Send us a text We are continuing to think about the big elements that make up our society. And one really important element in modern culture is Islam. There are about 3.5 million Muslims living in the UK. That’s about 5.5% if the population, and that percentage is growing fast because of a disparity in birth rates. In some London boroughs, over 30% of the population is Muslim. So there is no doubt that the face of modern Britain is changing very fast. The rise of Islam in Europe is perhaps the ...
Mar 17, 2021•34 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Send us a text Language, and how we use it, has become an immensely powerful factor in how we engage with this culture. It’s as if society no longer has a shared, stable, language. There is this increasing pressure to learn a new language, because this new language is the passport we need to engage in the modern world. To refuse to learn the new language is a decision to be iced out of your social network. We should be curious about how we have ended up here......
Mar 11, 2021•31 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Send us a text In this special bonus episode, recorded by Christian Unions Ireland (CUI), Jim Crookes is joined by world renowned author and social critic Os Guinness, to discuss the Christian and politics. The world watched in shock at the events that unfolded on January 6th outside the Capitol building in Washington DC. Protesters held signs that said “Jesus Saves” as they rampaged through one of the greatest symbols of democracy in the world. In both Ireland and the US, evangelicals are confu...
Mar 03, 2021•43 min0
Send us a text In this episode, we discuss the role of the media in society. There is no doubt that organisations like the BBC or CNN have a massive impact on western societies. The tabloid newspapers in the UK have been credited with winning elections for both New Labour and the Conservative party over the past few decades. More recently, we’ve seen the rise of fake news. And we’ve also seen a huge increase in the popularity of conspiracy theories like Q Anon. Something really fundamental has s...
Feb 24, 2021•27 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Send us a text This week we talk about social justice. The concept of social justice has evolved a lot over the past two hundred years. Today, the conversation about social justice is dominated by an ideology called Critical Theory. Critical theory says that the world is unjust because every society is structured the same way. There is always an oppressor and then there are oppressed minority groups on the margins of society. We examine this theory from a Christian perspective....
Feb 16, 2021•25 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Send us a text Season 3 has arrived! This season we’ll be thinking about the ideas and philosophies that have impacted all the building blocks that make up society. Things like social justice, language, education, the media, and the family. In this first episode we think about 'The Rise of the Self'. Grasping just how radically our self-understanding has been transformed over the past two centuries is crucial to understanding what’s going on in this cultural moment....
Feb 09, 2021•25 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Send us a text A couple of weeks back I asked Jim if he’d be willing to record a brief Christmas refection for us, as we come to the end of a tough and uncertain year. I hope this short message is a blessing to you as we stand on the brink of 2021. Thank-you for sticking with us and encouraging us throughout this year. We can’t wait to walk alongside you again the coming months, as we seek to think through more of the cultural and intellectual challenges to the Christians Faith. All that remains...
Dec 22, 2020•22 min
Send us a text In this second series of the Podcast, we've thought about the challenges that young Christians will have to face over the next thirty years. We looked at the rise of the Green religion and new spirituality. We thought about the thousands of young adults who are leaving evangelicalism, who are de-converting. The we thought about how evangelicalism will fragment, and how Christians may experience marginalisation throughout the 2030s. We discussed Jordan Peterson. We then thought abo...
Nov 20, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Send us a text In this episode we discuss euthanasia and assisted suicide. Should we have the right to decide when and how we die? What are the dangers of legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide? What about only in the most serious cases, such as those suffering with MND? How should we think about these major issues as Christians?
Nov 13, 2020•27 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Send us a text In this episode, we think about how technology will shape our futures. We'll discuss Artificial Intelligence (AI), and bio-engineering, trying to understand what might happen in these fields over the next three decades. We’ll also consider the theological challenges thrown up by this technology. If you enjoyed the Social Dilemma on Netflix, then this one is for you!
Oct 29, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Send us a text In this episode we are going to discuss the phenomenon that is Jordan Peterson. Peterson is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto who shot to fame when he resisted the Canadian Government’s attempt to impose gender-neutral pronouns. He has become the poster child of right-wing populists: a passionate intellectual who dissects the political correctness of the progressive Left. His lectures on YouTube have been viewed more than 40 million times. His most famous book...
Oct 20, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Send us a text In this episode, we discuss the future of evangelicalism in the West. We discuss the collapse of cultural christianity, and the fragmentation of the evangelical church, which may take place over the next few decades. What will the evangelical church look like 30 years from now? Have a listen as we discuss a possible scenario.
Oct 13, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Send us a text In the past couple of years a number of high profile christians in the evangelical world have announced they are no longer christians, or that they have started a process labeled ‘deconstruction’ - which essentially is shorthand for abandoning the traditional teaching of evangelicalism in favour of a liberal, so called ‘progressive’ alternative. Why is this happening, and how should we respond?...
Oct 06, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Send us a text Approximately 64 million Americans identify as spiritual but not religious, and one-fifth of the UK population fall into the same category. In this episode we ask why people are rejecting organised religion, and embracing spirituality.
Sep 29, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Send us a text In this episode we talk about the environment. It’s clear there are some massive environmental issues in our world today - on an almost daily basis we hear about the impact of climate change, the destruction of the rainforest, the pollution of the oceans, and the mistreatment of animals. It’s a massive deal for governments and many young people around the world. We need to know how to think about, and respond to, these issues as Christians....
Sep 23, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Send us a text We're back! To kick off season 2 we look at the impact COVID-19 has had on society and on the church. How should we as christians respond to this strange new world?
Sep 15, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Send us a text Our final episode of Season 1 is entitled 'A Better Story'. It's vital that young Christians in this generation exude a quiet, calm confidence that their understanding of reality is immeasurably superior to the false ideas that are popular in our society today. So this final episode is all about instilling a quiet confidence in young believers; we truly do have a better story to tell!
May 26, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Send us a text The big issue that we tackle in this episode is the relationship between Christianity and the world of politics. Many young Christians are becoming politically active, especially in the US. Feelings run high when issues like social justice or the environment are raised. We ask three main questions. Firstly, how have Christians handled this problem throughout history? Secondly, does God support particular political ideologies? Is there such a thing as a Christian socialist or a Chr...
May 19, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Send us a text In this episode we talk about the issue of living with things in our lives that seem to be unfixable. What if there is no quick fix? What if God doesn't take away that thorn in the flesh?
May 12, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Send us a text In this episode we explore how exactly should we should define the term feminism? Then, our guest contributor, Rachel Neill, will explore the criticisms that feminists make of Christianity. Questions such as: Is the Bible an instrument of oppression? Does Christianity support a heteropatriarchy? Has the Christian concept of God been invented by men to suppress women? We finish by thinking about Christian young adults who say, 'well, I am a feminist, but I am also an evangelical Ch...
May 05, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Send us a text In this episode we discuss how the whole story of humanity ends. We think about the return of Christ, and the Christian hope of a new heaven and earth.
Apr 28, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Send us a text In the episode we discuss the question of Christianity’s exclusivity. Is there really only one way to God? And isn't an exclusive claim like that a bit arrogant?
Apr 21, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Send us a text This episode is a discussion about why Jesus Christ, and the message of the Gospel is relevant for absolutely everyone. We are aiming to particularly connect with those who aren't Christians, and to express the love Jesus has for them, as well as the hope which he offers them.
Apr 14, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Send us a text In this Easter week we discuss the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The early Church regarded the resurrection as the foundation of the Gospel message they preached. But many critics in Roman society simply dismissed the idea that a man could be raised from the dead. In that sense, nothing much has changed. Christians listening to this podcast know that the story of the resurrection is foundational to their faith. But they also know it is a real stumbling block for thei...
Apr 07, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Send us a text The Coronavirus pandemic continues to paralyse normal life all over the world. In the UK, we're about a week into lockdown, and only allowed to leave our homes for very specific reasons. The situation in the Republic of Ireland is very similar. Some experts believe that this lockdown could go on for months. In this episode, Jim and Ollie reflect on the idea of lockdown from a number of angles....
Mar 31, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Send us a text This episode is part 2 of our discussion about mental health. Last week we talked about anxiety. This week’s title is Finding Light in the Darkness. We are going to tackle the problem of depression.
Mar 25, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Send us a text Last week we setup a poll on Instagram and our listeners chose mental health as the topic we should cover in Episode 20. Mental health is obviously a very broad, complex topic, so we’re going to focus on two of the most important areas. This week we’ll discuss the issue of anxiety. And next week we’ll talk about depression.
Mar 18, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Send us a text In Episode 19 of the Equip Project Podcast. Jim and Ollie discuss the relationship between science and Christianity. The episode addresses why so many people think that there is a conflict between the two, and what Christianity’s relationship with science should be.
Mar 11, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Send us a text Newspaper headlines and TV news bulletins are currently dominated by one thing. A new virus, technically called COVID-19, which is starting to spread across the world. It’s part of the family of viruses called Coronavirus. Most Coronaviruses just give us ‘flu-like symptoms. But this one is different. COVID-19 isn’t as deadly as SARs, but it may well be more infectious. Ollie Neill is joined once again by Jim Crookes to talk about how we might think Biblically about this crisis....
Mar 04, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Send us a text In episode 17 we address a whole bunch of questions young Christians ask. Why does God give us desires and tell us to repress them? Why marriage and not just a stable long-term relationships? How can we stay away from sexual sin? Should Christian couples go on holiday together? How should we think about Netflix? Can we still be useful to God if we’ve failed sexually?
Feb 26, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 17
