Classic: Live Q&A - Is Religion Useful Fiction or Ultimate Truth? Alister McGrath vs Bret Weinstein (Part 2)

Unbelievable?

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Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 September 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this second part of Unbelievable? Season 2’s The Big Conversation, recorded before a live London audience in partnership with the Templeton Religion Trust, we return to Christian theologian Prof. Alister McGrath (University of Oxford) and evolutionary biologist Brett Weinstein. Having debated whether religion is a useful fiction or ultimate truth in Part One, McGrath and Weinstein now field questions from the audience. The Q&A covers wide-ranging issues: is humanity more than an “over-evolved animal”? Has evolutionary science stalled since Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene? Does Scripture remain relevant in addressing modern moral concerns? What are the evolutionary benefits of following Jesus? And is belief in God essential to the usefulness of religion? A lively, respectful dialogue probing the deepest questions of science, faith, and human meaning. Part 1: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable/podcasts/episodes 👉 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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0:23.4	Kingdom Bank is a member of the FSCS and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
0:27.9	and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
0:30.1	You're listening to Unbelievable, bringing you episode one of season two of The Big
0:34.0	Conversation.
0:35.1	Welcome back to a live audience recording between Brett Weinstein and
0:38.1	Alastair McGrath. The Big Conversation is a series of shows exploring faith, science, philosophy
0:43.0	and what it means to be human in association with the Templeton Religion Trust. Today,
0:48.5	our conversation topic is religion, useful fiction or ultimate truth?
1:01.9	The big conversation partners I'm sitting down with today are Alastair McGrath and Brett Weinstein.
1:07.9	Alison McGrath is Andreas Idrioth Professor of Science and Religion at the University of Oxford.
1:11.4	As a Christian theologian with a background in biochemistry,
1:16.5	Alistair's well known for his writing and speaking on the subject of science and faith.
1:19.5	He's the author of many books, including last year's title,
1:23.8	The Great Mystery, Science, God and the Human Quest for Meaning.
1:30.7	Brett Weinstein is an evolutionary biologist who, until until 2017 was professor of biology at Evergreen State College in the USA.
1:32.7	So, hands in the air if you have a question.
1:36.1	So what I'll do is right next to you there, Michaela, first of all.
1:40.7	I am actually the Justin's father.
	...

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