Latest Posts

• The Good Book Blog

  Why Can’t God Be Just the Greatest Being?

  William Lane Craig — June 05, 2015

  Hello Dr. Craig. My question was awakened after having been listening to your class on ''The Ontological Argument''. My question to you is: Does a maximally great being, necessarily have be what we humans are able to imagine as the greatest being? Can it not just be that the being (God) who is in reality the greatest of all beings (since no greater being exists in reality), is the greatest conceivable being. Why do our imagining of a greater being need to devaluate the greatness of the already greatest being. Even if we could imagine a greater being, can it not just be that those ''greater/higher attributes'' are unnecessary and therefore not really greater attributes?

• The Good Book Blog

  The Emotions of Jesus, Part 2: Outrage

  Thaddeus Williams — June 03, 2015

  To see and experience something of Jesus’ emotions, let us join eighty to a hundred thousand religious pilgrims on their trek to the sacred city to worship at the Jewish Temple. It is Passover week. In order to participate in the traditional Temple offerings, people need doves or pigeons. Since worshippers need these birds, they were sold at the Temple at a premium price. You could get a more economical bird outside the Temple courts or lug one from home through the hot desert. However, every bird used in Temple rituals had to pass the rigid purity standards of the Temple’s in-house animal inspectors. Only inflated Temple-sold birds had the guaranteed certification of the scrupulous inspectors. In this way, the house of prayer had become a classic case of what economists call a “captive market.

• Biola News

  Fifteenth in Thailand's Tennis League Finishes First Year on Biola University's Tennis Team

  Freshman Philip Westwood reflects on what it means to be a Biola athlete

  Kayla Mele — June 02, 2015

  Philip Westwood, Biola University freshman and men’s tennis team member, ranked 15 out of 1,000 athletes for tennis in Bangkok, Thailand....

• The Good Book Blog

  Los Hombres y Padres Cristianos Necesitan Más Ánimo

  Octavio Esqueda — June 01, 2015

  Siempre me ha sorprendido el contraste entre las celebraciones del día de las madres y las del día del padre. Generalmente el día de las madres es una gran festividad y un motivo de alegría generalizado en el cual la mayoría reconoce la labor tan ardua y abnegada de las madres. Celebrar a la mamá es una obligación social que se asume con entusiasmo porque todos tienen motivos de sobra para hacerlo. Reconocer a los padres, sin embargo, no tiene el mismo peso social y la efusividad disminuye considerablemente. Ambos padres son importantes, pero pareciera que el énfasis y el reconocimiento son diferentes.

• The Good Book Blog

  The Reliability of the Gospels

  William Lane Craig — May 29, 2015

  Dear Dr. Craig, First off, I want to thank you for all that you have done for me through your ministry and hope that your reach continues to spread. I grew up in a conservative Christian home and for the most part accepted everything that I had been taught. Then during my junior year of high school I read some Richard Dawkins, and the likes, and quickly lost my faith. About six or so months later I discovered your ministry and my life was changed! Your arguments convinced me and in no time I had gone back to my faith. I read On Guard and Reasonable Faith among other Christian authors as well. I felt that my faith was strong and I even considered changing my major to Philosophy for a short time. But now, I am saddened to say that I am slowly losing my faith in the Christian God ...

• Biola News

  Reba DePriest Named NAIA All-American

  GSAC Pitcher of the Year earns second national honor.

  Neil Morgan — May 29, 2015

  NAIA RELEASE LA MIRADA, Calif. --- After another record-breaking season, Reba DePriest earned her second National Association of Intercollegiate...

• The Good Book Blog

  The Emotions of Jesus, Part 1: The Age of Feeling

  Thaddeus Williams — May 28, 2015

  If Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and a mix of our ancestors from virtually any age of human history were crammed into a time machine and hurled into the twenty-first century, there is something normal to us that they would find totally bewildering. I am not referring to air and space travel, or the worldwide renown achieved by a cartoon mouse, or even technologies that put all human knowledge at our fingertips that we use to watch endless cat bloopers, bizarre as all of that would seem. I am referring instead to the sacred, unquestioned authority granted to feelings in our day. Western culture has been through a so-called ‘Age of Faith’ and an ‘Age of Reason.’ We live in what Princeton’s Robert George calls “the Age of Feeling.”[1] Canadian Philosopher, Charles Taylor, prefers the moniker, “The Age of Authenticity,” to describe how staying true to your feelings, whatever they may be, has become the highest virtue of our day (unlike historic virtues in which certain feelings could and should be chastened).

• The Good Book Blog

  A Divine Appointment

  Joe Hellerman — May 27, 2015

  I wrote a book titled When The Church Was A Family. Considering its rather narrow focus, it has sold pretty well. I am particularly delighted that the book has become required reading in one of our Talbot Spiritual Formation courses. One person who has read When The Church Was A Family is Mark DeNeui. Mark is a New Testament scholar who has been training Christian leaders in Europe for over twenty years. He and his wife Lisa have been on furlough from the mission field and will shortly return to France. I was Mark’s youth pastor back in the late 1970s, I officiated at their wedding a decade or so later, and my wife and I have remained close to the DeNeuis all these years ...

• Biola News

  Baroness Addresses Graduates at Spring 2015 Commencement

  Nearly 1,000 undergraduates and graduates received their diplomas

  Mystiana Victorino — May 25, 2015

  F or the first time in Biola University’s history, a b aroness addressed graduates at the 2015 Spring Commencement ceremonies. Approximately 227...

• The Good Book Blog

  Grim Reaper Paradox

  William Lane Craig — May 22, 2015

  Dear Dr. Craig, I recently viewed your defense of the Kalam Cosmological Argument video at the Baylor University Alvin Plantinga conference, and I was intrigued by the new grim reaper argument against an infinite series of causal events. I've searched throughout the web and have found very little on this argument. I was wondering what exactly your thoughts were on this argument and if you will be adding it to your repertoire of arguments against an eternal series of causal events ...

• Biola News

  Biola Alumna Displays Heart for Social Justice in the Foster Care System

  Victoria Stasiak talks about her unexpected call to work with foster children in Las Vegas

  Rachel Allan — May 20, 2015

  While many graduates struggle to find careers they are passionate about, Biola alumna Victoria Stasiak (‘13) has found exactly that. The...

• The Good Book Blog

  Why Christianity Rather Than Judaism or Islam?

  William Lane Craig — May 15, 2015

  Hello Dr. Craig, I have always wondered about your claim that Christianity is the only true religion (based on historical evidence as you say). But how can you be so sure when Islamic and Jewish scholars claim the same claim? As a former atheist and now an agnostic, the question of which religion to choose is essential. I'm very well acquainted with Islamic Theology and unlike your claim. Islam affirms that Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the same god ("Allah" is not a special god for Muslims rather it's the term for god in Arabic). So what is your position on Islam? (And I would really like to know from who do you get your information on Islamic theology). I also would to invest some time in Christian theology, would kindly recommend some introductory books?

• Biola News

  New Residence Hall Named After 'Forgotten Founder'

  Board of Trustees names William E. Blackstone Hall in honor of Biola's first dean

  Staff — May 15, 2015

  Biola University's soon-to-be-completed new residence hall has officially been named William E. Blackstone Hall, a tribute to Biola’s first dean,...

• The Good Book Blog

  I am the Very Model of a Doctor of New Testament

  Gary Manning Jr — May 13, 2015

  I am the very model of a Doctor of New Testament, I exegete pericopae in weather fine or inclement, I know the difference between a codex and a Chester B, and even if a manuscript is Byzantine or Westerly.

• The Good Book Blog

  Lecciones de un “Estorbante”

  Octavio Esqueda — May 11, 2015

  Me encanta la primavera, pero en esta temporada tengo que hacer lo que tanto lamento y pienso es una maldición que viene unida a la hermosura primaveral. Junto con las flores, árboles e incluso el césped, la hierba mala hace su aparición en mi jardín cada año a pesar de que nunca es bienvenida en mi casa. Me gusta mucho ver crecer las flores, los árboles y escuchar el sonido de los pájaros que visitan nuestro vecindario. Si bien pienso que cortar el césped es un mal necesario que tengo que hacer, realmente sería un poco más atractivo hacerlo si no tuviera que cortar también la hierba mala que piensa que está en competencia con el césped para ver quién crece más ...

• Biola News

  Biola University Launches Historic $180 Million Comprehensive Campaign

  A record $3.9 million raised at Conviction and Courage Gala in addition to $152 million already raised

  Jenna Loumagne — May 09, 2015

  Today, Biola University publicly launched the most ambitious fundraising effort in its history, a $180 million comprehensive campaign titled, “A...

• Biola News

  Biola University Receives Historic $12 Million Gift for New Science Building

  Long Beach resident Alton Lim makes largest donation in Biola’s history

  Jason Newell — May 09, 2015

  Biola University has received the largest donation in its 107-year history, a $12 million gift from Alton Lim of Long Beach, Calif., the...

• The Good Book Blog

  Should Christians Accept Intelligent Design?

  William Lane Craig — May 08, 2015

  I'm taking a philosophy of religion course right now, and it is very fascinating to me. I'm taking the course because I am interested in Christian Apologetics. One aspect of Christian Apologetics is to argue for intelligent design. To my surprise, my professor, who is a Christian, does not believe in intelligent design (ID). I also wanted to point out the fact that in an astronomy class my girlfriend is taking, the professor lectured on how most Christians do not believe in ID. As I'm pondering on why my Christian professor doesn't believe in ID and how an astronomy professor lectures on how most Christians don't believe in ID, I start to question if I even know what ID really is ...

• Biola News

  Softball Heads To Nationals In Louisiana

  Biola Softball selected No. 2 Seed in LSU Alexandria Bracket.

  Neil Morgan — May 07, 2015

  COMPLETE OPENING ROUND BRACKETS The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced its NAIA Softball Tournament Opening Round seeds...

• Biola News

  Baseball, Softball Earn Academic Honors

  Heather Hall and Sean McCarrell Named Academic All-District.

  Neil Morgan — May 07, 2015

  SOFTBALL HONOREES | BASEBALL HONOREES Heather Hall and Sean McCarrell are named Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District for their performance...

• The Good Book Blog

  Incarnation and Theodicy

  William Lane Craig — May 01, 2015

  Hi Dr. Craig, Let me first say that while not a Christian myself (although I've somehow ended up doing a theology degree...) I am a very big fan of your program of presenting rigorous and rational justification for Christian doctrine - in particular you have thoroughly convinced me on the cosmological argument! However I am unwilling to move beyond belief in a minimalist Deist creator God for several reasons, among which is the question of: Is the incarnation compatible with theodicy? ...

• The Good Book Blog

  God's Super-Apostles: An Interview with Doug Geivett

  The Good Book Blog — April 29, 2015

  Doug Geivett is professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology. He's recently published two books that focus on the New Apostolic Reformation. One is a shorter book titled God's Super-Apostles, and a longer one called A New Apostolic Reformation? A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement. Both can be purchased directly from the publisher or at amazon.com. Today's interview explores the nature and influence of this movement.

• Biola News

  Three Earn All-GSAC

  Reba DePriest, Brooke Madrid and Bria Madrid win conference honors.

  Neil Morgan — April 28, 2015

  Reba DePriest wins her second-straight Golden State Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year award and Brooke Madrid and Bria Madrid each earn...

• The Good Book Blog

  What "Dying for our Sins" Means

  William Lane Craig — April 24, 2015

  Dear Dr Craig, I was born in Turkey and simply followed the traditions and became a Muslim. I have always been hungry for knowledge and understanding. So I started to research Islam with the hope that I could have a closer/stronger connection with God. But unfortunately I realized that the Prophet Mohammed stands between God and me. This was my first disappointment. I also found out certain things that put me off so much from Islam, and in fact, from all the other religions. I then became and atheist because I believed it was intellectual, logical and rational. After I studied Mathematical Physics (and understood the true meaning of science, rationality and logic) at university, I realized that atheism was not for me either. My question is about Jesus. I am not a Christian but feeling very close to Jesus since the first day I came to know him. I don't understand him dying for our sins. What does that mean? No Christian has given me a satisfactory answer and I can't think of an answer myself. I am ready to die, today, for my mother but that's not what Jesus did (I assume?). What does it mean to "die for someone else's sins"? ...

• Biola News

  Brunelle Named Women's Soccer Coach

  After years as the lead assistant, Brunelle takes over program.

  Neil Morgan — April 23, 2015

  After spending the last six years as the lead assistant, Erin Brunelle becomes the sixth head coach in Biola Women’s Soccer history. She takes...