Undeceptions with John Dickson

Why did God make the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Can Christians smoke weed? Why does God allow natural disasters to happen? John Dickson tackles your questions in one of our best Q&A episodes yet!

Famed Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once (well, several times actually) claimed Christianity was irreconcilable with the science of the Universe. 

But there's plenty of scholars who beg to differ.

Recorded live in Brisbane at the State Library of Queensland.

• (01:08) - Show begins
• (05:42) - Introducing Peter Harrison
• (08:41) - Did we used to have more Christian scientists?
• (22:53) - Introducing Sarah Sweet and Luke Barnes
• (24:46) - Is there room for the supernatural in science?
• (37:48) - 5 Minute Jesus
• (48:41) - Do we live in a finely tuned universe?
• (56:12) - What we've learned - and unlearnt - from science recently
• (01:02:41) - How far could science take us?

Is history under threat? 

Increasingly, the modern, individualistic global West is coming to see history as a discipline that's irrelevant, harmful, and divisive. 

Some are worried that we're becoming increasingly disconnected from a broader story. 

Can the past help us navigate our modern world? Or is it better if we let it fade into a "dark age"?

• (00:11) - What do you call a collective of historians?
• (05:40) - Why does history matter?
• (08:12) - What makes a good historian?
• (10:49) - Historical culture wars
• (14:32) - An Ahistoric Age
• (16:44) - Is history irrelevant?
• (18:59) - Historical ignorance
• (24:46) - Recovering facts from framing
• (30:11) - Looking back but moving forward
• (35:04) - Priests of History
• (37:19) - Sarah encounters rational faith
• (45:47) - The perks of Biblical meditation
• (48:25) - Make tradition cool again
• (49:15) - 5 Minute Jesus
• (56:46) - Why take history seriously in 2024?
• (01:00:58) - The good guys of history's bad Empires

Trust is everywhere. It underpins our institutions, our health, and our relationships. However, experts are worried that the world is facing a trust crisis. If so much of our lives depend on it, what could happen if trust starts to break?

In this episode, we spend some time talking about institutional church abuse. Check the time codes below if it would be helpful to skip past this section.

39:15 - Section begins
42:23 - Regular interview resumes

True Crime is one of the most popular genres of film, podcasting, literature, and TV worldwide. 

We are obsessed with tales of the morbid, dark, and most importantly, true. 

As one cold-case detective believes, we can't get enough true crime because of what it teaches us about our human nature. 

But that same detective found that these lessons on humanity could also be found in - what was for him -  the unlikeliest place: The Bible.

Half a billion people alive today speak English as their first language. But how you speak English depends on where you live, where you come from, and how it was taught to you. It's truly a universal language. So - what's its history? If this is the language that has done the most to spread Christianity (as some claim), how have its quirks influenced our understanding of the Bible?

There's a reason our guests have mentioned Augustine more than any other theologian or philosopher. St Augustine of Hippo was an intellectual giant whose shadow still hangs over Christianity and the Western philosophical tradition. But not everyone loves him. To some, he's a misogynistic pessimist whose work we're better off without. So - what's the truth? It's finally time for Undeceptions to take a deep dive into Augustine.

Reasoning can take us to almost any conclusion we want. We ask "Can I believe?" if we want to believe, or "Must I believe?" if we don't. We can persuade ourselves easily. Only through humility do we stand a chance of approaching something more in line with the truth.

Jazz is a genre of music steeped in tradition, culture, and most importantly, improvisation. According to some, the church can learn a few lessons from this wonderful art form.

Evangelicalism has always been a politically loaded word - but especially since the turn of the century. 

This is especially true of American evangelicalism. 

But if we strip away all the nationalistic and political weight, what is evangelicalism? What makes the American strain of evangelicalism particularly unique? How does it compare to other types of evangelicalism?

John faces down some of our most diverse - and controversial - questions yet. What's the deal with circumcision? Why does John hate the term apologetics so much? Is Director Mark sick of John picking on him all the time? 

If Christianity is one big conspiracy, we wouldn't find so many mistakes and inconsistencies in the Gospels! Surely if the faith was one big lie, the Gospels would have some uniformity to them, united to deceive readers.

Well, that's one side of the argument. Others might point to the Gospel contradictions as proof the entire thing is made up.

So, why are there contradictions in the Gospels? Does this undermine their credibility?

You can make a pretty good case that the Gospels are the four most influential - and controversial - books of all time. But who were the authors? How do we know who wrote them? And why was it that these four books were selected, and not others? 

In this special Undeceptions Single, Stan Grant shares his reflections on God and suffering in the wake of the Bondi Junction attacks that occurred on April 13 in Sydney, Australia.

From the mid-1990s to the 2010s, 'New Atheism' dominated the intellectual space. A virulent, attacking form of godless evangelism, it saw people like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens top best-seller lists, and draw huge crowds to their lectures. Justin Brierley was in the middle of it all as New Atheism rose - and then collapsed. In its wake, Justin says he is seeing a new openness to theism - but where that might lead is anyone's guess.

Theology: It's a dry term that conjures images of old academics writing dusty books that will never be read. 

However, this couldn't be further from the truth. The study of theology is the study of who we are as humans, and how we can make sense of both God and the complexities of the world.

So, who are the theologians we should all know about?

Science is a relatively new term. Chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy - all have only existed as defined, singular fields for the last century and a half. Before that was the mysterious world of natural philosophy - an ancient tradition that saw the natural world as one, combined entity. Our guest, Professor Alister McGrath, argues that this old way is a path to a new kind of appreciation of the world and each other. 

The Apostle Paul writes that Christians must battle against "powers and principalities". But what are they? What does the Bible say about political power?

Special thanks to our season sponsor Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Check out more of N.T. Wright's work - including his writing, and Bible studies - here.

A transcript of this episode is available here. Please note, that due to software not all exchanges between guests will be completely accurate.

For the full episode shownotes, head to undeceptions.com

There are sophisticated, academic arguments for the resurrection of Jesus. It’s not just a matter of accepting on the basis of faith. The modern industry of Christian apologetics doesn't get us much closer to the historical reality of Jesus' resurrection - but there are solid, investigative ways of examining this seemingly miraculous event.

The pursuit of celibacy is seen as strange, taboo, and repressive in modern society. But that's what David Bennett, a gay man, decided, after becoming a Christian during a night out in Sydney's gay quarter. 

Since then, he's become a scholar of "holy virginity", and the queerness of his Lord, Jesus. This is his story.  

At the heart of cancel culture is a desire to combat injustice, and expose flaws within society. This is a good thing ... but as recent history has shown, there is a lack of forgiveness at the heart of the movement. This is where Christianity can help.

For the final episode of season X, we're taking a deep dive into the global centre of Atheism - France. How did this once-Christian nation become such a lightning rod for the belief that there is no God? And how are the "French" ways of thinking drawing some people back to belief in Christianity? 

Aliens, more Old Testament violence, and ... The Devil. 

Our tenth question-and-answer episode was one of the toughest yet for John. 

Make sure you head to our website to ask a question yourself if you want to pick Johns brain on air!

The story of Christianity is full of wonderful highs and terrible lows. It's truly an epic - and it takes an epic round-the-world adventure to tell its story properly. Thankfully, we have a man who's done just that. This is the story of Christianity, from the crucifixion to the modern day, told through 12 key objects.

Christianity wasn't always its own religion - the first Christians were, in fact, Jewish ...  because Jesus was Jewish! How do we then understand the Jewishness of Jesus? How was his movement different to other Jewish movements?

Angels are everywhere in history. From winged guardians in Sumerian mythology to the messengers of the Gods in Ancient Greece, to new-age guardian angels, humanity has always been fascinated by these celestial beings. But what does the Bible say about them?

Our guest on this episode is Graham A. Cole. He was dean emeritus and professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, before his retirement. He formerly worked as the dean of Ridley College in Melbourne. His book Against the Darkness: The Doctrine of Angels, Satan, and Demons is out now.

For extended show notes and transcripts, head to our website.

J.R.R. Tolkien needs no introduction. The Oxford Philology Professor who would go on to create the world of Middle Earth is rightly hailed as one of the greatest writers of all time. In this episode, we unpack the inspiration behind his work, meet the people who helped him along the way, and examine the faith that drove him to create the world of The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and more.

The Middle Ages saw an explosion of literature, art, and thought around the personhood of Jesus. What can we learn from these centuries-old understandings of the central figure of the Bible?

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling
Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuinness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

The Puritans: Everything wrong with a Christian society, or much misunderstood forefathers of innovation and social justice?

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling
Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuinness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

This episode, we're visiting some of the ancient Christians to see that they were actually real human beings, with flaws and hang ups … and virtues … that we might recognise in ourselves today. 

Our world spends billions of dollars a year on anti-ageing, but nothing will change the simple fact that we are all growing older. Is it time we re-thought our approach to the relentless march of time, and the challenges that come with it?

"I love Jesus but I hate the God of the Old Testament. He's just so violent."

You might have heard this line before or thought it yourself.

In this episode, we're tackling this issue head-on.

We're taking a deep dive into the violence of the Bible - especially the Old Testament - and asking how is it that this God of judgement and war can be one and the same with the peace-loving Jesus Christ.

In this live episode, recorded at the Melbourne leg of the Undeceptions Conference, we ask: What did the first Christians mean when they proclaimed Jesus as God? How did this teacher, healer, and religious revolutionary come to be seen as divine?

The multiverse has become a popular cinema trope, but more and more astrophysicists are taking it seriously. Could there really be parallel universes? If so, does this mean there might be parallel Gods? What does this all mean for Christianity - if it's even real at all?

Is the Bible bad news for women? Is Jesus misogynistic?

Or - as some claim - were the teachings of Jesus in fact the basis of a revolutionary change in the way women were seen and treated across the ancient world, as Christianity spread?

Live from the Sydney leg of the Undeceptions conference comes this special episode, with John Dickson, Rebecca McLaughlin, and an audience of 600 Undeceivers taking a look at Jesus, through the eyes of the women who walked alongside Him.

To kick off season 10 of Undeceptions, we're exploring the new "threat" to the Christian faith -  deconstruction.

Deconstruction has become something of a buzzword in recent years, with many well-known Christians deconstructing their beliefs, and sometimes abandoning Christianity altogether. So what's going on? Can the claims of the Bible be trusted if they seemingly fall apart when we ask questions?

Head to undeceptions.com for information on how to become an Undeceiver, get expanded show notes, and find out more about our wonderful guests!

If Jesus was just a teacher who lived and died in first-century Palestine, Christianity would be a waste of time.

But what if the miraculous were somehow true? What if this man really did rise from the dead, after being publicly executed on a Roman cross outside the walls of Jerusalem?

In the final episode of our 'singles' series, John Dickson brings you the words of his friend Ben Shaw, who invites sceptical listeners to think about the implications of Christianity's most startling claim of all: that Jesus rose from the dead.

Most of us can agree that the world is a pretty messed up place.

But what’s the problem with humanity? What’s wrong with the world? What’s causing all this crime, suffering, destruction and chaos? 

John Dickson brings you the words of his dear friend Ben Shaw, who on this special episode challenges us to see that what’s required to make meaningful change is a totally new heart, or, as Jesus taught, to be born again: to become a new person. 

Many believe Christianity is all about following rules and not having any fun.

However, this is a huge misunderstanding; Christianity is actually about living life to the fullest.

John Dickson brings you part two of his friend Ben Shaw's work about reconsidering the Christian faith, pointing out that for years, millions of people have misheard the beautiful lyrics of Christianity. 

Lots of people assume that Christianity is a nice story for kids or a niche hobby for weirdos.

John Dickson brings you the words of his dear friend Ben Shaw, who invites sceptical readers to think again about the million-dollar question: what is the meaning of this thing we call life?

Throughout history, humans have looked for hidden meanings behind dreams. But in this modern, scientific age, surely we don't believe dreams could hold spiritual significance anymore? God wouldn't speak to people through a medium as unreliable as dreams ... right?

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling
Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuinness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Is there a place for pessimism in the Christian life? Is Halloween evil? Does God have 'mothering' characteristics, too? Why won't there be marriage in heaven? Yes, it's this season's Q&A episode, and John is having a crack at a heap of listener questions.

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling
Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuinness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

If we can make sense of our faith, is it really faith at all, or just a projection of what we want? Soren Kierkegaard, one of the most celebrated philosophers of the 19th century, asked the same question. With the help of two experts, we'll untangle his "answers" and discover how to take a leap of faith.

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling
Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuinness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

The Bible uses a very "human" way to communicate God's word: letter writing. But how do we know these letters - mostly written by the Apostle Paul - really are God's word? How could it be that the divine would speak through simple mail - and how can we trust it?

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuinness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

In memory of Timothy James Keller (1950-2023).

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Is nature inherently valuable if there is no God? According to one scientist, without faith, that's an almost impossible question to answer. But if there is a design to it all? That changes everything - including how we should treat the natural world.

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Apathy has seeped into every part of society. We've become a "Seinfeldian culture"; alive to the trivial, and numb to the meaningful. How can we find ways to care more, and how might Christianity's history of grappling with apathy help us, whatever we believe?

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Dorothy L. Sayers was much more than a celebrated detective novelist - she was a Christian playwright and author who brought the message of the Gospels to millions of people in everyday, easy-to-understand language. A true Undeceiver, it's high time we knew more about her.

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

There aren’t many parts of the Bible that excite the imagination more than its thrilling climax in the book of Revelation. Amidst the imagery, fantasy and controversy, how do we sort truth from fiction?

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Is there room for the supernatural and the advancing world of medicine? According to some scientists - absolutely!

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

An hour with acclaimed speaker and church leader Beth Moore.

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Introducing The Venerable Bede: Father of English history and the most brilliant polymath you've never heard of.

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Why did Jesus have to die? Why did it have to be such a violent death? And what on earth does the death of Jesus on a cross such a long time ago have to do with us today?

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Is there still something to celebrate about the Reformation, or is it, as many claim, the root of Christian division and conflict? 

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

The Reformation: one of the greatest ruptures in European history, a rupture that permanently split the church, triggered wars, created new city-states, and even led, in the opinion of many experts, to the Enlightenment, Science, and the secularization of the West.

It's such a big deal we’re going to take two whole episodes to examine it—and still only scratch the surface. 

How did one man go from a pious local friar in an obscure backwater town to the leader of a global movement that ripped Christianity in two (and then three, then four, and ultimately thousands of Protestant denominations!). 

And what is the real legacy of this thing we call The Reformation?

This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptions

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

"We know less than ever about history and are losing the ability to grapple with the ethical complexities of the past - the entwining of good and evil - in the same historical figure, or empire." 

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. 

QUESTIONS

1. Why did Jesus come during the Ancient period? I get why Jesus came (to fulfill God’s promises and save the world etc.) but why the specific time period and place? Why didn’t Jesus come in say, the medieval era? Or the 1900s? Why was it ancient Rome?
2. In ‘The Flood’ episode, you talk of the story of the flood as a piece of ‘high art’ that should be understood as a retelling of stories that existed in the cultural climate. But would the ancient audience have thought like this or take it at face value as though they were real events that really happened? 
3. Do you believe that Adam and Eve are historical figures? 
4. In the episode called ‘Global Christianity’, you mention the missionary impulse in Judaism: in the NT book of Acts we meet people who are described as ‘God fearers’. How many ‘God fearers’ who weren’t Jewish were around in the first century? And what motivated them to worship the God of Israel? 
5. Regarding the ‘Pro Life’ episode, suppose a pregnant mother in labor has a series of complications. If she births the baby, she’ll die. But if she doesn’t birth it soon, the baby will die. Would it be a sin, if you chose the mother to live, and the baby to die? 
6. I teach school students who are blind or have low vision and some have a hard time understanding what their blindness means in regard to their relationship with God. I’m keen to know if you have a way to account for the descriptions of blindness in such a way that my students can hear the different passages and still see themselves as loved and valued by a good God, even if/when they are not healed, and despite the fact that some passages use blindness as a criticism. Can you help? 
7. Why is the Catholic and Protestant bible different? What are those differences? Should Protestants read the books that are in the Catholic Bible too? What can Protestants learn from those books? How have those differences changed how Protestants and Catholics view the world? 
8. I want to learn more about the Catholic faith and what happened before it became so ritualised. What was it like before the Catholic faith became the Catholic faith? 
9. What’s the deal with burial vs Cremation – specifically around our renewed bodies that God will transform us into? Does cremation hinder this? 
10. The typical Christian answer to the question “Where does evil come from?” is free will. I.e. God made Adam and Eve perfect, but gave them free will. They decided to turn away from God, and now there’s evil, sin and suffering in the world. But that argument doesn’t really make sense, because free will doesn’t necessarily entail evil. For example, God has free will, and he’s completely good. God could have made us with a good nature, and still given us free will (like what we’ll have in heaven). Based on this, it seems like God must have made evil. Or to phrase it another way, God seems to have made Adam and Eve with a propensity for evil, or made them too weak to cope with the moral choices he was giving them. If an inventor designs something and it malfunctions, it isn’t really fair for him to blame the thing he’s made for going wrong. We’d say that it’s his fault for not designing it properly. So how is God not responsible for our sin?
11. A friend follows Baháʼí  religion and says there is essential worth of all religions is the unity of all people. They regard the major world religions as fundamentally unified in purpose. At the heart of their teaching is the goal of a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, creeds and classes. It all sounds nice, but how does it play out in reality, and how does it differ from Christianity? 
12. I have been reading your book, Bullies and Saints and was struck by your Chapter on the Inquisition. I get it, that the French Revolution in comparison had more deaths and other sorts of sufferings. However when a Catholic friend said to a Jewish friend (in my presence) that the Spanish Inquisition wasn’t so bad, I wondered what the Jews thought of the whole issue? My Jewish friend just looked at him. Also what would be a helpful way to handle this issue when talking to people of other faiths, like Jewish and Muslim, who as you stated in your book were booted out of Spain? 
13. I was reading a book by author and pastor Mark Clark who said Jesus would have dropped his ‘h’s, that he had a really distinctive accent, and that other people from Galilee dropped their ‘h’s and that the people from Jerusalem would have thought they were really uneducated because of that. Any other interesting things from Jesus that we might not know from the Bible that would help us connect with him as a man who walked the earth as well as our Lord and Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

The more we learn about the world, the more we see how it operates under elegant laws. There is an order to the universe that betrays the randomness you so often hear about.

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. 

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

There’s no such thing as a “New Testament Christian”. While the popular scepticism about parts of the Old Testament is understandable, we're convinced by the arguments of our guest today: Christ isn’t just the hero of the New Testament … He is everywhere in the Old Testament.

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. 

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

‘Tis the podcast before Christmas, so we’re diving into the fairy lights and tinsel to uncover some of the myths of Christmas - things you might have thought were true but aren’t. And we’ll look at a few of the common challenges to the history of Christmas that aren’t as strong as our sceptical friends reckon.

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures.  Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. 

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

You might think the Chronicles of Narnia are just for kids. But scholars have discovered some amazing historical, literary, and theological keys in the stories that Lewis never talked about openly, and that bind the 7 stories together in a way only Lewis could have imagined.

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Check out Delores Morris' course Believing Philosophy. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. 

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The Byzantine capital, Constantinople, was famously fortified with an impenetrable three-wall network, which preserved it from foreign conquest for centuries. But the Byzantine Empire doesn’t have to be impenetrable to us, today. 

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Five Views on Christ in the Old Testament, edited by Brian J. Tabb and Andrew M. King. 

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.

Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Bully Pulpit by Michael J. Kruger.

How we think about time, the value we give to the three parts of time (past, present, and future) really matters. And our special guest reckons it’s part of what makes for the good life.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

We’re talking all things animals in this episode, starting with why God would create a world that seems to embed animal suffering into the fabric of things. And we’ll get to some practical questions too: do animals go to heaven? Is it OK to keep pets? And, should we all, actually, be vegetarian?

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Master Lecture series by Russ Ramsey, Rembrandt is in the Wind. Click here to get 50% off your first 3 months subscription with the code UNDECEPTIONS50.

Since their publication between 1950 and 1956, the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis have sold more than 100-million copies in 47 languages.

And despite their dated references and sometimes controversial worldviews, they continue to sell over a million copies a year.

They’ve also inspired theatre performances, radio plays, television series, and three major films that earned a healthy one and a half billion US dollars.

So it’s understandable that many people know of C.S. Lewis only as a fantastically successful children’s author, unaware that he is also the author of a huge collection of books commending and defending the Christian faith, Mere Christianity, Miracles, The Screwtape Letters, and so on.

Narnia is wonderful. But it’s a pity people don’t know more about the man, his career, and his famous town–all of which form the backdrop for the incredible fantasy world he created for millions of readers.

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Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

From John Dickson: While we’re working hard on our next Season of Undeceptions, I’ve asked the Rev Dr George Athas to have a chat to you about how we can be sure our old stuff - artefacts we’ve found from thousands of years ago - is actually old. George is Director of Research, Old Testament and Hebrew at Moore Theological College in Sydney. We spoke to him at length for our super popular episode called ‘Between Testaments’, so go check that out if you haven’t heard it already. It’s one of my favourites. George has done a huge amount of research on the Tel Dan Inscription, a fragmentary stele that dates to the 9th Century BC. It’s considered the most important - and controversial - inscription found in Israel in recent years. And George wrote the first book about it. So, over to him. 

One of the surprises when we turn the pages of the New Testament is how little the word “Christian” actually comes up. Given this is the book for Christians you’d expect it to be littered with the words “Christian” and “Christianity.” 

But the word “Christian” only comes three times, whereas the language of being “in Christ” comes up over 200 times. It’s pretty much everywhere.

The basic aim of ‘critical theory’ is to make visible the hidden structures of a culture, so as to critique society and then, in the best forms of critical theory, bring about improvements. Our guest today reckons the Bible has its own way of exposing the flaws of our culture–and, of course, pointing to the Good. The Bible, in other words, has a critical theory of its own.

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Five Views of Christ in the Old Testament, edited by Brian J. Tabb and Andrew M. King.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

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Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Online Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

It's our seasonal Q&A episode and there are actually quite a few curly questions about the future of the universe, heaven, as well as plenty of other questions about a bewildering range of topics, some of which push John to the edge of what he knows–perhaps beyond!
 
This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics for Everyone, Volume 1 - The Doctrine of the Word of God: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners and Pros, by Marty Folsom. 

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

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Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

It may just be that science is an imaginative, creative, and emotive enterprise, just as it is obviously a rational, mathematical, evidence-based discipline. Which, to John Dickson's mind - and that of our expert guest - makes perfect sense. After all, the Creator is an artist and logician in one!

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture by Christopher Watkin.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

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Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

We take a closer look at 15 words that are often misunderstood, or sometimes forgotten. And my guest today reckons these words communicate the heart and soul of the New Testament, of the Christian faith, of God himself.

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic’s new book Bright Hope for Tomorrow by Chris Davis.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode, we’re laying out the best arguments for and against legalising euthanasia and asking: What view of the human person should a good society embody in its laws?

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Seasons of Sorrow by Tim Challies.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 

Hosted by John Dickson

Produced by Kaley Payne 

Directed by Mark Hadley 

Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw

Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The death of religion was the conventional wisdom in the social sciences during most of the twentieth century. Turns out, they were wrong. Religion is not dead. It’s still here. Actually, it’s growing.

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets by John Goldingay.

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
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Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The period 500 to 1500 - the Middle Ages - was anything but dark. In fact, it was one of the most lively periods in world history. 

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book The Beauty Chasers by Timothy Willard.

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
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Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston
Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

Buddhism probably takes the prize today for World’s Most Lovable Religion. But is this widespread appreciation of Buddhism matched by widespread understanding?

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book 15 New Testament Words of Life by Nijay Gupta.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan’s new book Global Christianity: A Guide to the World’s Largest Religion from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe by Gina Zurlo.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
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Produced by Kaley Payne 
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Librarian: Siobhan McGuiness

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This episode was sponsored by Zondervan Academic's book Bully Pulpit by Michael J. Kruger.

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Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The song 'Christmas Time' was written by John's mate Ben Shaw, with some help from John himself. We recorded Ben’s beautiful guitar parts just 4 weeks before he died of cancer.   

Ben was on this podcast a couple of times in his last months, so we hope regular listeners think of him as their friend, too.

He died a year ago today, June 17. And we’re releasing the song in his memory – it was one of his last big wishes that we take this song, which he and John had performed many times over the years but had never recorded, and rework it with a full band and release it. That’s what we’ve done. 

You’ll hear the entire song at the end. In the meantime, we sat down with our long-time music producer Colin Benvenuto (and his guitar) and Ben’s wife Karen, a backing vocalist in the song, and we chatted about … well, Ben … and how the song came together. 

If you want to see a little more, we’ve produced a video montage for the song over at undeceptions.com/christmastime. 

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book The Beauty Chasers by Timothy Willard.

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Religious Freedom in a Secular Age by Michael F. Bird.

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Typology-Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns: How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ by James M. Hamilton Jr. 

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Malestrom: How Jesus Dismantles Patriarchy and Redefines Manhood by Carolyn Custis James

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book The Sexual Reformation by Aimee Byrd. 

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

We're launching our longboats on to the seas of myth and popular culture… and discovering over two in-depth episodes what we can actually say with some confidence about the Vikings - their origins, exploits, culture, religion and - perhaps the best-kept Viking secret - their eventual decision (and it was their decision!) to become Christians.

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Four Views of Heaven edited by Michael Wittmer.

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
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Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

What happens beyond death is one of those areas—like the idea of a Rapture prior to a Second Coming—where myths have crept into popular Christian thought which have little connection either with the Bible or with what the church has taught throughout the centuries.

The modern myth is: When Christians die, their bodies decay once and for all, while their spirits (whatever they are) go eternally into God’s presence in heaven. 

The Bible’s claim is: When Christians die, they rest safe in God’s presence, until they are bodily raised to life to enjoy forever a new creation.

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Recovering Our Sanity: How the Fear of God Conquers the Fears that Divide Us by Michael Horton.  

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Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The Joshua Tree National Park in California is a good starting place for Laurel Moffatt's reflection on our struggles to see the light.

The park is full of interesting characters as well as a compelling number of stars - most of which are invisible to the outside world. Because of the amount of artificial light we use each night, more than a third of people can no longer see the Milky Way.

But the brightness of the light in deep darkness can show us how faint, how small, how very weak and narrow our own attempts at lighting our own way are.

LINKS

• Paul Bogard, The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light.
• Emily Dickinson, “I saw no Way – The Heavens were stitched –” Fr633 (1863) J378
• Fabio Falchi, et al. “The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness”, Science Advances, 10 Jun 2016, Vol 2, Issue 6

WHAT IS SMALL WONDERS?

The clarity the desert brings. Hurricanes and hard relationships. Finding reason in the middle of a ruin. Small Wonders are quiet but profound observations about life from Dr Laurel Moffatt. In each fifteen-minute episode, Laurel uncovers lessons learned from broken and beautiful things that are polished to perfection and set in rich audio landscapes for your consideration.

Tim Keller is the founding pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the author of several New York times best-selling books.

It's also fair probably fair to say that he is something of a Christian prophet for our secularizing 21st century.

This is a chat with one of our world’s most trusted ‘undeceivers’. Whether you believe or doubt, we're sure what you’re about to hear will bring fresh clarity about the Christian faith in doubting times.

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book Good News of Our Limits by Sean McGever.

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.
Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This season, we’re launching Undeceptions Plus which offers exclusive bonus content to members - who we’re calling our ‘Undeceivers’. For a small monthly fee - just AU$5 a month - you can unlock uncut interviews, extra question and answer sessions, and peeks behind our creative process as we put the shows together. Don’t worry – all our regular episodes will remain free and available for everyone. But in becoming an Undeceiver, you’re really helping us to keep the show sustainable and thriving. We’d love to have you with us. It’s really easy, so head to undeceptions.com/plus for more.

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book Religious Freedom in a Secular Age by Michael F. Bird.

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.
Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi
Social Media by Sophie Hawkshaw
Administration by Lyndie Leviston

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey.

For the full show notes for this episode head to Undeceptions.com.

Greg Sheridan is one of Australia's most influential foreign affairs analysts, as well as an acclaimed author. In short, he's not afraid of sharing an opinion.

He and John Dickson take a stroll through his latest book, Christians: The urgent case for Jesus in our world, and take a close look at the key elements of the faith.

Greg bravely shares how he thinks the Christian faith makes perfect sense to the rational mind.

Undeceptions is proud to announce that the popular podcast, With All Due Respect, is joining the network as of today.

To mark the occasion hosts Megan Powell du Toit and Michael Jensen have crafted a single about the power of storytelling to transform lives.

You can find out more about their awesome show over at The WADR Project website.

It's our first season in the run down to Season 6 of Undeceptions, and John Dickson asks friend of the show Laurel Moffatt to share some uncommon wisdom earned from teaching her daughter music during the COVID lockdown.

Laurell tells us how listening to Bach's Goldberg Variations - the way they chop and change but still stay the same - has given her a new way of viewing life during a pandemic.

John Dickson's Bullies and Saints is a super-podcast providing excerpts of the book by the same name - a no-holds-barred look at the best and worst of church history.

In this final episode of the Bullies And Saints super-series, John Dickson reflects on Jesus' instruction to His disciples to look at the log in their own eyes before reflecting on others' shortcomings and asks whether this might equally apply to those outside the church

Click here to buy a copy of Bullies and Saints, or here to own the entire audiobook.

And for even more on the history of Christianity, and how well the church is mirroring the message that Jesus handed on, head over to the Undeceptions website.

John Dickson's Bullies and Saints is a super-podcast providing excerpts of the book by the same name - a no-holds-barred look at the best and worst of church history.

In this episode, John up-ends a four-hundred-year-old fallacy that has been promoted since the Enlightenment: the Christian faith is a brake on scientific and literary progress. The Dark Ages - were they really that dark?

Click here to buy a copy of Bullies and Saints, or here to own the entire audiobook.

And for even more on the history of Christianity, and how well the church is mirroring the message that Jesus handed on, head over to the Undeceptions website.

John Dickson's Bullies and Saints is a super-podcast providing excerpts of the book by the same name - a no-holds-barred look at the best and worst of church history.

In this edition, John Dickson introduces us to two characters that display all that’s been good and bad about the followers of Jesus - Ebolus the crossbowman and Bernard of Clairvaux.

Click here to buy a copy of Bullies and Saints, or here to own the entire audiobook.

And for even more on the history of Christianity, and how well the church is mirroring the message that Jesus handed on, head over to the Undeceptions website.

John Dickson's Bullies and Saints is a super-podcast providing excerpts of the book by the same name - a no-holds-barred look at the best and worst of church history.

In this edition, John investigates the accusation that Christianity is a faith that was propagated by the sword rather than peace. Are Christians guilty of their own jihad?

Click here to buy a copy of Bullies and Saints, or here to own the entire audiobook.

And for even more on the history of Christianity, and how well the church is mirroring the message that Jesus handed on, head over to the Undeceptions website.

John Dickson's Bullies and Saints is a super-podcast providing excerpts of the book by the same name - a no-holds-barred look at the best and worst of church history.

In this episode, John Dickson gives us an insight into the invention of charity, and just how revolutionary the Christian call to love one another proved for the ancient world.

Click here to buy a copy of Bullies and Saints, or here to own the entire audiobook.

And for even more on the history of Christianity, and how well the church is mirroring the message that Jesus handed on, head over to the Undeceptions website.

John Dickson's Bullies and Saints is a super-podcast providing excerpts of the book by the same name - a no-holds-barred look at the best and worst of church history.

In this edition, John uncovers the character of the earliest Christians, how it contrasted with the world around them, and how ‘in tune’ it was with the beautiful melody that Jesus set them to sing.

Click here to buy a copy of Bullies and Saints, or here to own the entire audiobook.

And for even more on the history of Christianity, and how well the church is mirroring the message that Jesus handed on, head over to the Undeceptions website.

John Dickson's Bullies and Saints is a super-podcast providing excerpts of the book by the same name - a no-holds-barred look at the best and worst of church history.

In this episode, John Dickson takes us to the Crusades and introduces one of the most infamous crusaders of all: Peter the Hermit, a fire and brimstone Christian if ever there was one.

Click here to buy a copy of Bullies and Saints, or here to own the entire audiobook.

And for even more on the history of Christianity, and how well the church is mirroring the message that Jesus handed on, head over to the Undeceptions website.

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book Ethics Beyond Rules, by Keith D Stanglin.

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.
Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram
Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2021

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book ‘Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth’ by Thaddeus J Williams.

Visit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.
Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram
Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2021

Dr. Chris Forbes brings his expertise in the Greco-Roman world to bear on why historians believe the story of the three magi and the star over a stable might actually be based in fact.

Join John Dickson as these two historical boffins discuss astrological formations, ancient king-makers and a reasonable explanation for an interstellar night light in Bethlehem.

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Urban Apologetics by Eric Mason.

Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.
Follow the show on Twitter and Instagram
Email the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected]

Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.
Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. 
Hosted by John Dickson
Produced by Kaley Payne 
Directed by Mark Hadley 
Audio Editing by Richard Hamwi

Copyright Undeceptions Ltd 2021

The cliche is: ‘faith’ is the antithesis of knowledge … of wisdom. 

And therefore “Christian philosophy” is an oxymoron, right?

Our guests today, though are professional philosophers and they reckon that, while Christians could do with a healthy dose of philosophy, so could sceptics. We all need to think deeply about what we believe, and why we believe it.

And if you think – as atheists like Sam Harris and many others do – that scepticism or atheism doesn’t involve any mere ‘beliefs’, well, you probably especially need to think this stuff through. 

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan’s 10th Anniversary edition of Seven Days that Divide the World by John Lennox.

For the full show notes, go to undeceptions.com.

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Believing Philosophy by Dolores G. Morris.

OUR GUESTS

Douglas J. Moo is a New Testament scholar who, after teaching for more than twenty years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois, has served as Blanchard Professor of New Testament at the Wheaton College Graduate School since 2000. His latest book is A Theology of Paul and His Letters.
 
Lynn H. Cohick is an American New Testament scholar and author. Since January 2021 she has been Provost, Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary.

For the full (and often rather extensive) show notes, head to Undeceptions.com.

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Person of Interest: Why Jesus still matters in a world that rejects the Bible by J. Warner Wallace.

Meet Our Guests

• Nigel Biggar: Regius Professor of Moral & Pastoral Theology, and Director of the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, & Public Life, University of Oxford.
• Andrew Hastie: Australian Federal Member for Canning and Assistant Minister for Defence. Former Officer, Australian Defence Force.
• Mike Bird was one of our 'phone a friend' guests for this episode. He wrote The Story of God commentary for the Book of Romans for Zondervan and is a lecturer at Ridley College.
• Jarrod McKenna was another of our lovely 'phone a friend' guests for this episode. He is an advocate for non-violence direct action.

For our full show notes and links to everything we mention in this episode, go to undeceptions.com.

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Why is there suffering? by Bethany Sollereder.

Download the transcript for this episode here.

Meet our Guest
The Rev Dr George Athas

George is Director of Research and Lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew at Moore Theological College in Sydney.

Featured Music
Michael Levyis a composer for the lyre. His music is a blend of some original ancient melodies and some of his own creations. His arrangements for solo lyre are based on reconstructions of some of the incredibly rare, actual surviving written music of antiquity. We played two of these reconstructions in our episode, with permission: Ma Tovu and Kandel's Hora. You can find out more about Michael's work, and listen to more of his music at ancientlyre.com.

Yamma Ensemble is an Israeli world music group who have a beautiful love of the Hebrew language and ancient instruments. We played parts of their live recordings of Psalm 104 (see below) and also a track featuring the ancient Shofar, based on the Mi'mekomcha, a Jewish prayer. All music used with permission.

For our full show notes and links to everything we mention in this episode, go to undeceptions.com.

Some would say that an ancient faith like Christianity won’t survive outer space -- especially as we explore further than we ever have before. 

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book 'The Theology of Paul and His Letters' by Douglas J Moo.
 
For the full show notes, with links to everything we mention in this episode, go to undeceptions.com.

Download the transcript for this episode here.

COMPETITION!
We’re celebrating our 500,000th download this month - half a million! And so, with the help of our major sponsor, Zondervan, we are giving away a book pack of five of Zondervan’s newest titles. We’ll throw in a copy of my new book Bullies and Saints AND an Undeceptions T-Shirt.

To WIN, all you have to do is leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (what used to be called iTunes), take a pic of the review and send it to us. Producer Kaley will pick the best-written review on October 25 (and I mean ‘best-written’ not necessarily most glowing). So be quick, you’ve got two weeks! 

LINKS

• Meet our guests: 
  • Sam Allberry, author and pastor.
  • Ronald Sharp, author of Norton Book of Friendship
• Read Sam Allberry's book Seven Myths about Singleness and find his other books here.
• Here are the links to all the studies we referenced in this episode: 
  • • • Death of a close friend: Short and long-term impacts on physical, psychological and social well-being, PLoS ONE
      • Friendship enriches your life and improves your health: Mayo Clinic
      • The State of American Friendship, 2021 American Perspectives Survey
• More on Plutarch.
• Read the Tu Fu poem, To Wei Pa, A Retired Scholar, translated by Kenneth Rexroth
• Learn more about the Book of Proverbs, and read it for yourself.
• Read more about the debate over anti-semitism in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, in this article from the Smithsonian Magazine.
• Read about David and Jonathan's close friendship from the book of 1 Samuel.
• Read more about Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep from Ancient Egypt in this New York Times article.
• Further Evidence that Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were Twins, Journal of Ancient Archaeology
• Learn more about the friendship between King Richard I and King Philip II.
• Here's The Guardian's article about whether Jesus was gay. 
• Read Ronald Sharp's article, Mateship, Friendship and National Identity for the Australian Book Review.
• Never seen Crocodile Dundee? It's probably about time...
• Learn more about CS Lewis' 'four loves'.
• Listen to previous episodes of Undeceptions with John and his best mate, Ben Shaw (who died in June 2021 after a battle with cancer).

Download the transcript for this episode here.

COMPETITION!
We’re celebrating our 500,000th download this month - half a million! And so, with the help of our major sponsor, Zondervan, we are giving away a book pack of five of Zondervan’s newest titles. We’ll throw in a copy of my new book Bullies and Saints AND an Undeceptions T-Shirt.

To WIN, all you have to do is leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (what used to be called iTunes), take a pic of the review and send it to us. Producer Kaley will pick the best-written review on October 25 (and I mean ‘best-written’ not necessarily most glowing). So be quick, you’ve got two weeks! 

LINKS

• Get to know our guest, Professor Xi Lian. 
• Read Professor Lian's book, Blood Letters: The untold story of Lin Zhao, a martyr in Mao's China.
• You might also like to seek out Professor Lian's other relevant books Redeemed by Fire: The rise of popular Christianity in modern China and also The Conversion of Missionaries: Liberalism in American Protestant Missions in China, 1907–1932.
• Meet our other guest I'Ching Thomas. 
• Read I'Ching Thomas' book, Jesus The Path to Human Flourishing : The Gospel for the Cultural Chinese
• Read more about Daoism (or Taoism).
• Get a broader background on Chinese religion from National Geographic. 
• More on the All Souls celebrations around China.
• Dig deeper into the idea of 'Actionless Action' or 'Wu Wei' here.
• Read the Analects of Confucius.
• Find out more about Christianity in communist China in this article from The Gospel Coalition.
• Winfried Corduan's book Neighbouring  Faiths is referenced by I'Ching Thomas about polytheism vs monotheism (amongst other things).
• Read more about Christianity in China from this article from 2020 in The Economist. 
• And this from Time about the imprisonment of a pastor Wang Yi (who led one of China's most well-known underground churches).
• Here's more about the 'sinicization of religion' in China from the Lausanne Movement.
• Read this article from the New York Times about China's 12 core socialist values.
• Christianity's growth in China is hard to predict, but Professor Fenggang Yang from Purdue University has given it a crack, estimating that China will become the largest Christian country in the world by 2030.

COMPETITION!

We’re celebrating our 500,000th download this month - half a million! And so, with the help of our major sponsor, Zondervan, we are giving away a book pack of five of Zondervan’s newest titles. We’ll throw in a copy of my new book Bullies and Saints AND an Undeceptions T-Shirt. 

To WIN, all you have to do is leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (what used to be called iTunes), take a pic of the review and send it to Producer Kaley at [email protected]. We'll pick the best-written review on October 25 (and I mean ‘best-written’ not necessarily most glowing). So be quick, you’ve got two weeks! 

LINKS

• Read the CNN report about the happiest country in the world for 2021.
• Watch the full report from VICE News on whether Finland is actually  that happy. This one's from 2019 - Finland has been the happiest country in the world for four years running.
• Read a little more from 20th Century philosopher Bertrand Russell on the conquest of happiness from Brain Pickings (one of those websites you'll get lost in ... see you next Tuesday).
• Meet our guest, Miroslav Volf.
  • Read more about one his courses at Yale, 'Christ and the Good Life' here.
  • And check out the centre he helped set up, the Yale Centre of Faith and Culture
• Watch this video chat between Volf and his teacher, Jürgen Moltmann (who John calls "one of the great theologians of the 20th Century)
• Read Flourishing by Miroslav Volf.
• Read this New York Times article, 'The other side of languishing is flourishing. Here's how to get there.'
• Languishing, by the way, is the emotion that the NYT reckons may just be the dominant emotion of 2021. Good thing you've listened to this episode, then.
• If you want to read more about Asceticism, go here.
• Other Undeceptions episodes mentioned in this ep are: 
  • Everyday Sacred (Ep 47), where we talk to Andrew Wilson and Tish Harrison Warren about finding God in "stuff". 
  • Guilty Conscience  (Ep 39), where we speak to Tyler VanderWeele towards the end about the health benefits of forgiveness.
  • Mental Health (Ep 38), where we speak to Tyler VanderWeele on the impact of religious communities on mental health.
  • Social Capital (Ep 5), where we to Andrew Leigh about the benefits of religious communities not just on individuals but society more generally.
• More on Francis of Assisi here. Or read his writings for yourself, here.
• The Michel Onfray quote, "Religions' glorification of a fictional beyond prevents full enjoyment of the real here below. They establish death on earth for the sake of eternity in heaven and seek to promote self hatred to the detriment of the body" is from The Atheist Manifesto. 
• More on Dionysus, here.
• Meet our next guest, Tyler VanderWeele.
  • Tyler heads up Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program.
  • His latest book was published in 2021, called Measuring Well-Being
  • You can find most of Tyler's research on religion, health and flourishing here.
• For an introduction on Aristotle, the Oxford Very Short Introduction series is good.
• Read (or re-read) Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.

Author and highly sought-after speaker Sam Allberry talks us through 'intersectionality' and ponders the wisdom and boundaries of this way of bestowing moral authority.

"Just as those who stand at an intersection can see in more directions than those who don't, so too - according to this thinking - those at the intersection of multiple minority and victim groups have more insight to bring to society." 

Today is the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a series of coordinated terrorist strikes in the US that killed almost 3000 people and changed the world forever.  

Our guest for this single, Hans Kunnen, was one of several Australians in New York that day and has told his story many times over the last 20 years. But what struck us about his story was not how close he was to the action, or how he described the flames, the smoke, the hurtling bodies.

It is how he talks about the kindness of a stranger - the hope amidst the chaos of what was the most traumatic day of his life.

On the anniversary of the France's Reign of Terror, John asks where we got the idea that three centuries of the Spanish Inquisition represented the height of human cruelty.

In any objective history of human violence it would hardly rate a mention, especially when it stands alongside the terrors of the French Revolution.

** We’re talking about abortion in this episode, and occasionally we mention sexual abuse and violence. Nothing graphic, we promise. But some listeners may find what follows distressing. Be safe. **

We're weighing up the arguments of the Pro Choice and Pro Life movements. Perhaps we can convince you that the case against abortion - the pro-life case - isn’t as dumb and mean as it's often portrayed to be, and nor does it depend on religious dogma.

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book The Global Church: The First Eight Centuries by Donald Fairbairn.

LINKS

• Read Judith Jarvis Johnson's groundbreaking article about abortion, where she offered the violinist thought experiment as a way to illustrate bodily autonomy: A Defense of Abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 1, No. 1. (Autumn, 1971), pp 47-66. 
• Get to know our guest, Professor Margaret Somerville.
  • Read Somerville's book that first introduced her to John, The Ethical Canary: Science, Society, and the Human Spirit
• Say hi to our guest, Dr Emma Wood.
• Here's some more info on Professor Michael Tooley, Emma mentions as we speak with her. He wrote a very influential book called Abortion and Infanticide in the 1980s, where he argues that an entity can't possess a right to life unless it has the capacity to desire its continued existence. 
• Here's the article called 'Reasons why women have induced abortions: a synthesis of findings from 14 countries', published in the journal, Contraception, in 2017.
• And here are the statistics on numbers of abortions worldwide, from the Guttmacher Institute
• Here's some more on Professor Peter Singer's argument in favour of abortion:
  "When a woman has an abortion, the fetus is alive, and it is undoubtedly human – in the sense that it is a member of the species homo sapiens. It isn't a dog or a chimpanzee ... But mere membership of our species doesn't settle the moral issue of whether it is wrong to end a life. As long as the abortion is carried out at less than 20 weeks of gestation – as almost all abortions are – the brain of the fetus has not developed to the point of making consciousness possible." He goes on: "Admittedly, birth is in some ways an arbitrary place to draw the line at which killing the developing human life ceases to be permissible, and instead becomes murder ... A prematurely born infant may be less developed than a late-term fetus. But the criminal law needs clear dividing lines and, in normal circumstances, birth is the best we have."
• Here's Don Marquis' article that we spend a lot of time on in the second half of this episode: "Why Abortion is Immoral", in the Journal of Philosophy vol.86, no.4 (April 1989), pages 183-202: "The claim that the primary wrong-making feature of a killing is the loss to the victim of the value of its future has obvious consequences for the ethics of abortion. The future of a standard fetus includes a set of experiences, projects, activities, and such which are identical with the futures of adult human beings and are identical with the futures of young children. Since the reason that is sufficient to explain why it is wrong to kill human beings after the time of birth is a reason that also applies to fetuses, it follows that abortion is prima facie seriously morally wrong."
• Here's a link to the full New York Times podcast 'The Argument' episode called 'Why the Anti-Abortion Side Will Lose, Even if it Wins' (if you don't have a NYT subscription, just look it up on your podcast app - it was published on April 14, 2021. 
• Watch Paxton Smith's speech from her Texas high school graduation here.
• Read this article in The Economist called 'Texas's new proposal shows why abortion law is a mess in America', re: the so-called Texan "heartbeat bill". 
• Here's more on the Mississippi case that will come before the Supreme Court and challenge Roe v Wade, from the New York Times.
• Producer Kaley found this article really interesting while researching this episode: The epic political battle over the legacy of the suffragettes, in The Atlantic which explores why both sides of the abortion debate see themselves as inheritors of the early women's movement. 
• Read the paper by economists Janet L Yellen and George Akerlof called 'An analysis of out-of-wedlock childbearing in the United States', Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 1996, which carried this quote (among lots of other interesting insights): “By making the birth of the child the physical choice of the mother, the sexual revolution has made marriage and child support a social choice of the father.”

It's this season's Q&A episode, where listeners get a chance to ask John Dickson their burning questions. 

This episode is sponsored by Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible by Michael F Bird, a new book published by Zondervan.

QUESTIONS

1. Is all “music” at its best good or beautiful and at worst simply neutral; or can some “music” be “bad”, “evil” or “ungodly”? (Check out our two episodes on music from Season 3: Creation's Music and Discordant Religion).

2. Are there dangers in pop music we might steer our children away from for example? 

3. Regarding the 7 Deadly Sins: what's their origin and their accuracy in terms of Jesus' teaching and Christian living? 

4. If I have a conversation with a person who is sceptical of Christianity about the issue of race, I know they're going to bring up times when God ordered the wiping out of a city or a whole race (like when Israel wiped out the Amalekites in the book of 1 Samuel) as evidence that the Bible is racist. What should I say? (Check out our last episode of Season 3, Racist Church)

5. Why were the Jews God's chosen people? According to a lot of Christian principles (at least the ones I was brought up with) people who were alive before Jesus but didn't know the Hebrew god would go to Hell for not knowing him. So, why did God choose the Jews? Why condemn the people who lived at the same time, but in other parts of the world i.e the Australian Indigenous peoples?

6. A listener comment that we made into a question: I thought that you gave the Black Lives Matter organisation a very soft run in this podcast. It is not anywhere close to a Christ-centred organisation. Their website, until recently, noted that they were seeking to “disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement” and “foster a queer affirming network” and “do the work to dismantle cisgender privilege”. Did you go too soft on this whole ‘Black Lives Matter’ thing on the Racist Church episode?
    
7. Andrew says he listened to that version of ‘Little Things’ by Ziggy Ramo and Paul Kelly, which tells the tragic story that Australia’s colonisation starts with the Pope’s ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ in 1493, which Captain Cook later used to claim Australia as ‘Terra Nullius’ - nobody’s land. He says he’s looked into the doctrine of discovery and it’s just terrible. Why did the church make such a decree?
    
8. What do you think about the idea of machines being “persons.” (Check out our two episodes on artificial intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Homo Deus)

9. There seems to be a slew of so-called prophets coming out of the woodwork in the USA prophesying all sorts of messages especially about the political scene. What does the Bible say about this?

10. How does one explain the Egyptian culture and the God's that they believed in and the afterlife they believed in? Was there any part of the God that we worship today? Was he the same god then? 

11. Could the God of the Jews be the God of other faiths? Could other Faiths be just interpreting the same God in different ways? I've heard stories of other cultures around the world who hadn't been exposed to Christianity having similar principles and creation stories to that of the Bible. Could God have been revealing himself to them?

12. I was listening recently to a podcast 'People I Mostly Admire' hosted by Freakonomics author Steven Levitt interviewing Magician Joshua Jay. They speculate whether Jesus' miracles were simply tricks and they claim tricksters at the time were doing exactly the same thing, obviously inferring Jesus was just kind of a trickster. I have never heard this suggestion before and I wondered if you could fact check it based on your study of Jesus' times. 

13. Did the 100 Pages episode mention the talking donkey? How do you tackle weird and wacky thing in the Bible?

14. At the end of the Gospel of Mark, Mark describes how the women went away and said nothing to anyone. But other gospels say they went away and told people. What can we say about this contradiction in the Bible? (Check out our episode Bible Mistakes for more)

15. The podcast often proudly cites non-believing references. I value this approach but is there a weight behind all these people who know scripture so well but don't believe? 

Just when you imagine Christians are all so heavenly minded they’re of no earthly use … the Bible itself brings us back to the earth. That’s where the action is. In fact, the final great scene of the Bible doesn’t have us all floating up to heaven. It has heaven coming down to earth. 

Down … to … earth. There’s a lot in that phrase. 

As far as religions go, Christianity is arguably the most down-to-earth perspective you could imagine. 

LINKS

• Winnie The Pooh loves honey in the books and every movie he's in, but particularly the 2011 version we quoted from. 
• This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book, Becoming All Things by Michelle Ami Reyes
• Meet our guests for this episode:
  • Andrew Wilson, London pastor and author of a new book called God Of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World
  • Tish Harrison Warren, Anglican priest and author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life
• Read Psalm 19, which begins "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." 
• Read more about CS Lewis' "supposals" ... and check out The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe while you're at it. 
• Watch the heartwarming Old People's Home for Four Year Olds. This one's the Australian version. 
• Or, for a similar feeling, watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV. John Dickson called it "the best show since The West Wing" ... and that's high praise!
• Read more from James K.A. Smith on cultural liturgies.
• Read more about CS Lewis' conversion to Christianity.
• More reading, this time on Wendell Berry from the New Yorker.

The parting of the red sea is legendary today … and most people treat it as just that … legend.

Like many things in the Bible, the exodus from Egypt (recorded in the book Old Testament book of Exodus) is looked on with great scepticism by secular scholars - and some Christian scholars even.

It’s understandable. 

The existence of Moses, mighty prophet and prince of Egypt. The ten plagues that devastated that ancient civilisation. The blood of the passover lamb protecting the houses of Israel from the plagues. And, of course, the deliverance of the people of Israel en mass from the slavery in Egypt.

They all lack direct historical evidence outside the Bible. 

So it’s just made up, right? 

Well, sort of … not really! 

LINKS

• This episode is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book ‘God of All Things’ by Andrew Wilson.
• Meet our guest, James Hoffmeier, Professor of Old Testament and Near Eastern Archaeology at Trinity International University, Divinity School (Deerfield, IL).
• Check out the new book Five Views on the Exodus: Historicity, Chronology and Theological Implications, which showcases (as it says on the packet) five different views on the Exodus, including Hoffmeier's. 
• Read Rick Watt's "gamechanger" book, Isaiah's New Exodus in Mark (the super expensive, textbook like one!) 
• Connect the dots between The Exodus and the Gospels with John Dickon's A Doubter's Guide to Jesus. 

LISTEN

• Bonus Five Minute Jesus for this episode, listen here.

We all know Christianity thrives on ignorance, sunk us all into the dark ages, and has resisted human rights and equality for most of its 1500 year reign.

What have the Christians ever done for us?

Our guest today - who says he’s not a believing Christian - reckons many of us have things completely back to front. It’s Christianity, he insists, that gave us many of the secular humanitarian ideals we hold so dear.

LINKS

• This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Person of Interest: Why Jesus still matters in a world that rejects the Bible by J Warner Wallace 
• Meet our guest, Tom Holland
• Read Holland's latest book, Dominion: The making of the Western Mind
• Or check out his YouTube channel, where you can watch one of the documentaries he made with the BBC on Islam 
• Here's a 5 minute primer on stoicism from Ted-Ed. Want more? Here's a good place to start to learn more about Stoicism.
• Watch the trailer for HBO's award-winning series, Rome. Be warned... it's brutal. 
• More on the Pax Romana ("Roman peace") 
• Watch this segment from the Centre For Public Christianity's documentary, For the Love of God, on the origins of western healthcare.
• Here is Stephen Greenblatt's book The Swerve from 2012, which offers a contrary argument about Christianity's influence on the world. Full disclosure: Tom Holland, while an admirer of Greenblatt's work on Shakespeare, thinks The Swerve is by far his worst book. 
• So ... the Dark Ages? Not so dark. We'll undoubtedly do a whole episode on that soon enough, but in the meantime, John Dickson's new book Bullies and Saints has a bit to say about it too. 

John Dickson is taking a bit of a break to grieve the passing of his friend, Ben Shaw. So, in the interim, Producer Kaley and Director Mark have decided to choose their favourite Undeceptions episodes to drop into your podcast feed for two weeks. 

Week number two is brought to you by Director Mark. He has chosen to re-share the Remembering Women episode. John visits Dr. Lynne Cohick to chat about how early Christians valued and celebrated women in the first centuries of the church. 

Director Mark recommends it because unveils a side of feminine history he'd missed, gets us outdoors again in the middle of an Australian lockdown, and includes a whole gamut of contributions, including Producer Kaley's favourite music.

John Dickson is taking a bit of a break to grieve the passing of his friend, Ben Shaw. So, in the interim, Producer Kaley and Director Mark have decided to choose their favourite Undeceptions episodes to drop into your podcast feed in the next two weeks. 

Producer Kaley's favourite is the very first episode of Undeceptions, called ‘Old Papers’. It harks back to a time when we were allowed to travel overseas, and John visited the University of Michigan’s Papyrology department to get his hands on some of the earliest manuscripts we have for the New Testament. 

Producer Kaley reckons it’s what Undeceptions does best: it’s historical, it’s hands-on and it laid the groundwork for what this podcast wants to sound like - friendly and factual, with a little nerdy excitement thrown in. 

Ben Shaw and John Dickson were friends since childhood, became Christians together in their teens, formed a rock and roll band in their 20s, and went on to study theology and minister in the fields God opened up to them.

The death of Ben Shaw has provided John with an opportunity to reflect on the sort of book his best friend felt was worth using his last months to write, and the spiritual lessons he has learned from decades of standing beside him.

John Dickson invites solicitor and social commentator Stephanie Kate Judd to offer an opinion on the sexism that simultaneously abuses and silences women. 

Outrage, she says, is an appropriate response to significant wrongdoing, but unchecked rage can corrode the very hearts that feel that injustice most keenly.

Instead, Stephanie suggests a way in which we can confront a problem but still keep our anger healthy.

Jesus was once a teenage boy, right? Was he a rascal? Who did he hang out with? Was he considered the ancient equivalent of a jock, a cool kid, a nerd, or something else?

And how on earth did he get through the normal teenage years of angst and still be … the perfect incarnation of God?

There’s a bit of speculation about teenage Jesus. And we promise to cover all the evidence for it in this episode.

LINKS 

• This episode is brought to you by Zondervan's new Bible commentary on the Gospel of Mark
• More about 10 Things I Hate About You, which you heard at the beginning of this episode.
• Check out the Infancy of Thomas, an apocryphal document that purports to narrate episodes from Jesus’ youth from the age of five up until his twelfth year.
• Get to know our guest, Dr Chris Forbes.
• Listen to Canon Fodder, from Season 3 of Undeceptions, which also features Dr Forbes. It's all about how the Bible was put together and why which books were chosen as scripture and some books weren't. 
• Here's that TedTalk on raising rebels. Good luck to listeners attempting to do so! 
• The Lost Years of Jesus documentary.
• The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ by Nicolas Notovitch (Yeah, we're not suggesting your rush out and get this one!) 
• Here's a travel diary to follow if you want to try to "walk in the steps of Jesus" in Nepal, even if he didn't actually go there! Articles like these just keep popping up. 
• Check out this talk that John Dickson gave on the difference between the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of Buddhism or Hinduism. 
• Here's the one passage in the gospels that talks about Jesus as a teen... Luke 2:42-51.
• More on David Flusser, the great Jewish Professor of History and Religion from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

For every voice decrying the evils of pornography, there’s another that says it’s healthy, part of our freedom of expression, “sex positive”! So, which is it? 

LINKS

• This epidoe of Undeceptions is brought to you by Zondervan’s new commentary on the book of Exodus by Christopher Wright.
• Meet our guest, Melinda Tankard Reist, and find out more about the Collective Shout Movement that she founded.
• Meet our other guests, Professor William Struthers and Simon Camilleri
• Read more on the protest of the 70,000 Korean women who held banners shouting 'My life is not your porn' in 2018 after a spike in the number of spycams found in female bathrooms. 
• Read the New York Times explosive investigative report 'The Children of Pornhub', published in December 2020.
• In response to the NYT report, Mastercard and Visa withdrew their cooperation with Pornhub later that month. 
• Read Melinda Tankard Reist's book, Big Porn Inc: Exposing the Harms of the Global Porn Industry
• Here's the research John Dickson lists off in this episode on pornography: 
  • A study by the Australian Research Centre in Sex Health and Society said it found that pornography enabled sexual confidence and positive community formation, especially for LGBTIQ+ people.
  • A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that the sex lives of 18 million men over age 20 were negatively affected due to excessive porn viewing.
  • A recent study by the Kinsey Institute showed that people who use technology for sexting or webcamming gained a sense of emotional connection as well as sexual gratification from this contact.
  • In a study conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, researchers discovered a significant association between reported pornography hours per week and gray matter volume in the human brain, and a drop in reactivity to sexual cues.
  • A study published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour looking at Norwegian use of pornography found that couples who use pornography together tended to enjoy a more permissive erotic climate. But where only one person in the couple did, men who used porn were likely to experience problems with arousal, and women who used porn were likely to have increased negative self perception. 
• In February 2021 in Australia, a former Sydney schoolgirl launched a petition calling for ‘sexual consent education’ to be taught much earlier in schools.
• In this opinion piece, a high school teacher argues that 'Hardcore porn is to blame for disturbing teenage sex culture'
• This 'TraffickingHub' online petition to shutdown Pornhub has over 2 million signatures.
• Here's a [safe] link with more information on Pornhub's traffic numbers.
• Sexual health research stresses the ‘bonding hormones’ released with sexual encounters. Check out this with Australian sex researcher, Dr Patricia Weerakoon on this subject. 
• C. S. Lewis, the great Oxford literary don and public advocate of Christianity, once defended the biblical approach to sex against the call in his day (the 1940s) for more sexual ‘freedom’. His insights are as relevant today as then:

I know some muddleheaded Christians have talked as if Christianity thought that sex, or the body, or pleasure, were bad in themselves. But they were wrong. Christianity is almost the only one of the great religions which thoroughly approves of the body—which believes that matter is good, that God himself once took on a human body, that some kind of body is going to be given to us even in heaven and is going to be an essential part of our happiness, our beauty and our energy. 

Christianity has glorified marriage more than any other religion: and nearly all the greatest love poetry in the world has been produced by Christians. If anyone says that sex, in itself, is bad, Christianity contradicts him at once … There is nothing to be ashamed of in enjoying your food: there would be everything to be ashamed of if half the world made food the main interest of their lives and spent their time looking at pictures of food and dribbling and smacking their lips. 

I do not say that you and I are individually responsible for the present situation. Our ancestors have handed over to us organisms which are warped in this respect: and we grow up surrounded by propaganda in favour of unchastity. There are people who want to keep our sex instinct inflamed in order to make money out of us. Because, of course, a man with an obsession is a man who has very little sales-resistance. God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. HarperCollins, 1997, 81-82)

This is the second part of our two-part series on the Crusades. For Part One, click here.

A brutal slaughter at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem marked the end of the first crusade. The Crusaders had recaptured Jerusalem and the Holy Lands. They had regained control and care of The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, probably medieval Christianity’s most sacred site, built over what was believed to be Jesus’ empty tomb. 

Their job was done and most of the crusaders packed up and went home, bolstered in their belief that God had been with them and seized their victory. Job done! 

So, why the need for a 2nd Crusade? Or a 3rd, 4th or 5th for that matter? 

LINKS 

• This episode is brought to you by Zondervan's new book Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History by John Dickson. There's plenty more on the Crusades that we couldn't fit into this episode.
• Meet our distinguished guest, Professor Christopher Tyerman and check out his magnum opus, God's War: A New History of the Crusades. 
• Here's more on that terrible movie, King Richard and His Crusaders from 1954. 
• The 50 Worst Films of All Time, according to Wikipedia.
• Learn more about Saladin, the most famous of Muslim warriors.
• Meet Francis of Assisi, one of the most charismatic and influential clerics of the Middle Ages.
• Here's some more on Rabbi Hillel, who John quotes from in this episode's Five Minute Jesus.
• John quotes extensively from David Flusser's book The Sage of Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus' Genius, also in this episode's Five Minute Jesus.
• Watch President George W Bush's full remarks from 16 September 2001, where he said of the 9/11 terrorist attacks: "This is a new kind of  -- a new kind of evil.  And we understand.  And the American people are beginning to understand. This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while." 
• Here's the Wall Street Journal article, 'Crusade reference reinforces fears this war on terrorism is against Muslims'
• Read up on the Ottoman Empire here.
• The Crusader City - Caesarea - and its archaelogical ruins make for an interesting travel destination, according to The Washington Post. 
• Just one example of the Crusades misinterpreted history: 'The New Zealand massacre and the weaponisation of history'from Al Jazeera.

This is the first of a two part episode on The Crusades.
 

Over nine hundred years after the launch of the first Crusade, world leaders are still invoking their memory to explain ongoing conflict. But how plausible is that?

Chances are, whether you're a Christian or a skeptic, what you think you know about the Crusades is wrong. Or so says our guest for this episode.

What were the Crusades? How did they start? What did they achieve? Why did they stop? 

And does their shadow really fall over modern tensions between the West and Muslim lands?

LINKS

• Get John Dickson's new book Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History, published by our sponsor Zondervan. It's got a heap more on the Crusades than we could fit into this episode.
• Meet our distinguished guest, Professor Christopher Tyerman. 
• Check out Tyerman's magnum opus, God's War: A New History of the Crusades. He has a written a bunch more, too. 
• Watch the full news segment from France 24 about the Charlie Hebdo caricatures that enraged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Listen to this fascinating episode of The New York Times podcast The Daily, all about the killing of French teacher Samuel Paty and the raging debate in France over the relationship between government and religion - primarily the idea of Laïcité - the constitutional principle of secularism in France. 
• Listen to the Undeceptions Single all about 'The Troubles' of Northern Ireland. 
• Here are the Old Testament references where God commands violence:
  • In 1 Samuel, when God commands Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites. 
    • Read this article from The Gospel Coalition writer and blogger Steve McAlpine, Indefensible? Saul and the Amalekite Genocide
  • In the book of Joshua, God ordains a holy war against the Canaanites.
    • And then check out this article 'But, what about Canaan?' quoting John Dickson giving an explanation about what in the world is God doing in the Book of Joshua with the Canaanites.
    • You might also like to check out this explanation, Why did God demand the invasion of Canaan in the Book of Joshua? by The Bible Project.
• Check out Saint Augustine's City of God for more on his broad principles of just war. 
• Read Pope Urban II's full speech at the Council of Clermont in 1095, where he officially called for the First Crusade.
• Here's more on Ridley Scott's 2005 film, Kingdom of Heaven. 

LINKS

• Get to know our guest Professor Robert Wilken
• This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book, The Problem of Jesus by Mark Clark
• Read Robert Wilken's latest book Liberty in the Things of God: The Christian Origins of Religious Freedom
• More on the Edict of Milan, in which Constantine declared: “Freedom and full liberty has been granted in accordance with the peace of our times to exercise free choice in worshipping as each one has seen fit. This has been done by us so that nothing may seem to be taken away from anyone’s honour or from any religion whatsoever.”
• More on Roger Williams
• Find out more about Thomas Jefferson and religious freedom.
• Our 'Phone a Friend' guest this episode was Tim Wilson, an Australian Liberal MP and former Human Rights Commissioner. Watch a talk Tim gave on religious freedom to the Centre For Independent Studies here.

Guilt is a big topic - there is so much to say. Like the feeling of guilt itself, it is layered. 

We deal with guilt on an individual level and on a societal one. 

“Guilt is a religious problem which interests theologians, a social problem which interests sociologists and a psychological problem which interests psychologists,” wrote psychotherapist and theologian, Paul Tournier, in his book Guilt and Grace. 

People sometimes speak of  ‘religious guilt’ or ‘Catholic guilt’ and it’s almost always used negatively. The assumption is that if you are religious, you are dealing with much more guilt than the regular person, and certainly more than is healthy!

But maybe guilt is actually good? 

And maybe religion - Christianity in particular - is the maestro of listening to, directing, and silencing the guilt we experience in our lives. 

LINKS

• About that record... the first was already dead: angler -- read more about Clive White's trout confession.
• This episode is brought to you by Zondervan's new book Bullies and Saints: An honest look at the good and evil of Christian history by John Dickson. 
• Meet our guest, Dr Rob Waller. 
• Meet our guest, Professor Wilfred McClay
• Here's Rob's book, The Guilt Book 
• Here's Bill's essay from The Hedgehog Review, The Strange Persistence of Guilt (behind a paywall, sorry!)
• The scene from Daredevil on Netflix was from Season 2, Episode 4. Though, we're not really saying you should watch it. 
• This one's specifically for John, actually: More on 30 Rock, the American satirical comedy created by Tina Fey. (PS. It won 16 Emmy awards and is regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time).
• Here's the atheist bus campaign that Bill talks about.
• You can learn more about Neitzsche's theory on the genealogy of guilt here.
• Here's Sigmund Freud's Civilisation and its Discontents, where he declared guilt to be “the most important problem in the development of civilization.” He said “the price we pay for our advance in civilization is a loss of happiness through the heightening of the sense of guilt.”
• Here we are again, with a link for the Netflix series The Good Place. (So great that we keep quoting it. Dear John, you should definitely keep watching. Love Kaley and Mark) 
• There's a lot of views about whether or not to destroy Confederate statues. Here's a few interesting reads from different perspectives:
  • A Solution to the Confederate-Monument Problem: Destroying the statues won’t erase the past. Why not let them deteriorate in a public space instead? from The Atlantic
  • We need to move, not destroy, Confederate monuments from The New York Times
  • Nearly 100 Confederate monuments removed in 2020, says report. Over 700 remain. from NPR (America's National Public Radio) 
  • The battle over Confederate statues, explained: Confederate statues have always been about white supremacy. That’s why they’re coming down, by Vox
  • And, here's Undeceptions own Laurel Moffatt giving her thoughts during an Undeceptions single last year. 
• Read the research by sociologists Bradley and Manning on victimhood: The Rise of Victimhood Culture, in which they write:

"A culture of victimhood is one characterized by concern with status and sensitivity to slight combined with a heavy reliance on third parties. People are intolerant of insults, even if unintentional, and react by bringing them to the attention of authorities or to the public at large. People increasingly demand help from others, and advertise their oppression as evidence that they deserve respect and assistance. This only increases the incentive to publicize grievances, and it means aggrieved parties are especially likely to highlight their identity as victims, emphasizing their own suffering and innocence."

• It's Jiminy Cricket!  
• Read more on Professor Tyler Vander Weele's research on whether forgiveness is a public health issue. 

Perhaps you’ve heard it before - religion is bad for your mental health. It triggers feelings of guilt, self-loathing and bigotry. 

But, actually, there are many ways in which the opposite is true. Karen Pang's story is testament to that, which you'll hear in this episode.

There’s also a growing body of research - authoritative, real-life, peer-reviewed research - that reports a significant benefit to wellbeing if you are religious. 

That’s right. You are more healthy if you are religious.

Do you need help? 

• If you're in Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. 
• In the UK? Call The Samaritans on 116 123.
• If you're in the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255

LINKS

• This episode is brought to you by Zondervan Academic's book, Three Views on Chrisitanity and Science with contributions from Alister McGrath, Bruce L Gordon and Michael Ruse. 
• Meet our guest, Karen Pang 
• Meet our guest, Professor Tyler VanderWeele
• Meet out guest, Lyn Worsley
• Listen to the full interview with Buff and John Dickson on ABC's The Spirit of Things 
• Watch the full Playschool series on feelings, How do you feel today?
• Read the full data on the risk of suicide for people with bipolar, from SANE Australia
• Read the biblical accounts of the deaths of Saul and Judas.
• Read St Augustine's City of God
• Check out Tyler VanderWeele's research on deaths of despair and religious service attendance. Full paper here.
• Tyler's research on mental and physical health and the effects of religious service attendance (also check out his full list of research papers in his profile above!) 
• Watch Tyler VanderWeele consider whether the results of his research that concluded religious service attendance had a significant positive impact on mental health might be reverse causation.
• Get the Oxford Handbook of Religion and Health 
• See for yourself the strong evidence of an association between attending religious services and happiness and life satisfaction.
• Need help to pray? Try the Book of Common Prayer, which Buff Dickson talks about praying through when she just couldn't find the words on her own. Here's an example, the prayer for Sunday 2 May 2021:

Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

It is the day after ANZAC Day, that occasion when Australians and New Zealanders commemorate those who died in the defence of our country. 

At a time like this, it is worth considering the inscription bourne by many military tombstones across the world - 'Unknown Soldier - Known Unto God'.

This is not just a way of saying, "We don't know who he is; I guess God does." It has a profound meaning about the peculiar way in which God knows His creatures.

Critics of Christianity have often pointed to The Troubles in Northern Ireland as proof that, "Religion ruins everything."

But how accurate is the statement? How accurate is it to even label The Troubles a religious conflict?

John Dickson shares a chapter of his upcoming book, Bullies And Saints, on how the Troubles got started and how Christianity helped to bring them to an end.

Click here to order a copy of John Dickson's Bullies and Saints.

Gordon Menzies advised the federal government on the deregulation of the Australian dollar, underlining his credentials when it came to liberalism.

However, his new book titled 'Western Fundamentalism' suggests a more conservative way of seeing the world.

He tells John Dickson, though, that a Christian is capable of rejecting definitions of both left and right to forge a distinctly different path.

Dr. Laurel Moffatt rejoins the Undeceptions team to consider the state of the American soul.

Researchers have revealed that this nation of the bold and the free is now united more by the things that its citizens hate than those they love.

Is there any way out of this emotional and moral quagmire? Dr. Moffatt thinks so.

How do you face the rapidly approaching end of a battle with cancer?

In Series 2, Episode 13 of Undeceptions, John Dickson met up with his friend Ben Shaw to discuss his recent diagnosis of that dreaded disease.

The It's Cancer episode raised serious questions about what place pain has in a world created by a good God.

Now, in the run-up to Easter, John returns to ask Ben if the call to face cancer has brought on new spiritual insights.

Some would argue that Christianity itself is racist. Given the sweep of history, this is a charge that has to be confronted. 

So we’re going to speak to a couple of people who, despite all the things the church has done wrong -- and continues to do wrong -- and despite all the things the church should be doing but just isn’t - still see Christ as Lord. They are still part of the church. They still think Christianity is beautiful, even if parts of the church are not. 

You as listeners - whether you believe or not - are going to have to be the judges here. 

This is not an episode in which I feel competent to lecture anyone. 

I don’t know what it’s like to be a minority. That’s why we’re speaking to people today who do know. 

LINKS

• Meet our guest, Jemar Tisby 
  • ​​​​​​​Read his latest book, How to fight racism
  • Read Jemar’s other book The Colour of Compromise: the truth about the American Church’s complicity in racism 
  • Check out The Witness 
• Get to know Brooke Prentis 
  • Find out more about Common Grace
• Watch Brenda Salter McNeil’s full talk on her ‘response to racism’ 
  
  
• This episode is supported by Zondervan Academic’s book Evangelical Theology by Michael Bird 
• Full CNN report on the global protests sparked by the death of George Floyd
• Read more about the Black Lives Matter movement in this series from The New Yorker
• Divided by Faith: Evangelical religion and the problem of race in America, Michael Emerson and Christian Smith
• Listen to Tim Keller’s full speech on Racism and Corporate Evil 
• Also read Tim Keller’s series on justice and race in the Gospel In Life Magazine
  • The Bible and Race 
  • The Sin of Racism 
  • A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory 
  • Justice in the Bible
• Read more about the Southern Baptists and Critical Race Theory
• ​​​​​​​And a little more about Critical Race Theory more generally: Are all white people racist? Why Critical Race Theory has us rattled, Sydney Morning Herald

More on Australia’s Aboriginal history

• Mapping the massacres of Australia’s colonial frontier, The University of Newcastle 
• More on the Aboriginal reserves and stations 
• Close the Gap 2020: The annual report of Parliament on progress in Closing the Gap and achieving equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in health and life expectancy 
• Bringing Them Home Report 1997 - A Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children From Their Families.
• Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says “Sorry” on behalf of the Australian Government in 2008 
• Watch Australia’s National Aboriginal Bishop in the Anglican Church, Chris McLeod’s full interview on Black Lives Matter and the Church 
• Brooke Prentis gave us three pieces of content she believes all Australians should consume to learn more about the true history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia:
  • Dark Emu, by Bruce Pascoe
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Talking to My Country, by Stan Grant
  • First Australians documentary, SBS

Here's the alternate view on racism in America

• Candace Owens is a conservative US commentator who has a very different take on the Black Lives Matter movement and how she thinks her country should be dealing with racism. 
  • On what she believes is the real goal of the Black Lives Matter movement
  • On White Guilt
• Ben Shapiro is one of the most popular conservative commentators in the US. He disagrees with the idea of systemic racism. More here.

Undeceptions T-Shirts are here! Click here to get yours now. 

Perhaps you’re sceptical, perhaps you’re just undecided - our challenge for you for 2021 is: read at least 100 pages of the Bible. 

This book has shaped much of our world. It would be great to think that you’ve got your head around at least 100 pages, as an adult, with all your grownup questions activated. 

Yes, the Bible is weird. It’s got wars, bizarre laws, talking snakes, perhaps even a unicorn or two, slavery, misogyny, and much more. But there is way to read this stuff, and there’s a way not to.

And we reckon today’s guest can help us with both, and make 2021 TO ETOS TES BIBLOU, the year of the Bible.

This episode is brought to you by Zondervan Academic’s new book How to Fight Racism by Jemar Tisby.

LINKS

• Meet our guest Dan Kimball
  • And get his new book How NOT to read the Bible: Making Sense of the Anti-Women, Anti-Science, Pro-Violence, Pro-Slavery and Other Crazy Sounding Parts of Scripture
• Read more of the Finder survey that explored how many Americans make NY resolutions.
• And that Forbes Magazine article about how many will actually accomplish those resolutions.
• Here’s the full list of the most common NY resolutions according to “Polly” the artificial intelligence operated by the market research firm Advanced Symbolics Inc.
• Read the study that found that for around a half of adults today and two-thirds of under-25s, the Bible has absolutely no significance in their personal lives.
• Here's why might you want to read the Bible, even if you’re not a Christian. Dr Meredith Lake from the ABC wrote this piece for The Conversation in 2017 about why our decline in biblical literacy matters:

"Among Australian creatives, too, literary lights such as Patrick White, Elizabeth Jolley, Tim Winton, Helen Garner and Christos Tsiolkas all make powerful use of biblical narratives and imagery. Songwriters from Nick Cave to the late Yolngu star Gurrumul have drawn on the scriptures in their lyrics.

"Biblical stories and symbols have also inspired visual artists such as Grace Cossington Smith, Arthur Boyd and Margaret Preston. Reg Mombassa’s popular creation, “Australian Jesus”, offers a subversive take on the gospels.

"Each of these Australians has found the Bible an enlarging influence on the imagination. Audiences can easily miss key elements of their work without a degree of biblical literacy."

• Or check out this book by John Dickson’s friend, and co-founder of The Centre for Public Christianity Dr Greg Clarke, The Great Bible Swindle, written especially for those who feel that they should know something about the world's most influential text, but may have been afraid to ask.
• Watch The West Wing scene about the Old Testament in modern times.
• Were footballs ever made of pigskins?
• Meet our 5 Minute Jesus author this episode, Laurel Moffatt.
• Christopher Hitchens speaking to Vanity Fair on the Ten Commandments

Undeceptions Single series on slavery:

Swing low: The campaign against slavery was a shining jewel in the collection of social changes that swept the 19th century. However history shows us it was clearly not a secular viewpoint that set people free.

First Abolitionist: Gregory of Nyssa could have been the man who changed history, if history had listened to his theory on slavery.

Freeing Slaves: The early church adopted many approaches to rescuing people from the scourge of slavery and, when legal means failed, its members were ready to risk themselves on slave raids.

Medieval Manumission:What would you be prepared to give in order to set a slave free? How much would it be worth to you? One medieval man gave everything he had, right down to the shirt off his back. 

Indigenous slaves: Was Australia built on slavery, or wasn't it? It depends very much on who you ask.

Make 2021 TO ETOS TES BIBLOU, ‘The Year of the Bible’

Take up John Dickson’s challenge of reading at least 100 pages of the Bible this year. Here’s his Top Ten Old and New Testament Bible passages to get you started. 

Here’s some links to translations John Dickson recommends: 

• New International Version (NIV)
• New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
• English Standard Version (ESV)

Learn more about Greg Koukl’s Never Read a Bible Verse which he says is his attempt to His “rescue believers from a superstitious way of reading their Bibles that causes silliness, confusion, and sometimes even disaster.”

Here’s an overview of the storyline of the Bible.

The visual was created by a church here in Sydney, based on a book by friend of the podcast, Vaughan Roberts, titled God’s Big Picture.

Undeceptions T-Shirts are coming really soon!
We've got top quality Ts in medium, large and x-large that will help you promote the show and do your own bit of undeceiving. Head to undeceptions.com later this week - they'll be ready for purchase soon. 

You may not feel ready to experience heaven or hell quite yet but Undeceptions listeners certainly had a lot of questions about it! In this season’s Q&A episode, John Dickson attempts to answer at least some of the questions you’ve thrown at us this year. 

This episode is brought to you by Zondervan Academic’s How NOT to read the Bible by Dan Kimball 

LINKS

• What Dreams May Come trailer
• The Good Place, TV show: how points are scored in life
• The Rebel, by Albert Camus

QUESTIONS 

• Is the punishment of Hell proportional to our acts on Earth? 
• Are there levels of Heaven? 
• Why do we know so little about Heaven? 
• What are we to think of God who is always present, even in the face of evil and abuse? 
• Why is it considered Good News, if so many who don’t believe will end up in Hell? 
• Do we lose our free will in heaven? 
• Are demons real? 
• Should Christians eat meat? 
• Is there any benefit in reading the Apocrypha?
• Even if I believed in God, why would I believe in the Christian God? What makes Jesus so special as opposed to, say, Islam?
• Has the modern church tried to white-wash Jesus?
• Is the church trying too hard in its attempts to persuade same-sex attracted church people to live holy lives rather than relying on God and the power of the gospel?
• What should we do about the health, wealth and prosperity gospel? 

Extra questions John answered this season

Drew asks,

The highly regarded scholar David Bentley Hart’s somewhat recent translation of the New Testament translates the Greek work ‘aion’ [i-on] or ‘aionios’ [i-on-ios] to be the more temporal description of ‘of the Age’ rather than the traditional ‘eternal’.

This seemingly impacts the well-established Christian doctrines of heaven and hell. Is the claim of life eternal through Jesus now seriously up for debate?

Listen to John’s answer at undeceptions.com 

Follow up this question with some extra reading: 

• David Bentley Hart’s translation of the New Testament 
• A review of Bentley Hart’s translation in The Atlantic.
• More about Universalism.
• How Universalism, ‘the Opiate of the Theologians,’ Went Mainstream, Christianity Today.

Steve asks, 

I just listened to the first podcast - Old Papers. I had always thought Paul wrote Hebrews, lately my various pastors have suggested that, no, Paul did not write Hebrews. Hearing that Hebrews was in these old papers of Paul’s writings made me think,  I wonder what the answer is?

Listen to John’s answer at undeceptions.com

Christianity has plenty to say about the future and what the end of the world might look like -- though some think it says a lot more than others.

Christians have, in fact, been accused of being obsessed with end times, so much so that they stop caring about the world they’re in right now. And sometimes that’s true. 

But apocalyptic Christians aren’t the only ones dwelling on all this. Plenty of us are more interested than ever - especially this year! - in how the world will end. The stories we tell ourselves in culture are becoming increasingly apocalyptic. 

Why is that? 

This episode is brought to you by our season sponsor Zondervan Academic, publishers of the Collected Essays of N.T. Wright.

LINKS

• Have a read through The Book of Revelation.
• Watch Australia’s Secretary for Home Affairs, Michael Pezzullo’s, full speech on ‘Securing Australia’ here. 
• Get to know our guest, Alissa Wilkinson from Vox
  • And read Alissa’s book How to Survive the Apocalypse: Zombies, Cylons, Faith, Politics and the End of the World
  • Pssst… here’s an except of the book, a chapter on ‘The Myth of the Secular Apocalypse
• Get to know our guest, Professor Richard Bauckham, one of greatest living theologians.
  • Professor Bauckham has written many, many books. But since our discussion revolved around the Book of Revelation, you should check out his book on that subject, The Theology of the Book of Revelation 
• Here’s the 2010 New York Times article Alissa mentions by Chuck Klosterman, My Zombie, Myself: Why modern life feels rather undead.
• For a more in-your-face example of how pop culture continues to use biblical imagery from The Book of Revelation, just watch the trailer for the 2016 blockbuster, X-Men.
  • The film’s director Bryan Singer told the LA Times that Apocalypse - an immensely powerful and ancient mutant - views himself not as a mutant but as a god. Singer says, quote “For all intents and purposes, he is potentially the God of the Old Testament. After being buried for 4,000 years, he awakens to a society that has become interconnected and developed hubris. Humans have created nuclear weapons and assumed godlike proportions in the buildings they build and the things they create. So he sets about to eradicate those things and build what he considers a cleaner, purer world.”
• Check out Alissa’s Syllabus for the End of the World - her list of stories that tell us how to live during -and after - a pandemic.
• Here’s the Al Jazeera tape of Harold Camping’s apocalypse prediction in 2011
• Here’s the Left Behind book series… but John reckons you should skip it. Read C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Series instead.
• More on the US National Evangelical Leaders survey of 2011, which found that 65 per cent of evangelical church leaders in the US identify with premillennial theology, which grounds this rapture idea.
• Watch REM’s Michael Stipe’s full Coronavirus message.
• More on the Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of 2020, “Doomscrolling”
• John quotes from the pseudepigraphal work (not in any biblical canon) Psalms of Solomon in this episode’s 5 Minute Jesus. Read more about them here.

Movies and TV referenced in this episode

• Game of Thrones
• The Walking Dead
• Cormac McCarthy’s novel, The Road, and the “very fine” movie.
• Wagner’s Ring Cycle
• The Hunger Games 

EXTRAS

Here’s John Dickson and Professor Bauckham’s discussion on ‘the Millennium’ in the Book of Revelation. Listen here. 

WIN! 

We’re giving away 20 copies of John's book, 666 And All That: The Truth about the End Times, which he co-wrote with Dr Greg Clarke. If you’d like to win a copy, you just need to be one of the first 20 new subscribers to the Undeceptions e-newsletter. So quick! Head to undeceptions.com, scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and subscribe now. We'll be in touch with the winners in the first week of January. 

Proselytise: to convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.

Why are Christians such god-botherers? Is it possible to share your belief system with someone who doesn’t accept without being a jerk?

Many people today would have you believe that there is no context in which proselytising could be considered a good thing. 

This episode is supported by Zondervan's MasterLecture Series. 

LINKS

• Find out more about our guest, Dr Sam Chan 
• And check out his latest book, How to talk about Jesus (without being THAT guy) 
• And here's a rather extensive review of Sam’s book here.
• Sam's book Evangelism in a Skeptical World: How to Make the Unbelievable News About Jesus More Believable won Christianity Today's Book of the Year in evangelism and apologetics. 
  • PS -- How to Talk about Jesus (without being THAT guy) is the popular-level version of the more textbook-style Evangelism in a Skeptical World.
• ​​​​​​​Sam quoted Mark Sayers, co-host of the podcast This Cultural Moment.

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

Transhumanism is the transformation of the human condition through sophisticated technologies that modify our physiology and intellect. 

This episode, we continue our conversation about Artificial Intelligence with Professor John Lennox, and Dr.s Vicky Lorrimar and Grenville Kent.

This episode is brought to you by series sponsor Zondervan Academic, publishers of How to talk about Jesus without being THAT guy by Sam Chan.

LINKS 

• Meet Professor John Lennox
• Get Professor Lennox’s book 2084: Artificial intelligence and the future of humanity
• Say hi to episode guests Dr Grenville Kent and Dr Vicky Lorrimar
• Watch this primer on ‘Transhumanism’ from BBC Ideas.
• Read The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil (Lennox called him one of the most insightful people on this topic last episode)
• Watch this Ted Talk on how close we are to be able to ‘upload our minds’
• This is the article on The Washington Post in which Elon Musk talks about AI as summoning the demon (as mentioned by Lennox)
• Here’s a useful explainer on Utilitarianism from University of Texas
• Read this profile on Peter Singer from 1999 in The Guardian: The most dangerous man in the world
  • Dig deeper into Peter Singer’s utilitarianism views, critiqued by John Lennox here.
• More on Naturalism.
• Read CS Lewis’ essay ‘On living in an atomic age’ in his book of essays ‘Present Concerns’
• Learn more about quantum mechanics in 60 seconds on BBC with Brian Cox
• Read 'The strange link between the human mind and quantum physics', BBC

Movie and Television referenced in this episode: 

• The Bourne Identity
• Altered Carbon
• Gattaca
• Westworld

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today

"I'm all for technology being used in a good sense. I often say to people, AI is like a knife, a very sharp knife. You can use it to operate with, or you can use it to kill people." -- Professor John Lennox 

Artificial Intelligence is the buzz phrase of the 21st century. 

For some, it’s a welcome step into a future that promises all manner of good. For others, AI is damaging at best and, at worst, a step towards our own destruction.

This episode, with the help of the great John Lennox, we ask the question: is Artificial Intelligence an under-estimated threat… or the saviour we’ve been waiting for?

This episode is brought to you by series sponsor Zondervan Academic, publishers of Telling a better story: how to talk about God in a skeptical age by Josh Chatraw.

LINKS 

• Meet Professor John Lennox
• Get Professor Lennox’s book 2084: Artificial intelligence and the future of humanity
• Read more about how China is using surveillance technology to keep tabs on its citizens in this article from The Atlantic: 'The Panopticon Is Already Here'
• Check out George Orwell’s masterpiece 1984 
• Learn more about the Singularity with this article from Futurism: 'Singularity: Explain it to me like I’m 5 years old' 
• Why Elon Musk fears artificial intelligence, Vox 
• Lennox called Google’s Chief Futurist, Ray Kurzweil, “one of the great gurus in this field”. Read more about him here.
• Find out more about Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens and Homo Deus 
• Watch the Astronomer Royal, Lord Martin Rees, talk about the potential dangers of science and technology over the next 50 years
• Read more about science fiction author Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics and why they’re a little out of date
• Say hi to episode guests Dr Grenville Kent and Dr Vicky Lorrimar
• Read a recent ABC opinion piece by Dr Lorrimar, What hope? Dreams of immortality in the time of a pandemic
• More on Beowulf, the longest epic poem in Old English.
• Here's some ancient ‘technology’ to find out more on (as mentioned in this episode's Five Minute Jesus)
  • Trojan Horse
  • The Roman battering ram
  • Stuff designed by Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius
• Read the whole story of the Tower of Babel from the Book of Genesis
• More on deus ex machina (not the Australian motorcycles)
• Read the Asilomar Ethical Principles
• Watch Rosalind Picard’s TedTalk about the smartwatch she has developed  that can detect seizures. 
  • Then, watch her story of how she became a Christian

All the movies referenced in this episode: 

• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Star Wars ... all of them.
• Terminator (the original!)
• Bladerunner (1982)
• Interstellar 
• Wall-E
• Her
• Avengers: Age of Ultron

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

How did the New Testament actually come together? Some have argued that is a “chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents” that has been revised and ‘improved’ over centuries.

Others have argued it is a deeply political document, created to quell rebellions and placate a growing and agitated movement. 

Millions of people put their trust in the New Testament. It’s time to get to the bottom of how it was created. 

This episode of Undeceptions is brought to you by Zondervan Academic, publishers of 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity by John Lennox. 

LINKS

• Producer Kaley is actually the one who likes Survivor. She thinks you should watch it, too. 
• Richard Dawkin’s quote about the Bible being a cobbled-together anthology was from The God Delusion. 
• If you really have to, you can read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown or watch the movie. 
  • But then listen to this 5-part series with John Dickson on Hope 103.2FM (Sydney Christian radio station), Why the Da Vinci Code is a very novel history​
• ​​​​​​Find out more about our guest Dr Chris Forbes, who has actually just retired from Macquarie University. 
• Find out more about Dr Michael Bird from Ridley College.
  • And check out Michael's latest book The New Testament in It's World (with N.T. Wright) 
• Watch John Dickson talk about the conversion of Constantine the Great from this clip from the Centre For Public Christianity’s documentary For the Love of God
• Learn more about Justin Martyr, the first Christian apologist. 
• What’s with the ending in the gospel of Mark? Check out this article from The Gospel Coalition, written by Elijah Hixson from Tyndale House in Cambridge: Was Mark 16:9-20 originally part of Mark’s Gospel?
• Get to know Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon
• More on the Muratorian Canon
• Here is John’s beloved copy of The Apostolic Fathers
• Read the New York Times report on the discovery of the Gospel of Judas, from 2006 
• Read more about the Gospel of Judas in this article by John Dickson in 2008 from The Centre for Public Christianity 
• For more on the Gnostic Gospels, get your hands on The Christ Files, a documentary with John Dickson. Here’s a preview.
• You can have a look for yourself at the beautiful Codex Sinaiticus at this link. You can scroll through the pages online -- so go check out the Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistle of Barnabas at the back! 
• Get to know Eusebius of Caesarea 
  • And read his Ecclesiastical History too.

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

For years, people have argued that our minds’ natural default position is non-belief. Left to ourselves, we would never grow up thinking about God.

Religion is, therefore, an imposition on the susceptible minds of children. Some have suggested that teaching kids about God comes close to a form of brain washing.

Our guest for this episode, Justin Barrett, says that is actually getting harder to argue.

Research from the last 20 years indicates that thoughts about God aren’t by-products of American or Western culture. It’s not indoctrination. These thoughts are natural.

Believing that someone - not something - governs the world comes as easily to kids as curiosity, imagination and play. 

Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor, publishers of How NOT to read the Bible, by Dan Kimball.

LINKS

• Find out more about our guest Professor Justin L Barrett.
• Get Professor Barrett’s book, Born Believers: The Science of Children’s Religious Belief
• More on Ludwig Feuerbach and his ideas on religion as “wish fulfillment’
• Watch more of comedy trio Just These Please here.
• Read more about Sigmund Freud’s views on religion in this New York Times Magazine piece called 'Defender of the Faith'.
• Professor Barrett is a big fan of Deborah Keleman’s work from Boston University. Find out more about Keleman, here.
  • And read this article from New Scientist about one of Keleman’s studies from 2009, 'Humans may be primed to believe in creation'.
  • And this article from American Pscyhological Association titled ‘A Reason to Believe’
  • Keleman’s findings about children in China who endorse teleological explanations of natural phenomena can be found in the May 2017 Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.
• What in the world does ‘teleological’ mean? It’s an explanation by reference to some purpose, end, goal or function. So, a teleological explanation is an account of a given thing’s purpose. Check out this explanation on Britannica.
• Keleman, with other researchers, has only completed studies on whether non-religious adults have a tacit tendency to view nature as purposefully created by some being. They conducted research in Finland (a notoriously secular country) and the US and compared results. Read the report here.
• How the Borks Became: An Adventure in Evolution by Jonathan Emmett
• His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
• The Atlantic interviewed Philip Pullman about His Dark Materials, which has recently been made into an HBO series:

“Storytelling, for Pullman, is a way into our world—not out of it. He loves folktales and fairy tales for their clarity and everydayness; he loves William Blake; he loves what we might call the Luciferian or deity-defying side of John Milton. He even, in a cranky and rather beautiful way, loves Jesus. But he hates the bloody Church.

“You’ll pick this up quite quickly when you watch the first episode of HBO’s new dramatization of His Dark Materials. A body called the Magisterium holds a centuries-long dominion over the earthly realm. It spews doctrine; it crushes heresy; it circumscribes knowledge and inhibits discussion. Its priests are everywhere, like secret police. It’s also stealing children.”

• Here's a different take on His Dark Materials, from Christianity Today: 

"The church without a Savior is an empty shell, a vacuum that inevitably seeks power. And in His Dark Materials, the absence of Jesus is strikingly conspicuous even though he is never named. Pullman told Williams in 2004 that Jesus does not exist in the realm of his Magisterium, an acknowledgement that his church offers no redemption and is only an organization of human power. And in a world where the church controls the government, it is hardly a fantasy that the human authorities use religious manipulation to cement their control.

"The New Testament has a fair amount to say about structuring the church so that it supports the goal of pointing its people to Christ and it describes a church body with dispersed power. Without Christ at the head, the church is a slave to sin instead of proclaiming its purpose: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Gal. 5:1)."

• John Dickson was on ABC’s Q&A program in 2013. Watch it here.
• Justin Barrett has written a research paper on Why Santa Claus is not a God. Check it out here.
• Read A.C Grayling’s attack on Professor Justin Barrett in The Guardian here (from 2008)
• And then read Professor Barrett’s response.
• Watch the Centre For Public Christianity’s interview with Olivera Petrovich

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

In Episode 28 (Creation's Music) we spoke with Jeremy Begbie and Kirsty Beilharz about how music can point us to God. But what if it's music we just don't like? What about music that's genuinely bad. Or dissonant. What is the purpose of that type of music? Can music that's really hard to listen to still point us to the divine? 

Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor, publishers of How to Talk about Jesus (without being that guy) by Sam Chan.

LINKS: 

• Find out more about our guest Professor Dr Jeremy Begbie here.
• Find out more about our guest Professor Dr Kirsty Beilharz here.
• Seek out Jeremy Begbie's book Theology, Music and Time. 
• Get your hands on Kirsty Beilharz's book Music Remembers Me: Connection and Wellbeing in Dementia.
• Listen to 20th century composer Arnold Schoenberg's works on Spotify. Jeremy Begbie talks about Schoenberg and his creation of new methods of musical composition involving atonality. 
• Kirsty talks about 20th century composer Olivier Messiaen. This is a great article about his 'Turangalîla-Symphonie', from NPR: Finding God, Love And The Meaning Of Life In Messiaen's 'Turangalîla-Symphonie'
• Listen to more of Olivier Messiaen on Spotify, too.
• And another insightful article, this time from The Guardian on Messiaen's 'Quartet for the End of Time', which he composed while in a Nazi concentration camp. 
• Check out this live recording of Handel's Messiah from early this year, by the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, performed at the Sydney Opera House.
• And here's some more history about Handel's Messiah from the Smithsonian Magazine.
• Read more about Luther and Calvin's approach to music.
• Jeremy Begbie says Oscar Peterson can move him to tears. Let it move you. Listen on Spotify, here. Also, Brahms (here).
• Kirsty Beilharz went through the Life of Jesus course as she wrestled with Christianity. Check out that course, here. (Pssst... it's a John Dickson course!) 

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

What is music and what is it about music that stirs the human soul?

Is it just a series of sound waves producing neurological responses … or could music be - as so many ancients believed - a signal from God?

Join us for this episode as we take a look at the enduring love affair between music and the human heart. 

Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor, publishers of Evangelical Theology by Michael F Bird.

LINKS: 

• Find out more about our guest Professor Dr Jeremy Begbie here.
• Find out more about our guest Professor Dr Kirsty Beilharz here.
• Check out this interview Professor Begbie did with Christianity Today in 2018, about Christian artists and their need for a firm grounding in Scripture.
• Read more about the conundrum of consciousness here.
• Seek out Jeremy Begbie's book Theology, Music and Time. 
• Want to start listening to St Matthew Passion but don't know where to start? Check out this helpful guide from NPR (America's National Public Radio). 
• Get your hands on Kirsty Beilharz's book Music Remembers Me: Connection and Wellbeing in Dementia. 
• Kirsty spoke to Eternity News in 2016 about dementia care and music. Read the article here.
• Do Mark Hadley a favour and read The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien.
• Centre For Public Christianity fellow Barney Zwartz wrote this piece for the Sydney Morning Herald, titled 'The power of music is a path to God'. 
• Read the story of AN Wilson's conversion back to Christianity in The New Statesman, where he says "The existence of langauge is one of the many phenomena - of which love and music are the two strongest - which suggest that human beings are very much more than collections of meat. They convince me that we are spiritual beings, and that the religion of the incarnation, asserting that God made humanity in His image, and continually restores humanity in His image, is simply true." 
• From this episode's 5 Minute Jesus, read the Parable of the Prodigal Son. 

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

Whether you’re a believer or doubter in Christianity, this episode is really more about whether you’re a ‘believer’ or ‘doubter’ in climate change … and the things that often lie behind such beliefs (hint: faith is just one factor!) 

But, if you listen to Katharine, climate change shouldn’t be about belief anymore. It’s real. It’s happening. The question now is, what can we do about it? 

Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor, publishers of How To Fight Racism by Jemar Tisby.

LINKS

• Meet Katharine Hayhoe over on her website. 
• Watch Katharine’s 2018 TedTalk (along with the 3.6 million other people!) 
• Check out Rolling Stone magazine’s conversation with Katharine
• And also ... the New York Times profile of Katharine
• Read the press release from the United Nations, announcing it has named Katharine Hayhoe a UN Champion of the Earth
• Here's the Pew Research from 2015 that found only a third of white evangelical protestants believed climate change was the result of human activity. 
• Read more on AOC’s talk with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates where she said millennials were frustrated with inaction on climate change and said “the world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change, and your biggest issue is how we are going to pay for it?” 
• Ever watched The Newsroom? You totally should. Here’s a link to the series. 
• Read the New York Times 2013 report when the world passed 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• Then, read this report from the 360 Environment 360 Magazine which explains in an easily understandable why such a carbon threshold matters. 
• Here’s the link to the full Sky News interview with environmentalist Michael Shellenberger, that we excerpted in this episode. 
• More on the Gospers Mountain fire in New South Wales
• While you're at it, here's more data from Australia’s 2019/20 bushfire season
• More on California’s devastating wildfire season in 2020. This report from October 25 suggests this week is expected to have the most perilous fire weather event for the season. 
• Then read this Washington Post interactive report on what is fueling the West Coast’s infernos. 
• Get Lynn White’s 1967 article in the Science Journal: The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis
• Read James Bhagwan’s opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald from 2019, titled A climate plea to Scott Morrison from a churchman of the Pacific’s sinking nations 
  • “I want to remind Scott Morrison that for the people of Tuvalu – and Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands, and all the other Pacific Island Nations – nothing worries us more than climate change,” he writes.
• Read more about the island of Kiribati in the Pacific, and the immediate threat of rising sea levels. 
• Check out Skeptical Science website run by John Cook

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

In the first episode of our third season, we're taking a close look at the New Testament - the second part of the Bible. Many scholars have pointed out historical inaccuracies in the gospels, or inconsistencies between the gospels that would surely call into question their reliability as sources for the historical Jesus. Some have suggested that the gospels weren't actually written by who we think they were written by. Or claim that many of the letters written by Paul that appear in the Bible weren't penned by Paul at all. 

Professor Craig Blomberg has spent a lifetime digging around these 'Bible mistakes'. And he's not convinced that they are, in fact, mistakes. 

LINKS

• For more on Professor Craig Blomberg, check out his website.
• And while you're clicking, have a look at Undeceptions.com for all sorts of cool stuff related to undeceiving the world.
• Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor, publishers of the Collected Essays of N.T. Wright.
• Read more about the famous 'Wicked Bible' in this Washington Post article.
• Grab Craig Blomberg's latest book, The Historical Reliability of the New Testament, here.
• Other scholars who have written about the Book of John: Martin Hengel and Richard Bauckham.
• Episode 7 of Undeceptions, called Gospel Truth with Peter Williams is a good sister-podcast for this one. Check it out.
• Read Saint Saul: A Skeleton Key to the Historical Jesus by Donald Harman Akenson (mentioned in this episode's 5 Minute Jesus)

Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!

Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

John Dickson takes a deep dive into the murky world of church finances to discover the pagan ruler responsible for granting Christian congregations their special financial privileges.

When the most powerful man in the world becomes a believer, things are definitely going to change.

But what did this ruler actually have in mind when he gifted churches and clergy their tax free status? Press play to find out.

Dr. Laurel Moffatt makes a return to Undeceptions with a single aimed at making us consider the level of our indifference.

The Black Lives Matter campaign has focussed America's attention on statues that commemorate the great military leaders and politicians of the slave-supporting Confederacy. 

Should these symbols be taken down and our values rebuilt? Or would that leave a greater human failure still standing? 

Matt Andrews makes a guest appearance on Undeceptions, tackling the thorny topic of slavery in Australia.

Have Aboriginals been enslaved at various times in Australia's history? Certainly. Was that the intention of its British leaders? Certainly not. 

There are two key things to undeceived of here, but you'l have to click play to find out what they are.

Eligius of Noyon was a French jewellery smith of uncommon talent who counted royal families and the highest nobility amongst his clients. As a young man, his success allowed him to dress so exorbitantly, his sense of luxury made it into the history books.

However when Eligius' attention turned from kingly clients to the Kingdom of God, an incredible transformation took place. He became so concerned for the slaves around him, that his finery became the means for setting them free.

In this fourth single on the hidden Christian history of slavery, John Dickson shares how Eligius impoverished himself so that others might know the grace of God.

St. Augustine was the Bishop of Hippo and the leader of the Christian church in a city that had become a hub in the ancient world's slave trade.

He led his followers in an ambitious buy-back program for those captured by unscrupulous traders. But when church funds failed, these meek and mild believers didn't hold back from carrying out dangerous slave raids.

Join John Dickson as he takes us through a first hand account of what early Christians risked to save less fortunate men and women. 

The fourth century bishop, Gregory of Nyssa, led the charge on ending slavery centuries before modern champions like William Wilberforce and Frederick Douglass ever stepped on to the stage.

His arguments regarding the value of human beings would fuel abolitionists and civil rights movements fifteen hundred years after he was dead. 

If only we'd listened sooner.

John Dickson delves into the history of the abolition of slavery in the 19th century and discovers its deep roots in Christian theology.

His investigations reveal secular claims that Christianity was a leading cause of slavery are without foundation. In fact, the campaign for freedom arose from a distinctly Christian world view that had existed for well over a thousand years.

Yet the church could clearly have done a lot more, a lot sooner.

Dr. Laurel Moffatt is a writer and researcher based in Sydney, and a special guest for our Undeceptions 'Single' this week.

On a recent kayaking trip, she discovered a connection between our desperate need for 'places of safety' during this pandemic, and international statistics that show a growing desire to communicate with the Almighty. 

Leveraging the wisdom of Augustine, she shares how prayer can become your safest place. 

A remarkable event occurred on this day at 11:30am, 25 June, 1788. The 21 year old convict, Samuel Peyton,  entered into eternity courtesy of the hangman's noose. 

But unlike many of his convict comrades who suffered a similar fate, Peyton left behind a testament to his belief that, even in death, he was “firmly relying on the merits of a Blessed Redeemer.”

Listen in for one of the most heartfelt stories of repentance Australia's colonial history has to offer, as well as a pointer to a Christian hope that still holds true today.

Rachel Gilson says she grew up knowing two things instinctively: she was romantically attracted to women and Christians were NOT ok with that. 

Smart, sophisticated, with a love for big ideas not small minds … Rachel Gilson sounds like she’s the poster girl for that common critique of Christianity - that it’s unhelpful and unhealthy for those with lesbian, gay, or bisexual orientations. But that is not her story.

Rachel discovered that it was possible to walk a round that led between her same-sex attraction and a love of God. Her conclusions, including her life choices will surprise you. 

Yet Rachel’s quest to understand God and His opinion of her desires provide one of the most provocative, interesting and inspiring stories Undeceptions has had privilege to present.

LINKS

• For more on Rachel Gilson, check out her web site.
• And while you're clicking, have a look at the Undeceptions web site for all sorts of cool stuff related to undeceiving the world
• Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor
• Undeceptions would like to encourage you to check out Zondervan Academic's latest publication, Collected Essays of N.T. Wright, 3: volumes: Interpreting Scripture, Interpreting Jesus, and Interpreting Paul
• Ridley College, where John lectures in Public Christianity
• You can click here to sign up for the Life In Wartime podcast with David Robertson and Stephen McAlpine.
• Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!
• Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

The end of the second season of Undeceptions is drawing night, so it's time to start unpacking all of the questions we've collected.

This episode John Dickson tackles everything from is the Old Testament History to is the New Testament a re-write of Jesus' real perspective?

If you enjoy listening to hosts squirm, you'll love season's two's Undeceptions Q and A.

LINKS

• Both atheistic evolutionists and literalistic creationists want you to read Genesis the same way, but is there a different take on the foundational book of the Bible? John asks Professor C. John Collins, Professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary, in the Undeceptions episode Six Days.
• Undeceptions brings to life the forgotten women of the early church so we can learn just how significant the fairer sex were for the spread of the Gospel with international expert Dr. Lynn Cohick in our episode Remembering Women.
• Studies continue to show that most people have a fairly positive view of the founder of Christianity. But that’s a long way from accepting that there’s any history - let alone relevance - in the alleged events of Easter. John tackles the top questions in Easter Myths.
• While you're clicking, have a look at the Undeceptions web site for all sorts of cool stuff related to undeceiving the world
• Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor
• We encourage you to especially check out Zondervan's new book, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity by John Lennox.
• Ridley College, where John lectures in Public Christianity
• You can click here to sign up for the Life In Wartime podcast with David Robertson and Stephen McAlpine.
• Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!
• Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

This episode, we’ll be zooming in on the early Christian women, for whom we have good evidence, and who had a profound impact on the church and its teaching in their time.

Our guide is Dr. Lynn Cohick, who's written books on the topic, including Christian Women in the Patristic World: Their Influence, Authority, and Legacy in the Second through the Fifth Centuries (co-authored with Amy Brown Hughes) and Women in the World of the Earliest Christians.

She paints a vivid picture for us of what life in ancient Rome might have been like for the first women to hear the gospel.

LINKS

• For more on Dr. Lynn Cohick, check out her web site.
• And while you're clicking, have a look at the Undeceptions web site for all sorts of cool stuff related to undeceiving the world
• Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor
• A special just for Undeceptions listeners! Get free access to Zondervan Academic's Master Lectures for 14 days, and then save 25% for the next 6 months. Just type in the code UNDECEPTIONS at the check-out.
• Ridley College, where John lectures in Public Christianity
• You can click here to sign up for the With All Due Respect podcast with Michael Jensen and Megan Powell du Toit
• Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!
• Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

Greg Sheridan cut his teeth at the legendary news magazine, The Bulletin, before moving on to the national daily newspaper, The Australian, where he’s been the foreign editor since 1982.

John catches up to talk to him about Christianity's struggles in Australia and why, of all times, he would choose to out himself as a believer.

However, Greg is not so glum on the future and underlines that because the faith is beholden to no particular political party it has the ability to reinvent itself that is more inline with its roots.

LINKS

• For more on Greg Sheridan, check out his web page at The Australian
• Check out the Undeceptions web site for all sorts of cool stuff related to undeceiving the world
• Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor
• A special just for Undeceptions listeners! Get free access to Zondervan Academic's Master Lectures for 14 days, and then save 25% for the next 6 months. Just type in the code UNDECEPTIONS at the check-out.
• Ridley College, where John lectures in Public Christianity
• You can click here to sign up for the Salt podcast with Jenny Salt
• Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!
• Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.

Ian Hutchinson is Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

Among many, many other things he wrote the standard monograph on measuring plasmas, Principles of Plasma Diagnostics. That's right, he literally wrote the book on plasmas.

He’s also a fellow of the American Physical Society, a fellow of the Institute of Physics, and of the American Scientific Affiliation.

And… he believes in miracles - healing, resurrection, all of it.

Find out why.

LINKS

• For more on Professor Ian Hutchinson, check out his web site.
• Check out his book, Can A Scientist Believe In Miracles? by Ian Hutchinson
• And while you're clicking, have a look at the Undeceptions web site for all sorts of cool stuff related to undeceiving the world
• Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor
• Ridley College, where John lectures in Public Christianity
• You can click here to sign up for the With All Due Respect podcast with Michael Jensen and Megan Powell du Toit
• Want to send John Dickson a question? He loves them. Just click here to provide a query for our next Q and A show!
• Undeceptions is part of the Eternity Podcast Network, an audio collection showcasing the seriously good news of faith today.