Unbelievable?

Did Jesus really rise from the dead, or is the resurrection best explained another way? In this gripping debate, Alex O'Connor and Trent Horn go head-to-head on one of history’s most controversial claims. Trent argues that the resurrection offers the best explanation for the historical evidence: the empty tomb, the transformation of the disciples, and early eyewitness testimony. Alex pushes back, questioning the reliability of the sources and offering alternative explanations from visionary experiences to parallels with other religious movements. Along the way, they tackle group hallucinations, the martyrdom of the apostles, and even surprising comparisons with Mormonism. Hosted by...

Live from Sir Henry Floyd Grammar school in Aylesbury, Nigel Crook and Andy Bannister discuss the promise and peril of artificial intelligence and what it could mean for the future of humanity. Hosted by biologist Sam McKee, and filmed in front of a live audience of teenagers in Aylesbury, UK, this conversation asks the big questions young people are already wrestling with. As AI systems grow more capable, are we heading towards unprecedented flourishing or an age of deepening dependence and control? Can machines genuinely understand, create, or even “think” and does that matter morally? Should advanced AI ever be gran...

What if the more we learn about the universe, the harder it is to explain without God? In this conversation, Dr Antony Latham, retired GP, former hospital doctor in East Africa, and Chair of the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics, joins Luke Martin to discuss his new book, When I Consider Your Heavens: How Science and Philosophy Lead Us to God. We explore how a life in medicine led him into big questions of cosmology, ethics, and the philosophy of mind. From the fine-tuning of the universe (and “maybe we just got lucky” objections), to the moral argument (including evolutionary debu...

Why do we suffer, and what, if anything, can make sense of it? Live from John Colet School in Wendover, Unbelievable? hosts a compelling debate on one of the hardest questions in philosophy and faith: the problem of suffering. Joining the conversation are Alonzo Paul, a philosopher of religion based in Oxford researching horrendous and seemingly meaningless suffering, and Harry Amos, an ex-Christian philosopher who sees suffering as one of the strongest objections to belief in God. Together they explore both the intellectual problem of evil and the felt reality of pain. Is suffering evidence against an all-powerful, all-good God...

In recent years, numerous high-profile Christian leaders have resigned following revelations of moral failure, including Carl Lentz, Jerry Falwell Jr., and Bill Hybels. Others have posthumously been subject to allegations of sexual misconduct, including Jean Vanier and Ravi Zacharias (an independent investigation is ongoing). Karen Swallow Prior, who resigned her position at Liberty University over the Falwell affair, and RC Sproul Jr, who has written about his own moral failures, discuss what’s gone wrong in evangelical leadership and whether we are forgetting the female victims in many cases. Support & Subscribe 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at ww...

In this Unbelievable conversation, host John Nelson tackles the “meaning crisis” that’s been bubbling up across the internet: the rise in loneliness, anxiety, addiction and a sense of cultural fragmentation and the growing hunger for depth, belonging and transcendence. John Vervaeke (University of Toronto) argues that modern life suffers from a “propositional tyranny”, over-privileging facts and analysis while neglecting other ways of knowing procedural, perspectival and participatory that bind us to reality, one another, and ourselves. Poet and priest Malcolm Guite agrees, tracing the crisis to modernity’s split between mind and world, and making a passionate case for imagination...

Luke Martin is joined by neurosurgeon, war veteran and author Dr Lee Warren for a powerful and deeply personal conversation on trauma, grief, the brain, and whether we can truly change how we think and live. After performing over 200 brain surgeries in a warzone in Iraq, Lee returned home carrying the unseen wounds of PTSD. Years later, following the devastating loss of his son, he found himself confronting not just suffering, but the limits of a purely material understanding of the mind. In this wide-ranging discussion, Lee explores the difference between brain and mind, why neuroscience alone may not explain...

In this conversation, we’re exploring one of the central claims of Christianity: the resurrection of Jesus. Joining us are two of the world’s leading New Testament scholars who approach the evidence from different angles. Dale Allison, former Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, is widely respected for his historical work on Jesus and early Christian belief, and is known for his careful, often cautious assessment of what historians can and cannot conclude about the resurrection. Read Dale's book here Dr Michael Licona, Professor of Biblical Studies at Houston Christian University, is a leading defe...

Physicists Paul Davies and Jeremy England tackle one of science’s hardest puzzles: how did lifeless matter spark into life? In this classic Big Conversation from Unbelievable podcast the question is whether we need a new theory for the origin of life in the universe. Davies argues that “software” (information) is as crucial as chemistry, hinting at undiscovered laws that bind hardware to code. England explains how open systems and thermodynamics can drive matter to organise, adapt and harvest energy—perhaps seeding pre-Darwinian evolution. They trade insights on RNA world hypotheses, entropy, agency, and why the universe is so uncannily intellig...

Can morality be objective without God? In this thought-provoking episode of Unbelievable, host John Nelson brings together Christian writer Caleb Woodbridge and Objectivist thinker Thomas Walker-Werth for a deep clash over reason, self-interest, human dignity and the basis of right and wrong. Is morality grounded in God’s nature, or can human reason alone discover universal moral truths? Drawing on Christian theology, Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, Aristotle, Pascal and questions of sacrifice, flourishing and human value, the conversation explores whether morality is something we receive, discover or construct. Along the way, they tackle original sin, rational self-interest, charity, suffering, obligation and...

In this episode, Luke Martin speaks to psychiatrist, neuroscientist and bestselling author Iain McGilchrist about the ideas that have made him one of the most influential thinkers of our age. Rod Dreher has said McGilchrist’s The Matter With Things “will come to be regarded as one of the seminal texts of the century”. In this conversation, McGilchrist explores the divided brain, the crisis of meaning in modern culture, the limits of reductionism, and the importance of recovering a deeper sense of the sacred. He also reflects personally on music, beauty, Christianity, suffering, AI, and the kind of attention needed to liv...

In this special episode of Unbelievable?, John Nelson speaks with Pastor Richmond Wandera in Kampala, Uganda. After his father was murdered, Richmond grew up in a slum community before his life was transformed through Compassion child sponsorship. Now leading New Life Baptist Church and equipping thousands of pastors across East Africa, Richmond shares what’s changed for vulnerable children since COVID, from rising poverty and disrupted schooling to trafficking and online exploitation. We also ask a difficult question: do international charities help or sometimes hinder? Richmond explains why partnerships through local churches can create lasting change for children and families. To...

In this replay we bring together Christian Philosopher & Theologian Keith Ward and atheist Professor of Philosophy from King's College London, David Papinaeu to unpack the question "Is our mind more than matter"? Ward believes that the brain is accompanied by an immaterial mind, while Papinaeu believes the brain and the mind to be one in the same - with nothing immaterial about it. What do you think? This episode originally aired on: 14 Jan 2012 ​Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www...

On Darwin Day, marking the birthday of Charles Darwin, we ask a question that continues to divide believers and sceptics alike: Does evolution point us toward God… or away from Him? In this special episode of Premier Unbelievable? hosted by Andy Kind, molecular biologist and theologian Dr Denis Alexander joins philosopher and sceptical thinker John Catt for a thoughtful and robust conversation on the worldview implications of evolutionary theory. Dr Alexander argues that evolutionary science is fully compatible with Christian faith and can be understood within a theistic framework. John Catt contends that Darwinian evolution has historically undercut traditional religious be...

Luke Martin's special guest this week is Glen Scrivener talking about the surprising new openness to Christianity in Britain and beyond. Drawing on themes from his book The Air We Breathe. Glen explores why younger generations may be less gripped by old atheism debates and more drawn to questions of meaning, identity, masculinity, community and cultural roots. The conversation looks at whether the West is rediscovering its Christian foundations, why church can feel newly plausible to sceptics, and how public figures such as Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman may be shifting the cultural mood. Luke and Glen also discuss revival...

In this episode of Unbelievable?, host John Nelson is joined by philosophers Amos Wallen (Oxford) and Dr Joshua Sijuwade to debate whether Christianity can be supported by a priori reasoning - arguments based purely on logic rather than historical evidence. Dr Sijuwade argues that philosophical reflection on God’s nature may lead to surprising conclusions, including the incarnation and even the Trinity. Drawing on ideas from thinkers like Richard Swinburne, he explores whether concepts such as perfect goodness, omniscience and divine love logically point toward core Christian doctrines. But Amos Wallen is sceptical. Do these arguments really increase the probability of Christianity...

In this Classic Replay of Unbelievable? Podcast, we delve into the fascinating journey of Leah Libresco, once a prominent atheist blogger who made headlines by converting to Catholicism. Her story gained attention across both religious and secular spheres, including a feature on CNN. Leah sits down with Hemant Mehta, widely known as the Friendly Atheist, for a topical discussion about the moral arguments that played a pivotal role in her conversion journey. Hemant quizzes Leah on her decision to embrace Catholicism, providing listeners with an insightful exchange that explores the intricacies of faith, reason, and personal conviction. Listeners also get...

​In this Unbelievable? debate shot in front of a live audience at Leicester Secular Hall, Andy Kind hosts two Christian thinkers who still manage to clash sharply: Professor Keith Fox (Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry in the School of Biological Sciences at Southampton University, where he led research on DNA recognition and structure) argues that theistic evolution best explains life’s diversity, while Peter S. Williams (Christian philosopher and apologist, and Adjunct Professor in Communication and Worldviews at NLA University College, in Norway) contends intelligent design can be a legitimate scientific inference in biology as well as cosmology. With the twist that they...

Luke Martin is joined by Dr Sharon Dirckx, Cambridge-trained brain-imaging scientist and some time Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics speaker, for a wide-ranging conversation on the mind, meaning and what makes us human. Sharon reflects on her journey from biochemistry into fMRI research, including work on addiction, and explains why consciousness remains a “hard problem” for purely material accounts of the mind. They explore the language of “soul”, what Christians do (and don’t) mean by it, and why near-death experiences raise provocative questions about whether we are more than our brains. Sharon, author of Am I Just My Brain? also weigh...

Recorded at Aylesbury High School, Sam McKee hosts a lively Unbelievable? Podcast schools debate on one of life’s biggest questions: are we really free? Cambridge PhD researcher Matthew Su and Oxford philosopher of mind Amna Whiston go head-to-head on libertarian free will, determinism, and compatibilism and why it matters for moral responsibility, justice, and everyday choices. Can hunger, habit, upbringing, or neuroscience quietly steer our decisions? Are we “puppets” of biology, or genuinely authors of our actions? The conversation ranges from courtroom judgment and temptation to mental health, personhood, and whether AI and “philosophical zombies” help or hinder the case for h...

In February 2012 Sofia Europa sponsored a discussion between Richard Dawkins and Rowan Williams, the then-Archbishop of Canterbury, on the question of Human Nature and Our Ultimate Origins. The discussion was chaired by agnostic Prof Sir Anthony Kenny. It is broadcast here in full. For the full discussion watch on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bow4nnh1Wv0 • Get our 'Confident Christianity' course: http://www.premier.org.uk/courseierchristianradio.com/... • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training...

In February 2012 Sofia Europa sponsored a discussion between Richard Dawkins and Rowan Williams, the then-Archbishop of Canterbury, on the question of Human Nature and Our Ultimate Origins. The discussion was chaired by agnostic Prof Sir Anthony Kenny. It is broadcast here in full. For the full discussion watch on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bow4nnh1Wv0 • Get our 'Confident Christianity' course: http://www.premier.org.uk/courseierchristianradio.com/... • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training...

Why isn’t God more obvious? In this episode of Premier Unbelievable, host John Nelson is joined by Dan Paterson (Questioning Christianity) and Joe Schmid (agnostic philosopher; Princeton doctoral researcher and youtuber at Majesty of Reason) to tackle the argument from divine hiddenness. If a perfectly loving God exists, why are there sincere seekers who still can’t believe, and why does God sometimes feel silent in suffering? They unpack J.L. Schellenberg’s formulation, debate deductive vs evidential versions, and explore whether cultural demographics, religious diversity, and tragedy point towards naturalism or theism. Dan argues Christianity has ancient resources for hi...

​Christianity is back in the conversation, and Dr Andrew Ollerton thinks it’s more than a moment. In this episode of Premier Unbelievable? The Interview, Luke Martin sits down with the Bible Society theologian, pastor, and creator of The Bible Course to explore the “Quiet Revival” and why Gen Z (and big-name podcasters) are re-opening the Bible. Andrew introduces his new book, God’s Book: An Honest Look at the Bible , and tackles the seven toughest topics readers stumble over: credibility, Genesis and science, Old Testament violence, slavery, and alleged sexism. With clarity and warmth, he argues for reading Scripture “in context, in Chris...

What does Christian political witness look like in a plural, polarized democracy and should Christians ever aim for a “Christian nation”? In this episode of Premier Unbelievable?, John Nelson hosts a frank and high-stakes conversation on Christian nationalism, secularism, and the future of liberal democracy. Doug Wilson, pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, argues that nations are moral agents accountable to God, and defends a vision he calls “theocratic libertarianism”—limited government, but explicitly Christian moral foundations. Dr. Michael Bird, biblical scholar and Anglican priest, agrees politics is never neutral—but warns that certain models of Christian nationalism risk disenfranchising min...

From the Archives: How should Christians understand the Adam & Eve story in Genesis? Is it scientifically plausible that humanity can be traced back to a first human couple? What does it mean for the concept of ‘Original Sin’? These and more questions are discussed by Christian philosopher William Lane Craig, author of the new book ‘In Quest of the Historical Adam’, and computational biologist Joshua Swamidass, author of ‘The Genealogical Adam & Eve’. At the end of the show, Ruth Jackson talks to Tim Moyler about the evangelistic resource ‘Living & Telling’. First Aired: 13 August 2021 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • M...

Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing joins John Nelson for a wide-ranging conversation about media, power and faith in a post-Christian West. Boreing describes how Hollywood sharpened his convictions and why The Daily Wire was designed as a digital counterweight to legacy media. They unpack how culture shapes belief beneath the level of argument, and why entertainment can move public morality faster than politics. Boreing addresses the seductions of influence, the “grift” economy, and the danger of Christianity being reduced to a tribal marker in the culture wars. The discussion ranges from Trump and evangelicalism to conspiracy thinking, antisemitism, and the rise...

What if the biggest debates about marriage, gender, and family have been framed around the wrong people? In this eye-opening conversation, Luke Martin is joined by Katy Faust, Founder and President of Them Before Us, a global movement arguing that children not adults should be at the centre of family policy and cultural change. Katy challenges some of the most deeply held assumptions of modern life, asking what happens when adult fulfilment is prioritised over the rights and needs of the young. The show explores the differences between men and women, why mothers and fathers matter in distinct ways, and...

Premier Unbelievable host John Nelson gathers a lively roundtable to ask a timely question: what’s the current state of Christian apologetics—and where should it go next? Scientist and historian of science Sam McKee (University of Reading / Manchester Metropolitan) argues that apologetics often lags decades behind today’s life sciences, too easily dominated by creationist “marketing machines”, and too quick to platform non-experts as authorities. Joining him are Northern Irish apologist and civil servant Gareth Black, OCCA speaker and war studies postgraduate Sara Stevenson, and US-based YouTuber Mike Jones (Inspiring Philosophy). Together they wrestle with expertise, overreach, and epistemic humility—a...

In a world riddled with conflict, where headlines scream of violence and unrest, the age-old question resurfaces: Is war ever justified, or should Christians wholeheartedly embrace pacifism? Join esteemed scholars Nigel Biggar and Stanley Hauerwas as they delve into the moral complexities of war and peace from a Christian perspective in this classic replay episode. Nigel Biggar, renowned theologian and ethicist, brings his nuanced understanding of just war theory, exploring the conditions under which Christians might find themselves compelled to engage in warfare. Stanley Hauerwas, also a leading voice in Christian ethics, advocates for a radical alternative: pacifism. Hauerwas challenges...

Recorded in Premier’s new London studios, John Nelson welcomes Rod Dreher for a wide-ranging conversation about freedom, faith, and the West’s growing spiritual hunger. Drawing on his bestselling book Live Not By Lies, Dreher argues that today’s greatest threat is not Orwell-style tyranny but Huxley’s “soft totalitarianism” a culture that trades liberty for comfort, safety, and approval. Together, they explore the cost of discipleship, why suffering still matters (from Solzhenitsyn to Bonhoeffer), and how “therapeutic” Christianity leaves believers unprepared for pressure and loss. Dreher also reflects on meeting Nick Cave, the search for transcendence, and why many young adult...

Malcolm Guite joins Luke Martin for a wide-ranging Unbelievable: The Interview conversation on poetry, faith, and the power of imagination. Known as a poet, priest, and academic (and former chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge), Guite reflects on the writers who shaped him from Augustine to Coleridge, and especially C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. Why does imagination matter for truth, not just feelings? And what happens to a culture when “reason” becomes narrow, utilitarian, and disenchanted? Guite engages the modern hunger for beauty, tradition, and meaning, arguing we don’t need to “re-enchant” the world so much as un-disenchant ourselves. He also share...

Can Christian faith survive a scientific age—or even thrive in it? Andy Kind explores physics, faith, and meaning with Cambridge philosopher Dr Emily Qureshi-Hurst and scientist Sam McKee. Drawing on Emily’s new book Decoding the Cosmos, the conversation tackles cosmic fine-tuning, design arguments, the multiverse, the limits of physics, and whether science could ever deliver a true “theory of everything”. Emily explains why she is an atheist who rejects New Atheism, while Sam reflects on why Christianity remains the most coherent model of reality for him as a scientist. The discussion then moves into deeper territory—time, salvation, incarnatio...

Rewind to this hot debate! 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...

Every Christmas we hear the familiar words read in church. Matthew chapter 1, quoting the prophet Isaiah: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.” But critics argue there’s a serious problem. They say Isaiah wasn’t talking about a virgin at all—and that Matthew misused the prophecy. If that’s true, does it undermine the virgin birth? And does it put the credibility of the first Christmas at risk? In this classic Unbelievable? discussion, theology lecturer Alistair McKitterick of Moorlands College explains why Matthew’s use of Isaiah is deliberate and theologically...

In this New Year’s classic edition of Unbelievable? author Jessica Kelly discusses the story behind her book Lord Willing: Wrestling with God’s Role in My Child’s Death. Jessica recounts the gradual onset of symptoms, the shock of an aggressive brain tumour diagnosis in her four-year-old son Henry, and the decision to bring him home with hospice care. She explains why she could not accept “God planned it” clichés, and how viewing God through Jesus—rather than a meticulous blueprint—helped her grieve without blaming God. In the second half, apologist Sarah Foster from the Pfander Centre discusses engag...

Bad theology, great tunes - who cares? We bring you the truth about Christmas carols in this festive bonus from Ask NT Wright Anything, theologian Tom Wright and host Mike Bird take a playful yet thoughtful look at our favourite (and not-so-favourite) Christmas hymns. Many people love singing carols even if they’re unsure what they believe, but are some beloved hymns actually theologically misleading? Recorded during Advent in London, this conversation explores which carols richly express the biblical meaning of Christmas and which may drift into sentimentality, confusion, or even quiet heresy. From the beauty of O Come All Ye...

In a replay Christmas special Justin Brierley is joined by priest and physicist Revd Gillian Straine and agnostic astronomer Mark Kidger of the European Space Agency. They discuss the scientific theories for the star of Bethlehem, who the Magi were and how scientists reconcile the miracles of Christmas with science. And… cute kids alert! We hear the Christmas story retold by 6 and 7yr olds. Towards the end of the show Justin also asks NT Wright whether we can trust the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke as historical. For Gillian Straine: http://www.gillianstraine.com/ For Mark Kidger’s blogs on th...

In this live edition of Premier Unbelievable? from Aylesbury High School in the UK, stand-in host Sam McKee moderates a thought-provoking dialogue between: Caleb Woodbridge – Christian writer, editor and cultural apologist John Richards – President of Atheism UK Together they wrestle with questions of meaning, value, morality, evolution, human rights, animal ethics, suffering and religion as comfort. Is “ultimate meaning” even a coherent idea? If morality evolved, can we still say some values are better than others? This episode asks whether our deepest experiences of love, beauty, justice and purpose are just products of nature, or signposts to a transcendent source of meani...

Lord Nigel Biggar joins Premier Unbelievable? – The Interview host Luke Martin for a wide-ranging conversation on Christianity, politics, and the moral foundations of Western society. A priest in the Church of England, Emeritus Regius Professor of Moral Theology at Oxford, and now a Conservative peer in the House of Lords, Biggar has become one of the UK’s most prominent public intellectuals. We discuss his controversial work on colonialism and reparations, the rise of cancel culture and threats to academic freedom, and why he believes free speech is essential to a humane civilisation. Biggar also reflects on assisted dying legislation, Chri...