Alumnus Rocco Grimaldi (M.A. ’25) would watch lectures, read books and write discussion posts when he returned from work. Balancing being a husband, father, student and maintaining a full-time career, he had to be strategic in finding time to complete his master’s degree in Christian Apologetics from the Talbot School of Theology. While it is challenging enough to complete a master’s degree and juggle the rest of life, Grimaldi’s career is not any ordinary office job: he is a professional hockey player.

Since he was four years old, Grimaldi was on the ice, guiding the puck up and down the rink. He has played for a variety of professional teams across the country since starting to play professionally in 2011. It has been 28 years since he began playing hockey, and he is not stopping now.

“This will be my 12th professional season,” said Grimaldi. “I am currently a free agent. I hope to find out where I will play next year soon.” 

While playing hockey for the Nashville Predators, Grimaldi’s desire to have evidence for his faith started to grow in 2020 and he began researching videos on apologetics online. He decided to pursue a degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola when he came across videos of պ-affiliated apologists such as Dr. Sean McDowell, associate professor of Christian Apologetics, and Dr. J. Warner Wallace, former adjunct professor in the Talbot School of Theology.

“I reached out to Sean McDowell on Instagram and he responded by giving me his phone number and telling me to call him. We talked for 30 minutes and I asked him if it was possible for a professional hockey player to pursue a degree in Apologetics,” said Grimaldi. “He told me that it was and that I could go at any pace that I wanted. I decided to first start with the certification program and that made me want to keep going deeper and so in the spring of 2022, I decided to go for it [a master’s degree]."

Grimaldi’s ambition to further pursue apologetics started by wanting to know and prove the truth for himself. As time went on and he and his wife decided to start a family, his motivation grew beyond himself. 

“One of the reasons I wanted to pursue this degree was not just so I could know the truth for myself, but I wanted to be able to teach the truth to my kids,” said Grimaldi. “I knew we were going to start having kids in the near future and I want to be ready for them and their questions and be able to raise them with the truth. That was a motivation for me. I now have a son who is 15 months and I have twin girls on the way in a couple of months.” 

image shows Grimaldi at graduation
Rocco Grimaldi holding his diploma at Biola's 2025 Commencement

Grimaldi has already found himself exercising the skills he learned while pursuing his degree with his teammates and coaches, as well as players on other teams.

“This degree has provided me the truth and the tools necessary to have conversations with people,” said Grimaldi. “This past season, I actually started a chapel program for my team that met five times during the last half of the year. We had anywhere between five to eight guys attending. There were conversations going on every week and sometimes even every day with one individual or numerous individuals at one time.” 

Beyond growing in the ability to have conversations with other people about the truth of faith in Jesus, Grimaldi found personal edification and growth while studying apologetics. 

“This degree has given me a confidence in knowing the truth and that I know what I’m talking about. It has grown me in humility knowing that I don’t know everything, but that what I do know I want to give to the other person because God has grown me in love for that person. This love wasn’t there earlier on in my life, but since pursuing this degree God has not only given me truth, but He has given me humility and a love for other people,” said Grimaldi. 

Grimaldi referenced 1 Peter 3:15 when asked why studying apologetics is important for a Christian. The verse says “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” In response to this verse, Grimaldi said that faith is to believe in Christ and to search out the truth, to know the truth and to be able to share it with others. He acted on this through earning his degree.

“Apologetics is first for yourself so that your questions can be answered and then it is for those around you so that you can help them with their questions as well. Apologetics shows that Christianity is not only an experiential religion, but it is one that is based on evidence and facts to go along with experience,” said Grimaldi.

Biola's Christian apologetics programs at Talbot School of Theology are led by some of the most respected thinkers and scholars in the field — individuals who seek to honor God with their minds and engage the world with a rationally grounded, intellectually sound case for faith. Talbot’s Christian apologetics programs seek to train Christ followers to defend the faith, present the gospel and impact the world. Learn more and apply today. 

Written by Sarah Dougher, media relations specialist. For more information, email media.relations@biola.edu.