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ShowsUnbelievable? Is there as much reason to believe in an evil God as a good God? Max Baker-Hytch vs Asha Lancaster-Thomas hosted by Vince Vitale
In the discussion on the plausibility of an all-evil God versus an all-good God, Dr. Max Baker-Hytch delivered a compelling argument that encapsulated the essence of the debate. He highlighted the inherent scepticism that arises when considering the ‘evil God’ hypothesis, pointing out that if such a malevolent deity were to exist, it would provide ample reason to doubt the reliability of our cognitive faculties. According to Dr. Baker-Hytch, the very nature of an evil God would entail a desire to deceive humanity, leading to pervasive doubts and uncertainties. In contrast, the ‘good God hypothesis’ stands in stark contrast, lacking the motive for such pervasive deception.
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ShowsAsk NT Wright Anything #216 What does the Bible say about the Spiritual Gifts?
Tom discusses the relevance of spiritual gifts like prophecy and speaking in tongues within our modern context, dives into the significance of signs and wonders, and shares his personal encounters with the Holy Spirit. Another intriguing episode delving into the questions from our listeners!
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ShowsMatters of Life of Death: Abusive relationships and coercive control in church
Society has been on a long and slow journey in recent decades into a richer and more sympathetic understanding of how abuse and coercion work within relationships. We are much better at both identifying and prosecuting this kind of abuse, and at being more attuned to the needs of victims and understanding why they find it difficult to just walk away.
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ShowsUnapologetic #101 Rachael Heffer: What does the UK think about faith?
Rachael Heffer, head of mission at the Evangelical Alliance, shares her thoughts around the Talking Jesus research. What do the UK public think about the Church, Christians and Jesus? Who are the “nones” and why has there been such a rise in this category of people? What questions are young people asking? Are people actually interested in God?
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #154 Lewis and Tolkien: The final years
What were the significant points of contention between CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien? Where did they differ on theology? How did they respond to each other’s fame? What did Tolkien think of The Narnia Chronicles? Why was Lewis’ Letters To Malcolm so “horrifying” to Tolkien? Did these two Inklings fall out at the end of Lewis’ life?
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ShowsUnbelievable? Why do humans try to play God? Nick Spencer vs Emily Qureshi Hurst hosted by Andy Kind
For too long, the ‘science and religion’ debate has fixated on creation, evolution, cosmology, miracles and quantum theory, and not enough on the essence of what it means to be human. But this is a mistake argues one of our guests today, Christian academic Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow at Theos, in his new book ‘Playing God: science, religion and the future of humanity.’ Back on the show is Emily Qureshi-Hurst expert on the philosophy of time.
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ShowsAsk NT Wright Anything #215 Should we take the devil seriously?
A bit of a twist today as we answer listener’s questions that have come in asking: are we meant to take Satan literally? Join Tom Wright as he unravels some of the intricate threads of the New and Old Testaments to uncover the biblical portrayal of the devil.
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ShowsMatter of Life & Death: Q&A: Did ending Roe v Wade actually save unborn children’s lives, and have we got food culture wrong in church?
Our first topic in this Q&A episode is a recent study which found that in 2023, the first full calendar year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and the constitutional right to an abortion, total abortions actually increased. Despite 21 states enacting full or partial abortion bans, more women not fewer are ending their pregnancies. How can this have happened, and what might it tell the pro-life movement about its tactics and priorities if it seeks to make abortion not simply unlawful, but unthinkable?
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ShowsUnapologetic #100 Ruth Jackson: 100th Episode Special
Ruth Jackson shares some of her favourite moments over the last 99 episodes, including an opiate addict becoming a Christian apologist via a near death experience, an analytic philosopher on why she believes the gospel narratives are reliable, an NFL player on how he’d choose Jesus over winning the Super Bowl and a theologian exploring whether Jesus had a sex drive.
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #153 The poet and the philologist: Lewis and Tolkien's early years
Dr Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien’s Faith explores what Lewis and Tolkien thought of each other when they first met. How did their friendship blossom? Why was their conversation in Addison’s Walk so significant to Lewis’ journey back to Christianity? What influence did the two men have on each other?
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ShowsUnbelievable? Jesus and Modern Politics with Tom ‘NT’ Wright, Preston Sprinkle and Billy Hallowell
It’s no secret that modern American Christians are deeply divided over politics. This division raises important questions about the influence of Scripture on political beliefs. To make sense of this, we invited renowned scholar NT Tom Wright, theologian, professor and star of the “Ask NT Wright Anything Podcast” along with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Preston M. Sprinkle host of the Theology in the Raw podcast.
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ShowsAsk NT Wright Anything #214 Is the Old Testament history or metaphor? (Replay)
Tom answers listener questions about the Old Testament. Can the truly trust the Old Testament? When was it all written? Is the Old Testament more spiritual metaphor or natural history? How do we make sense of the Old Testament teachings in light of the ‘new law’ of the New Testament - don’t they contradict each other?
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ShowsMatters of Life & Death: ADHD, over-diagnosis and should Christians enhance our brains with stimulants?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the faster growing mental health diagnoses of our age. More and more people, including those well into adulthood, are seeking out and being diagnosed with ADHD.
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ShowsUnapologetic #99 Sarah Irving-Stonebraker: How can we be effective priests of history?
Associate Professor Sarah Irving-Stonebraker, author of Priests of History, explores the results of ahistoricism in the Church. Does disconnection from the past lead to individualism? How do we use ancient spiritual practices in a modern setting? Can history help us to use our time well?
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #152 Is ‘The Lord of the Rings’ a religious work?
Dr Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien’s Faith explores what JRR Tolkien meant when he described The Lord of the Rings as a “fundamentally religious and Catholic work”. Do we see any elements of his faith in the book? Is it possible to discern a theology? Are there any characters Tolkien identified with? Plus, how does Leaf by Niggle relate to Tolkien’s magnum opus?
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ShowsUnbelievable? The resurrection: Fact or fiction? Harry Amos vs Joe Boot hosted by Ruth Jackson
Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Is there any good evidence to support the resurrection? Are alternative explanations more compelling? Can we trust the biblical narratives? Ruth Jackson hosted a live debate at a school with the help of Aylesbury Youth for Christ. She was joined by Rev Dr Joseph Boot, founder and president of the Ezra Institute for Contemporary Christianity, and Harry Amos, who moved from Christianity to “agnostic atheism” while studying philosophy, politics and economics and blogs about his experience at The Book of Amos.
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ShowsAsk NT Wright Anything #213 Which Bible Translation is the best one? (Replay)
Listeners ask questions on which Bible translations we should deem as the best ones and which ones we should use on a daily basis. What makes a good translation, why doesn’t Tom capitalise ‘holy spirit’, and what does he make of Pope Francis ‘changing’ the Lords’ Prayer? Tom also discusses the process and thinking behind his own translation of the New Testament in ‘The Bible For Everyone’.
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ShowsMatters of Life & Death: Tim Farron, toxic social media, and how to navigate the ‘mucky business’ of politics
This week we’re bringing you a classic episode from the MOLAD archive, when we were joined by the former leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron to discuss social media and politics.
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ShowsUnapologetic #98 Sarah Irving-Stonebraker: Is history irrelevant?
Associate Professor Sarah Irving-Stonebraker, author of Priests of History, explores the characteristics and impact of living in an “ahistoric” age. How can history help us navigate the culture wars? Can we reconnect with the past?
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ShowsThe CS Lewis Podcast #151 Holly Ordway: Trauma, Catholicism and romantic love
Dr Holly Ordway, author of Tolkien’s Faith, shares some of the traumatic events in JRR Tolkien’s life, such as the death of his parents during his childhood, his forbidden romantic love and his experience of the Great War. What would it have been like to convert to Catholicism? How did his guardian Fr Francis impact Tolkien’s faith?
