Christian Apologetics Has a Problem

Unbelievable?

Premier Unbelievable?

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2026

⏱️ 78 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Premier Unbelievable host John Nelson gathers a lively roundtable to ask a timely question: what’s the current state of Christian apologetics—and where should it go next? Scientist and historian of science Sam McKee (University of Reading / Manchester Metropolitan) argues that apologetics often lags decades behind today’s life sciences, too easily dominated by creationist “marketing machines”, and too quick to platform non-experts as authorities. Joining him are Northern Irish apologist and civil servant Gareth Black, OCCA speaker and war studies postgraduate Sara Stevenson, and US-based YouTuber Mike Jones (Inspiring Philosophy). Together they wrestle with expertise, overreach, and epistemic humility—alongside the promise of friendship, local church discipleship, and better science communication. Is the “conflict” narrative between science and faith finally fading? And what might a more relational, Bible-shaped apologetics look like in 2026? 0:00 – Apologetics After New Atheism 0:46 – Meet the Panel (Science + Faith) 4:06 – Science Problem in Christian Apologetics 5:12 – Genetics & Biology Revolution (CRISPR, AlphaFold) 7:43 – Creationism vs Science: Why It Hurts Faith 8:33 – Why Students Leave Church (Science vs Faith) 9:44 – Faraday Institute: Elite Christian Scientists 11:10 – Stop Platforming Non-Experts 13:16 – Genesis 1: Literalism vs Context 15:47 – Science vs Religion “War” Myth 18:45 – Social Media Apologetics: Pros & Cons 21:18 – Flat Earth Theology & Conspiracy Drift 28:02 – C.S. Lewis: “Christianity Latent” 31:06 – Apologetics Echo Chamber (Same Arguments) 35:41 – Elite Apologists vs Everyday Christians 39:49 – Christianity Built Civilization (Sociology) 46:40 – Friendship Model Apologetics (Community) 52:54 – Debates, Revival & Future Strategy SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • 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: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	My dad died when I was nine years old and it broke something in me.
0:05.0	I spent lots of times homeless, causing even bigger rifts in the family.
0:10.0	I was out of control.
0:12.0	Green Pastures is a Christian charity providing homes and support for people facing homelessness across the UK.
0:20.0	As soon as I walked in that place,
0:21.6	I knew there was something different about it.
0:23.6	Through Green Pastures,
0:25.6	Andy found a home,
0:26.6	freedom from addiction,
0:28.6	and a new beginning in faith.
0:30.6	It's the best thing I've ever done.
0:31.6	It released me from that 23 years of addiction.
0:35.6	And now I'm senior support worker here at Green Pastures Derby.
0:39.3	Find out more at greenpastures.co.uk.
0:43.3	When you're juggling everyday life, carrying your faith isn't always easy.
0:50.3	Introducing Jurner, Premier's new devotional journaling app, created in partnership
0:56.0	with World Vision. Each day, Jurner gives you a Bible verse, a short reflection, a question to sit
1:02.5	with, a written prayer, and space for your thoughts, all in one place, wherever you go. Find Jurner in your
1:09.8	app store today, available on iOS and Android.
1:13.7	Jirna, an app to help you stay connected.
1:18.3	Hello and welcome to Premier Unbelievable, the show where we think deeply about the relationship
1:23.6	between theology, faith and culture. I'm John Nelson, and if you're familiar with the kinds of conversations we have on Unbelievable, you might have noticed, something has changed. Since the heydays of new atheism, the questions and discussions we are having about faith and religion as a culture have shifted. So today, we want to do something a little different. We want to
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Premier Unbelievable?, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Premier Unbelievable? and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.