Undeceptions with John Dickson

There’s a certain collection of Greek and Roman writings - from roughly 800 BC to AD 200 - which, apart from the Bible, has shaped the Western world more than any other intellectual tradition.

Today, we call them the Classics.

Many are familiar with the names behind these ancient texts: Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Livy … the list goes on.

But just because these works have a legacy doesn’t mean that people today actually like them.

For starters, they’re hard work. Mark Twain once described a Classic...

The First Hymn is coming to the big screens on both sides of the Atlantic!

Find tickets here.

The cultural hangovers of Christianity are well attested.

Recently, people who were once describing themselves as ‘New Atheists’ have gone as far as to call themselves ‘Cultural Christians’, due to the prevalence of Christian thought in modern ethics.

But what if the great dream of the New Atheists eventually succeeded?

What would a world where God was actually dead look like?

FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - click here.

CREDITS

Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark...

Since Charles Darwin’s 1859 book On the Origin of Species, evolution has been considered by many to be the final nail in the coffin of religion.

Because evolution is supposedly random - or indeed, blind - the argument follows that there is no design.

But recently, a quiet revolution has been raging among the top tier of evolutionary scientists.

The apparent randomness of evolution has come into question, and some experts now suggest there may be patterns, agency, and even intention behind it all.

FOR FULL SHOW NO...

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 FULL SHOW NOTES - https://undeceptions.com/podcast/against-coercion/

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/

The Reformation remains a pivotal moment not just for the church, but for global history. 

It 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 secularisation of the West.

When it came to covering the topic on Undeceptions, there was so much to talk about that we needed two episodes just to scratch the surface.

In this Rewind, we’re revisiting some highlights of those episodes.

On November 2, 2024, Chris Tomlin performed the world premiere of The First Hymn at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Ben Fielding joined him onstage that night to help gift this 1800-year-old song back to the world.

In this special, shorter episode, you get a front row seat to a fireside chat with Chris as he introduces the new First Hymn to the world, for the first time. 

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.

Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadl...

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.

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 new scholarly evidence has emerged that might turn our understanding of Jos...

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!

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?

CREDITS

Undeceptions 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 librarian. 

Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful a...

Back in 2020, John caught up with author and journalist Greg Sheridan to talk about Christianity’s struggles in both Australia, and the global West more broadly. However, Greg wasn’t so glum on the future of the faith in a post-Christian world. Ahead of an upcoming episode on how the gospel applies to a post-Christian world, we thought now was the time to look back at what Greg had to say.

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. 

CREDITS

Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kale...

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 … 

Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directe...

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?

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.

African Christianity is almost as old as Christianity itself. Many of the early church's theological giants came from Africa, and today, Christianity is exploding across the continent. In this episode, we look at Jesus through African eyes.

As the West undergoes a ‘de-churching,’ some are starting to wonder about the unintended consequences of a society with fewer believers.

After all, some of history’s greatest humanitarians all had one thing in common: a Christian faith.

Season 15 of Undeceptions is coming really soon! And our latest REWIND will help you brush up on some of the issues we’ll be discussing in our first full episode of next season.

There’s a growing body of research – authoritative, real-life, peer-reviewed research – that reports a significant benefit to wellbeing if you are religious. And not just religious, but part of a faith community.

Are our dreams full of messages and warnings? 
John was sceptical, but for most of human history, that’s been the common view. In this Undeceptions REWIND, we take a closer look. 

If you like what you hear, listen to the episode in full: Episode 105 'Decoding Dreams'.

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.

Why does the church meet on a Sunday? How far is too far when it comes to self-defence, biblically speaking? Is it possible that Hell is temporary?

John tackles these questions and more in this, our season XIV Q&A!

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.

CREDITS

Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. 

Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher.

Siobhan McGuine...

Some think we might not be too far away from Artificial Intelligence actually having feelings. If it does happen, what will it mean? Might it mean we humans are, in the end, just machines? We look back at that question - and more - in this Undeceptions Rewind!

If you like what you hear, listen to the episode in full: Episode 71 'Emotional Intelligence'.

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 background of the boy Jesus affect His message … and the whole of Christiani...

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 the scenes than mere chemistry.

CREDITS

Undeceptions is host...

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 our grief and shares our disappointment.

We find a...

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?

CREDITS

Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. 

Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher.

This week, leading up to Easter, we’re looking at the most famous trial of all time: the trial of Jesus. It’s a courtroom drama like no other, and its outcome changed everything.

But what do we actually know about the trial and conviction of Jesus? Was it fair? Was it real?

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.

This episode takes you behind the scenes: how Ben Fielding...

Welcome to season XIV of Undeceptions!

Anthropology has a reputation for being the most “godless” of all the sciences. 

The so-called Father of Anthropology, Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, abandoned his faith as an anthropologist, declaring religion was “animalistic”. 

But religion hasn’t gone away - and many anthropologists are now realising there might be something to belief after all …

The cliche: ‘faith’ is the antithesis of knowledge, of wisdom and therefore “Christian philosophy” is an oxymoron, right? For this Undeceptions rewind, we speak to two Christian philosophers who explain why that’s not the case. Available now, wherever you get your podcasts. 

If you like what you hear, listen to the episode in full: Episode 57 'Jesus Philosopher'.

Why are Christians such god-botherers? Is it possible to share your belief system with someone who doesn’t accept it without being a jerk? In this Undeceptions rewind, we revisit a conversation about why Christians are so committed to sharing their faith with others - and why, if done right, it can be life changing. 

If you like what you hear, listen to the episode in full: Episode 33 'Danger: Proselytising'. 

Words can change lives – whether on paper, on screen, or spoken down a phone line.

A library has an abundance of words – and an abundance of opportunities to change a life.

After a long break, Laurel Moffatt returns with season 4 of Small Wonders!

Undeceptions is pleased to introduce our listeners to this podcast in our network. Each episode of Small Wonders offers a brief but piercing look into a topic. The clarity the desert brings. Hurricanes and hard relationships. Finding reason in the middle of a ruin.

These quiet but prof...

Hell is one of the most difficult parts of Christian belief - but of all the characters in the Bible, no one comes close to using the word "Hell" as much as Jesus does.

So, what did he mean, how is it plausible, and what does it matter?

As we gear up for a special episode on the difficult topic of Hell, we first bring you this Undeceptions Rewind looking at what the Bible says about Heaven. This rewind is from episode 64 'Kingdom Come'

Is Christianity an offshoot of an ancient fertility cult? Why do the Gospels only talk about Jesus' genealogy in connection to Joseph? Is there a place for Christian patriotism?

John answers all these and more in our Season XIII Q&A!

The Acts of the Apostles is the epic sequel to Luke's Gospel. 

It follows the dramatic events immediately after the resurrection of Jesus, and follows how the first Christians - led by perhaps the most unlikely person - took the news of the Messiah to the edges of the Roman Empire - and beyond.