Just when you imagine Christians are all so heavenly minded they’re of no earthly use … the Bible itself brings us back to the earth. That’s where the action is. In fact, the final great scene of the Bible doesn’t have us all floating up to heaven. It has heaven coming down to earth. Down … to … earth. There’s a lot in that phrase. As far as religions go, Christianity is arguably the most down-to-earth perspective you could imagine. LINKS Winnie The Pooh loves honey in the books and every movie ...
Aug 01, 2021•59 min•Season 4Ep. 10
The parting of the red sea is legendary today … and most people treat it as just that … legend. Like many things in the Bible, the exodus from Egypt (recorded in the book Old Testament book of Exodus) is looked on with great scepticism by secular scholars - and some Christian scholars even. It’s understandable. The existence of Moses, mighty prophet and prince of Egypt. The ten plagues that devastated that ancient civilisation. The blood of the passover lamb protecting the houses of Israel from ...
Jul 25, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 9
We all know Christianity thrives on ignorance, sunk us all into the dark ages, and has resisted human rights and equality for most of its 1500 year reign. What have the Christians ever done for us? Our guest today - who says he’s not a believing Christian - reckons many of us have things completely back to front. It’s Christianity, he insists, that gave us many of the secular humanitarian ideals we hold so dear. LINKS This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Person of Interest: Why Jes...
Jul 18, 2021•55 min•Season 4Ep. 8
John Dickson is taking a bit of a break to grieve the passing of his friend, Ben Shaw. So, in the interim, Producer Kaley and Director Mark have decided to choose their favourite Undeceptions episodes to drop into your podcast feed for two weeks. Week number two is brought to you by Director Mark. He has chosen to re-share the Remembering Women episode. John visits Dr. Lynne Cohick to chat about how early Christians valued and celebrated women in the first centuries of the church. Director Mark ...
Jul 11, 2021•59 min
John Dickson is taking a bit of a break to grieve the passing of his friend, Ben Shaw. So, in the interim, Producer Kaley and Director Mark have decided to choose their favourite Undeceptions episodes to drop into your podcast feed in the next two weeks. Producer Kaley's favourite is the very first episode of Undeceptions, called ‘Old Papers’. It harks back to a time when we were allowed to travel overseas, and John visited the University of Michigan’s Papyrology department to get his hands on s...
Jul 04, 2021•42 min
Ben Shaw and John Dickson were friends since childhood, became Christians together in their teens, formed a rock and roll band in their 20s, and went on to study theology and minister in the fields God opened up to them. The death of Ben Shaw has provided John with an opportunity to reflect on the sort of book his best friend felt was worth using his last months to write, and the spiritual lessons he has learned from decades of standing beside him.
Jun 27, 2021•13 min
John Dickson invites solicitor and social commentator Stephanie Kate Judd to offer an opinion on the sexism that simultaneously abuses and silences women. Outrage, she says, is an appropriate response to significant wrongdoing, but unchecked rage can corrode the very hearts that feel that injustice most keenly. Instead, Stephanie suggests a way in which we can confront a problem but still keep our anger healthy.
Jun 20, 2021•11 min
Jesus was once a teenage boy, right? Was he a rascal? Who did he hang out with? Was he considered the ancient equivalent of a jock, a cool kid, a nerd, or something else? And how on earth did he get through the normal teenage years of angst and still be … the perfect incarnation of God? There’s a bit of speculation about teenage Jesus. And we promise to cover all the evidence for it in this episode. LINKS This episode is brought to you by Zondervan's new Bible commentary on the Gospel of Mark Mo...
Jun 13, 2021•43 min•Season 4Ep. 7
For every voice decrying the evils of pornography, there’s another that says it’s healthy, part of our freedom of expression, “sex positive”! So, which is it? LINKS This epidoe of Undeceptions is brought to you by Zondervan’s new commentary on the book of Exodus by Christopher Wright. Meet our guest, Melinda Tankard Reist , and find out more about the Collective Shout Movement that she founded. Meet our other guests, Professor William Struthers and Simon Camilleri Read more on the protest of the...
Jun 06, 2021•59 min•Season 4Ep. 6
This is the second part of our two-part series on the Crusades. For Part One, click here. A brutal slaughter at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem marked the end of the first crusade. The Crusaders had recaptured Jerusalem and the Holy Lands. They had regained control and care of The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, probably medieval Christianity’s most sacred site, built over what was believed to be Jesus’ empty tomb. Their job was done and most of the crusaders packed up and went home, bolstered in ...
May 30, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 5
This is the first of a two part episode on The Crusades. Over nine hundred years after the launch of the first Crusade, world leaders are still invoking their memory to explain ongoing conflict. But how plausible is that? Chances are, whether you're a Christian or a skeptic, what you think you know about the Crusades is wrong. Or so says our guest for this episode. What were the Crusades? How did they start? What did they achieve? Why did they stop? And does their shadow really fall over modern ...
May 23, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 4
LINKS Get to know our guest Professor Robert Wilken This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book, The Problem of Jesus by Mark Clark Read Robert Wilken's latest book Liberty in the Things of God: The Christian Origins of Religious Freedom More on the Edict of Milan , in which Constantine declared: “Freedom and full liberty has been granted in accordance with the peace of our times to exercise free choice in worshipping as each one has seen fit. This has been done by us so that nothing may s...
May 16, 2021•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 3
Guilt is a big topic - there is so much to say. Like the feeling of guilt itself, it is layered. We deal with guilt on an individual level and on a societal one. “Guilt is a religious problem which interests theologians, a social problem which interests sociologists and a psychological problem which interests psychologists,” wrote psychotherapist and theologian, Paul Tournier, in his book Guilt and Grace. People sometimes speak of ‘religious guilt’ or ‘Catholic guilt’ and it’s almost always used...
May 09, 2021•59 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Perhaps you’ve heard it before - religion is bad for your mental health. It triggers feelings of guilt, self-loathing and bigotry. But, actually, there are many ways in which the opposite is true. Karen Pang's story is testament to that, which you'll hear in this episode. There’s also a growing body of research - authoritative, real-life, peer-reviewed research - that reports a significant benefit to wellbeing if you are religious. That’s right. You are more healthy if you are religious. Do you ...
May 02, 2021•46 min•Season 4Ep. 1
It is the day after ANZAC Day, that occasion when Australians and New Zealanders commemorate those who died in the defence of our country. At a time like this, it is worth considering the inscription bourne by many military tombstones across the world - 'Unknown Soldier - Known Unto God'. This is not just a way of saying, "We don't know who he is; I guess God does." It has a profound meaning about the peculiar way in which God knows His creatures.
Apr 25, 2021•10 min
Critics of Christianity have often pointed to The Troubles in Northern Ireland as proof that, "Religion ruins everything." But how accurate is the statement? How accurate is it to even label The Troubles a religious conflict? John Dickson shares a chapter of his upcoming book, Bullies And Saints , on how the Troubles got started and how Christianity helped to bring them to an end. Click here to order a copy of John Dickson's Bullies and Saints ....
Apr 18, 2021•12 min
Gordon Menzies advised the federal government on the deregulation of the Australian dollar, underlining his credentials when it came to liberalism. However, his new book titled 'Western Fundamentalism' suggests a more conservative way of seeing the world. He tells John Dickson, though, that a Christian is capable of rejecting definitions of both left and right to forge a distinctly different path.
Apr 11, 2021•15 min
Dr. Laurel Moffatt rejoins the Undeceptions team to consider the state of the American soul. Researchers have revealed that this nation of the bold and the free is now united more by the things that its citizens hate than those they love. Is there any way out of this emotional and moral quagmire? Dr. Moffatt thinks so.
Apr 04, 2021•10 min
How do you face the rapidly approaching end of a battle with cancer? In Series 2, Episode 13 of Undeceptions, John Dickson met up with his friend Ben Shaw to discuss his recent diagnosis of that dreaded disease. The It's Cancer episode raised serious questions about what place pain has in a world created by a good God. Now, in the run-up to Easter, John returns to ask Ben if the call to face cancer has brought on new spiritual insights....
Mar 28, 2021•19 min
Some would argue that Christianity itself is racist. Given the sweep of history, this is a charge that has to be confronted. So we’re going to speak to a couple of people who, despite all the things the church has done wrong -- and continues to do wrong -- and despite all the things the church should be doing but just isn’t - still see Christ as Lord. They are still part of the church. They still think Christianity is beautiful, even if parts of the church are not. You as listeners - whether you...
Jan 10, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Perhaps you’re sceptical, perhaps you’re just undecided - our challenge for you for 2021 is: read at least 100 pages of the Bible. This book has shaped much of our world. It would be great to think that you’ve got your head around at least 100 pages, as an adult, with all your grownup questions activated. Yes, the Bible is weird. It’s got wars, bizarre laws, talking snakes, perhaps even a unicorn or two, slavery, misogyny, and much more. But there is way to read this stuff, and there’s a way not...
Jan 03, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 12
You may not feel ready to experience heaven or hell quite yet but Undeceptions listeners certainly had a lot of questions about it! In this season’s Q&A episode, John Dickson attempts to answer at least some of the questions you’ve thrown at us this year. This episode is brought to you by Zondervan Academic’s How NOT to read the Bible by Dan Kimball LINKS What Dreams May Come trailer The Good Place, TV show: how points are scored in life The Rebel, by Albert Camus QUESTIONS Is the punishment...
Dec 27, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Christianity has plenty to say about the future and what the end of the world might look like -- though some think it says a lot more than others. Christians have, in fact, been accused of being obsessed with end times, so much so that they stop caring about the world they’re in right now. And sometimes that’s true. But apocalyptic Christians aren’t the only ones dwelling on all this. Plenty of us are more interested than ever - especially this year! - in how the world will end. The stories we t...
Dec 20, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Proselytise: to convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another. Why are Christians such god-botherers? Is it possible to share your belief system with someone who doesn’t accept without being a jerk? Many people today would have you believe that there is no context in which proselytising could be considered a good thing. This episode is supported by Zondervan's MasterLecture Series. LINKS Find out more about our guest, Dr Sam Chan And check out his lates...
Dec 13, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Transhumanism is the transformation of the human condition through sophisticated technologies that modify our physiology and intellect. This episode, we continue our conversation about Artificial Intelligence with Professor John Lennox, and Dr.s Vicky Lorrimar and Grenville Kent. This episode is brought to you by series sponsor Zondervan Academic, publishers of How to talk about Jesus without being THAT guy by Sam Chan. LINKS Meet Professor John Lennox Get Professor Lennox’s book 2084: Artificia...
Dec 06, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 8
"I'm all for technology being used in a good sense. I often say to people, AI is like a knife, a very sharp knife. You can use it to operate with, or you can use it to kill people." -- Professor John Lennox Artificial Intelligence is the buzz phrase of the 21st century. For some, it’s a welcome step into a future that promises all manner of good. For others, AI is damaging at best and, at worst, a step towards our own destruction. This episode, with the help of the great John Lennox, we ask the ...
Nov 29, 2020•46 min•Season 3Ep. 7
How did the New Testament actually come together? Some have argued that is a “chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents” that has been revised and ‘improved’ over centuries. Others have argued it is a deeply political document, created to quell rebellions and placate a growing and agitated movement. Millions of people put their trust in the New Testament. It’s time to get to the bottom of how it was created. This episode of Undeceptions is brought to you by Zondervan Academi...
Nov 22, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 6
For years, people have argued that our minds’ natural default position is non-belief. Left to ourselves, we would never grow up thinking about God. Religion is, therefore, an imposition on the susceptible minds of children. Some have suggested that teaching kids about God comes close to a form of brain washing. Our guest for this episode, Justin Barrett, says that is actually getting harder to argue. Research from the last 20 years indicates that thoughts about God aren’t by-products of American...
Nov 15, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In Episode 28 (Creation's Music) we spoke with Jeremy Begbie and Kirsty Beilharz about how music can point us to God. But what if it's music we just don't like? What about music that's genuinely bad. Or dissonant. What is the purpose of that type of music? Can music that's really hard to listen to still point us to the divine? Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor, publishers of How to Talk about Jesus (without being that guy ) by Sam Chan . LINKS: Find out more about our guest ...
Nov 08, 2020•57 min•Season 3Ep. 4
What is music and what is it about music that stirs the human soul? Is it just a series of sound waves producing neurological responses … or could music be - as so many ancients believed - a signal from God? Join us for this episode as we take a look at the enduring love affair between music and the human heart. Special thanks to Zondervan Academic, our show sponsor, publishers of Evangelical Theology by Michael F Bird. LINKS: Find out more about our guest Professor Dr Jeremy Begbie here . Find ...
Nov 01, 2020•53 min•Season 3Ep. 3
