Undeceptions with John Dickson

"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

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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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Writer and researcher: Alasdair Belling
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