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Premier Unbelievable?

Unbelievable? offers a weekly podcast, blog, and video series hosted by Ruth Jackson and a team of thinkers and Christian apologists.

Unbelievable?

What kind of future does humanity need? One shaped by Christian theism or guided by secular humanism? In this edition of Unbelievable?, philosopher and atheist Dr. Stephen Law goes head-to-head with Christian apologist and YouTuber Mike Jones (Inspiring Philosophy) to debate which worldview offers a stronger foundation for meaning, morality, and human flourishing.

Do concepts like human rights, dignity, and progress depend on a belief in God?
Can secular humanism provide a compelling vision for the future without religion?
Which worldview better addresses suffering, justice, and hope?

👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at
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🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢

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Does humanism or Christianity offer the world a better future? Mike Jones "Inspiring Philosophy" vs Stephen Law

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

Classic: Who is Jesus in Islam vs Jesus in Christianity Mustafa Akyol vs Richard Shumack

Is Christianity in England dead - or just sleeping?
Historian Bijan Omrani, author of God is an Englishman, and acclaimed writer and former environmental activist Paul Kingsnorth, who converted to Christianity after exploring Wicca and Zen, join host Andy Kind for a powerful conversation about spiritual hunger in post-Christian Britain.
From the collapse of church attendance to a resurgence in young people seeking truth, this episode explores what we lose when a civilisation forgets its sacred roots - and whether something is stirring in the dry bones of English Christianity.
We also draw on ideas from Tom Holland, Steven Bartlett, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali to ask: What did Christianity give us - and can anything replace it?
This is Premier Unbelievable? at its richest: provocative, hopeful, and deeply human.

👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate 💡 
🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️
🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢

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Christianity in England: A Dying Faith or a Sleeping Giant? Bijan Omrani and Paul Kingsnorth with Andy Kind

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

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Classic: Transhumanism, AI & the Soul: Are We Losing Our Humanity? Lord Martin Rees and Dr. John Wyatt

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

Is it still reasonable to believe in God as we move deeper into the 21st century? Mike Jones "InspiringPhilosophy" and Sam McKee

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

Classic: Paul Kingsnorth's Journey to Orthodox Christianity - The Big Conversation with Rowan Williams and Paul Kingsnorth

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

God, AI and the search for meaning: John Lennox VS John Vervaeke hosted by Roger Bolton

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

Classic: Where Is God in Natural Disasters? Reflections from Haiti to Texas

Joe Rigney calls empathy a sin. Alastair Roberts says not so fast. Who’s right?
Today, we explore a question at the heart of pastoral care, public witness, and Christian leadership: Is empathy a virtue to be cultivated or a vice to be resisted? 
Professor Joe Rigney and Dr Alastair Roberts joined Andy Kind. Joe is the author of The Sin of Empathy, a provocative work that argues that when empathy becomes "untethered" from truth, it ceases to be a virtue and can even become sinful. Alastair, a fellow theologian, has written a substantial critique, arguing that Joe's language has muddied important distinctions and potentially misrepresents a vital Christian posture. This conversation is not about labels, but substance - and we'll explore everything from scriptural foundations to gender roles, pastoral ethics, and theological nuance. Can caring too much ever become morally wrong?

Dr Joe Rigney serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College and is the author of several books, including Things of Earth and Strangely Bright. Joe Rigney, Dr. Joe Rigney, author of The Sin of Empathy. 
Joe on X: @joe_rigney

Dr Alastair Roberts is a Teaching Fellow of The Theopolis Institute and professor for Davenant Hall, and one of the hosts of the Mere Fidelity podcast. He is a co-author of Echoes of Exodus: Tracing Themes of Redemption Through Scripture (2018). 
Alistair's substack: https://argosy.substack.com/.
Alistair on X: @zugzwanged
oon Radiopaper: https://radiopaper.com/AlastairRoberts

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Is Empathy a Sin? Can caring too much ever become morally wrong? Dr. Joe Rigney and Dr. Alastair Roberts

Justin Brierley moderates a thought-provoking discussion between Theo Hobson, author of 'God Created Humanism,' and Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association. The conversation examines whether humanist values of equality and human dignity are rooted in Christianity's shaping of Western culture or can develop independently from a secular perspective. What are the origins of secular humanism? And what is the sustainability of humanist values without religious foundations? This dialogue from 2017 explores the historical and philosophical underpinnings of modern humanism.

For more of Theo Hobson and his book
https://theohobson.wordpress.com/

Andrew Copson’s book is The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of 

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Classic: Can Humanism Exist Independently of Christian Influence? Theo Hobson & Andrew Copson

"The Third Choice" by Australian church pastor Mark Durie claims that Islam has a long history of oppressing those of other faiths under its power. Durie claims that when Islam conquered a nation its inhabitants could either convert, die or become "Dhimmi" - forced to pay money for their life and live in subservience to Muslims. He says that the doctrine lives on today.

Adnan Rashid of the Hittin Institute says that misrepresents the Dhimma pact. He claims that it was a peace treaty that led to mutual respect, defence and harmony for those who were non-Muslims and was part of a Golden Age of Islamic culture.

For Mark Durie and "The Third Choice" see http://www.markdurie.com/

For Adnan Rashid see http://www.hittininstitute.com/

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 11 Dec 2010 - Islamic Blasphemy Law" - Adnan Rashid, Stuart Windsor & John Joseph

Unbelievable? 16 Jun 2007 - Mosques in the UK: does society have anything to fear?

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

Unbelievable? 18 Dec 2010 - Islam & Dhimmitude

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