Can Belief in God Strengthen Academic Freedom?

In this episode of PeppTalk, Coby and Alexa are joined by professor Jennifer Smith to discuss how Pepperdine University is cultivating academic freedom within a distinctly faith-based environment. We take you inside the 2025 Academic Freedom Colloquium: Faith and the Academy and the University’s signature Dialogue Dinner series—two initiatives at the heart of Pepperdine’s commitment to open, courageous dialogue. From topics like race, gender, and identity to enduring questions of truth and tradition, our podcasters explore how Pepperdine is leading a national conversation that merges conviction and curiosity. Together, they consider what it looks like to pursue truth boldly while remaining rooted in Christian faith. Through candid discussion, seminar-style engagement, and Christ-centered hospitality, Pepperdine is building a culture where academic freedom isn’t unmoored from conviction—it’s tethered to it. This episode challenges common assumptions about intellectual freedom and shows how faith-based universities might actually be among its fiercest defenders.Want more on faith and academic freedom? Read Pepperdine President Jim Gash’s recent feature op-ed in U.S. News & World Report. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pepperdineuniversity.substack.com