What are the biggest religious trends to watch for in 26?

Should doctors be able to allow organ donors to have their body parts procured before they are dead?

A federal judge rules that teachers have the right to inform parents about their child's gender identity at school.

And New York Times has a surprising review of an international

conference on near-death experiences that is very insightful for our cultural moment.

These are the stories we'll discuss, and we'll also address some of your questions.

I'm your host, Sean McDowell.

I'm your co-host, Scott Ray.

This is the Think Biblically weekly cultural update

brought to by Talbot School Theology Biola University. Scott, just as we are starting,

you said, this is kicking off our third year of the weekly cultural update. You ready for this?

I am. Happy to be back as 2026 is underway. Well, we've got a story I think that's in some

way perfect to start with is from Religion Unplugged, and it's five stories of trends to watch

for in 2026. And they said, well, 2025 revealed a possible slowing in the long-term decline of Christianity in the United States, new data this year could either confirm that trend or upend it entirely.

I guess we'll wait to see.

Here's the ones that they came up with.

The first one is a rise in anti-Semitism.

And one of things they point out is that we see it across the political spectrum on the left

and now somewhat increasingly on the right.

And you and I have talked about that.

The second one is as we move into midterm elections to look for culture war issues to really come to the forefront,

cost of living, the economy, I'm sure moral issues like abortion, maybe euthanasia.

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