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 parents sometimes have a greater interest in their child’s success in sports than the child himself/herself? We’ll answer these questions and more with our guest, our Talbot colleague in theology, Dr. Erik Thoennes.
Erik Thoennes is committed to teaching theology so that he and his students love God and people more fully. He strives to make the necessary connections between the study of theology, obedience to Jesus and fulfilling the Great Commission. He has been teaching college students for over 30 years and has been a pastor at Grace Evangelical Free Church La Mirada since 2001. Erik is a frequent guest speaker at churches, conferences and retreats. He received the University award for faculty excellence and professor of the year twice. His research interests include godly jealousy, the atonement, the exclusivity of Christ and theology of culture, sport/play/competition, and humor.
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 (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 and . Sean hosts one of the leading apologetics blogs at , and he hosts some great conversations on his . Sean and his wife, Stephanie, have three children and live in San Juan Capistrano, CA.