Unbelievable?

Latest Episodes:

Was Jesus created as an ancient myth? Richard Carrier vs David Marshall Jan 20, 2017

Show notes

David Marshall is a Christian thinker and author whose latest book “Jesus is no Myth!: The fingerprints of God on the Gospels” aims to refute claims by authors such as Bart Ehrman, Reza Aslan and Richard Carrier that the Gospels borrowed from other religious figures and mystery religions of their day to create their picture of Jesus.

Richard Carrier engages with him in a ‘gloves off’ debate on whether Marshall’s critique of the mythicist theory is academically credible and his evidence for the authenticity of the Gospel’s picture of Jesus.

For Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 tickets (from Tuesday 24 January) http://www.premier.org.uk/whychrist

For “Jesus Is no Myth!”: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-No-Myth-Fingerprints-Gospels/dp/0970227841

For David Marshall: http://christthetao.blogspot.co.uk/

For Richard Carrier: http://www.richardcarrier.info/

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

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An Atheist and a Christian walk into a bar… Justin Schieber and Randal Rauser Jan 13, 2017

Show notes

Randal Rauser is a Christian theologian and philosopher, Justin Schieber is an atheist philosopher. They’ve written a conversational book together called “An Atheist and a Christian Walk into a bar… Talking about God, The universe and everything” (Prometheus).

In this show they discuss one of the themes of the book: religious disagreement. If there is a God shouldn’t we expect to find people across the world to have broadly have the same ideas about him? And since they don’t, is that evidence against God? Justin says yes, Randal says no.

For “An atheist and a Christian walk into a bar”: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Atheist-Christian-Walk-into-Bar/dp/1633882438

For Randal Rauser: http://randalrauser.com

For Justin Schieber: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQa6mPLOE2yuMCrDjRio_nA

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

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My friend the atheist churchgoer - Joe Ogborn & Tom Hallam Jan 06, 2017

Show notes

Joe Ogborn is a Christian who has been going to church in Cambridge with his friend Tom Hallam for several years. But Tom is an atheist.

Justin finds out about Joe and Tom's friendship, what impact going to church as a non believer has had on Tom and how worshipping next to an atheist has affected Joe's faith.

They talk about the ups and downs of going to church and what it would take for Tom to believe.

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To read Joe Ogborn's article in Premier Christianity magazine "My Friend the Atheist Churchgoer": https://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2017/January-2017/My-friend-the-atheist-churchgoer

For a free sample copy of the magazine: http://www.premierchristianity.com/freesample

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

How I lost my child but kept my faith - Jessica Kelley Dec 31, 2016

Show notes

In a New Year's Eve special, Justin interviews two women involved in theology and apologetics in different ways.

Jessica Kelley describes the heart-breaking story of losing her 4 year old son Henry to brain cancer. She also explains how adopting a "warfare" view of suffering gave her a theological framework for trusting God through the pain, as described in her new book 'Lord Willing?'.

Read her interview in Premier Christianity magazine here: http://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2016/December-2016/My-4-year-old-son-got-brain-cancer.-But-God-isn-t-to-blame

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Justin's second guest is Sarah Foster who works in evangelism to Muslims with Pfander Centre for Apologetics. She talks about her own faith journey and why she is spearheading youth resources to help a younger Christian generation who are being challenged by their Muslim counterparts, especially in the black church community.

For Jessica Kelley and 'Lord Willing? Wrestling with God's role in my child's death': http://jessicakelley.com/lord-willing/

For Sarah Foster and Pfander Apologetics: https://www.pfander.uk/

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

The Star of Bethlehem - Fact or Fiction? Colin Nicholl, Aaron Adair & Mark Kidger Dec 23, 2016

Show notes

In a Christmas Eve edition of the show Justin is joined by Christian guest Colin Nicholl, atheist Aaron Adair and agnostic Mark Kidger, each of whom has written a book on the star of a Bethlehem from different perspectives.

Nicholl says his research has led him to conclude the star was a comet. Adair says the star was pious fiction by the writer of Matthew's

Gospel. Astronomer Mark Kidger also shares his ongoing research on the possible explanations of the star and the Magi who heralded its appearance.

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For 'The Great Christ Comet' by Colin R. Nicholl: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Christ-Comet-Revealing-Bethlehem/dp/1433542137

For 'The Star of Bethlehem: A skeptical view' by Aaron Adair: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Bethlehem-Skeptical-View/dp/0956694861

For 'The Star of Bethlehem: An astronomer's view' by Mark Kidger: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Bethlehem-Astronomers-View/dp/0691058237

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Was Hitler anti-Christian? Richard Weikart vs Richard Carrier Dec 16, 2016

Show notes

Hitler is often claimed to have been an atheist or a Christian by believers and skeptics eager to put the dictator in the other's camp. Christian historian Richard Weikart argues he was neither in his new book "Hitler's Religion: The twisted beliefs that drove the Third Reich".

Richard Carrier is an atheist historian who has researched Hitler's purported anti-Christian statements often quoted by apologists in his book "Hitler, Homer, Bible, Christ". He says that Hitler was anti-Catholic but thought of himself as a "positivist" Christian. In contrast Weikart argues Hitler was a pantheist who personally despised Christianity and only used it in public to aid his rise to power.

For Richard Weikart's "Hitler's Religion": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hitlers-Religion-Twisted-Beliefs-Drove-ebook/dp/B01MG45IZ8

For Richard Carrier: http://www.richardcarrier.info/

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Finding God in the Waves – Mike McHargue and Benn Watts Dec 09, 2016

Show notes

Mike McHargue – known as ‘Science Mike’ - was a Christian who lost his faith then found it again through science. He tells his story of coming back to faith through an experience on a beach and how he now puts science and Christian faith together.

Ben Watts is an atheist who grew up with a Christian Faith but lost it after going to university to study science. He engages with Mike on this week’s show.

Get the MP3

For Mike McHargue’s “Finding God In The Waves”: http://findinggodinthewaves.com/

For Ben Watts: http://exchristianskeptic.blogspot.co.uk/

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Does God Exist? David Wood vs Michael Shermer debate Dec 02, 2016

Show notes

In this podcast only edition of the show you can hear a public debate that took place between Christian apologist David Wood and atheist Michael Shermer.

Audio provided by Ratio Christi. Find out more about Ratio Christi https://ratiochristi.org/

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For David Wood: https://m.youtube.com/user/Acts17Apologetics

For Michael Shermer: http://www.michaelshermer.com/

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Is design in nature undeniable? Doug Axe vs Keith Fox Nov 25, 2016

Show notes

Doug Axe is a molecular biologist who says that his work on molecular systems convinced him that life is designed, rather than a result of unguided evolution. He lays out the evidence in the book ‘Undeniable: How biology confirms our intuition that life is designed’ and why his intelligent design conclusions got him into trouble as a researcher in Cambridge.

Keith Fox is Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Southampton, and believes that evolution and Christian faith are complementary. Both Fox and Axe are Christians but with very different views on whether biology confirms or contradicts Darwinian evolution.

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For Doug Axe & ‘Undeniable’ http://www.undeniabledesign.com/

For Keith Fox: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/biosci/about/staff/krf.page

Order Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 DVD/MP3CD & Digital Download http://www.premier.org.uk/Shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Should modern biology make us rethink theology? Luke Janssen vs Fuz Rana Nov 18, 2016

Show notes

Luke J Janssen once took a literalistic view of the creation story in scripture. But his studies in biology, genetics and evolution made him change his mind on how Christians should think. His book "Standing on the shoulders of giants: Genesis and Human Origins" says the church needs to rethink much of its doctrine in light of modern biology.

He dialogues with Fuz Rana, biochemist with Reasons To Believe as they debate common ancestry and features of the human body which Janssen believes support gradual evolution rather than special creation.

For Luke Janssen's book: https://www.amazon.com/Standing-Shoulders-Giants-Genesis-Origins/dp/1498291406

For Reasons To Believe: http://www.reasons.org

For Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 on DVD / digital download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop

For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable

Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter

Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes