Unbelievable?

In this live edition of Premier Unbelievable? from Aylesbury High School in the UK, stand-in host Sam McKee moderates a thought-provoking dialogue between: Caleb Woodbridge – Christian writer, editor and cultural apologist John Richards – President of Atheism UK Together they wrestle with questions of meaning, value, morality, evolution, human rights, animal ethics, suffering and religion as comfort. Is “ultimate meaning” even a coherent idea? If morality evolved, can we still say some values are better than others? This episode asks whether our deepest experiences of love, beauty, justice and purpose are just products of nature, or signposts to a transcendent source of meaning. Can atheism justify calling some values “better” or “more humane”? Does Christian belief offer real contact with ultimate reality, or just a comforting story? If you’re interested in atheism vs Christianity, meaning of life, and where morality comes from, this conversation is for you. 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

Transcribed - Published: 18 December 2025

Lord Nigel Biggar joins Premier Unbelievable? – The Interview host Luke Martin for a wide-ranging conversation on Christianity, politics, and the moral foundations of Western society. A priest in the Church of England, Emeritus Regius Professor of Moral Theology at Oxford, and now a Conservative peer in the House of Lords, Biggar has become one of the UK’s most prominent public intellectuals. We discuss his controversial work on colonialism and reparations, the rise of cancel culture and threats to academic freedom, and why he believes free speech is essential to a humane civilisation. Biggar also reflects on assisted dying legislation, Christian engagement in politics, the culture wars, and whether the West is facing civilisational decline. An unflinching but unmissable interview with one of Britain’s leading ethicists on truth, courage, and public life. Key Books: Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning https://amzn.to/3MMdr7I Reparations Slavery and the Tyranny of Imaginary Guilt https://amzn.to/3L24SVW X: @NigelBiggar Substack:https://www.nigelbiggar.co.uk/ 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcasts at 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

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2025

As Advent approaches, John Nelson hosts Dr Jonny Rowlands (St Mellitus College, UK) and Rabbi Prof Mark Shapiro (University of Scranton, USA) to ask: did Jesus fulfil scriptural prophecy? They explore what ‘fulfilment’ means, challenge checklist claims, and show how Second Temple Judaism held diverse Messianic hopes. Topics include Bethlehem and Micah 5, Isaiah 7:14 (alma vs parthenos), typology versus prediction, Dead Sea Scrolls expectations, and why early Christians said Christ died and rose “according to the Scriptures”. They weigh Dominic Crossan’s “prophecy historicised”, the infancy narratives, temple and apocalyptic texts, and resurrection belief, plus supersessionism, the law, and Advent’s tension of waiting and hope. Thoughtful, Jewish–Christian dialogue that respects scripture’s sanctified human process without dodging hard questions. They discuss Paul, Hebrews, temple veil imagery, empty tomb and appearances, and disagreement on resurrection. 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

Transcribed - Published: 11 December 2025

- The fine-tuning of the Universe: Big Conversation - Episode 4 | Season 3. Many physicists have pointed out the extraordinary ‘fine tuning’ of the physical laws of the universe that have allowed life to develop within the cosmos. Luke Barnes believes it gives evidence for a designer behind the cosmos, whereas Sabine Hossenfelder disagrees, questioning whether we can even speak of ‘fine tuning’ as a phenomenon. 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 9 December 2025

Is belief in God rational, or is it something no reasonable person should accept? In this live Unbelievable? school debate recorded in Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School in Aylesbury, Andy Kind hosts philosopher Dr Joshua Sijuwade (University of Birmingham) and physician-educator Julius Weinberg (Trustee, National Secular Society) for a rigorous and fiery exchange on the sanity of belief. They tackle some of the biggest questions in philosophy of religion: What does it mean for a belief to be rational?Can we ever be justified in believing in God?Is fallibilism the only sane epistemic stance?Does suffering make God impossible? Can moral courage, compassion and virtue exist in a world without pain?And what evidence — if any — points to a divine being?From epistemology and Bayesian reasoning to the problem of evil, moral exemplars, consciousness, cosmology, and whether God is even a good explanation, this robust debate will challenge believers and skeptics alike. Don't miss today's fast-paced, high-level, and rather entertaining discussion for anyone curious about how reason, doubt, and faith intersect. 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

Transcribed - Published: 5 December 2025

Luke Martin sits down with medieval historian and pastor’s wife Prof Beth Allison Barr (Baylor University) to explore how her research on women in late medieval England reshaped her views on “biblical womanhood”. Beth shares her journey from committed complementarian to outspoken critic, the personal cost of her husband losing his church job over a woman teaching Sunday school, and the backlash that followed her bestselling book The Making of Biblical Womanhood. They discuss Junia, women leaders in the early church, patriarchy and the fall, how to read Ephesians 5, and whether Christian faith can embrace elements of feminism. Beth also unpacks her new book Becoming the Pastor’s Wife and offers a hopeful vision of men and women serving together as full image-bearers of God in the church. Beth Allison Barr (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, is James Vardaman Professor of History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she specialises in medieval history, women's history, and church history. The Making of Biblical Womanhood: https://amzn.to/41E8fYr Becoming the Pastor's Wife: https://amzn.to/4mX8vtG Marginalia: https://substack.com/@bethallisonbarr • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • 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 in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 2025

Christian thinker Joe Boot and Muslim scholar Hafsar debate what Christianity and Islam each teach about the identity of Jesus — from His birth and miracles to the crucifixion, resurrection, and second coming. They discuss: • Jesus in the Qur’an vs the New Testament • Tawhid and the oneness of God • The Trinity and divine nature • Whether Jesus was crucified or taken up to heaven • Salvation, sin-bearing & judgement • Shared beliefs — and crucial differences Recorded at St Michael’s School, Aylesbury, UK 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

Transcribed - Published: 28 November 2025

Revisiting another classic show from 2021, and asking has the ‘sea of faith’ ebbed for good, and what might replace it—new atheism, ‘woke’ moralism, or a rediscovery of Christianity’s story? Douglas Murray and N.T. Wright discuss identity, myth and meaning in a post-Christian West. Murray, an “uncomfortable agnostic,” values the Christian inheritance yet laments a church that echoes the culture rather than proclaiming forgiveness and hope. Wright argues that the Christian narrative—based in history and centred on Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection—uniquely grounds human dignity, justice and reconciliation, offering more than social activism or abstract ethics. Together they probe truth, myth, miracles, the pandemic’s disorientation, and whether we can still find a story to live by. Thoughtful and generous, this classic exchange invites believers and sceptics alike to reconsider the well from which our civilisation drinks. Consider subscribing to our podacst with N.T. Wright here For NT Wright For Douglas Murray:  https://douglasmurray.net/ 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 25 November 2025

Can a Christian ever support war? In this episode, host Dr. John Nelson brings together pastor and peace advocate Brian Zahnd (A Farewell to Mars) and theologian Andrew Hronich (Once Loved, Always Loved) for a challenging and profound conversation about pacifism, just war theory, and Christian discipleship in a world at war. From the Sermon on the Mount to the streets of Gaza, this debate probes the ethics of violence, the witness of the early church, and whether Christian love can ever include lethal force. Thought-provoking, compassionate, and deeply rooted in biblical and historical theology. Subscribe, rate, and share. 👉 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 online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable

Transcribed - Published: 20 November 2025

In this intimate and wide-ranging conversation, Kathy Keller speaks with Luke Martin about life, faith, and the theological vision she shared with her late husband, Tim Keller. Kathy revisits her teenage correspondence with C.S. Lewis, the formative influences that shaped Tim’s preaching, and why “contextualisation” has been so widely misunderstood. She introduces Tim’s new posthumous book, What Is Wrong with the World?, drawn from long-forgotten sermon manuscripts exploring the many disguises of sin. Kathy reflects movingly on grief, idolatry, the hope of the gospel, and why, as she puts it, “you were built to run on God.” She also explains why the idea of sin has become “the last taboo” in today’s culture — and why rediscovering it is essential for understanding ourselves and our world. A thoughtful and heartfelt conversation with the person who knew Tim Keller best. 'What is Wrong with the World?' book: https://amzn.to/4ozf3Qi 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 18 November 2025

Can we really know whether God exists... or is belief just a product of evolution and psychology? In this powerful Unbelievable? debate filmed at a UK school, Andy Kind hosts philosopher and atheist Dr Stephen Law and Christian biologist Sam McKee for a fascinating and heartfelt conversation about belief, meaning, and the human search for truth. From the problem of evil and the evolution of belief to personal experience and purpose, this episode moves from science to soul — asking whether faith is a delusion or our deepest intuition. 👉 Subscribe for more thought-provoking debates on faith, reason, and culture: https://www.unbelievable.show 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

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2025

In this classic Unbelievable? from The Big Conversation, Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom (Future of Humanity Institute; Superintelligence) and MIT pioneer Rosalind Picard (Affective Computing) discuss God, AI and the future of humanity—could technology be the key to immortality? They weigh near-term benefits and risks, from alignment and governance to the temptation of power. Do machines feel or become conscious? Are we moral to potential digital minds? Bostrom explores his simulation argument, cryonics and transhuman futures; Picard shares breakthroughs in emotion-sensing tech that aid epilepsy, autism and depression, plus her journey from sceptic to Christian. Together they debate digital “heaven”, uploading, human dignity, and why humility—intellectual and moral—must guide our path into the machine age. Hopeful and provocative insights. 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2025

What is really real? In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr Zachary Ardern (evolutionary biologist, Wellcome Sanger Institute), Dr Alex Carter (philosopher, University of Cambridge), and Dr Sam McKee (science historian, Manchester Metropolitan University) sit down to revisit one of the oldest debates in human thought — the relationship between science, religion, and ultimate reality. This one will get you thinking and may even surprise you in their discussion about meaning, knowledge, and the limits of what science can tell us. 👉 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 SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2025

In our inaugural episode of Premier Unbelievable: The Interview, host Luke Martin sits down with modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty—the duo, alongside Stuart Townend, behind the global hymn “In Christ Alone.” From Belfast roots to life in Nashville, Luke explores their craft, calling, and why congregational singing forms the grammar of belief. The Gettys reflect on the partnership of poetry and melody, the tension between emotionalism and depth in worship, and the growing hunger among Gen Z for meaning, beauty and a faith that shapes real life. They also share details of their new hymnal project and preview their Christmas concerts in Glasgow, London and Belfast. Whether you’re a pastor, musician, worship leader or thoughtful listener, this conversation offers practical insight and rich encouragement for shaping beautiful, theologically robust worship in the local church. Get Home For Christmas tickets here: https://tix.to/vRm4Ug Getty Sing! Hymnal: https://amzn.to/4omSm1A Timestamps00:00 – Introduction 01:25 – Who are Keith & Kristyn Getty? 05:10 – Why Congregational Singing Matters 09:20 – Writing Hymns: Poetry, Melody & Partnership 14:45 – Worship: Emotion vs Depth 19:30 – Gen Z’s Search for Meaning & Beauty 24:55 – The New Getty Hymnal Project 30:10 – A Global Movement of Hymn Singing 35:40 – Advice for Church Musicians & Worship Leaders 42:00 – Christmas Tour Preview (Glasgow / London / Belfast) 47:25 – Closing Thoughts Support & SubscribeSupport thoughtful conversations: www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: www.premier.plus/unbelievable Get bonus content & updates: www.premierunbelievable.com Follow UsTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable

Transcribed - Published: 4 November 2025

Premier Unbelievable guest-hosted by Dr. Sam McKee heads to John Colet School in Wendover, UK for a lively debate on science, religion and reality with Oxford atomic & laser physicist Prof Paul Ewart (Christian; former Faraday Institute director, ex-president of Christians in Science) and UCL biophysics & imaging expert Prof Simon Walker-Samuel (trustee, Humanists UK). Together they explore whether science and faith conflict or complement each other. From fine-tuning and emergence to AI, digital twins in cancer care, consciousness and what it means to be human, our guests test big ideas with sharp student questions. Is “God of the gaps” a fair critique? Can love and morality be reduced to atoms—or do they point beyond materialism?

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2025

Today we’re dipping back into a Classic Unbelievable? / The Big Conversation episode: Bishop Robert Barron vs Alex O’Connor on the question, “Christianity or atheism — which best explains who we are?” Recorded when Alex was still a student at Oxford, this lively, good-humoured exchange set the tone for countless thoughtful dialogues to come. Since then, Alex’s Cosmic Skeptic platform has grown massively and he’s even appeared on an extremely popular Unbelievable? show with Ben Shapiro, reflecting how these conversations continue to reach new audiences. Revisit Barron’s Thomistic vision of God, Alex’s pushback on contingency and faith, and their probing discussion of suffering, meaning, and human flourishing. Whether you’re new to the show or re-listening, we hope you enjoy the show. 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 28 October 2025

Can Christianity save democracy? Vince Vitale hosts a frank, generous exchange between social critic Os Guinness and author Jonathan Rauch about faith’s civic foundations, liberalism, and power. This is one we’ve been looking forward to! Rauch, a scientific materialist, argues that democracy needs Christianity’s deepest teachings; Guinness locates America’s virtues in the Hebrew–Christian tradition. Don’t miss the most moving moment: around the hour mark, Guinness turns to Rauch and apologises without caveat for the ways Christians have treated gay people like him. Rauch receives it with grace, and the room changes. It’s a rare, exemplary act of repentance that models the public virtue both men commend. Is religion necessary for public virtue? What happens when politics replaces moral conviction? And how can Christians engage civically without being captured by partisan extremes? From the founding ideals of democracy to the spiritual crises of modern secularism, this discussion asks whether Christianity’s values of conscience, humility, and truth are exactly what our societies need most. For Jonathan Rauch Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonrauch.bsky.social Jonathan Rauch's Books NEW Cross Purposes: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300273540/cross-purposes/ and here: https://amzn.to/47laSQC For Os Guinness: https://osguinness.com/ Os Guinness' Books: Guinness' America Agonistes: https://amzn.to/4hmnzzj Our Civilizational Moment: https://amzn.to/4qlqHPV 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 • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2025

In this classic Unbelievable? Big Conversation, atheist broadcaster Matt Dillahunty (The Atheist Experience) and Christian evangelist Glen Scrivener (Speak Life) clash over the foundations of morality. Is secular humanism enough, or does Christianity uniquely ground human dignity? They test claims about wellbeing, the is–ought gap, intrinsic vs extrinsic religiosity, “cancel culture,” and whether society’s benefits from religion are about truth or simply community. Expect sparky exchanges on the Bible and slavery, sacrifice and the cross, disability ethics (e.g. prenatal screening), and whether objective moral values exist without God. Matt argues for taking the best ideas—sans “baggage” while Glen contends the Christian story birthed our modern concern for the weak and marginalised. 💡 Love thoughtful dialogue between believers and sceptics? Join thousands of curious minds exploring life’s biggest questions with Premier Unbelievable? ❤️ Help us make more podcasts like this. Every gift keeps the conversation alive: premierunbelievable.com/donate. 🎥 Follow for daily clips and debate highlights: Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook

Transcribed - Published: 21 October 2025

In today's Unbelievable? school debate, Zachary Ardern, a christian biologist, and Alex Carter, an atheist scientist, face off on whether scientific progress has made belief in God obsolete. Hosted by Andy Kind, the discussion dives into the biggest questions of all: Can science explain everything, or does it point beyond itself?Is faith irrational in the age of reason?What counts as evidence for God?Are morality and meaning possible without a creator?From the fine-tuning of the universe to the limits of human understanding, Zach and Alex debate whether God remains the best explanation, or whether naturalism is more than enough to disprove the existence of a God. What do you think? Dr Zachary Ardern is an Evolutionary Biologist exploring the patterns and purpose of life’s Complexity, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge. Dr Alex Carter is the Academic Director for Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Cambridge, Institute of Continuing Education.    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

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

Tom Holland and philosopher A.C. Grayling differ deliciously in this classic Big Conversation part of Premier's Unbelievable? Podcast. Where does the West’s moral compass really come from? Drawing on Holland’s bestselling Dominion and Grayling’s secular humanism, they spar over the roots of dignity, equality and rights. Was the cross a moral revolution that overturned Rome’s hierarchy reshaping attitudes to slavery, sex, and the status of victims? Or do our ethics flow chiefly from classical philosophy, the Renaissance and Enlightenment? Expect lively exchanges on Paul, Stoicism, preserving ancient texts, the abolition of slavery, and whether humanism is a “godless Protestantism”. A riveting clash of history and philosophy and what it means for faith, reason, science, law, culture and public life today and beyond. For AC Grayling’s ‘The History of Philosophy’ https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Philosophy-C-Grayling/dp/0241304539  For Tom Holland’s ‘Dominion’ https://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Christian-Revolution-Remade-World/dp/0465093507

Transcribed - Published: 14 October 2025

A bestselling French engineer argues that modern cosmology points to a Creator — but a leading physicist says science explains it all without God. Unbelievable? podcast John Nelson hosts cosmologist Dr Niayesh Afshordi and entrepreneur-author and engineer Michel-Yves Bolloré for a lively clash on cosmic origins. Afshordi outlines ideas that our universe may have emerged from a black hole and surveys competing models of the Big Bang. Bolloré, co-author of God: The Science, The Evidence, argues that twentieth-century discoveries—from thermodynamics and entropy to expansion and fine-tuning—stack up as evidence for a Creator. They test “beginning versus eternity,” debate whether fine-tuning signals design or selection effects, and ask what constitutes prediction, falsifiability, and proof. Is the “God hypothesis” scientific, metaphysical, or both? Can science ever answer “why there is something rather than nothing”? Thoughtful, spirited, and friendly, this episode brings faith and physics into constructive dialogue. 👉 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 SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 2025

How did the universe come into being, and why are we part of it? Sir Roger Penrose (atheist-leaning Nobel laureate) and Christian philosopher William Lane Craig come together for this mind-stretching Big Conversation: “Did the universe begin and what is its origin and purpose in it?” Penrose outlines his three “mysteries” (physics, mind, mathematics) and his Conformal Cyclic Cosmology, while Craig argues that the beginning of the universe, the applicability of maths, morality and fine-tuning point to a divine mind. Expect respectful fireworks and first-rate clarity from two titans on this classic of Unbelievable? podcast. Since recording, Penrose received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for work on black holes, reinvigorating interest in his cosmic ideas. Craig has continued to draw huge audiences, publishing In Quest of the Historical Adam (2021) and debating cosmology and God worldwide. 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 7 October 2025

In this special Unbelievable? debate, recorded live at Waddesdon High School, Andy Kind moderates a lively exchange between philosopher Dr Shaun Stevenson and Oxford doctoral candidate Nathan Elvidge on one of life’s biggest questions: Does God exist? From the origins of religious belief to the grounding of morality, the two thinkers spar over whether right and wrong can be explained without God, the problem of evil, and whether concepts like “absolute morality” require a divine lawgiver. Along the way, they tackle Spinoza, slavery, free will, the Garden of Eden, and even whether “evil” itself is an illusion. Engaging, challenging, and thought-provoking, this conversation brings philosophy into the classroom, offering students and listeners alike a window into one of humanity’s oldest debates. 👉 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 SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable

Transcribed - Published: 2 October 2025

Two world-class cosmologists talk it out in a classic Unbelievable? podcast debate: What best explains the universe—God or naturalism? Christian astrophysicist Luke Barnes (Sydney Institute for Astronomy; co-author A Fortunate Universe) and atheist physicist Sean Carroll (Caltech; author The Big Picture) explore whether Big Bang cosmology hints at a beginning with purpose, or a brute fact within a naturalistic story. Expect poetic naturalism, the fine-tuning of physical constants, the role (and limits) of explanation in fundamental physics, and whether a multiverse offers a better account of a life-permitting cosmos. Is the universe’s mathematical elegance evidence for design, or simply how reality is? Would we expect a universe this vast if humans matter to God? Expect rigorous science, sharp philosophy, and respectful pushback as Barnes and Carroll test theism and naturalism against the full sweep of cosmic evidence. For Sean Carroll: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/ For Luke Barnes: https://afortunateuniverse.wordpress.com/about-the-authors/ 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 30 September 2025

Few topics raise as many questions as hell. Is it eternal torment, final destruction, or something else entirely? In this episode of Premier Unbelievable?, Vince Vitale is joined by Australian apologist Dan Paterson (Questioning Christianity: Is There More to the Story?) and Catholic theologian Jordan Wood (The Whole Mystery of Christ). Together they explore whether the traditional doctrine of Eternal Conscious Torment is biblically and theologically defensible, and why so many Christians today are reconsidering alternative views such as conditional immortality or annihilationism. • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PremierUnbelievable/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/premierunbelievable - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@premierunbelievable - X (Twitter) https://x.com/unbelievablefe

Transcribed - Published: 25 September 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 23 September 2025

The shocking death of Charlie Kirk has left a void in the public square. However you felt about his politics or style, he was a figure unafraid to step into hostile spaces, defend his Christian faith, and face opponents head-on. From the Oxford Union to U.S. campuses, Kirk embodied a willingness to disagree openly at a time when many retreat to echo chambers. In this week's show Premier Unbelievable?'s Billy Hallowell is joined by Os Guinness and Krish Kandiah to reflect on Kirk’s legacy, the controversies, and the reckoning his loss demands. How do we preserve free speech without fear? How do we turn down the temperature in our debates? And can we recover the art of disagreeing agreeably in a polarised age? To keep bringing you conversations like this — with a wide range of voices and remarkable guests — why not consider supporting the production of more Unbelievable? podcasts //www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate 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

Transcribed - Published: 16 September 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 16 September 2025

In this live edition of Unbelievable?, Andy Kind hosts a fascinating conversation on the nature of the soul and spiritual experience. Philosopher Harry Amos, a former Christian turned humanist, challenges whether the soul exists at all, pointing to science, consciousness studies, and the limits of dualism. Meanwhile, Dr. Claire Gilbert, writer and ethicist, shares her profound personal journey through faith, ecology, and cancer, drawing inspiration from Julian of Norwich and the deep mysteries of spirit, love, and human worth. From neuroscience and quantum mechanics to prayer, mortality, and whether dogs have souls (!), this discussion wrestles with some of the most profound questions humans can ask.

Transcribed - Published: 11 September 2025

In this classic Big Conversation, mathematician and Christian thinker John Lennox sits down with philosopher of science Michael Ruse before a live London audience to ask whether modern science points towards — or away from — God. They trace the roots of science in the Judeo-Christian worldview, debate “scientism,” and spar over miracles (from water into wine to the Resurrection), natural theology versus faith, and the “unreasonable effectiveness” of mathematics. The pair tackle evil and suffering — yes, even hemorrhoids — free will, Auschwitz, and whether hope requires revelation. Audience Q&A presses them on the Big Bang, objective morality, Calvinism, and what counts as . Expect sharp disagreement, surprising agreement, and plenty of wit as Lennox argues for evidence-based faith and Ruse defends a conservative, largely agnostic naturalism. 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 9 September 2025

In this second part of our Premier Unbelievable? schools debate with Aylesbury Youth or Christ, host Andy Kind is joined once again by philosophers Dr Amna Whiston (Oxford University) and Dr Alex Carter (Cambridge University) to explore the ethical dilemmas raised by artificial intelligence. What happens when machines are asked to make moral decisions? Can AI ever be truly responsible - or feel pain? What are the risks of outsourcing human judgment to code? And is a "happy dystopia" ruled by AI just around the corner? Together, they unpack issues like the trolley problem, privacy, intellectual property, moral intuition, and the dehumanising effects of the “race to the middle.” This thought-provoking conversation asks not just what AI can do, but what it might undo in human society. 🎧 Subscribe now and join the conversation about the future of ethics in an age of machines. 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 4 September 2025

Illusionist and writer Derren Brown joins broadcaster and Anglican priest Rev. Richard Coles for a searching conversation on The Big Conversation stage of Unbelievable?. Both men tell strikingly different life stories: Brown, once a youthful Christian, gradually left faith behind as his fascination with the mind, psychology, and scepticism grew. Coles, meanwhile, rose to fame in the 1980s pop group The Communards before an unexpected conversion led him into Christian ministry. In this dialogue they share candid reflections on happiness, suffering, transcendence and the role of stories in shaping our lives. Can Stoic philosophy provide enough meaning without belief in God? Does Christianity uniquely transform suffering into hope? And how do we face death in a culture that has lost its guiding narratives? This classic edition invites listeners to weigh whether life’s deepest questions find their fullest answer with—or without—God. For Derren Brown: http://derrenbrown.co.uk For Richard Coles: http://www.richardcoles.com/

Transcribed - Published: 2 September 2025

If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does so much evil exist? In this edition of Unbelievable?, Christian philosopher Dr. Joshua Sijuwade debates atheist philosopher Dr. Stephen Law on whether the reality of suffering undermines belief in God - or whether there are good reasons a loving God might allow it. From moral evil and natural disasters to the evil God challenge and the limits of human understanding, the discussion dives deep into one of philosophy’s most enduring and emotionally charged questions. 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 28 August 2025

What does it really mean to think, create, or feel? Are we losing our humanity in the age of AI - or discovering it anew? In this live schools debate with Aylesbury Youth For Christ, Premier Unbelievable? host Andy Kind is joined by Dr Amna Whiston (Oxford) and Dr Alex Carter (Cambridge) to explore the limits of artificial intelligence. Together they ask: Can machines ever truly be creative? Can they experience emotion - or are they just mirroring us back to ourselves? Expect a lively, thoughtful and sometimes humorous conversation on philosophy of mind, the uncanny valley, whether AI can be conscious, and what separates humans from code. Along the way, they touch on Jackson Pollock, emotional reasoning, giddiness, and even Gattaca vs Skynet - a must-listen for anyone curious about the future of humanity in a technological world. Subscribe and join the conversation. #AI #Creativity #Humanity #PremierUnbelievable 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 21 August 2025

Humanism vs Christianity: Who Really Shaped the Modern World? In this gripping episode of The Big Conversation for Unbelievable? Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker and bestselling author debates Christian thinker Nick Spencer on whether the Enlightenment values of science, reason, and humanism have made religious belief redundant. Pinker defends the legacy of secular progress, arguing that human flourishing owes more to data and rationalism than divine revelation. Spencer acknowledges the progress but challenges Pinker’s foundations—arguing that modern values like equality and human dignity have deep Christian roots. From the abolition of slavery to the origins of science, this is a searching conversation about what truly underpins human progress. • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • 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 in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Transcribed - Published: 19 August 2025

In this explosive end-of-term schools debate, Unbelievable? host Andy Kind moderates a gripping clash between Christian evangelist and CEO of Speak Life, Glen Scrivener and John Richards, President of Atheism UK. Recorded live at St Michael's School in Aylesbury (thanks to Aylesbury Youth For Christ), the debate asks: Does Christianity provide the moral foundation of the West? Glen argues that Western values—such as equality and compassion—are shaped by 2,000 years of Christian influence. John counters that morality evolved naturally and religion often fuels division. From ancient Rome to Richard Dawkins, from the Good Samaritan to scientific discovery, this is a passionate exchange that pulls no punches. 🔔 Subscribe and share to spark deeper conversations. 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 14 August 2025

Can Jesus be meaningfully compared to other spiritual figures like Krishna? In this classic episode, Christian philosopher Ken Samples and Hindu representative Dipen Rajyaguru join Justin Brierley to explore Hinduism, the person of Krishna, and whether all religions ultimately lead to the same God. Drawing from his book God Among Sages, Ken believe that Jesus is unique among all spiritual leaders and is superior to Krishna in terms of his historical and moral record and his offer of salvation. Ken argues for the uniqueness of Jesus as God incarnate, while Dipen explains Hindu perspectives on avatars, karma, and Krishna as a divine figure. The conversation navigates areas of agreement—such as mutual respect and moral insights—as well as deep differences on sin, salvation, and the exclusivity of truth claims. Link to Ken's book https://amzn.to/4f2VvzL

Transcribed - Published: 12 August 2025

What kind of future does humanity need? One shaped by Christian theism or guided by secular humanism? In this edition of Unbelievable?, philosopher and atheist Dr. Stephen Law goes head-to-head with Christian apologist and YouTuber Mike Jones (Inspiring Philosophy) to debate which worldview offers a stronger foundation for meaning, morality, and human flourishing. Do concepts like human rights, dignity, and progress depend on a belief in God? Can secular humanism provide a compelling vision for the future without religion? Which worldview better addresses suffering, justice, and hope? 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡  🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at 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

Transcribed - Published: 7 August 2025

Jesus in Christianity and Islam: Can We Bridge the Divide? Mustafa Akyol, author of The Islamic Jesus, and Richard Shumack, author of Jesus Through Muslim Eyes discuss what do Muslims and Christians really believe about Jesus—and can their views be reconciled? Mustafa argues that the Jesus of Islam reflects a lost strand of early Jewish Christianity—one that did not view Jesus as divine but as a prophet and messiah. Richard responds with a robust Christian defence, noting early worship of Jesus and questioning whether Jewish-Christian sects like the Ebionites represented the faith's true origins. Together, they explore profound theological differences, shared reverence for Jesus, and the possibility of mutual understanding without erasing essential convictions. Can honest disagreement lead to deeper friendship between faiths? For Richard Shumack https://spckpublishing.co.uk/jesus-through-muslim-eyes For Mustafa Akyol http://www.mustafaakyol.org/

Transcribed - Published: 5 August 2025

Is Christianity in England dead - or just sleeping? Historian Bijan Omrani, author of God is an Englishman, and acclaimed writer and former environmental activist Paul Kingsnorth, who converted to Christianity after exploring Wicca and Zen, join host Andy Kind for a powerful conversation about spiritual hunger in post-Christian Britain. From the collapse of church attendance to a resurgence in young people seeking truth, this episode explores what we lose when a civilisation forgets its sacred roots - and whether something is stirring in the dry bones of English Christianity. We also draw on ideas from Tom Holland, Steven Bartlett, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali to ask: What did Christianity give us - and can anything replace it? This is Premier Unbelievable? at its richest: provocative, hopeful, and deeply human. 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate 💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at 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

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2025

Dipping into the archives, a classic episode of Unbelievable? from The Big Conversation series features Justin Brierley joined by Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees and Christian bioethicist Dr John Wyatt to explore the future of humanity in the age of AI, robotics, and transhumanism. From robot carers and sex bots to life beyond Earth, the discussion tackles profound ethical and philosophical questions. Can machines ever become conscious? What does it mean to be human in a digital age? Will we lose something essential if robots replace human connection? Drawing from their books — (Rees) and (Wyatt) — the guests debate whether technological advancement enhances or endangers human dignity, meaning, and morality. Along the way, we also hear from real-life robot ‘Nao’ and insights from robotics experts Nigel Crook and David Levy. A must-listen for anyone curious about where science, ethics, and faith intersect in our rapidly changing world. • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com

Transcribed - Published: 29 July 2025

Should we all pack our bags and move to Mars? If so, shall we pack our Bibles too!? In this lively Unbelievable? debate recorded at Henry Floyd Grammar School, comedian and host Andy Kind moderates a sharp and entertaining exchange between Christian apologist Mike Jones (@inspiringphilosophy) and science researcher Sam McKee (Manchester Metropolitan University). Today we're talking, DNA resetting, AI, Mars colonies, and the future of faith on the podcast, confronting a burning question: Is it still rational to believe in God in an age of accelerating science and technology? What do you think: is religion obsolete in the age of AI — or is it embedded in our biology? Today's a cosmic conversation!

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2025

From the archives of The Big Conversation (Season 4, Episode 2), the acclaimed spin-off series from the Unbelievable? podcast, we're revisiting a powerful episode featuring celebrated author Paul Kingsnorth, who shares the remarkable story of his adult conversion to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. We've just recorded a brand new Unbelievable? show with Paul, so this classic episode is the perfect way to familiarise yourself with his spiritual journey and key ideas. And don’t miss his upcoming book, Against the Machine, releasing this September – pre-order it here In this conversation, Paul is joined by Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, as they explore the deep spiritual hunger beneath our secular age and whether ancient expressions of Christianity might hold the answers today's culture is seeking.

Transcribed - Published: 22 July 2025

What does it mean to be truly human in an age of artificial intelligence, declining religious belief, and rising spiritual hunger? Oxford mathematician and Christian apologist Professor John Lennox and cognitive scientist Dr John Vervaeke of the University of Toronto explore whether AI threatens or reveals our uniqueness, if meaning can exist without God, and whether spiritual transformation is possible in a post-religious age. Along the way, they challenge one another on the Logos, consciousness, and the enduring power of the Book of Revelation. Lennox draws from his new book, God, AI and the End of History, to argue for a Christian vision of wisdom and hope.

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2025

What does it mean to be truly human in an age of artificial intelligence, declining religious belief, and rising spiritual hunger? Oxford mathematician and Christian apologist Professor John Lennox and cognitive scientist Dr John Vervaeke of the University of Toronto explore whether AI threatens or reveals our uniqueness, if meaning can exist without God, and whether spiritual transformation is possible in a post-religious age. Along the way, they challenge one another on the Logos, consciousness, and the enduring power of the Book of Revelation. Lennox draws from his new book, God, AI and the End of History, to argue for a Christian vision of wisdom and hope.

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2025

In the wake of the catastrophic and deadly 2025 floods in Texas, that caused widespread devastation, fresh questions are being asked about divine justice and human suffering. This classic episode of the Unbelievable? podcast from 2010 grapples with the topic of natural disaster in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, which claimed over 150,000 lives. The discussion brings together Roger Forster of the Ichthus Christian Fellowship, atheist Gordon Livesey, and philosophy student Nick Peters to explore the theological, philosophical, and emotional dimensions of suffering and natural disasters. While Forster and Peters suggest that suffering may have a place within God's greater plan, Livesey challenges the coherence of belief in a loving, omnipotent God in light of such tragedy. The conversation remains strikingly relevant today, as communities continue to wrestle with the meaning of good and evil in a broken world. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:09 The Haiti Earthquake: Facts and Figures 00:41 Panel Introduction and Initial Reactions 00:53 The Problem of Evil and Suffering 02:52 Personal Stories and Perspectives 04:38 Atheist Perspective on Suffering 09:10 Philosophical and Theological Debates 10:41 Listener Reactions and Further Discussion 13:43 God's Role in Human Suffering 17:25 Debating God's Omnipotence and Love 24:52 Summarizing Arguments and Next Steps 31:21 The Problem of Evil and Natural Disasters 31:55 Human Responsibility and the Role of God 33:55 Nancy's Perspective on God's Power 35:35 Gordon's Skepticism and Human Limitations 37:43 Roger's Explanation of Human History and Divine Purpose 43:25 Debating the Nature of Good and Evil 50:14 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Transcribed - Published: 15 July 2025

Joe Rigney calls empathy a sin. Alastair Roberts says not so fast. Who’s right? Today, we explore a question at the heart of pastoral care, public witness, and Christian leadership: Is empathy a virtue to be cultivated or a vice to be resisted?  Professor Joe Rigney and Dr Alastair Roberts joined Andy Kind. Joe is the author of The Sin of Empathy, a provocative work that argues that when empathy becomes "untethered" from truth, it ceases to be a virtue and can even become sinful.  Alastair, a fellow theologian, has written a substantial critique, arguing that Joe's language has muddied important distinctions and potentially misrepresents a vital Christian posture.  This conversation is not about labels, but substance - and we'll explore everything from scriptural foundations to gender roles, pastoral ethics, and theological nuance. Can caring too much ever become morally wrong? Dr Joe Rigney serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College and is the author of several books, including Things of Earth and Strangely Bright. Joe Rigney, Dr. Joe Rigney, author of The Sin of Empathy. Joe on X:  @joe_rigney Dr Alastair Roberts is a Teaching Fellow of The Theopolis Institute and professor for Davenant Hall, and one of the hosts of the Mere Fidelity podcast. He is a co-author of Echoes of Exodus: Tracing Themes of Redemption Through Scripture (2018). Alistair's substack: https://argosy.substack.com/. Alistair on X: @zugzwanged oon Radiopaper: https://radiopaper.com/AlastairRoberts SOCIAL LINKS Facebook: / https://www.facebook.com/PremierUnbelievable/ Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@premierunbelievable X (Twitter): / https://x.com/unbelievablefe Bluesky: / https://bsky.app/profile/unbelievablefe.bsky.social 👉 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

Transcribed - Published: 11 July 2025

Justin Brierley moderates a thought-provoking discussion between Theo Hobson, author of 'God Created Humanism,' and Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association. The conversation examines whether humanist values of equality and human dignity are rooted in Christianity's shaping of Western culture or can develop independently from a secular perspective. What are the origins of secular humanism? And what is the sustainability of humanist values without religious foundations? This dialogue from 2017 explores the historical and philosophical underpinnings of modern humanism. For more of Theo Hobson and his book https://theohobson.wordpress.com/ Andrew Copson’s book is The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • 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 in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Transcribed - Published: 8 July 2025

This week on Unbelievable. Do animals go to heaven? Do humans become angels? Do we start families in the afterlife? And what about reincarnation? Is that really off the table for Christians? Andy Kind spoke with Princeton theologian Dr. Dale Allison Jr. and rising scholar Andrew Hronich for a mind-expanding conversation on heaven, what it is, who's there, and what we might do for eternity. You will not want to miss this one! 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

Transcribed - Published: 4 July 2025

More than a decade ago, Unbelievable? brought together two experts with very different conclusions about the Shroud of Turin—one of the most mysterious and debated Christian relics. Dr Alan Whanger, who devoted years to studying the Shroud, claimed to identify faint images and markings that point to its origins in 1st-century Israel. Meanwhile, Hugh Farey, editor of The Catholic Shroud of Turin Newsletter, has spent decades critically examining the Shroud literature and argues the evidence strongly supports a medieval origin. Latest Developments (2020s): Since that episode aired, there have been further scientific investigations and renewed debates. In 2017, Italian researchers used new dating techniques (notably, Raman spectroscopy and FTIR analysis) to argue for a possible 1st-century origin—challenging the 1988 carbon dating that placed the Shroud in the 13th or 14th century. However, these newer findings remain controversial and have not overturned the scientific consensus. The Shroud continues to spark interest not only among believers and sceptics, but also in fields as diverse as history, forensic science, and art restoration. For Alan Whanger: http://people.duke.edu/~adw2/shroud/ For Hugh Farey: https://www.shroud.com/bstsmain.htm

Transcribed - Published: 1 July 2025