One of the most pressing and contested topics on college campuses today is social justice, and many Christians are confused about how to understand it through a biblical lens. I hope this conversation will clear away some of the confusion.

I’m joined by Dr. Thaddeus Williams, a professor of theology and philosophy at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. Dr. Williams is the author of Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth. In it, he argues that Christians are called to care deeply about justice, but that not every version of “social justice” reflects a biblical understanding of truth, human dignity, or the gospel.

Instead, he invites readers to recover a vision of justice rooted in Scripture, the character of God, and the dignity of every human being made in the image of God. In our conversation, we explore how Christians can think carefully and faithfully about justice, truth, identity, and cultural engagement—especially in the context of higher education.

In this podcast we discuss:

• How Thaddeus came to be interested in this topic and write Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice.
• Why social justice is such a central topic on campus and in our culture.
• Defining “Social Justice B” and its underlying philosophy, Critical Theory.
• Why these ideas now provide ultimate meaning for many (becoming their religion).
• How students can understand and affirm biblical justice as true social justice (and how John Perkins helped clarify the four guideposts of correct social justice).
• How our culture’s understanding of social justice (“Social Justice B”) actually leads to further injustice, making our culture cruel and uncaring.
• Why understanding the Image of God helps us think well about issues of social justice and equality.
• How to distinguish between “Social Justice A” and “Social Justice B” in conversations, papers, and class discussions.

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Thaddeus Williams, Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice
• Thaddeus Williams’ Podcast “The Shed & Beam”
• J.P. Moreland, Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul
• Hellen Pluckrose & James Lindsay, Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody
• Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer, Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice–Implications for the Church and Society
• Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer, Pose Woke: Asserting a Biblical Vision of Race, Gender, and Sexuality
• Stan Wallace, “How Should Christians Understand Critical Theory?”

In this episode, I’m continuing my sporadic series on various campus ministries. I’m joined by Jaime Noyd, the Director of the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). We discuss what ESN is and how it will be of great help to you if you are considering following God’s call to one day serve Christ as a professor.

In this podcast we discuss:

• How Jamie came to direct ESN
• Why ESN exists–the vision of the ministry
• How scholarship can be a sacred calling
• If students may join ESN if they are not involved in InterVarsity
• How students can join ESN before they start college
• Some examples of students greatly helped by ESN
• Where ESN is going in the next 20 years
• Questions to regularly ask yourself (or others) in following God’s calling to the professorate
• The next step to joining ESN

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Emerging Scholars Network website
• Contacting Jamie: esn@intervarsity.org
• The American Scientific Affiliation
• Christian Professional Societies
• InterVarsity Graduate & Faculty Ministries
• Cru’s Graduate Student Resources
• Veritas Forum Communities
• The Society of Christian Scholars
• The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students
• Christianity and Intellectual Inquiry: Thinking as Pilgrimage by Douglas Jacobsen and Rhonda Hustedt Jacobsen
• The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods by A.J. Sertillanges
• Love The Lord Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland
• Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential by Gordon T. Smith
• The Call by Os Guinness
• Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or Ph.D. by Robert L. Peters
• The Thinking Christianly podcast
• Scholars’ Compass (ESN devotionals)
• The Biblical Story and the Story of the Academic Disciplines (free with a Society of Christian Scholars membership)

Writing papers is a part of every student’s life. Writing a good one can feel overwhelming. But what if it’s about more than just getting a grade? What if your writing is actually an opportunity to think clearly, communicate truth, and even honor God? In this episode of College Faith, we’re talking about what students need to understand first in order to write well, the essential elements of a strong paper, the biggest mistakes to avoid, and how to approach research, AI, and the writing process with wisdom and integrity. To guide us, I’m joined by Dr. Bruce Barron, an experienced writer, editor, and communications leader who has spent decades helping scholars, students, and public thinkers express complex ideas with clarity and impact. Bruce has served in senior editorial roles with major policy and Christian publications, edited books and academic manuscripts, and coached countless writers from rough drafts to polished, compelling work. His experience at the intersection of careful research, thoughtful Christian engagement, and practical communication makes him an ideal guide for any student who wants to become not just a better writer, but a more faithful one.

In this podcast we discuss:

• What students should understand first to write a good paper
• The elements of a good paper
• The single biggest mistake students make when writing a paper
• A balanced, biblical approach to your studies, including writing papers
• Proper and improper ways to use AI when writing
• How much research for the paper is enough
• The steps in writing a good paper
• The importance of building a good relationship with your professors
• How to see your studies as an act of worship
• The most important thing to remember when writing a paper
• Some ways writing skills impact all of life after college

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• BruceBarron.substack.com
• Bruce Barron, “On Writing So Well That You Don’t Need an Editor” (Society of Christian Scholars webinar)