Unbelievable?

Latest Episodes:

A Christian and Atheist walk into a bar... Andy Kind & Andy White on comedy, faith and searching for God Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

Stand up comedians Andy Kind (the Christian) and Andy White (the Atheist) join Justin to talk about comedy and faith and discuss Andy Kind's new book 'Hidden In Plain Sight: Clues you may have missed in the search for meaning'.

For Hidden In Plain Sight: https://standrewsbookshop.co.uk/product/hidden-in-plain-sight-2/

For Andy Kind: https://www.andykind.co.uk/

For Andy White: https://twitter.com/AndyJWhite

• 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-and-events

• 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 Steve Chalke’s new gay-affirming stance Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

In this episode from the archives, we go back to the time when then-leading UK evangelical Steve Chalke wrote an article for Christianity magazine on why he switched to affirming committed, faithful gay relationships.

Justin talked to Steve about why he changed his mind, while theologian Greg Downes offered a defense of the traditional evangelical understanding of sexuality. We also heard the responses and reflections of church leaders including Steve Clifford of the Evangelical Alliance, Lord Richard Harries former Bishop of Oxford, Faith Forster of Ichthus Christian fellowship and more.

• 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-and-events

• Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow

• Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Michael Gungor & Evan Wickham: Millennials, music and mystical deconstruction Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

Michael Gungor and his wife Lisa were pioneers in the Christian music scene, building a loyal fan base through Gungor's music and podcasts such as The Liturgists. However, Michael's recent turn towards an increasingly progressive, msytical and deconstructed interpretation of faith has left many Christians confused.

Evan Wickham is a pastor in San Diego and a friend and former musical collaborator with Gungor. They engage in a discussion on Michael's spiritual journey and why Evan has stayed within a historic orthodox Christian tradition.

For Michael Gungor: http://www.gungormusic.com/

For Evan Wickham: https://evanwickham.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-and-events

• Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow

• Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Unbelievable? How a top surgeon found his life purpose on a hospital ship - Mark Shrime Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Mark Shrime tells Justin Brierley about his journey of faith and career as a surgeon, which now sees him deliver life-saving treatment around the world with Mercy Ships. Mark is the author of ‘Solving For Why: A surgeon’s journey to discover the transformative power of purpose’.

To support Mercy Ships https://www.mercyships.org.uk/premier/

• 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-and-events

• Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow

• Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Rethinking Kingdom work in the Global South & North - Joseph D’Souza & Andrew Scott Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

Joseph D'Souza, bishop of the Good Shepherd Church network in South Asia and Andrew Scott of Operation Mobilisation join Justin to talk about a new paradigm for mission work in the Global South and how it impacts church and culture in the Global North.

For Joseph D'Souza: https://josephdsouza.dfnusa.org/

For Andrew Scott: https://scatterthebook.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-and-events

• 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: Did Jesus exist? Richard Carrier vs Mark Goodacre Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

From Dec 2012. Richard Carrier is the world's foremost proponent of the "mythicist" view of Jesus - that he never actually existed as a historical person.

He explained his theory that St. Paul only ever spoke of Jesus in the spiritual realm and that the Gospels are "extended parables".

Mark Goodacre is NT professor at Duke University. He contended that Carrier's mythicist view is extrememly far fetched and the evidence for the historical Jesus is beyond reasonable doubt.

• 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-and-events

• Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow

• Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Are religious funerals ’empty and platitudinous’? Ian Dunt & Andy Bannister Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

The Queen's state funeral was watched by billions of people and marked by deep Christian symbolism. However, during the ceremony, atheist journalist Ian Dunt tweeted that he found it "empty and platitudinous, a cardboard shield against existential despair".

Ian engages with Christian thinker Andy Bannister who wrote a response article to Ian's tweet. They discuss the royal funeral, meaning, purpose and what death means to an atheist and a Christian.

For Ian Dunt: https://twitter.com/iandunt

For Andy Bannister: https://www.andybannister.net/

For Andy's article: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/articles/atheist-says-queens-funeral-was-empty-and-platitudinous-i-disagree/13915.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-and-events

• 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: Good without God: can atheism account for morality? Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

From Nov 2012. Were the concentration camps of the Holocaust absolutely evil, or simply something that goes against people's tastes today?

Canon Angus Ritchie is the author of "From Morality to Metaphysics" in which he argues that God is the best explanation of moral realism (that there are objective moral facts).

Kile Jones is an atheist who was studying for a PhD. He argued that God is an unecessary entity when it comes to explaining why there may be a realm of objective morality.

• 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-and-events

• Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow

• Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Can the Canaanite conquest be reconciled with a God of love? Paul Copan vs Randal Rauser Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

How should we understand Old Testament accounts of warfare and violence where God seems to command the slaughter of men, women and children?

Paul Copan, author of 'Is God A Vindictive Bully?' aims to show why the Old Testament accounts, severe as they may seem, are not incompatible with Jesus in the New Testament. Randal Rauser, author of 'Jesus Loves Canaanites', says that too many 'apologists for genocide' are defending the indefensible and argues for an alternative reading of scripture.

They discuss whether the warfare passages are hyperbolic, whether non-combatants would have been killed, and whether the term 'genocide' is appropriate.

For 'Is God a Vindictive Bully?' by Paul Copan: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/is-god-a-vindictive-bully/408700

For 'Jesus Loves Canaanites' by Randal Rauser: https://randalrauser.com/book/jesus-loves-canaanites/

For Paul Copan's debate with Greg Boyd in 2018: Part 1 & Part 2

• 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-and-events

• 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: The atheist prayer experiment results show - part 2 Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

From Nov 2012, the second of two shows where Justin was joined by Tim Mawson, the Oxford philosopher whose paper "Praying to Stop Being an Atheist" inspired the Atheist Prayer Experiment.

71 atheists and agnostics signed up for the experiment, committing to pray for God to reveal himself to them over 40 days. Did anyone end up believing in 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-and-events

• Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow

• Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate