Unbelievable?

‘The Evangelical Universalist’ was published in 2006. The author claimed to be an evangelical Christian who believes that everyone will ultimately be saved. He published under a pen name, but a few years later revealed his true identity as Robin Parry, then editorial director of UK Christian publisher Paternoster (he’s now at Wipf and Stock Publishers). Laurence M Blanchard, a pastor and author in California responds to Robin's arguments and raises questions such as "what's the point of evangelism if everyone will be saved?" Originally broadcast 17th October 2009. Read Robin's blog here: http://theologicalscribbles.blogspot.com/  Read his blog as the Evangelical Universalist here: http://evangelicaluniversalist.blogspot.com/  Read about Laurence Blanchard here: https://charteroaklighthouse.org/about-us/our-staff/  If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy the original show when Parry's voice was disguised: https://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable/Episodes/Unbelievable-15-Mar-2008-Christian-Universalism-will-all-be-saved USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the free Unbelievable? e-book ‘In Conversation With…’ https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter   Support the show: https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable    For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB   Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb   Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley

Richmond Wandera, a pastor in Kampala, Uganda and listener of Unbelievable? talks to Justin about the history of Christian revival in Africa, elections and Covid in Uganda, witchcraft, secularism and the problem of the prosperity gospel in churches. He also share his story of coming from the slums of Kampala through to theological education and church leadership in a show in partnership with Compassion. To sponsor a child through Compassion via Unbelievable? http://www.compassion.com/justin Or text JUSTIN to 83393 (USA only) As a thankyou, USA sponsors will receive a copy of Justin's book 'Unbelievable? Why, after ten years of talking with atheists, I'm still a Christian'

Many have suggested that Christian belief in the divinity and worship of Jesus as God was a late development, and that Jesus' early followers did not regard him as being equal with God.  So was Jesus merely regarded as an ‘elevated’ being? Was high Christology at odds with the Jewish monotheism of the first century? New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham argues against these views.  His book ‘Jesus and the God of Israel’ claims that the worship of Jesus as God was both very Jewish and very early. Agnostic scholar James Crossley contests Richard's claims. Originally broadcast 10th October 2009. For Richard Bauckham visit http://www.ridley.cam.ac.uk/people/rbauckham.html  For James Crossley see http://shef.ac.uk/bibs/staff/jgc.html  If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 29 Aug 2009 - Richard Bauckham on the Gospels - pt 1: Richard Bauckham and James Crossley https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-yec6j-f8a603?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share    Unbelievable? 24 Jan 2009 - How did Christianity begin?" Pt 2 - James Crossley & Michael Bird https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-hbk78-f5a058?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the free Unbelievable? e-book ‘In Conversation With…’ https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter   Support the show: https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable    For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB   Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb   Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley

There’s been a rise in the demand for exorcism from church priests in recent years.   Billy Hallowell author of ‘Playing With Fire: A modern investigation into demons, exorcism and ghosts’ says we need ot take the supernatural seriously. Atheist skeptic Michael Shermer believes that there are better natural explanations for paranormal claims.   For Billy Hallowell: http://www.billyhallowell.com  For Michael Shermer: http://www.michaelshermer.com  USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Everywhere else, subscribe to our newsletter https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter and support the show https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley

Rev Christina Beardsley is a transgender priest in the Church of England and author of numerous resources on trans experience in the church.   She engages with Preston Sprinkle, author of ‘Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say’ who takes a grace-filled but traditional Christian approach to sexuality.   They discuss how churches should engage with trans people, theological questions of ‘bodily’ and ‘gender’ identity, and the issue of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria.   Christina Beardsley: www.sibyls.gndr.org.uk   Preston Sprinkle: www.prestonsprinkle.com     USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show   Everywhere else, subscribe to our newsletter https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter and support the show https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable    For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB   Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb   Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley

Richard Bauckham’s book ‘Jesus and the Eyewitnesses’ has been heralded as a paradigm shift in the way the authorship of the Gospels should be seen. Bauckham argues that the Gospels are based on eyewitness accounts and should be regarded as fundamentally trustworthy. New Testament historian James Crossley discusses the implications of Bauckham's work and whether the Gospel of John was written by the disciple John himself, as Bauckham claims. Originally broadcast 5th September 2009. USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the free Unbelievable? e-book ‘In Conversation With…’ https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter   Support the show: https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable    For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB   Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb   Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley

The online atheist world is awash with memes that critique passages from the Bible.  Dan Kimball is the author of the new book ‘How (not) to read the Bible: Making sense of the anti-women, anti-science, pro-violence, pro-slavery, and other crazy sounding parts of scripture’.  He debates atheist memes on slavery, violence and warfare with Michael Wiseman, host of the atheist podcast ‘The Bible Says What’. Dan Kimball: http://www.dankimball.com Michael Wiseman: https://twitter.com/bswthepodcast  USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Everywhere else, subscribe to our newsletter https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter and support the show https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley 

Richard Bauckham’s book ‘Jesus and the Eyewitnesses’ has been heralded as a paradigm shift in the way the authorship of the Gospels should be seen. Bauckham argues that the Gospels are based on eyewitness accounts and should be regarded as fundamentally trustworthy. New Testament historian James Crossley discusses the implications of Bauckham's work and whether the Gospel of John was written by the disciple John himself, as Bauckham claims. Originally broadcast 29th August 2009. They continue the debate next week... USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the free Unbelievable? e-book ‘In Conversation With…’ https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter   Support the show: https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable    For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB   Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb   Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley  

Sam Devis is a former Christian and produces a podcast called When Belief Dies. One of the triggers for his faith deconstruction was reading Yuval Noah Harari’s ‘Sapiens’ and the consequent questions this raised, particularly around evolution. Andrew Halestrap is emeritus professor of biochemistry and senior research fellow at Bristol University and was previously the national chair of Christians in Science. They join Justin to discuss faith, proof and the relationship between science and God. For Sam Devis: https://linktr.ee/whenbeliefdies For Andrew Halestrap: https://youtu.be/sSCqW40vKFQ USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Everywhere else, subscribe to our newsletter https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter and support the show https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable  For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley 

You don't have to look far for claims of the miraculous. But what constitutes a ‘miracle’ and do Christian beliefs in this area make sense? Michael Shermer is a well-known atheist in the USA and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine. He says miraculous claims always have a natural explanation. Adrian Holloway is a London pastor and apologist. He claims to have witnessed the miraculous and says that Michael's scepticism is unjustified. USA listeners check out our new USA website for exclusive resources and to support us: http://www.unbelievable.show Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the free Unbelievable? e-book ‘In Conversation With…’ https://www.premier.org.uk/Unbelievablenewsletter   Support the show: https://resources.premier.org.uk/supportunbelievable    For more faith debates visit http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB   Twitter https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb   Insta https://www.instagram.com/justin.brierley