Home Podcasts The Sean McDowell Show
The Sean McDowell Show

The Sean McDowell Show

The Sean McDowell Show 272 Episodes Sep 18, 2026

Dr. Sean McDowell, an associate professor in Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, hosts this podcast. He addresses major questions about God, morality, and contemporary culture, aiming to equip the church, especially young people, to defend the Christian faith. The show features discussions on apologetics and cultural issues.

Episodes

The Book of Enoch Explained: Nephilim, Demons & Genesis 6
The Book of Enoch Explained: Nephilim, Demons & Genesis 6 Sep 18, 2026 4038 The Book of Enoch has exploded online, and the claims run in both directions: some say it unlocks the Bible's biggest mysteries, others say it can't be trusted at all. Dr. Joel Muddamalle this time talks about First Enoch specifically. Why has it captured so much attention, what kind of literature is it, and how much interpretive weight should it carry? READ: The Unseen Battle, by Joel Muddamalle:
Where Demons Actually Come From, According to Heiser
Where Demons Actually Come From, According to Heiser Sep 16, 2026 4910 Most of what Christians picture when they hear "angel" came from medieval art and Vacation Bible School, not from the biblical text. Dr. Joel Muddamalle worked alongside Michael Heiser at Logos Bible Software and became a friend and protégé. In this conversation he walks through what Heiser argued about the unseen realm, where he thinks Heiser pushed the church in the right direction
The "Lost" Gospels Are Back. What Do They Really Say About Jesus?
The "Lost" Gospels Are Back. What Do They Really Say About Jesus? Sep 11, 2026 4651 Bart Ehrman posed it as a hypothetical question: What if the canon had ended up containing the Gospels of Peter, Thomas, and Mary instead of Matthew, Mark, and Luke? I put that question to Dr. Greg Lanier, who has just written a GREAT BOOK on the Apocryphal Gospels. His answer is that the scenario has no historical basis, and that if you actually had only those three, you'd have no coherent story
Daniel 1:1-8: The Principles You Decide Before the Pressure Comes
Daniel 1:1-8: The Principles You Decide Before the Pressure Comes Sep 8, 2026 1891 Here's a question worth sitting with: what are the principles you actually live by? In this message I look at Daniel. They changed where he lived, what he studied, the language he spoke, and even his name. But the text says he had resolved not to defile himself (past tense). He didn't develop those convictions under pressure. He arrived with them. CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://
The Lost Site of the Tabernacle...Have We Found It? | Big Update
The Lost Site of the Tabernacle...Have We Found It? | Big Update Sep 4, 2026 2770 Scott Stripling's team put out a press release about their latest season at Shiloh. Roughly 400 news stories followed. What his team actually found is more interesting. Since 2017 they've been excavating a building whose dimensions, orientation, and dating all match what we'd expect of the tabernacle and Scott is careful to say it's a strong candidate, not a confirmed identification. He's running
What 50 Years Studying the Resurrection Taught Me - Gary Habermas
What 50 Years Studying the Resurrection Taught Me - Gary Habermas Sep 1, 2026 3304 Gary Habermas has likely studied the historical evidence for the resurrection more than anyone who has ever lived. He's just finished a four-volume work on it and he told me the final volume, on theology and practice, may be the last thing he writes on the subject. It's my favorite of the four, and I wanted to ask him why he made the turn. READ: On the Resurrection: Volume 4, by Gary Habermas (htt
Book of Mormon vs the Gospels: Comparing the Witness Testimony
Book of Mormon vs the Gospels: Comparing the Witness Testimony Aug 28, 2026 5289 How reliable are the eleven witnesses who attest to the Book of Mormon? Dr. Rob Bowman, author of Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions, joins me to do a deep dive comparing them alongside the Gospel witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus, asking questions such as: What did they really see? Can we trust their testimony? Etc. Let us know what you think! READ: Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Vis
The New Mormonism: How LDS Beliefs Are Changing
The New Mormonism: How LDS Beliefs Are Changing Aug 26, 2026 4125 Mormonism is changing and the version of it a Latter-day Saint holds today may look almost nothing like the version their parents held. I sat down with Aaron Shafovaloff and Brandi Bronson to map what's actually happening. Aaron has done evangelism in Utah for two decades and volunteers with Mormonism Research Ministry. Brandy was LDS for 27 years before leaving. Aaron lays out seven distinct stre
Asking a Mormon Leader My Hardest Questions
Asking a Mormon Leader My Hardest Questions Aug 21, 2026 2521 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
Scott Rae Debunks 10 Common Moral Slogans
Scott Rae Debunks 10 Common Moral Slogans Aug 20, 2026 2648 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 wi
J.P. Moreland on Suffering, Doubt, and Facing Death Without Fear
J.P. Moreland on Suffering, Doubt, and Facing Death Without Fear Aug 14, 2026 3993 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. C
The Most Uncomfortable Chapter in Acts? Peter, James, and the Problem of Evil
The Most Uncomfortable Chapter in Acts? Peter, James, and the Problem of Evil Aug 11, 2026 2200 God sent an angel to break Peter out of prison. But one chapter earlier, He let James be executed. Same God, same church, same prayers. Why rescue one apostle and not the other? In this message, I work through Acts 12 and the question underneath it: where is God when we suffer? CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGI

Recommended