Unbelievable?

From 2016: Dominic Johnson’s book ‘God is Watching You: How the fear of God makes us human’ makes the claim that belief in divine punishment has arisen because of the evolutionary advantage it brings in creating cooperative, moral societies. Christian philosopher Peter S Williams interacts with Dominic on questions over whether his research explains away religious belief, and whether Christianity is a religion of punishment and rewards.

For ‘God is Watching You’: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/god-is-watching-you-9780199895632?cc=gb

For Peter S Williams: http://www.peterswilliams.com

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Unbelievable? delves back into history and asks Did new atheism fail? with one the world’s best-known theologians Alister McGrath debating Oxford-educated philosopher and wildly successful YouTuber Alex O’Connor. Prompted by a new book Coming to Faith Through Dawkins which published on 29th August 2023, the book edited by Denis Alexander and Alister McGrath gathered other intelligent minds from around the world Australia, S. Africa, Egypt, USA, and the UK to share their startling commonality: Richard Dawkins and his fellow New Atheists were instrumental in their conversions to Christianity. 

Despite a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, all are united in the fact that they were first enthusiasts for the claims and writings of the New Atheists. But each became disillusioned by the arguments and conclusions of Dawkins, causing them to look deeper and with more objectivity at religious faith. The fallacies of Christianity Dawkins warns of simply don't exist.

"This is a novel book: real-life stories of people who have actually come to faith, not in spite of but through Richard Dawkins. It must be his own worst nightmare!" - William Lane Craig

 

Alister McGrath is a former atheist who discovered Christianity while studying the natural sciences at Oxford University. He has held a number of senior appointments during his career, including Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford, before taking up the Andreas Idreos Professorship of Science and Religion at Oxford, from which he retired last year. He also served as President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. McGrath is one of the world's best-known theologians and apologists, and is the author of the internationally acclaimed textbook Christian Theology: An Introduction, which has been translated into twenty languages. With his wife, he wrote a critique of Richard Dawkins's God Delusion which became an international bestseller. Later this year, he will publish a new textbook entitled Christian Apologetics: An Introduction. McGrath has three earned doctorates from Oxford University, in the natural sciences, theology, and intellectual history.

Alex O’Connor is a YouTuber and host of the Within Reason Podcast, a philosophy platform designed to present philosophical discussions in an accessible format. A graduate of philosophy and theology from St. John’s College, Oxford University, he is also an international public speaker and debater, having defended his philosophical convictions against a wide range of experts across multiple continents, whose online video material has been viewed more than seventy million times.

Alex O'Connor: https://www.youtube.com/user/alexjoconnor

Alister McGrath: http://alistermcgrath.weebly.com/ 

 

Buy the book, Coming to Faith through Dawkins: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Faith-Through-Dawkins-Christianity/dp/0825448220

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Unbelievable? delves back into history and asks Did new atheism fail? with one the world’s best-known theologians Alister McGrath debating Oxford-educated philosopher and wildly successful YouTuber Alex O’Connor. Prompted by a new book Coming to Faith Through Dawkins which published on 29th August 2023, the book edited by Denis Alexander and Alister McGrath gathered other intelligent minds from around the world Australia, S. Africa, Egypt, USA, and the UK to share their startling commonality: Richard Dawkins and his fellow New Atheists were instrumental in their conversions to Christianity. 

Despite a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, all are united in the fact that they were first enthusiasts for the claims and writings of the New Atheists. But each became disillusioned by the arguments and conclusions of Dawkins, causing them to look deeper and with more objectivity at religious faith. The fallacies of Christianity Dawkins warns of simply don't exist.

"This is a novel book: real-life stories of people who have actually come to faith, not in spite of but through Richard Dawkins. It must be his own worst nightmare!" --William Lane Craig"

 

Alister McGrath is a former atheist who discovered Christianity while studying the natural sciences at Oxford University. He has held a number of senior appointments during his career, including Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford, before taking up the Andreas Idreos Professorship of Science and Religion at Oxford, from which he retired last year. He also served as President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. McGrath is one of the world's best-known theologians and apologists, and is the author of the internationally acclaimed textbook Christian Theology: An Introduction, which has been translated into twenty languages. With his wife, he wrote a critique of Richard Dawkins's God Delusion which became an international bestseller. Later this year, he will publish a new textbook entitled Christian Apologetics: An Introduction. McGrath has three earned doctorates from Oxford University, in the natural sciences, theology, and intellectual history.

Alex O’Connor is a YouTuber and host of the Within Reason Podcast, a philosophy platform designed to present philosophical discussions in an accessible format. A graduate of philosophy and theology from St. John’s College, Oxford University, he is also an international public speaker and debater, having defended his philosophical convictions against a wide range of experts across multiple continents, whose online video material has been viewed more than seventy million times.

 

Buy the book, Coming to Faith through Dawkins: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Faith-Through-Dawkins-Christianity/dp/0825448220

• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101

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From March 2015: Ruth Preston, Calum Miller and Peter S Williams of the UK Apologetics Facebook group and blog take a variety of questions from callers.

Ben, who lost his faith, wants to know why God didn’t provide him with more evidence. Michael asks: Why should I believe Paul? Tim wants to know why evangelicals can be so insular, and Brian has questions about the moral Argument for God

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We revisit a riveting dialogue from Season 4 of The Big Conversation, from 2022. With their diametrically opposed beliefs on the ideas around God's existence, Francis Collins, a geneticist who found faith in Christianity, and Richard Dawkins, renowned atheist author and evolutionary biologist debate biology, belief and COVID: can science and fight be reconciled? We also look at Dawkins' recent exchange with Christian philosopher Richard Swinburne, as a natural extension to some of the issues discussed with Francis Collins, and will also give you a sneak peek of an exhilarating two-parter coming up in Season 5 of The Big Conversation: a debate on a pressing contemporary topic!

Register for early access to new Big Conversation episodes, as well as hours of exclusive video and ebook content - including the bonus clip of Dawkins and Collins discussing genetics: https://thebigconversation.show

Watch the full "Mystery of Existence" discussion, featuring Dawkins and Swinburne:

Part One: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/unbelievable/unbelievable-the-mystery-of-existence-why-is-there-something-rather-than-nothing-part-1-with-richard-dawkins-jessica-frazier-silvia-jonas-richard-swinburne-and-jack-symes/16076.article

Part Two: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/unbelievable/unbelievable-the-mystery-of-existence-where-did-natural-environments-and-complex-organisms-came-from-part-2-with-richard-dawkins-jessica-frazier-silvia-jonas-richard-swinburne/16119.article

For the book "Coming to Faith Through Dawkins": https://www.kregel.com/biography/coming-to-faith-through-dawkins/

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From March 2015: Can God be proved by definition? That's the claim of the Ontological Argument for God's existence.

Christian Philosopher Peter S Williams and sceptic philosopher Peter Millican from Oxford University explore the different versions of the argument. Williams defends the argument, Millican believes it is flawed.

For Peter S Williams: www.peterswilliams.com Peter SW YouTube Playlist on the OA and Peter SW teaching on the argument

For Peter Millican: http://www.millican.org/ and Graham Oppy's Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Ontological Arguments

For Millican's 2011 debate with William Lane Craig Click here.

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Tim Keller was a renowned thinker, writer and speaker who was dubbed New York's 'pastor to skeptics'. This week his online memorial was watched by tens of thousands around the world. We return to one of his last live shows hosted by Ruth Jackson and Justin Brierley when Tim answered audience questions on his journey with pancreatic cancer, his transformed prayer life and his book 'Forgive'.

For more reflections on Tim Keller you can also rewatch Unbelievable's retrospective on Tim's life Tim Keller: Life, Death, and Legacy with Lecrae, Pete Wehner, Krish Kandiah (ADD LINK https://youtu.be/QLq2C8KxhAE)

Forgiveness is available here https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/spiritual-growth/forgiveness/forgive?site_id=162595&adtype=pla&device=c&product_id=6164889&gclid=CjwKCAjwivemBhBhEiwAJxNWN9L_92S8daLRRPccTvVuhoq7Nmr7Cg0PYL77v_3KIcmXK0-JyqSPZhoCFj4QAvD_BwE

• Support the show and receive your e-book 'In Conversation with Tim Keller': premierunbelievable.com/keller

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From Feb 2015: Church leader Steve Chalke is well known for his support of same-sex relationships. Ed Shaw is a same sex attracted Christian whose traditional Biblical convictions have led him to remain celibate. They discuss how churches should treat those in their congregation who are LGBT.

Jayne Ozanne, an evangelical and former member of the Archbishop's council who recently came out as gay joins by phone and we hear the story of Rosaria Butterfield's journey from lesbian activist english professor to becoming wife of a church pastor.

For the article 'Is the church failing gay Christians?' by Chalke and Doherty: http://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2015/March-2015/Is-the-Church-failing-gay-Christians

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Featuring four of the biggest names in philosophy and biology Unbelievable presents the second part of “The Mystery of Existence” a riveting debate showcasing the intellectual prowess of four eminent figures in the realm of biology and philosophy: Richard Dawkins (representing science and atheism), Jessica Frazier (on Hinduism), Silvia Jonas (speaking on Jewish philosophy), and Richard Swinburne (defending Christianity).

The origin of our universe is the greatest mystery of all. The second part of this special debate discusses what is the origin of life? Why is there something rather than nothing? This remarkable two-part series is a collaboration with The Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast and has been made possible, in part, by the Global Philosophy of Religion Project at the University of Birmingham.

Hosted by Ruth Jackson of Unbelievable and presented by Jack Symes of Panpsycast, this Unbelievable special 'The Mystery of Existence' offers profound insights and perspectives on origins and meaning. If you missed the first part of this enthralling debate, titled "Why is there something rather than nothing?" be sure to catch up here {Hyperlink FOR PREVIOUS WEEK's SHOW]

The Global Philosophy of Religion Project: http://global-philosophy.org

Philosophers on God (book): http://amzn.to/3K4enjy

Talking about Philosophy: http://talkingaboutphilosophy.com

Richard Dawkins: http://richarddawkins.com 

Jessica Frazier: http://bit.ly/jessicafrazier 

Silvia Jonas: http://silviajonas.com 

Jack Symes: http://jacksymes.co.uk 

Richard Swinburne: http://bit.ly/richardswinburne 

Philosophers on God (book): http://amzn.to/3K4enjy

Talking about Philosophy: http://talkingaboutphilosophy.com 

The Global Philosophy of Religion Project: http://global-philosophy.org 

Support: http://patreon.com/panpsycast

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From February 2015: Joshua Ryan Butler, author of 'The Skeletons in God's Closet' discusses hell, judgement and holy war with Jeff Cook.

They debate whether Old Testament warfare passages constitute divinely mandated genocide.

For Joshua Butler: http://joshuaryanbutler.com

For Jeff Cook: http://everythingnew.org/

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