Unbelievable?

Latest Episodes:

The Robot Race - Part 2: How should humanity flourish in an AI world? - Nigel Crook & Anil Seth Sep 22, 2023

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The Big Conversation - Episode 6 | Season 5 In this special two-parter, we explore "The Robot Race". Are developments in Artificial Intelligence spiralling out of control, and what can we learn about ourselves - the human race - in light of AI's rapidly expanding capabilities? Here, in part two, we debate the nature of human consciousness and free will - comparing it to AI and robotics - and ask how humanity should best flourish now that the AI genie is out of the bottle. Speaking into this issue, from two very different perspectives, is Christian believer Nigel Crook, Professor in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics at Oxford Brookes University and author of "Rise of the Moral Machine: Exploring Virtue through a Robot's Eyes"; and atheist Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, winner of The Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture 2023, and author of "Being You: A New Science of Consciousness". If you missed Part 1, catch up here: https://www.thebigconversation.show/videos/season-5/episode-5 • For bonus content, updates and more shows sign up at: http://www.thebigconversation.show • Take our survey! https://survey-star.co.uk/robotrace2 The Big Conversation is a video series from Premier Unbelievable? featuring world-class thinkers across the religious and non-religious community. Exploring science, faith, philosophy and what it means to be human. The Big Conversation is produced by Premier Unbelievable? in partnership with John Templeton Foundation. • For Nigel Crook: https://ntcrook.com • For Anil Seth: https://www.anilseth.com • For more robotics by Boston Dynamics: https://www.youtube.com/@BostonDynamics • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Classic Replay: From Christian to Jewish to atheist – Luke Griffiss-Williams & Richard Harvey Sep 19, 2023

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From 2016: Luke Griffiss-Williams has an interesting faith journey. Having been an evangelical Christian, doubts about the deity of Jesus led him to convert to Judaism. But further doubts about the historicity of the Old Testament led him to become an atheist. Richard Harvey, senior researcher with Jews for Jesus responds to Luke’s story as well as telling his own of how, as a Jew, he came to believe in Jesus as Messiah. For Luke Griffiss-Williams: https://myspace.com/hatterarts For Richard Harvey: http://www.mappingmessianicjewishtheology.eu/ • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Coming to faith through Dawkins - Part 2: Is there a new New Atheism? Alister McGrath & Alex O'Connor Sep 15, 2023

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In the second part of their discussion based on the book Coming to Faith Through Dawkins, theologian Alister McGrath and YouTuber Alex O'Connor discuss where we may be heading in regards to religion and atheism. Faith or Atheism: what's next? Recorded on 9/11, 22 years after the tragic events at New York's World Trade Centre, which in many ways provided a catalyst for the New Atheist movement, they discuss why New Atheism has lost its appeal, what some of the new concerns and questions are and whether anything will replace it. Alister shares the evidence that compelled him to move from atheism to Christianity and Alex contemplates what it might take to convince him that God exists. Your host on Unbelievable? for this riveting debate is Ruth Jackson. For Alex O'Connor: https://www.youtube.com/user/alexjoconnor For Alister McGrath: http://alistermcgrath.weebly.com/ Buy the book, Coming to Faith Through Dawkins: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Faith-Through-Dawkins-Christianity/dp/0825448220 Missed Part One? Catch up here: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/unbelievable/unbelievable-coming-to-faith-through-dawkins-part-1-has-new-atheism-failed-alister-mcgrath-and-alex-oconnor/16243.article • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Classic Replay: Are Christians happier than atheists? Ann Morisy & Craig James Sep 12, 2023

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From 2016: The latest survey from the UK Office of National Statistics shows that religious people are happier than atheists. Hindus came first in terms of reported happiness and Christians second. Christian researcher and author Ann Morisy discusses with atheist blogger and author Craig James why people of faith consistently report higher levels of wellbeing in surveys than atheists. What other factors may account for the results and does it have any bearing on the truth of religious claims? For Ann Morisy: http://www.stpancraschurch.org/index.php?id=126 For Craig A James: http://www.thereligionvirus.com/ • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

The Robot Race - Part 1: Could AI ever replace humanity? - Nigel Crook & Anil Seth Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

The Big Conversation - Episode 5 | Season 5 In this special two-parter, we explore "The Robot Race". Are developments in Artificial Intelligence spiralling out of control? Can we slow the development of large scale AI even if we wanted to? And what can we learn about ourselves - the human race - in light of AI's rapidly expanding capabilities? Here, in part one, we confront the ominous existential question: could AI ever replace humanity? The implications for the future of humankind posed by developments such as ChatGPT, robotics, and data sharing are discussed by Nigel Crook, Professor in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics at Oxford Brookes University and author of "Rise of the Moral Machine: Exploring Virtue through a Robot's Eyes", and Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, winner of The Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture 2023, and author of "Being You: A New Science of Consciousness". • For bonus content, updates and more shows sign up at: http://www.thebigconversation.show • Take our survey! https://survey-star.co.uk/robotrace1 The Big Conversation is a video series from Premier Unbelievable? featuring world-class thinkers across the religious and non-religious community. Exploring science, faith, philosophy and what it means to be human. The Big Conversation is produced by Premier Unbelievable? in partnership with John Templeton Foundation. • For Nigel Crook: https://ntcrook.com • For Anil Seth: https://www.anilseth.com • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Classic Replay: Is belief in Divine punishment good or bad for us? Dominic Johnson and Peter S Williams Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

From 2016: Dominic Johnson’s book ‘God is Watching You: How the fear of God makes us human’ makes the claim that belief in divine punishment has arisen because of the evolutionary advantage it brings in creating cooperative, moral societies. Christian philosopher Peter S Williams interacts with Dominic on questions over whether his research explains away religious belief, and whether Christianity is a religion of punishment and rewards. For ‘God is Watching You’: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/god-is-watching-you-9780199895632?cc=gb For Peter S Williams: http://www.peterswilliams.com • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Coming to faith through Dawkins - Part 1: has New Atheism failed? - Alister McGrath & Alex O'Connor Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

Unbelievable? delves back into history and asks Did new atheism fail? with one the world’s best-known theologians Alister McGrath debating Oxford-educated philosopher and wildly successful YouTuber Alex O’Connor. Prompted by a new book Coming to Faith Through Dawkins which published on 29th August 2023, the book edited by Denis Alexander and Alister McGrath gathered other intelligent minds from around the world Australia, S. Africa, Egypt, USA, and the UK to share their startling commonality: Richard Dawkins and his fellow New Atheists were instrumental in their conversions to Christianity. Despite a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, all are united in the fact that they were first enthusiasts for the claims and writings of the New Atheists. But each became disillusioned by the arguments and conclusions of Dawkins, causing them to look deeper and with more objectivity at religious faith. The fallacies of Christianity Dawkins warns of simply don't exist. "This is a novel book: real-life stories of people who have actually come to faith, not in spite of but through Richard Dawkins. It must be his own worst nightmare!" - William Lane Craig Alister McGrath is a former atheist who discovered Christianity while studying the natural sciences at Oxford University. He has held a number of senior appointments during his career, including Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford, before taking up the Andreas Idreos Professorship of Science and Religion at Oxford, from which he retired last year. He also served as President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. McGrath is one of the world's best-known theologians and apologists, and is the author of the internationally acclaimed textbook Christian Theology: An Introduction, which has been translated into twenty languages. With his wife, he wrote a critique of Richard Dawkins's God Delusion which became an international bestseller. Later this year, he will publish a new textbook entitled Christian Apologetics: An Introduction. McGrath has three earned doctorates from Oxford University, in the natural sciences, theology, and intellectual history. Alex O’Connor is a YouTuber and host of the Within Reason Podcast, a philosophy platform designed to present philosophical discussions in an accessible format. A graduate of philosophy and theology from St. John’s College, Oxford University, he is also an international public speaker and debater, having defended his philosophical convictions against a wide range of experts across multiple continents, whose online video material has been viewed more than seventy million times. Alex O'Connor: https://www.youtube.com/user/alexjoconnor Alister McGrath: http://alistermcgrath.weebly.com/ Buy the book, Coming to Faith through Dawkins: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Faith-Through-Dawkins-Christianity/dp/0825448220 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Classic Replay: Grill an apologist – members of UK Apologetics respond to skeptic callers Aug 29, 2023

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From March 2015: Ruth Preston, Calum Miller and Peter S Williams of the UK Apologetics Facebook group and blog take a variety of questions from callers. Ben, who lost his faith, wants to know why God didn’t provide him with more evidence. Michael asks: Why should I believe Paul? Tim wants to know why evangelicals can be so insular, and Brian has questions about the moral Argument for God • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Richard Dawkins & Francis Collins Debate (Replay) + Clash with Richard Swinburne + New Big Conversation Episodes Reveal! Aug 25, 2023

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We revisit a riveting dialogue from Season 4 of The Big Conversation, from 2022. With their diametrically opposed beliefs on the ideas around God's existence, Francis Collins, a geneticist who found faith in Christianity, and Richard Dawkins, renowned atheist author and evolutionary biologist debate biology, belief and COVID: can science and fight be reconciled? We also look at Dawkins' recent exchange with Christian philosopher Richard Swinburne, as a natural extension to some of the issues discussed with Francis Collins, and will also give you a sneak peek of an exhilarating two-parter coming up in Season 5 of The Big Conversation: a debate on a pressing contemporary topic! Register for early access to new Big Conversation episodes, as well as hours of exclusive video and ebook content - including the bonus clip of Dawkins and Collins discussing genetics: https://thebigconversation.show Watch the full "Mystery of Existence" discussion, featuring Dawkins and Swinburne: Part One: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/unbelievable/unbelievable-the-mystery-of-existence-why-is-there-something-rather-than-nothing-part-1-with-richard-dawkins-jessica-frazier-silvia-jonas-richard-swinburne-and-jack-symes/16076.article Part Two: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/unbelievable/unbelievable-the-mystery-of-existence-where-did-natural-environments-and-complex-organisms-came-from-part-2-with-richard-dawkins-jessica-frazier-silvia-jonas-richard-swinburne/16119.article For the book "Coming to Faith Through Dawkins": https://www.kregel.com/biography/coming-to-faith-through-dawkins/ • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Classic Replay: Debating the Ontological Argument Aug 22, 2023

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From March 2015: Can God be proved by definition? That's the claim of the Ontological Argument for God's existence. Christian Philosopher Peter S Williams and sceptic philosopher Peter Millican from Oxford University explore the different versions of the argument. Williams defends the argument, Millican believes it is flawed. For Peter S Williams: www.peterswilliams.com Peter SW YouTube Playlist on the OA and Peter SW teaching on the argument For Peter Millican: http://www.millican.org/ and Graham Oppy's Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Ontological Arguments For Millican's 2011 debate with William Lane Craig Click here. • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

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