Episodes
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Did Christians leave evidence of their faith in Pompeii before AD 79? Bruce Longenecker
The Hidden Art of Early Christianity: Pompeii, Secret Symbols and Jesus. Did Christians leave evidence of their faith in Pompeii before AD 79? And why does an early image of Jesus appear alongside Egyptian magic? John Nelson speaks to Baylor University scholar Bruce Longenecker about the...
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Christopher Hitchens vs Peter Hitchens: Two brothers debate God
Two brothers. One an outspoken atheist. The other a Christian convert. What happens when they debate God? In this Unbelievable? Classic, you will hear an extraordinary 2008 encounter between the late Christopher Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great, and his younger brother Peter Hitchens, who...
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Can Giving 10% of Your Income Save Lives? Effective Altruism and Jesus
What if the money you give to charity could save far more lives simply by being spent differently? With household budgets under pressure, is giving away 10% of your income a moral obligation or an unreasonable demand? John Nelson is joined by Princeton philosopher Matthew Adelstein and JD Bauman,...
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Can Christianity be trusted? Mark Meynell on depression, church scandals and doubt
What happens to Christian faith when you experience depression, encounter abuse of power in the Church or find parts of the Bible deeply troubling? Mark Meynell joins Luke Martin for a wide-ranging and unusually candid conversation about Christianity in the real world. Mark discusses his…
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N.T. Wright: Have Christians Got Jesus Wrong?
What if Christians have misunderstood what Jesus really came to do? Did Jesus come to take us to heaven—or to transform the world? Why would an all-powerful God reveal himself through suffering rather than strength? In this special live edition of Unbelievable?, John Nelson joins leading New...
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Classic Unbelievable: Is Halloween harmless fun or a doorway to evil? Peter Laws vs Michael Cummins
Is Halloween harmless fun, or are Christians right to fear what lies behind it? As Halloween approaches, we revisit one of Unbelievable?’s most chilling debates. Baptist minister and horror enthusiast Peter Laws, author of The Frighteners, goes head-to-head with Michael Cummins, a pastor with...
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What if hell isn't eternal torment? And what if Christians have misunderstood what Jesus actually taught?
What if hell isn't eternal torment? And what if Christians have misunderstood what Jesus actually taught? Christian thinker and Questioning Christianity host Dan Paterson joins John Nelson for a searching conversation about three of Christianity's most difficult questions: hell, divine hiddenness...
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Can forgiveness become dangerous? And does Christianity sometimes get it wrong?
In a culture of outrage, division and cancel culture, Dr Amy Orr-Ewing believes forgiveness may be one of the most radical ideas we have. But what happens when forgiveness is used to silence victims, excuse abuse or avoid justice? Joining Luke Martin on Unbelievable? The Interview, the…
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Who Will Be Saved? Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Unbelievers | Dan Paterson vs Matt Whiteley
What happens to those who never believe in Jesus? Could everyone eventually be saved — even after death? Dan Paterson and Matt Whiteley join John Nelson to explore Christian universalism, eternal judgment and whether salvation is possible without explicit faith in Christ. A thoughtful debate…
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Are the Christmas stories history — or legend?
The birth narratives of Jesus contain some of the most famous stories in Christianity: the virgin birth, angels and shepherds, the Magi, the star of Bethlehem and Herod’s massacre of the innocents. But did Matthew and Luke actually intend their readers to believe these events happened? Dr Caleb...
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Is Christianity making a comeback? Pat Allerton on faith, atheism and the search for meaning
Pat Allerton joins Luke Martin to explore the growing openness to Christianity, the search for meaning and why faith may be returning to the cultural conversation. From science and the resurrection to anxiety, healing and his own dramatic conversion, Pat makes the case for why Christianity still...
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Is Christian apologetics making us worse? Mary Jo Sharp
Has Christian apologetics become too focused on winning? Mary Jo Sharp joins John Nelson to confront the darker side of defending the faith: pride, outrage, confirmation bias and the temptation to treat people as arguments to defeat. What if apologetics is meant to transform the Christian too? A...
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What was Jesus doing before age 30? Joan Taylor investigates the missing years
What do we really know about Jesus before he began preaching? Professor Joan Taylor joins John Nelson to explore the missing years of Jesus, from Bethlehem and Egypt to Nazareth, his family, education and work. Could memories preserved in the Gospels reveal far more history than scholars have...
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Why Tyler Staton still believes in God after cancer, suffering and unanswered prayer
After cancer and intensive chemotherapy, Tyler Staton says he came to know Jesus in a way he never had before: not simply as the victorious Saviour, but as the suffering servant. In this deeply personal conversation with Ruth Jackson, the Bridgetown Church pastor explores unanswered prayer,...
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Is our universe too improbable to exist without God? Alex Malpass vs Miles Donahue
Does the apparent fine-tuning of our universe point to God, or are we drawing a theological conclusion from physics we don’t yet understand? Philosophers Miles Donahue and Alex Malpass go head-to-head on one of the most fascinating arguments for God’s existence. Miles argues that the…
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Unbelievable Special: Have Christians got heaven wrong? N.T. Wright on God’s Homecoming
Is Christianity really about going to heaven when we die? N.T. Wright thinks we have been telling the biblical story the wrong way round. Recorded at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, Wright joins John Nelson to explore the argument of his book God’s Homecoming: that the Bible’s great hope is not humanity...
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Johannes Hartl: Prayer, Phones & the Quiet Revival of Faith in Europe
Is prayer still relevant in a hyper-digital, secular age? Dr Johannes Hartl – Catholic philosopher, author, and founder of the Augsburg House of Prayer – thinks not only is it relevant, but it may also be the key to our future. In this wide–ranging conversation, Johannes and Luke explore: Why…
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Did the Church invent the Trinity? Dale Tuggy vs Joshua Sijuwade
In this special extended episode of Unbelievable? two leading philosophers of religion go head-to-head over one of Christianity’s most fundamental doctrines: is the Trinity actually biblical - and is it truly orthodox? Recorded live debate from the Guild Church of St Katherine Cree in the City of...
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Can fairy tales reveal God? Amy Scott Robinson on faith, myth and imagination
What if fairy tales reveal more about reality than facts alone? Storyteller, poet and author Amy Scott Robinson joins Luke Martin to explore how imagination, myth and metaphor can illuminate Christian faith. Drawing on C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Greek myth, biblical imagery and the enduring…
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God, evolution and aliens: Professor Simon Conway Morris & (almost Dr) Sam McKee on what science can really tell us
Can evolution and Christianity really fit together – and does modern evolutionary science leave any room for purpose? Leading Cambridge evolutionary biologist Professor Simon Conway Morris joins scientist and philosopher of science Sam McKee to tackle Genesis, Intelligent Design, human…
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Can fairy tales reveal God? Amy Scott Robinson on faith, myth and imagination
What if fairy tales reveal more about reality than facts alone? Storyteller, poet and author Amy Scott Robinson joins Luke Martin to explore how imagination, myth and metaphor can illuminate Christian faith. Drawing on C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Greek myth, biblical imagery and the enduring…
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Was the Cross not enough? Rethinking the atonement with two Bible Scholars David Moffitt and Jonathan Rowlands
What if Jesus’ atoning work wasn’t completed on the cross? Professor David Moffitt and Dr Jonathan Rowlands join John Nelson to rethink one of Christianity’s central doctrines: the atonement. Is penal substitution really the Bible’s main explanation of Calvary? Does sacrifice simply mean the...
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Will science make God obsolete? Paul Heslop vs Simon Walker-Samuel
Will science and technology eventually make religion obsolete? Physicists Paul Heslop and Simon Walker-Samuel join host Sam McKee for a fascinating clash of worldviews on the future of faith. This debate took place in front of a group of teenage students from Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School in...
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Peter Hitchens on Britain’s decline, Christian faith and Christopher Hitchens
Peter Hitchens joins Luke Martin for a candid and confrontational conversation about Britain’s future, the collapse of its institutions and the loss of Christian conscience. He explains why he believes atheism is a choice, reflects on his journey from revolutionary Marxism to Christianity and...
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Did C. S. Lewis get Jesus and the Bible wrong? Two Lewis Scholars discuss
Was C. S. Lewis a brilliant theologian, or did he sometimes misunderstand the Bible? John Nelson is joined by leading Lewis scholars Leslie Baynes and Jahdiel Perez for a lively reassessment of one of Christianity’s most influential writers. They explore Lewis’s conversion, his view of Scripture...
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Does Fine-Tuning Point to a Designer? Peter S. Williams vs John Richards
Is the universe fine-tuned for life, and if so, does that point to God? In this episode of Unbelievable John Nelson hosts a lively dialogue between Christian apologist Peter S. Williams and John Richards, President of Atheists UK. Peter argues that the fundamental constants, laws, and initial...
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Os Guinness: Can Christianity Renew the West?
Os Guinness joins Luke Martin to discuss why he believes the West is facing a profound civiliational moment. Speaking during his visit to London for ARC, Guinness reflects on his childhood in China, the death of his brothers during famine, his memories of Communist terror, and how C S Lewis and...
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The Battle for Reality: Does God Exist? Craig, Williams, Hossenfelder and Žižek
Does God exist, or is belief in God an unnecessary addition to our understanding of reality? In this special live event at the Royal Institution, philosopher William Lane Craig, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, physicist Sabine Hossenfelder and philosopher Slavoj Žižek debate the...
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“Is Jesus the only God?” Andy Bannister & Imam Ali-Hanafi
Christians and Muslims both honour Jesus... but they disagree profoundly about who He really is. Was Jesus simply one of God's greatest prophets, as Islam teaches? Or is He God incarnate, whose death and resurrection changed history forever? In this thoughtful and respectful conversation, Imam...
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From Hindu monk to Christian: Rahil Patel on karma, grace and finding Jesus
Rahil Patel spent 20 years as a Hindu monk, pursuing God through prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and strict spiritual discipline. But beneath his success as a respected teacher, troubling questions remained. Then, after a series of unexpected encounters with Christianity, Rahil walked into a London...
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Should we be scared? How AI is changing morality, meaning and human identity! With Theologian Dr Brian R Brock and AI Expert Prof Nigel Crook
Artificial intelligence is changing far more than the way we work. Is it quietly changing what it means to be human? As AI becomes our therapist, our teacher, our creative partner, even our romantic companion, are we handing over something uniquely human? Professor Nigel Crook, one of the UK's...
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The Story of Everything: God, Atheism, Meaning and Reality with William Lane Craig, Jessica Frazier, Philip Goff and Joe Folley
Where did reality come from, where is it heading, and does any of it have meaning? In this live Unbelievable X Theora Media event, Jack Symes hosts a major conversation between four strikingly different thinkers: Christian philosopher William Lane Craig, Hindu scholar Jessica Frazier, philosopher...
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Why I am not a Christian Nationalist | Dr Brian Brock on God, War and Human Worth
What does Christianity really offer a world searching for God, meaning and moral clarity? In this episode of Unbelievable? The Interview, Luke Martin speaks with Dr Brian Brock, Professor of Theology at the University of Aberdeen, about some of the most urgent questions facing Christians today:...
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Should the Fall be celebrated? | Caleb Woodbridge and Damien Walter on Pullman/CSLewis hosted by John Nelson
Philip Pullman has called C.S. Lewis’s Narnia stories a “filthy lie” — but is that fair? In this episode of Unbelievable, John Nelson is joined by Christian writer Caleb Woodbridge and science-fiction critic Damien Walter to explore Narnia, His Dark Materials, myth, imagination and the search for...
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What Happens When the West Abandons Christianity? Matt Whiteley vs Mike Jones hosted by John Nelson
Did Christianity build the modern West? From human rights and equality to science, secularism and democracy, many thinkers now argue that Christianity lies behind much of what modern Western societies value most. Popular historian Tom Holland helped revive this debate with his bestselling book...
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Is Christianity Making a Comeback? Andy Bannister on Faith, Islam and AI
In this wide-ranging episode of Unbelievable? The Interview, host Luke Martin speaks with Christian apologist, author and Islam specialist Dr Andy Bannister about the big questions shaping our cultural moment. Andy reflects on the renewed curiosity about Christianity among young people, why...
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Suffering, hell and the search for God with Dr Joshua Sijuwade and Dr Shaun Stevenson hosted by John Nelson
What happens when a philosopher loses faith in God — and then unexpectedly finds it again? In this deeply personal and philosophical episode of Unbelievable?, host John Nelson sits down with philosophers Dr Shaun Stevenson and Dr Joshua Sijuwade to explore belief, doubt, suffering and the search...
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Can a Loving God Use Evolution? Denis Alexander vs Ed Atkinson hosted by John Nelson
What does evolution mean for Christian faith? In this episode of Unbelievable?, John Nelson hosts a thoughtful dialogue between molecular biologist Dr Denis Alexander and returning guest Ed Atkinson on one of the deepest questions in science and theology. Can evolution be reconciled with the...
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John Lennox on Dawkins, Meaning, AI and the Return of the Sacred
As Oxford mathematician and Christian apologist John Lennox prepares to appear on The Diary of a CEO, he joins Luke Martin on Unbelievable to reflect on his extraordinary life and the questions that have shaped a generation. From Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Peter Singer to Alex...
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Francis Collins and N. T. Wright: Science, Faith, Evolution and the Search for Wisdom
What happens when one of the world’s leading geneticists sits down with one of the world’s most influential Christian theologians? In this special live episode of Unbelievable?, recorded at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History in partnership with the Oxford Pastorate and BioLogos, Dr...
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Do We Have Free Will? Joe Folley and Nathan Hawkins Debate Determinism, Choice and Moral Responsibility
Do we truly have free will, or are our choices determined by biology, upbringing and brain chemistry? In this episode of Unbelievable?, John Nelson hosts a lively philosophical dialogue between Joe Folley, host of Unsolicited Advice, and Dr Nathan Hawkins, a Christian philosopher who teaches at...
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Can Philosophy Prove God Exists? Joshua Sijuwade on Evil, Trinity & Atonement
Dr Joshua Sijuwade, teaching fellow in philosophy at the University of Birmingham, joins Luke Martin for a wide-ranging conversation on God, evil, the Trinity and the atonement. Joshua begins by explaining why he thinks the existence of God is the best explanation for a contingent…
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Alex O’Connor vs William Lane Craig: Does God Exist? The Ultimate God Debate
Filmed before a packed live audience at London’s Royal Institution in May 2026, this Unbelievable? x Panpsycast x Theora co-production brings William Lane Craig face-to-face with Unbelievable? regular Alex O’Connor for a gripping conversation on God, cosmology and suffering. Craig makes the case...
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Is Politics Dividing the Church? Tom Wright & Preston Sprinkle on Jesus, Empire and Christian Identity
In this timely classic edition of the Unbelievable podcast Billy Hallowell hosts theologians Tom Wright and Preston Sprinkle for a timely conversation on faith, politics and the church’s public witness. For more Tom Wright subscribe to the new YouTube Channel for the Ask NT Wright Anything…
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Did the universe have a beginning? William Lane Craig vs Alex Malpass
William Lane Craig and Alex Malpass debate the Kalam cosmological argument: everything that begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore, the universe has a cause. Hosted by John Nelson, the discussion explores whether causation applies to the universe, whether an actual...
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A devil named Lucifer - is the devil a cultural myth? | Jared Brock
What if much of what Christians think they know about the devil is wrong? In this fascinating conversation, Luke Martin speaks with author and filmmaker Jared Brock about his provocative book A Devil Named Lucifer. Jared argues that “Lucifer” is not actually the devil’s proper name, explores what...
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What would it take for Alex O'Connor to believe Jesus rose from the dead? Trent Horn v Alex O'Connor
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:...
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AI and the Future of Humanity | Nigel Crook vs Andy Bannister hosted by Sam McKee
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…
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When I consider the heavens - A doctors reasoning for God | Dr Antony Latham
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...
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Evil, Pain, and the case against God: Atheist vs Theist | Alanzo Paul v Harry Amos hosted by Sam McKee
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...
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Unbelievable? offers a weekly podcast, blog, and video series hosted by Ruth Jackson and a team of thinkers and Christian apologists.
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