Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations Does the West Need a Religious Revival? with David Hanegraaff
Mar 20, 2025
01:33:02
Does the West need a religious revival?
This was the subject of a debate hosted by The Free Press at the Paramount Theater in Austin Texas on February 27th. The debate pitted two religious advocates—Ayan Hirsi Ali and Ross Douthat—against two avowed atheists—Michael Shermer and Adam Carolla—in search of an answer. The scene of current affairs in the West was set by The Free Press as follows:
“The West has experienced a rapid erosion of our shared culture. Political polarization, loneliness, depression and addiction have surged, while marriage and birthrates have plummeted. There’s a crisis of meaning, and a growing chorus of intellectuals are pointing to secularism as the cause.
Studies show that religious service attendance correlates with lower rates of depression, suicide and substance abuse. Religious individuals are also more likely to marry, stay married, and have children. For the first time in U.S. history, church membership among Americans has fallen below 50%. Less than a fifth of Western Europeans attend church regularly. In Sweden, over 75% of young people claim no religion at all.
So, is the decline of religion to blame for our social unraveling? Or are rapid technological changes, growing economic inequality, and other social disruptions the culprit? And would empowering religious institutions, which have historically abused their power to stifle scientific progress, fuel war, and discriminate against perceived enemies be a mistake?
In short, would a return to faith restore order, or simply revive old divisions?”
David Hanegraaff traveled to Austin, Texas to cover the event—you can find his review and response here. https://www.equip.org/articles/does-the-west-need-a-religious-revival-a-review-of-the-debate-by-the-free-press-and-foundation-for-individual-rights-and-expression/
He joins his father Hank Hanegraaff on this edition of Hank Unplugged to discuss the debate, his role at the Christian Research Institute and much more.
Topics discussed include:
The Free Press organized a debate about religion that was unique for our time—secularism was not regarded as the default, but forced to defend itself (2:15)
Who were the debate participants? (4:45)
Why is the perspective of Ayaan Hirsi Ali so important? (6:30)
Is a religious revival on the horizon? (8:00)
What are the detrimental impacts of secularization on society? (12:25)
Were the arguments made by the atheists—Adam Carolla and Michael Shermer—convincing? (14:00)
New atheists, same old, tired arguments (16:50)
Richard Dawkins claims to be a cultural Christian (18:15)
The consequences of an unexamined life—worldviews matter (20:50)
The role of technology in our world today (25:50)
Why was this debate significant? (27:00)
The importance of localism (30:25)
The transformational nature of a Christianity lived out in practice (33:20)
What was it like growing up as the son of the Bible Answer Man? (37:05)
The legacy of Johannis Hanegraaff (40:00)
The importance of apologetics (42:30)
The sign of the cross (49:30)
The importance of being equally yoked (53:30)
Church and life are inextricably woven for Christians (55:15)
The detrimental impact of bad theology (58:25)
The joy of parenthood (1:02:20)
Meeting Jay Richards in Greece—a favorite Hank Unplugged guest (1:07:15)
Traveling to the monastic community at Mt. Athos (1:10:45)
The joy of having your children in the Church (1:14:45)
Why David Hanegraaff loves the Republic of Georgia—aggressive hospitality (1:20:00)
A boy named Grace—why? (1:23:20)
The importance of reading and the role books play on the Hank Unplugged podcast (1:26:00)
This was the subject of a debate hosted by The Free Press at the Paramount Theater in Austin Texas on February 27th. The debate pitted two religious advocates—Ayan Hirsi Ali and Ross Douthat—against two avowed atheists—Michael Shermer and Adam Carolla—in search of an answer. The scene of current affairs in the West was set by The Free Press as follows:
“The West has experienced a rapid erosion of our shared culture. Political polarization, loneliness, depression and addiction have surged, while marriage and birthrates have plummeted. There’s a crisis of meaning, and a growing chorus of intellectuals are pointing to secularism as the cause.
Studies show that religious service attendance correlates with lower rates of depression, suicide and substance abuse. Religious individuals are also more likely to marry, stay married, and have children. For the first time in U.S. history, church membership among Americans has fallen below 50%. Less than a fifth of Western Europeans attend church regularly. In Sweden, over 75% of young people claim no religion at all.
So, is the decline of religion to blame for our social unraveling? Or are rapid technological changes, growing economic inequality, and other social disruptions the culprit? And would empowering religious institutions, which have historically abused their power to stifle scientific progress, fuel war, and discriminate against perceived enemies be a mistake?
In short, would a return to faith restore order, or simply revive old divisions?”
David Hanegraaff traveled to Austin, Texas to cover the event—you can find his review and response here. https://www.equip.org/articles/does-the-west-need-a-religious-revival-a-review-of-the-debate-by-the-free-press-and-foundation-for-individual-rights-and-expression/
He joins his father Hank Hanegraaff on this edition of Hank Unplugged to discuss the debate, his role at the Christian Research Institute and much more.
Topics discussed include:
The Free Press organized a debate about religion that was unique for our time—secularism was not regarded as the default, but forced to defend itself (2:15)
Who were the debate participants? (4:45)
Why is the perspective of Ayaan Hirsi Ali so important? (6:30)
Is a religious revival on the horizon? (8:00)
What are the detrimental impacts of secularization on society? (12:25)
Were the arguments made by the atheists—Adam Carolla and Michael Shermer—convincing? (14:00)
New atheists, same old, tired arguments (16:50)
Richard Dawkins claims to be a cultural Christian (18:15)
The consequences of an unexamined life—worldviews matter (20:50)
The role of technology in our world today (25:50)
Why was this debate significant? (27:00)
The importance of localism (30:25)
The transformational nature of a Christianity lived out in practice (33:20)
What was it like growing up as the son of the Bible Answer Man? (37:05)
The legacy of Johannis Hanegraaff (40:00)
The importance of apologetics (42:30)
The sign of the cross (49:30)
The importance of being equally yoked (53:30)
Church and life are inextricably woven for Christians (55:15)
The detrimental impact of bad theology (58:25)
The joy of parenthood (1:02:20)
Meeting Jay Richards in Greece—a favorite Hank Unplugged guest (1:07:15)
Traveling to the monastic community at Mt. Athos (1:10:45)
The joy of having your children in the Church (1:14:45)
Why David Hanegraaff loves the Republic of Georgia—aggressive hospitality (1:20:00)
A boy named Grace—why? (1:23:20)
The importance of reading and the role books play on the Hank Unplugged podcast (1:26:00)
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