Shows
Undeceptions with John Dickson169. Against CoercionSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. A popular myth is that when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, he forced everyone else to embrace the faith - or else face deadly consequences.But this couldn’t be further from the truth.It was under Constantine that the very modern-sounding ideas of freedom of religion and “justice for all” were first instituted.These were revolutionary ideals, and they came from a very smart, learned Christian in the Emperor's inner circle.FOR...
2026-03-011h 18
Undeceptions with John Dickson168. Virtue / ViceSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. In pop culture, we often enjoy watching - or reading - vice and virtue play out, with the former often far more exciting than the latter.But what about real life? Do we still find vice “sizzling” (as one writer described it), and virtue stale?At the heart of this lies a much deeper question: What good is there in pursuing the good?FOR FULL SHOW NOTES: https://undeceptions.com/podcast/virtue-vice/(00:08) - - Is virtue boring?
(06:51) - - Wh...
2026-02-221h 12
Undeceptions with John DicksonSINGLE: Christmas PeaceSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. We attempt to make sense of the silly season, to explain why there really is “more to life”, and why the traditional Christmas story still holds the answers.(00:00) - - Unwanted Christmas cards
(06:14) - - Diagnosing our festive illness
(10:22) - - Happiness or peace?
(12:08) - - Jesus the umpire
(14:43) - - The Prince of Peace
(20:28) - - Christmas and the Gulag Archipelago
(24:29) - - Christmas is good enough without Jesus, right?
(32:12) - - Jesus turns his face towards us
CREDITSUndeceptions is host...
2025-12-1437 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson167. Nicene CreedSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. It’s probably the most significant of all church history’s debates: Was Jesus fully human, fully divine, or a hybrid of some sort?1700 years ago, bishops from across the Christian world gathered in the city of Nicaea to settle this once and for all.The outcome was three paragraphs which went on to represent the core of Christianity, and spell out who Jesus is - and who he isn’t.(00:00) - - Jesus: Man or someth...
2025-11-231h 15
Undeceptions with John Dickson166. Jesus Proof?Special thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. The first-century historian Flavius Josephus is the oldest source we have for the historical Jesus outside of the Bible.His 90-word paragraph about Jesus - where he calls Jesus “the Christ”, and says Jesus “appeared to them [the disciples] alive again on the third day", spending a third day restored to life - has sparked centuries of debate.Most experts think this paragraph has an authentic core, but has been embellished by a later Christian scribe.But...
2025-11-161h 29
Undeceptions with John Dickson165. Question Answer XVSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Why don’t Christians still follow the Laws of the Old Testament? Why did God create humans if so many are apparently destined for Hell? Is the ‘Golden Rule’ actually a Christian idea? John answers all these - and more - for our Season XV Q&A!(00:00) - - Intro
(06:45) - - Why don't Christians still follow the Old Testament Law?
(16:22) - - Deep reading for non-readers
(21:14) - - Are Christians allowed to practise Old Testament laments post-Jesus?
(25:04) - - Why would God create a spec...
2025-11-091h 03
Undeceptions with John Dickson164. After ChristendomSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Christianity no longer has the cultural sway it once held. But there’s always been a long tradition of Christians being flexible in engaging their culture—whether in ancient Rome, Viking Scandinavia, or modern America. So what does a ‘relevant’ Christianity look like in the 21st century?CREDITSUndeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer and researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online...
2025-11-031h 29
Undeceptions with John Dickson163. Divine ComedySpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. In his Divine Comedy, Dante isn’t claiming to offer us a vision of what hell and heaven are actually like. It might be set in the afterlife, but it’s really about how we live life here and now. Even if you’ve never read one line of the epic poem, you’ve been influenced by The Divine Comedy. It’s time we learned more about one of Western literature’s greatest works … and how it might just change our lives. C...
2025-10-191h 30
Undeceptions with John Dickson162. Persecution ComplexSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Some claim Christian persecution is on the rise, while others find the idea of a modern persecution implausible. So, what’s the truth? It’s complex … (00:00) - - John Dickson's persecution complex
(10:29) - - The myth of persecution
(14:57) - - The first Christian persecutions
(23:02) - - The third-century persecutions
(35:17) - - The Emperor Diocletian comes to power
(41:24) - - The Great Persecution
(50:56) - - The persecutions end
(58:50) - - Haroon's story
(01:08:33) - - Smash and squeeze persecution
(01:21:13) - - Five Minute Jesus
CREDITSUndec...
2025-10-121h 30
Undeceptions with John Dickson161. Jane AustenSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Jane Austen’s words and books are well known. But what do we know of Jane herself - what she was like, and what she believed? What did she think of society and class, ethics, literature, romance, and faith?(00:00) - - Jane behind the text
(07:24) - - Jane's world
(12:08) - - Jane the novelist
(21:04) - - The author and the characters
(35:31) - - Romance, satire, or something else?
(42:42) - - Jane's 'undeceptions'
(47:14) - - Jane and the church
(56:30) - - Ethics and virtues
(01:01:27...
2025-10-051h 17
Undeceptions with John Dickson160. Deep LearningSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Christianity is sometimes branded as anti-intellectual, and its followers labelled unteachable. But in an increasingly divided age, the church - with its rich history of learning - might be able to help the world recover what it means to have a teachable spirit … and to know who to learn from.(00:00) - - How we learn
(05:50) - - Teachability
(12:17) - - Humility in learning
(17:33) - - Is faith a block to thinking critically?
(22:31) - - Combating fear with knowledge
(29:43) - - Learning from strangers
(34:17...
2025-09-281h 13
Undeceptions with John Dickson157. Why Believe?Special thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. The 18th-century philosopher David Hume famously predicted that, as the world grew more rational and scientific, people would stop having supernatural encounters.But that’s not what has played out.We might live in a secular age, but we continue to have seemingly divine experiences.Lots of people now describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious”, but taking that next step - that leap of faith - into a formal belief system might actually be more rational than not.(00...
2025-06-151h 30
Undeceptions with John Dickson155. Good PopeSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. The world’s attention has recently been on the Vatican, and the election of the new Pope Leo XIV.But what’s the history behind the office of the Bishop of Rome? What makes a good pope?By looking at the extraordinary career of John Dickson’s favourite pontiff, we attempt to answer those questions.CREDITSUndeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasd...
2025-06-011h 19
Undeceptions with John Dickson154. Boy JesusSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. The Gospels tell us about Jesus’ adult life, with scant references to his childhood.We can catch glimpses of the younger Jesus' life, but there’s so much we don’t know.But if we move beyond the Bible, we can learn about the world the younger Jesus lived in.Growing up a refugee, in a land under foreign occupation, and a region full of militia groups, it’s worth asking: How did the turbulent backgrou...
2025-05-111h 14
Undeceptions with John Dickson153. The ChemistsSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. According to the data, chemistry is the scientific discipline with the highest number of ”theists”.Perhaps it’s not that surprising: Chemistry grew out of alchemy, a mysterious science that attempted to uncover the secrets of nature, with goals some would consider supernatural.Modern chemists are also working to uncover the secrets of nature. For some, seeing just how ordered the world is has led them to wonder whether there might be more going on behind...
2025-05-041h 18
Undeceptions with John Dickson152. God LamentsSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Like it or not, life will let us down. We all face disappointment.Despite this, people spend their entire lives trying to avoid and outrun disappointment.But the Bible offers a different solution.It gives us the tools to feel and express disappointment. Tools to grieve well. Tools to lament.But it doesn’t stop there.In the Bible, we also find a God who sits with us in ou...
2025-04-271h 17
Undeceptions with John Dickson151. Mary MagdaleneSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Mary Magdalene has played many roles throughout history. She’s been a prostitute, a temptation, Jesus’ wife, Jesus’ lover, a cave-dwelling mystic, a devoted follower, a revolutionary, and a penitent.The supposed sinner-turned-saint comes to us in a multiplicity of earthly, perhaps even scandalous, portraits that surprise and inspire.So what can we know about this woman for sure?CREDITSUndeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley.
2025-04-201h 14
Undeceptions with John Dickson149. Our HymnSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. When John Dickson convinced top Christian songwriters Ben Fielding and Chris Tomlin to have a go at transforming an 1800-year-old hymn into a tune for our times, they felt the weight of responsibility.This is part two of our mini-series on how the song 'The First Hymn' came to life, with a full documentary soon to follow, which will track the hymn's journey from the deserts of Egypt to the middle of a sold-out stadium arena in the heart of America in the 21st century.
2025-04-061h 08
Undeceptions with John Dickson122. Political JesusSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsCheck 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...
2024-03-311h 23
Undeceptions with John Dickson114. Medieval JesusSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail...
2023-11-2654 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson113. The PuritansSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: admin@undeceptions.com...
2023-11-191h 09
Undeceptions with John Dickson106. Deconstructing FaithSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 g...
2023-10-021h 15
Undeceptions with John Dickson105. Decoding DreamsSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show...
2023-07-021h 17
Undeceptions with John Dickson104. Question Answer IXSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this...
2023-06-2553 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson103. Blind FaithSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit...
2023-06-181h 17
Undeceptions with John Dickson102. Ancient LettersSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including...
2023-06-111h 14
Undeceptions with John Dickson101. Keller's LegacySpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the...
2023-06-041h 19
Undeceptions with John Dickson100. Saving NatureSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.
2023-05-281h 08Undeceptions with John Dickson99. Overcoming ApathySpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.
2023-05-211h 03
Undeceptions with John Dickson98. Dorothy L. SayersSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this...
2023-05-141h 05
Undeceptions with John Dickson97. The ApocalypseSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and In...
2023-05-071h 09
Undeceptions with John Dickson96. Medical MiraclesSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: admin@undeceptions.com
2023-04-301h 09
Undeceptions with John Dickson95. With BethSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions is the flagship podcast of...
2023-04-231h 03
Undeceptions with John Dickson94. Venerable BedeSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.com
2023-04-161h 21
Undeceptions with John Dickson93. The CrucifixionSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the...
2023-04-061h 17
Undeceptions with John Dickson92. The Reformation IISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@u...
2023-04-021h 20
Undeceptions with John Dickson91. The Reformation ISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 globa...
2023-03-271h 13
Undeceptions with John Dickson90. Jesus QuestsSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude...
2023-01-151h 11
Undeceptions with John Dickson88. Beautiful ScienceSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
2023-01-011h 23
Undeceptions with John Dickson87. Old ChristSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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'. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes...
2022-12-251h 04
Undeceptions with John Dickson86. First Noel (second time around)Special thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. ‘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'. Visit t...
2022-12-1852 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson85. Lewis' NarniaSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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'. Visit the undeceptions.com for more c...
2022-12-111h 16
Undeceptions with John Dickson84. Byzantine EmpireSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Fo...
2022-12-041h 22
Undeceptions with John Dickson83. Time MattersSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEm...
2022-11-271h 18
Undeceptions with John Dickson81. Lewis' OxfordSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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...
2022-11-131h 24
Undeceptions with John Dickson80. Critical TheorySpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 Chr...
2022-09-041h 12
Undeceptions with John Dickson79. Question Answer VIISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 Folso...
2022-08-2851 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson78. Scientific ImaginationSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.
2022-08-211h 10
Undeceptions with John Dickson77. Bookish Religion?Special thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Fac...
2022-08-141h 12
Undeceptions with John Dickson76. Against EuthanasiaSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: adm...
2022-08-071h 31
Undeceptions with John Dickson75. Global ChristianitySpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the s...
2022-07-311h 07
Undeceptions with John Dickson74. Medieval ScienceSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions is the fl...
2022-07-241h 11
Undeceptions with John Dickson73. On BuddhismSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions is the flagship po...
2022-07-171h 19
Undeceptions with John Dickson72. The FloodSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, perf...
2022-07-101h 04
Undeceptions with John Dickson71. Emotional IntelligenceSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. This episode was sponsored by Zondervan Academic's book Bully Pulpit by Michael J. Kruger.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 DicksonProduced by Kaley P...
2022-07-031h 06
Undeceptions with John Dickson70. The ArtistSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book The Beauty Chasers by Timothy Willard.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 DicksonProduced by...
2022-05-221h 13
Undeceptions with John Dickson69. Trans GenderSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 D...
2022-05-151h 28
Undeceptions with John Dickson68. Question Answer VISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed b...
2022-05-081h 03
Undeceptions with John Dickson67. On SufferingSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Malestrom: How Jesus Dismantles Patriarchy and Redefines Manhood by Carolyn Custis JamesVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 b...
2022-05-011h 18
Undeceptions with John Dickson66. The Vikings IISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book The Sexual Reformation by Aimee Byrd. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 DicksonProduced by Kal...
2022-04-241h 05
Undeceptions with John Dickson65. The Vikings ISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for...
2022-04-171h 23
Undeceptions with John Dickson64. Kingdom ComeSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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...
2022-04-101h 10
Undeceptions with John Dickson63. With KellerSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 wa...
2022-04-031h 10
Undeceptions with John DicksonBecome an UndeceiverSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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...
2022-04-0102 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson62. Science WarsSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 Dic...
2022-03-271h 14
Undeceptions with John Dickson60. Resting WellSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 DicksonProduced by Kal...
2021-12-191h 07
Undeceptions with John Dickson59. The RefugeeSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 DicksonProduce...
2021-12-121h 12
Undeceptions with John Dickson58. Question Answer VSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions 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 DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Di...
2021-12-051h 12
Undeceptions with John Dickson50. Good LifeSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 P...
2021-10-101h 05
Undeceptions with John DicksonThe best of Old PapersSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 o...
2021-07-0443 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson44. Teenage JesusSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.LINK...
2021-06-1345 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson41. God's War ISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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? W...
2021-05-2346 min
Undeceptions with John DicksonAmerican Soul SingleSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.
Undeceptions sponsors: Zondervan AcademicAnglican AidSelah Travel
2021-04-0411 min
Undeceptions with John DicksonStill Cancer SingleSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.
2021-03-2820 minUndeceptions with John Dickson35. Ask Anything IIISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 LINKSWhat Dreams May Come trailerThe Good Place, TV show: how points are scored i...
2020-12-271h 05Undeceptions with John Dickson33. Danger: ProselytisingSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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. LINKSFind out more about our guest, Dr S...
2020-12-131h 04Undeceptions with John Dickson28. Discordant ReligionSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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: ...
2020-11-0859 minUndeceptions with John Dickson27. Creation's MusicSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.
2020-11-0155 minUndeceptions with John Dickson25. Bible MistakesSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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...
2020-10-1956 minUndeceptions with John DicksonIntroducing Season 3 of UndeceptionsWe're back with a new season of Undeceptions. Join us as we chase down facts and explore the best arguments, to explode some of the myths about history, science, psychology, and the good life … and how it all relates to the Christian faith.
This season, we're talking climate change, public health, why belief in God is natural, how music points to the divine, mistakes in the Bible, and … the end of the world.
2020-10-1404 min
Undeceptions with John DicksonConfederate Statues SingleSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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?
Undeceptions sponsors: Zondervan AcademicAnglican AidSelah Travel
2020-09-2710 min
Undeceptions with John DicksonIndigenous Slaves SingleSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.
Undeceptions sponsors: Zondervan AcademicAnglican AidSelah Travel
2020-09-2011 min
Undeceptions with John DicksonPaddling Through SingleSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.
Undeceptions sponsors: Zondervan AcademicAnglican AidSelah Travel
2020-07-2609 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson24. LGBTI ChristianSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 sam...
2020-05-3154 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson23. Ask Anything IISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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.LINKSBoth atheistic evolutionists and literalistic creationists want you to read Genesis the same way, but is there a...
2020-05-2556 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson22. Remembering WomenSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 fo...
2020-05-171h 00
Undeceptions with John Dickson21. Post ChristianSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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 re...
2020-05-1054 minUndeceptions with John Dickson20. Miraculous PhysicsSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. 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, resu...
2020-05-0354 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson19. Scientific TheologySpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. It’s a popular misconception. If science is your guiding light, you’re going to see the world a particular way. And if you hold to religion well, you’re going to imagine the world a particular way. At least that’s how it seems.But Alister McGrath is the Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University, and he makes a pretty convincing case that, while science and religion are fundamentally different, they remain complementary. So what does Alister do with the all t...
2020-04-2648 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson18. Confronting ChristianitySpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin is a learned, feisty academic who's not afraid to confront the challenge that this two thousand year old faith has run its course.Claims of institutionalised homophobia, that religion is bad for us, and scare tactics surrounding the teaching of Hell - they all surface in this episode.Faced with the most challenging questions of the day, Dr. McLaughlin offers a spirited defence of Christianity that John Dickson thinks amounts to the best answer to troubling questions since Tim Keller's...
2020-04-1952 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson17. Hindu PriestSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. What do you do if you devote your entire life to one religion, then slowly realise you belong somewhere else?This episode isn’t an exploration of a forgotten piece of history, a tricky topic, or an ethical dilemma, but a story, plain and simple about a search for personal peace, which is just what our anxious world needs right now.Rahil Patel was one of the Hindu world's leading evangelists, who spent decades establishing temples all over Europe and Russia, until one da...
2020-04-121h 04
Undeceptions with John Dickson16. Easter MythsSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. It’s Easter, and billions of people pause to contemplate the death and resurrection of Jesus. Alongside them are plenty of folks who look at Christ quite differently.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.We had a lot of fun looking at the Christmas Story through the lens of his...
2020-04-0547 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson15. She PersuadesSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. If you’re preparing yourself for an assault on conservative Christian doctrine regarding women in church leadership, or different approaches to women teaching … you’re going to be disappointed.This is an episode about a more fundamental ‘deception’ the western world seems to hold: that Christianity places no value on the contribution of women, or offers them any pride of place.However, Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is the Joint Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and the counter to that claim.
2020-03-2943 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson14. Six DaysSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Last season we brought you John Lennox, talking about the compatibility of faith and a scientific mind, and Ard Louis discussing the evidence for a rational universe … but we sidestepped one obvious debate.Creation versus evolution - 6 days versus 13.8 billion years - young earthers vs. ancient universe-ers. It’s a pretty hot argument in the minds of some believers and non-believers alike. Sometimes both sides think there’s only one way to take Genesis, and that’s at face v...
2020-03-2252 min
Undeceptions with John Dickson13. It's CancerSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. In this episode we’re delving into that frightening world. According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death internationally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million fatalities in 2018 - that’s 1 in 6 deaths. Cancer is an undiscriminating disease. It can appear in almost any part of the body, and any age group. Each year, 300,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed in children alone. And the costs for those who can pay for treatments and preventative measures are staggering - cance...
2020-03-1542 minUndeceptions with John DicksonBONUS Undeceptions ThemeSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Thanks for being great supporters of the first season of Undeceptions! We hope you enjoy this little gift from us, and have a happy Christmas with your loved ones and the God who made this all possible.Yours in all truth,John, Kaley, Bella and Mark
Undeceptions sponsors: Zondervan AcademicAnglican AidSelah Travel
2019-12-0303 minUndeceptions with John Dickson11. Question Answer ISpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Each week of our first season of Undeceptions, we've asked you to tell us some of the things you'd like to be 'undeceived' about. This episode John Dickson tackles the top questions sent in, covering everything from questions raised by our various guests to crackers you've come up with on your own.Press play to hear more about whether Islam actually invented science, why historians still reject the idea of a resurrection, and what the difference is between New Testament and Old Testament Miracles. Plus...
2019-11-2556 minUndeceptions with John Dickson10. Historical JesusSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. This episode, we've put John Dickson in the hot seat to talk about his new book: Is Jesus History. Anita Savage is our guest host, and she grills John on one of the greatest questions out there: did Jesus really exist?Thanks to our season sponsor - Selah - for all your travel needs, whether you're a doubter or a believer. Find out more at myselah.com.au.Links related to this episode:Get John Dickson's latest book Is Jesus H...
2019-11-1838 minUndeceptions with John DicksonThe full John Lennox interviewSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. Head to undeceptions.com to listen to Episode 3, 'God Science' with John Lennox.
Undeceptions sponsors: Zondervan AcademicAnglican AidSelah Travel
2019-10-2843 minUndeceptions with John Dickson4. Moral ClassicsSpecial thanks to Undeceptions Season 16 major sponsor Zondervan Academic. The ethic of love at the heart of the New Testament sounds like ‘common sense’ to many today - it’s what any rational person would think about the good life.But it certainly wasn’t ‘rational’ in the Roman world, and it hasn’t been for most of world history.In episode four of Undeceptions, John Dickson speaks with Teresa Morgan, a professor of Graeco-Roman History at Oriel College, Oxford University about what life was like for the average person living on the outskirts...
2019-09-2337 min