Unbelievable?

Many new atheist writers have claimed that a new age of enlightened secular rationalism has rescued Western civilisation from the stranglehold of backwards and archaic Christian influence. David Bentley Hart says those who make such claims are suffering from an "atheist delusion".  His book "Atheist delusions: The Christian revolution and its fashionable enemies" recently won the Michael Ramsey Pr...

This week we air a debate that recently took place on whether Britain's increasingly secular society is thereby a more tolerant one.  Does secularisation bring a level playing field for everyone, or are Christians now being marginalised for their beliefs? David Robertson is a church pastor and author who runs the Solas Centre for Public Christianity.  He debates with Terry Sanderson, spokesperson...

"Unbelievable? The Conference" is available now on DVD - http://www.premier.org.uk/dvd Justin introduces two elements of the conference. Professor John Lennox, Scientist and Christian apologist gave the opening address "What are we apologising for?" We also hear a round table discussion with audience Q&A that took place between Conference speakers David Robertson, David Instone-Brewer, Jay Smith a...

"The Easter Challenge" is regularly issued by atheists and sceptics.  Can Christians provide a coherent account the events of the resurrection of Jesus that harmonises the apparent differences between the four Gospel accounts? Jay Smith is a Bible scholar and evangelist who says that it can be done.  He debates with agnostic sceptic Stephen Pilcher on the details of the Gospel accounts.  How many...

Lord Richard Harries is a life peer in the British House of Lords and the former Bishop of Oxford.  His book "The Re-enchantment of Morality" has been shortlisted for this year's Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing. He argues that Christianity and the example of Jesus "re-enchants" morality with a foundation, purpose and distinctiveness. Lord Dick Taverne is a Liberal Democrat Peer in the...

Former Methodist minister turned atheist Leslie Scrace stopped reading the Bible after he lost his faith.  20 years later he read it again and wrote a book-by-book account of how he views it as an atheist called "An Unbelievers Guide to the Bible".   Leslie criticises parts of the Old Testament that he sees as primitive and immoral while praising other parts of scripture that illustrate humanist v...

In 1995 the Church of England allowed the ordination of Women priests.  But the question of whether the Bible forbids female authority in the church remains. Christina Rees serves on the Archbishop's Council and the General Synod.  She advocates for women in ministry and female Bishops.  John Richardson of the conservative Evangelical grouping Reform within the CofE disagrees with female ordinatio...

With the death of Osama Bin Laden we ask "Did Bin Laden represent the true face of Islam"   Radical Islamist Anjem Choudary who has frequently praised Bin Laden and Al Queada for their acts of terror, joins the discussion.  He says Osama was a true Muslim doing the work of Allah.   Muhammad Al Hussaini is a Muslim scholar for the organisation Scriptural Reasoning.  He deplores acts of terror and s...

Brian McLaren is an author, theologian and church leader. He is at the forefront of the "emerging church" and his books such as "A new Kind of Christian" and "A Generous Orthodoxy" have been influential in the moevement's theology Some describe the emerging church as "post-evangelical" and "post-modern" as it seeks to re-read scripture without the cultural baggage that it believes Western Christen...

Richard Dawkins describes the Old Testament God as "a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser" (among other things).  Paul Copan is a Christian apologist and has written a book aiming to show why God's actions in the Old Testament are not immoral when taken in context. Norman Bacrac is an atheist humanist and part ot the South place Ethical Society.  He believes that Old Testament morality was ba...

"Love Wins" by US megachurch pastor Rob Bell has ignited a theological debate about the nature of Hell, the nature of God and whether all people will utimately be saved.  Bell joins Justin Brierley to discuss the book and respond to some of the key criticisms that have been levelled at it.  UK Church blogger Adrian Warnock disagrees with many of Bell's conclusions and believes he is swimming outsi...

Mark Vernon trained to be an Anglican priest before losing his faith to become an atheist. But he became disenchanted with that position too. Now he champions agnosticism. He says agnosticism is more than "sitting on the fence" and is a rich place of searching after the big questions. Church Pastor David Robertson debates with Mark on whether God is ultimately unknowable. David claims that Jesus h...

Bart Ehrman is well known as a US New Testament Scholar who lost his Christian faith and now questions many core precepts of Christianity, including the Resurrection of Jesus.  When Mike Licona had doubts he devoted himself to investigating the evidence and became convinced that Jesus resurrection is the only rational explanation for the facts. They debate key historical facts about the resurrecti...

The Koran claims that Jesus did not die on the cross. Mohammed Bahmanpour of the Islamic College in London defends the Koranic view that although "it was made to appear to them" that he died, in fact he was substituted by another. Jay Smith is a Christian evangelist to Muslims in London and brings to bear Biblical and other historical witnesses to the crucifixion.  They debate the issue and whethe...

6 months ago Sye Ten Bruggencate and atheist Paul Baird met to discuss Sye's presuppositional approach to proof of God.  Sye claims that the fact Paul believes in laws of logic, maths, science and rationality prove that God exists. The show was a popular download with many subsequent online debates.  They are back - Paul brings 6 months experience of debate on the subject online with him.  Sye res...

Today's show begins with details of the forthcoming Unbelievable? apologetics conference in London where Justin will be joined by speakers including John Lennox, Jay Smith, David Instone-Brewer and David Robertson. David Robertson joins Justin for a third round of sceptical questions from Unbelievable? atheist listeners. Andrew in the UK asks about Secular society, Amigo in Japan about trusting sc...

Music often evokes strong emotions in people. But is there more to the beauty and meaning we find in music than atheism allows? David Robertson contends that the joy and meaning we experience in music is a pointer beyond itself to an ultimate source of joy and meaning in God. Gordon Livesey is a musician and an atheist. He contends that while we all experience emotions and meaning in music, it ult...

The UK Government recently outlined a White Paper that threatens to demote Religious Education to a peripheral subject in the curriculum.  More info on the campaign to have it reinstated here: http://www.reactcampaign.co.uk/ Mark Roques of Reality Bites regularly leads RE workshops for students - he says we need more engaging ways of teaching RE.  He also claims there is a hidden curriculum in edu...

In an age of religious pluralism it can seem arrogant for Christians to claim they have "the truth" or the only means to salvation.  So when Jesus said "no-one comes to the Father except through me" what did he mean? And what about those who have not heard the Gospel? John Hick is a noted philosopher and theologian who is a proponent of a pluralist view of religion - that there is one light (God)...

400 years on from the publication of the King James Version of the Bible, there is now a proliferation of translations available.  Some Christians maintain that the KJV has never been surpassed for its style, authority and reliability. James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries disputes the idea that the King James Version is the "only and best" version Christians should read.  He says that there a...

Alister McGrath's new book "Why God won't go away" is a critique of the New Atheist Movement spearheaded by Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris & Dennett. He chats with atheist philosopher Stephen Law about aggressive atheism and its online form.  They debate whether religion leads to violence and whether Stephen's "Evil God challenge" is a defeater for belief in a good God. To book a place at the London Bo...

Off-duty police men in Bogota, Columbia shoot street children because they consider them to be "disposables".  Using stories such as this Mark Roques asks whether value in human life can be found anywhere other than our being made "In the image of God". Atheist Paul Thompson argues that we don't need a supernatural explanation for the value we place on human beings. They discuss the issue of where...

To mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible Justin Brierley will be presenting a number of programmes looking at issues of Biblical reliability and interpretation in the coming year. This week he asks "Which translation shoud we trust?"  There are now many different English translations of scripture available. Atheist Norman Hansen asks how Christians can base their belief...

William Lane Craig is a philosopher, author and key defender of the Christian faith in debates around the world. Although atheist Richard Dawkins had publicly said he will not debate Craig, he found himself on the same platform as him in November 2010.  Dawkins was on an atheist team, Craig on a theist team as they debated "Does the Universe have a purpose?" at a Mexico TED-style event. With extra...

Os Guinness is an author, cultural critic and Christian apologist.  He co-founded the Trinity Forum which "seeks to transform society through the transformation of leaders".   Baroness Mary Warnock is a moral philosopher and atheist.  She is a cross bench peer in the House of Lords and an influential voice arguing for liberalisation of euthanasia laws.   Her book "Dishonest to God" argues that rel...