (Mt. 26:11) and we are called to help those in need (Mt. 25:31-46). The problem is—how do we do that without causing more harm than good? Anyone who has served in charities in a long-term capacity can recognize a common pattern that author Bob Lupton points out in Toxic Charity ...

  • Biola News

    Track and Field Runners Kellian Hunt and Anika Gasner Come Back Strong Despite Injuries

    Graduating seniors look forward to competing at National Championships

    Daryn Daniels — 

    Runners Kellian Hunt and Anika Gasner, both seniors on Biola University’s track and field team, are striving to finish their last season strong...

  • Biola News

    Engineering Physics Major Inducted into USC's Honor Society

    Biola senior Geoffrey Knopf recognized for outstanding academic performance

    Marissa Ray  — 

    Geoffrey Knopf, a Biola University senior engineering physics major, was recently inaugurated into University of Southern California’s (USC) Eta...

  • The Good Book Blog

    La Envidia / Envy

    Octavio Esqueda — 

    En los Estados Unidos la frase “el jardín del vecino siempre está más verde” es muy común porque ejemplifica correctamente la percepción que la mayoría de la gente tiene de la realidad. No importa lo que uno haga siempre habrá otro que lo haga mejor; no importa lo que uno compre, siempre habrá otro que tenga algo mejor; no importa lo mucho que uno se esfuerce, siempre habrá alguien mejor en alguna área. Esta situación produce algo tan común como destructivo en nosotros, la envidia ...

  • The Good Book Blog

    The Worldview Behind "The Jungle Book" Movie

    Sean McDowell — 

    My entire family went to see The Jungle Book this past weekend. From my 3 ½-year old son, to my mother-in-law, we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Disney is to be commended for making an engaging, creative, and faithful “live” version of this classic story. Like all fictional movies, The Jungle Book offers a story, which has worldview implications. Two questions lie at the heart of the movie: What does it mean to be human? And secondarily: How does man relate to nature? Specifically, these questions are explored through the life of Mowgli—a young boy whom wolves raise in the jungle ...

  • The Good Book Blog

    Reflections on Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Part Two: The Long Defeat and the Old Testament of Middle-Earth

    Charlie Trimm — 

    This post continues the study of the long defeat of Tolkien by looking at the foundational work for the Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion. As noted in the previous post, the long defeat was Tolkien’s phrase for the idea that no matter how many times one defeated evil, it continued to (apparently effortlessly) return to full strength. The motif is connected with the elves primarily, who are immortal and experience the long defeat over the long millennia of their lives. Since we are talking about the long defeat, it is good to slow down and look at more history!

  • The Good Book Blog

    Is the Universe an Object, and Does It Matter?

    William Lane Craig — 

    Dr Craig, My question is based on your formulation of the argument from contingency, specifically, your restricted version of the PSR. Restricted PSR: everything that exists has an explanation for its existence, whether in the nature of its own necessity or an external cause. There are good reasons to prefer a restricted PSR over the strong version - it avoids the famous objection by Peter Van Inwagen, which argues that the PSR is false because it has the absurd consequence on making all facts necessary. I am aware that you have of Alexander Pruss's work on defending the strong version and am on the fence at the moment as to whether Inwagen's objection succeeds ...

  • Biola News

    In Honor of National Autism Awareness Month, Professor Offers Insight in Q&A

    Expert shares insights on the autism spectrum disorder

    Marissa Ray — 

    Robin LaBarbera, Biola University professor and director of special education, specializes in teaching future teachers how to educate students...

  • The Good Book Blog

    Misinterpreting the Thief (John 10:10)

    Gary Manning Jr — 

    In Jesus’ Shepherd Discourse in John 10, Jesus contrasts himself with “the thief.” “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it in abundance.” If you hear this verse quoted in a sermon, or see how people use this verse online, you will usually hear that the thief is Satan. But is that what Jesus meant?

  • The Good Book Blog

    Does the Church Have a "Plausibility" Problem?

    Sean McDowell — 

    Since writing my book on Same-Sex Marriage, I have been reading almost every book I can get my hands on related to homosexuality and the church. While there are some great books, there has been a huge need for a book that addresses the “plausibility” problem. I recently came across the book Same-Sex Attraction and the Church by Ed Shaw, and was pleasantly surprised that it dealt with this exact issue with clarity and insight. In my view, this book is one of the top five most important books for Christians to read on the subject. Pastor Ed was kind enough to answer a few of my questions. Enjoy! ...

  • Business. Ministry. Life.

    Student to Startup

    Kayla Harrington — 

    Kayla Harrington is a student in the Crowell School of Business at Biola University. She led her team, White Elephant Post, to the first-place finish in the inaugural Biola Startup Competition. In this post, she shares her thoughts about her experience.

  • Business. Ministry. Life.

    Announcing our New Concentration in Business Analytics

    David Bourgeois — 

    The Crowell School of Business is pleased to announce the launch of our new concentration in Business Analytics, which will begin this fall. The...

  • The Good Book Blog

    What Does Jerusalem Have to Do with Washington D.C.?: Rethinking the Church’s Role in Law and Public Policy

    Thaddeus Williams — 

    The summer of 2014 gave us the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby on the side of religious liberty. The summer of 2015 witnessed another culturally controversial 5-4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which carries potentially ominous implications for religious liberty (particularly according to the dissents of Justices Roberts and Alito). Meanwhile, some legal scholars are forecasting a massive public policy paradigm shift in coming years over another hotly contested issue—the right to life. Fordham University’s Charles Camosy, as a case-in-point, sees such a dramatic shift as not only possible but indeed inevitable ...

  • The Good Book Blog

    Deductive Arguments and Probability

    William Lane Craig — 

    Hello, Dr. Craig. You have often said that a deductive argument is good if it meets two conditions: It is valid, and each premise is more probable than it's denial. Furthermore, in a recent newsletter, you said, "in a deductive argument the probability of the premises establishes only a minimum probability of the conclusion: even if the premises are only 51% probable, that doesn't imply that the conclusion is only 51% probable. It implies that the conclusion is at least 51% probable." But why would the probability of a premise establish minimal probability of a conclusion? Shouldn't it establish maximal probability? ...

  • Biola News

    Art Alumni Reunion Will Feature Screening of Alumnus’ Film “I Am Sun Mu”

    Event will showcase student, faculty and alumni work, and provide opportunity to give to Loren Baker Scholarship Fund

    Daryn Daniels — 

    Alumnus Adam Sjöberg (’07) will screen his second feature film, “I Am Sun Mu,” at an art alumni reunion event this Saturday, April 23. The reunion...

  • Biola News

    Gospel Choir Celebrates 30th Anniversary at Biola University

    On Saturday, Biola will host the celebratory event, Gospelfest

    Sarie Koes — 

    The Biola University Gospel Choir will celebrate their 30th anniversary this Saturday, April 23. Formed in 1986, the Gospel Choir has had a long...

  • Biola News

    Awareness Week Aims to Prevent Sexual Assaults, Educate, and Heal

    Biola University strives to recognize and educate during National Sexual Assault Awareness Month

    Sarie Koes  — 

    One in five women and one in 16 men are assaulted during their college years. For Biola University, that would mean 800 current underĚŇ»¨ĘÓƵ and...

  • The Good Book Blog

    Worshiping at Work

    Mark Saucy — 

    What images do the word “work” bring to mind? If students and others I’ve had the chance to ask are any measure, the first thoughts aren’t all that positive. For myself I can recall flip comments I have made (half-) jokingly about hating when my work gets in the way of my hobby (cycling, mountain biking—the sport of kings!). From what I get from others, I’m fairly typical ...

  • The Good Book Blog

    Why Were Some Books Left Out of the Bible?

    Clinton E. Arnold — 

    A few years ago, the National Geographic Society announced the discovery of a lost gospel called the Gospel of Judas. Every major news outlet covered this event, with some hailing it as the discovery of the century. The Society then aired a television special on the Friday before Easter telling the story of this great find and discussing its significance. This discovery raised many questions for people, but especially two of a critical nature for the Christian faith: (1) why were some books left out of the Bible (like the Gospel of Judas), and (2) should we consider including other books in the Bible? ...

  • The Good Book Blog

    New Book Provides Short Answers to Big Questions about God

    Sean McDowell — 

    I recently received a copy of an intriguing book in the mail called Short Answers to Big Questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity. One of the authors, Dr. Clinton Arnold, is a friend and colleague of mine at Biola University. This father-son pair tackle some of the biggest theological questions raised about Christianity today, such as, “Is Hell a real place?” “Do angels and demons really exist?” and “Does God hate sex?” If you’re looking for an easy-to-read, insightful, and timely book that tackles these types of questions, then I highly recommend this book. To give you a sense of the content and approach of this book, the Arnolds answered a few of my questions ...

  • The Good Book Blog

    Properly Understanding Properly Basic Beliefs

    William Lane Craig — 

    "Another example would be the warrant for Christianity's truth that comes from the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. To assume that the experience of the Holy Spirit's witness to the truth of Christianity is mere emotions is question-begging. If God does exist, He is certainly capable of communicating His truth to you in an interior way as well as through external evidences. Again, certain Christian beliefs are, I'm convinced, known to be true in a properly basic way, grounded in the inner witness borne to us by God Himself. Interestingly, beliefs based on testimony--like my belief that your name is Grant--is a properly basic belief which I am rational to hold unless and until a defeater for that belief comes along. Similarly, many Christian beliefs are beliefs warranted to us by testimony--God's own testimony. Don't be too quick to dismiss it, lest you fail to hear the voice of God speaking to you." Okay then. We have two properly basic beliefs: (1) The testimony of others (2) Inner witness ...

  • The Good Book Blog

    Does God Want Me to Be Happy?

    Clinton E. Arnold — 

    Without any hesitation we can say that yes, God wants you to be happy. The Bible (as well as experience) tells us that the Christian is given happiness in an incredible number of ways. But Christ has actually sweetened the deal and offered us something even better. While happiness is used to describe a basic feeling of gladness and contentment, what Christ offers is joy, which includes happiness, but runs much deeper, lasts much longer, and is felt much more strongly than happiness. The word joy shows up roughly four hundred times in the Bible, and it is no coincidence. Christ wants you to experience the joy that comes from him ...

  • Biola News

    Students Volunteer at Hospitals as Part of Death and Dying Sociology Course

    Professor Brad Christerson gives insight into the sociology of death and how to grieve in new class

    Shayna Brodsky and Sarie Koes — 

    Junior student Erin Choi was admitted to a hospital and told she had two months to live. According to doctors, she was dying of cancer. As it...

  • The Good Book Blog

    Why Evolution Is Not "Just a Theory"

    Sean McDowell — 

    One of my favorite presentations to do at universities, schools, conferences, and churches is my Atheist Encounter, in which I interact with the audience while role-playing an atheist. After briefly setting up my character (which involves putting on my “atheist glasses”), I then take live questions from the audience and do my best to defend atheism so Christians can see how well—or how poorly—they defend their faith ...