Classic: Is Religion Useful Fiction or Ultimate Truth Part 1? Alister McGrath vs Bret Weinstein

Unbelievable?

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Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2025

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this classic episode of Unbelievable? The Big Conversation, recorded before a live London audience in partnership with the Templeton Religion Trust, Christian theologian Prof. Alister McGrath (University of Oxford) and evolutionary biologist Brett Weinstein explore the provocative question: Is religion a useful fiction or ultimate truth? Weinstein, well known for his work on evolutionary theory and public debates on culture, argues that religion may be literally false but metaphorically true—an adaptive survival mechanism. McGrath, drawing on his journey from atheism to Christian faith, contends that Christianity is not only beneficial but also true. This is Part One of the discussion. Join us next time for Part Two, featuring audience Q&A with the speakers. 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast a www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Social Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable

Transcript

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0:00.0	See Rent Collective Live.
0:05.0	The experimental folk rock worship band will bring their folk tour across the UK this September.
0:13.0	See them live at a venue near you.
0:17.0	Tickets on sale now at LiveNation.com.uk. Rent Collective, Live.
0:25.7	Hello and welcome as we launch the Big Conversation Season 2, a special series of video
0:36.0	debates from Unbelievable, brought to you by Premier in partnership
0:39.4	with the Templeton Religion Trust. This series brings together big thinkers from the Christian
0:43.7	and atheist world to debate some of the biggest questions of life. And today we're going to
0:47.9	launch our new season with a live audience show that we recorded in London between
0:52.3	Alastair McGrath and Brett Weinstein.
0:54.6	Welcome to today's live audience edition of The Big Conversation here on Unbelievable.
0:59.4	The Big Conversation is a series of shows exploring faith, science, philosophy and what it means to be
1:04.6	human in association with the Templeton Religion Trust.
1:08.3	Today our conversation topic is religion, useful fiction or ultimate truth.
1:16.8	The big conversation partners I'm sitting down with today are Alison McGrath and Brett Weinstein.
1:22.7	Alison McGrath is Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at the University of Oxford.
1:28.6	As a Christian theologian with a background in biochemistry,
1:31.9	Alist is well known for his writing and speaking on the subject of science and faith.
1:37.1	He's the author of many books, including last year's title,
1:40.1	The Great Mystery, Science, God and the Human Quest for Meaning.
1:44.1	Brett Weinstein is an evolutionary biologist who until 2017, the great mystery, science, God, and the human quest for meaning.
1:52.5	Brett Weinstein is an evolutionary biologist who, until 2017, was professor of biology at Evergreen State College in the USA.
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