Episodes

  • What are Don Rags?
    Dec 9 2025

    As we wrap up our semester, it's a great time to discuss our end-of-semester oral exam, affectionately named "Don Rags." Join Ellie, Fred, and Paul as we talk through what an oral exam is, how it works, and why we do it. Thanks for listening to Season 4!

    Hosted by: Ellie Martin, Dr. Paul Spears, and Dr. Fred Sanders
    Executive Producer: Ellie Martin
    Editor and Producer: Timothy House


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    Torrey Honors College is the undergraduate honors program at Biola University. We bring together students with different backgrounds from all over the world in pursuit of a common goal.

    At Torrey Honors, students read deeply from some of the best books ever written. They gather with close friends to spend hundreds of hours in discussion, searching out answers to big questions together — all while guided by a faculty mentor. And when they graduate, students enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

    Learn more at https://www.biola.edu/torrey

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    45 mins
  • Jack of all trades, master of none?
    Nov 25 2025

    Paul, Ellie, and Fred are joined by another Torrey faculty member, Dr. Greg Peters. Dr. Peters is a professor of monastic studies, and in this episode we discuss what it's like to be a specialist in a generalist program. How do our faculty integrate their academic specialties into a program that spans English, Philosophy, History, Aesthetics, and Theology?

    Hosted by: Ellie Martin, Dr. Paul Spears, and Dr. Fred Sanders
    Executive Producer: Ellie Martin
    Editor and Producer: Timothy House


    ----------
    Torrey Honors College is the undergraduate honors program at Biola University. We bring together students with different backgrounds from all over the world in pursuit of a common goal.

    At Torrey Honors, students read deeply from some of the best books ever written. They gather with close friends to spend hundreds of hours in discussion, searching out answers to big questions together — all while guided by a faculty mentor. And when they graduate, students enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

    Learn more at https://www.biola.edu/torrey

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    44 mins
  • Is there anything new under the sun?
    Nov 11 2025

    Join Fred, Paul, and Ellie in our discussion on the timelessness of truth. We've talked in the past about "chronological snobbery" - the impression that whatever comes out today must inherently be better than what has come before - but what about those things that endure always? Is truth timeless, or does it develop over time?

    Hosted by: Ellie Martin, Dr. Paul Spears, and Dr. Fred Sanders
    Executive Producer: Ellie Martin
    Editor and Producer: Timothy House


    ----------
    Torrey Honors College is the undergraduate honors program at Biola University. We bring together students with different backgrounds from all over the world in pursuit of a common goal.

    At Torrey Honors, students read deeply from some of the best books ever written. They gather with close friends to spend hundreds of hours in discussion, searching out answers to big questions together — all while guided by a faculty mentor. And when they graduate, students enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

    Learn more at https://www.biola.edu/torrey

    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • Where is Torrey in the Great Books Tradition? Part II
    Oct 28 2025

    Join Ellie, Fred, and Paul as we finish our discussion on the Great Books tradition. We wrap up the convo we started last week on the roots of Torrey, so be sure to tune it to that episode if you haven't yet!

    Hosted by: Ellie Martin, Dr. Paul Spears, and Dr. Fred Sanders
    Executive Producer: Ellie Martin
    Editor and Producer: Timothy House


    ----------
    Torrey Honors College is the undergraduate honors program at Biola University. We bring together students with different backgrounds from all over the world in pursuit of a common goal.

    At Torrey Honors, students read deeply from some of the best books ever written. They gather with close friends to spend hundreds of hours in discussion, searching out answers to big questions together — all while guided by a faculty mentor. And when they graduate, students enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

    Learn more at https://www.biola.edu/torrey

    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • Where is Torrey in the Great Books Tradition? Part I
    Oct 14 2025

    Fred, Ellie, and Paul talk history in this two-part episode. We often describe the Torrey Honors College as a "Great Books Program", but what is the Great Books movement and how did it emerge? There was lots to talk about, so join us again for Part II!

    Hosted by: Ellie Martin, Dr. Paul Spears, and Dr. Fred Sanders
    Executive Producer: Ellie Martin
    Editor and Producer: Timothy House


    ----------
    Torrey Honors College is the undergraduate honors program at Biola University. We bring together students with different backgrounds from all over the world in pursuit of a common goal.

    At Torrey Honors, students read deeply from some of the best books ever written. They gather with close friends to spend hundreds of hours in discussion, searching out answers to big questions together — all while guided by a faculty mentor. And when they graduate, students enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

    Learn more at https://www.biola.edu/torrey

    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • How does knowing the cosmos help me to know God?
    Sep 30 2025

    Torrey faculty member Dr. Adam Johnson joins Paul, Fred, and Ellie to talk about Torrey Parks, Traherne, and being outside. Learn more about one of our summer Off-Campus trips, Torrey Parks (led by Dr. Johnson), and listen in on what sounds almost like a real opening question as we discuss all things nature and being outdoors.

    Hosted by: Ellie Martin, Dr. Paul Spears, and Dr. Fred Sanders
    Executive Producer: Ellie Martin
    Editor and Producer: Timothy House


    ----------
    Torrey Honors College is the undergraduate honors program at Biola University. We bring together students with different backgrounds from all over the world in pursuit of a common goal.

    At Torrey Honors, students read deeply from some of the best books ever written. They gather with close friends to spend hundreds of hours in discussion, searching out answers to big questions together — all while guided by a faculty mentor. And when they graduate, students enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

    Learn more at https://www.biola.edu/torrey

    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • To question or not to question - is that the question?
    Sep 16 2025

    Welcome back for Season 4! In our opening episode, Ellie, Fred, and Paul discuss what the Socratic method is in general. We talk a lot about how we do what we do, but we wanted to take a step back to discuss what it is that we do, and a little bit more of why we do it.

    Hosted by: Ellie Martin, Dr. Paul Spears, and Dr. Fred Sanders
    Executive Producer: Ellie Martin
    Editor and Producer: Timothy House


    ----------
    Torrey Honors College is the undergraduate honors program at Biola University. We bring together students with different backgrounds from all over the world in pursuit of a common goal.

    At Torrey Honors, students read deeply from some of the best books ever written. They gather with close friends to spend hundreds of hours in discussion, searching out answers to big questions together — all while guided by a faculty mentor. And when they graduate, students enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

    Learn more at https://www.biola.edu/torrey

    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Who has time to think?
    Dec 17 2024

    The life of reading and the mind seems like something you might get to do in college, but then never again. After all, who isn’t tired after working all day?! In our final episode of season 3, Ellie, Fred, and Paul get into a lil argument about what it means to continue with a life of the mind, even after you graduate college.

    Hosted by: Ellie Martin, Dr. Paul Spears, and Dr. Fred Sanders
    Executive Producer: Ellie Martin
    Editor and Producer: Timothy House


    ----------
    Torrey Honors College is the undergraduate honors program at Biola University. We bring together students with different backgrounds from all over the world in pursuit of a common goal.

    At Torrey Honors, students read deeply from some of the best books ever written. They gather with close friends to spend hundreds of hours in discussion, searching out answers to big questions together — all while guided by a faculty mentor. And when they graduate, students enter a community dedicated to lifelong learning and pursuing Christ both personally and vocationally.

    Learn more at https://www.biola.edu/torrey

    Show More Show Less
    45 mins