Unbelievable

New Testament scholar Paula Gooder joins Justin to talk about her new book ‘Phoebe: A Story’ a fictional account of the life of the woman that St Paul entrusted with delivering his letter to the Romans. But have the ensuing centuries lost sight of the role of women such as Phoebe in the early church? Sceptical Bible scholar Francesca Stavrakopoulou joins Paula to discuss whether Christianity is inherently patriarchal and sexist. They debate passages such as 1 Timothy 2: 11-12 and how much St Paul’s attitude toward women leaders in the early church contrasted with the prevailing culture.    For ‘Phoebe’ by Paula Gooder https://www.hodder.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9781473669727 For Francesca Stavrakopoulou http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/theology/staff/stavrakopoulou/  For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Christian guest John Cottingham is a philosopher whose new book ‘How Can I Believe?’ offers advice on why belief in God can make sense and the human quest for the transcendent. Atheist philosopher Richard Norman engages with John’s case for belief, and responds to the question: ‘What would it take for an atheist to believe?’ Richard is the editor of the book ‘Religion and Atheism: Beyond the Divide’. For John Cottingham https://spckpublishing.co.uk/how-can-i-believe/ For Richard Norman https://www.routledge.com/Religion-and-Atheism-Beyond-the-Divide/Carroll-Norman/p/book/9781138891913  For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Sharon Dirckx of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics discusses the problem of suffering with Hannah Timson, head of Humanist Students UK. Hannah explains how she lost her faith in her late teens, in part because of the issue of suffering. Drawing on her book ‘Why? Looking at God, Evil and Personal Suffering’ Sharon responds to Hannah as they discuss their different stories and the problem of evil.  For Sharon Dirckx http://rzim.org/bio/sharon-dirckx/ For Hannah Timson https://humanism.org.uk/students/ Vote for your top tough question at this year’s Unbelievable? conference https://www.premierchristianradio.com/Features/Unbelievable-The-Conference-2018/What-s-your-big-question-for-God-Vote-Now Sharon Dirckx is speaking at Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

A recent dialogue event at Wycliffe College, Canada saw Jordan B Peterson, Rebecca Goldstein and William Lane Craig in conversation on the question “Is there meaning to life?” In this podcast-only edition of the show Justin introduces the event. One of the participants, Jordan B Peterson, has become an increasingly influential voice and will join Justin in person on Unbelievable? for the start of a series of special programmes called The Big Conversation in early June.  For the video of the Wycliffe College event https://www.wycliffecollege.ca/religionandsociety For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Rev Gillian Straine is an Anglican priest with a background in science. She tells the story of how she dealt with the spiritual and medical challenges of being diagnosed with cancer aged 21, as told in her book 'Cancer: A Pilgrim's Companion'.  She also shares news of a free public lecture by internationally renowned physicist Marcelo Glasier in London on Tue 22 May. Atheist guest Alom Shaha is a secondary school physics teacher and engages with Gillian on the question of faith, illness and science. He shares his story of rejecting his Islamic upbringing after the death of his mother and how he fell in love with the world of science. Alom has recently authored a book of practical science experiments for kids 'Mr Shaha's Recipes For Wonder'. For Marcelo Gleiser's free Drawbridge Lecture 'Unknowns in Heaven and Earth' on 22 May https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-drawbridge-lecture-tickets-39148003733  For Gillian Straine: http://www.gillianstraine.com/my-books/ For Alom Shaha: http://alomshaha.com/books/mr-shahas-recipes-for-wonder/  For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: http://www.unbelievablebook.co.uk Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes  

Bart Campolo is the son of high-profile Christian speaker, author and sociologist Tony Campolo. Bart became a Christian in his teens and went on to run an inner city Christian youth ministry. However Bart recently announced that he had lost his faith altogether and become a Humanist chaplain. Justin interviews Bart alongside Sean McDowell. Sean also has a well known father in ministry - Josh McDowell. But when Sean experienced his own crisis of faith he found the rational basis he needed to support his faith. Justin chats to Bart about the reasons for his deconversion as spelled out in a recent documentary 'Leaving My Father's Faith', and Sean responds to Bart's newly adopted Humanist perspective.   For 'Leaving My Father's Faith' documentary https://campolofilm.com/ For Sean McDowell: http://seanmcdowell.org/ For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: http://www.unbelievablebook.co.uk Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes  

In this Easter weekend edition of the show Justin hosts a dialogue between evangelist Glen Scrivener (who is speaking at Unbelievable? 2018) and atheist journalist Michael Collett. Glen’s recent book ‘Divine Comedy, Human Tragedy: What is life?’ is an evangelistic book on why Christianity makes sense of the tragedy of death. Michael Collett, an ex-Christian and a fellow Aussie, discusses why as an atheist he believes life can have meaning even if death is the end, and why he can’t believe in the joy of heavenly resurrection if there is also a hell.   For Glen’s book https://www.10ofthose.com/products/23634/divine-comedy-human-tragedy For Michael Collett: https://twitter.com/collettmp  For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop   For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter  Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes

Calvinist theology holds that everything is pre-ordained by God. Critics say that such a deterministic view makes God morally responsible for evil and means that sinners can’t be blamed for their wrongdoing – after all they were predestined to do it. Guilluame Bignon, a French convert to Christianity who is now a Calvinist philosopher/theologian, seeks to answer these questions in his new book Excusing Sinners and Blaming God: A Calvinist Assessment of Determinism, Moral Responsibility, and Divine Involvement in Evil. He engages W Paul Franks of Tyndale University College, Toronto on the issues, who holds to a Wesleyan/ Arminian view of libertarian freedom.   For Guillaume Bignon’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Excusing-Sinners-Blaming-God-Responsibility/dp/1532618654   For W Paul Franks: http://wpaulfranks.com/    For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask     Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk   Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop   For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes  

Justin hosts a public dialogue between Christian Andy Bannister and atheist humanist Justin Trottier, live on stage at the Apologetics Canada conference in Abbotsford, British Columbia. In front of an audience of 1,400 they debate whether Christianity or naturalism provides a better foundation for the concept of universal human rights, followed by questions from the floor. For Apologetics Canada https://www.apologeticscanada.com/ For Andy Bannister: https://www.solas-cpc.org/what-are-human-rights-based-on-andy-bannister For Justin Trottier: https://equalitycanada.com/ For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes  

Mark Karris is author of 'Divine Echoes: Reconciling prayer with the uncontrolling love of God'. He believes Christians often have the wrong idea both about asking for things in prayer and the God they are asking.  Steve Jeffery is the pastor of Emmanuel Church, North London and co-author of 'Pierced for our Transgressions'. He takes a Calvinist perspective and critiques Mark's view of prayer, sovereignty and what it means for our understanding of scripture.  For 'Divine Echoes' by Mark Karris: http://conspiringprayer.com/ For Steve Jeffery: http://www.northlondonchurch.org/ For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes    

One of the leading voices in 'Jesus mythicism', Richard Carrier, joins Justin on the show. He debates his theory that the apostle Paul only believed in a 'celestial' spiritual version of Jesus, not a flesh-and-blood man. Christian apologist Jonathan McLatchie defends the mainstream view, arguing that Paul's references to Christ, as well as the book of Acts and the Gospels, all provide evidence for a real person. For Richard Carrier: https://www.richardcarrier.info/ For Jonathan McLatchie: http://apologetics-academy.org/  For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes  

A bacterial flagellum acts as the outboard motor on a bacteria. But is the complex arrangement of parts that enable it to do its job a result of design or evolution? Michael Behe first opened the debate on the ‘irreducible complexity’ of biochemical machines in his 1996 book Darwin’s Black Box. Intelligent Design proponent Jonathan McLatchie and theistic evolutionist Keith Fox debate whether Behe’s theory has stood the test of time, the bacterial flagellum and whether ID is a science stopper or theologically helpful. For Jonathan McLatchie: http://apologetics-academy.org/  For Keith Fox: https://www.faraday.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/Biography.php?ID=174 For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes  

Stem cells are an early development form of cells with the potential to turn into any part of the human system. They are used medically for regenerative therapy to treat many conditions. However stem cells have traditionally been harvested from early-stage embryos causing concerns for those who believe life begins at conception. Fuz Rana a scientist with Reasons To Believe joins Justin to discuss a new technology that allows stem cells to be produced without the need for the destruction of embryos. He debates atheist biologist Robert Stovold who believes that Judaeo-Christian concerns about life should not inhibit research in biotechnology. For Fuz at Unbelievable? 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  For Reasons To Believe: http://www.reasons.org For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk  Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes    

In the age of Trump, the term ‘evangelical’ is increasingly associated with right-wing political views and fundamentalism. So is the evangelical label a lost cause? Randal Rauser argues we should hold on to the term while Frank Schaeffer, son of the late Francis Schaeffer, argues we should ditch the evangelical movement his famous father helped to create. Sam Hailes, the new editor of Premier Christianity magazine also joins the discussion commenting on his recent article ‘Can evangelicalism survive in the age of Trump?’ Get a free sample copy of the magazine at www.premierchristianity.com/freesample For ‘What’s So Confusing About Grace?’ by Randal Rauser: https://randalrauser.com/books/  For ‘Letter to Lucy’ by Frank Schaeffer: http://www.frankschaeffer.com For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes  

Lord Richard Harries is the former Bishop of Oxford and a life peer in the House of Lords. His book ‘The Beauty And The Horror: Finding God in a suffering world’ (SPCK) delves into art, history and literature to show why Christianity can make sense of both the beauty and the tragedy of life. He debates the search for meaning and beauty, and the question of why God allows suffering with atheist Michael Ruse, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at Florida State University.   Towards the end of the show Justin also plays a preview clip of a forthcoming debate between popular Canadian psychologist Jordan B Peterson and atheist psychologist Susan Blackmore ahead of the launch of The Big Conversation dialogue series later this year. For ‘The Beauty and the Horror’ by Richard Harries: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beauty-Horror-Searching-Suffering-World/dp/0281076936    For ‘On Purpose’ by Michael Ruse: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Purpose-Michael-Ruse/dp/0691172463 For Unbelievable? the Conference 2018: http://www.premier.org.uk/justask  Get signed copies of Unbelievable? the book and audiobook: www.unbelievablebook.co.uk Get Unbelievable? the Conference 2017 DVD/CD & Digital Download: http://www.premier.org.uk/shop  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 Podcast of Unbelievable? Via RSS or Via Itunes