Southern Seminary welcomed Sean McDowell to campus for the annual Gheens Lecture series and to speak at the Student Ministry Workshop on March 25. McDowell serves as Associate Professor of Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, and co-host of the Think Biblically podcast. In his lecture series, “Why God Is Back in 2025,” McDowell addressed the Southern Seminary community about the shifting public conversation on faith.
“Something unexpected is happening in 2025,” McDowell said. “Belief in God and the supernatural appear to be making a comeback. From the 1966 ‘Is God Dead?’ cover of Time Magazine and the new atheist movement of the 2000s, the God conversation has shifted. Unexpected people are leading religious conversations, like Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan. We’ve also seen high-profile conversions like the former New Atheist, Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Finally, there’s a growing awareness of the failure of secularism.”
In addition to the Gheens Lectures, McDowell spoke at the Student Ministry Workshop, which equips student leaders with the tools needed to address contemporary challenges in their ministry contexts. The interactive sessions encouraged students to think critically and engage confidently in gospel conversations.
Paul Akin, Provost of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, expressed gratitude for McDowell’s time on campus.
“We were honored to have Sean McDowell on campus to deliver the Gheens Lectures to our campus community and our special guests attending the student leaders workshop,” Akin said. “McDowell’s expertise on current apologetics issues helped equip our students and the cohort of student leaders to defend the faith with clarity and precision. Our aim at Southern Seminary and Boyce College is to help our students and church leaders engage biblically and thoughtfully with cultural challenges while strengthening their confidence in the truth of the gospel.”
The Gheens Lectures are a long-standing tradition at Southern Seminary, bringing influential scholars and ministry leaders to campus to address vital theological and cultural topics. McDowell’s visit continued this legacy by reinforcing the seminary’s commitment to training students to stand firm in their faith while effectively engaging the world around them.
For more information about upcoming lectures and events at Southern Seminary, visit www.sbts.edu.