The Humble Skeptic

What do you believe about God and the afterlife? How certain are you that your beliefs are true, particularly when compared with all the other faith and worldview options that happen to be out there? Can we have certainty about our deepest convictions? On this edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane Rosenthal discusses these questions and more with Dr. Dennis Johnson, author of Journeys with Jesus, and Let’s Study Acts.SHOW NOTESFor a gift of any amount, we’ll send you a 20 page downloadable copy of What is Faith? by Shane Rosenthal. There are currently two ways to give: 1) Make a gift directly to The Humble Skeptic by clicking here — these gifts are not currently tax deductible, but this option will become available soon! 2) Upgrade to a paid subscription through Substack using the green button below.Subscribe nowThe Humble Skeptic podcast in association with the Memphis Apologetics Group will be hosting a conference titled Questions of Faith on Feb. 24-26, 2023. This conference will be held at the Richland Association Reformed Presbyterian Church in Rosemark, TN, which is 25 minutes north of Memphis. Click here for more information (though the conference is free, registration is required).The lengthy quote from Princeton New Testament scholar, J. Gresham Machen was adapted from a series of lectures he delivered to the Bible League of Great Britain in 1932. This material was later published under the title, The Importance of Christian Scholarship which you can find here. These lectures were later reprinted and included in The Selected Shorter Writings of J. Gresham Machen as well as What is Christianity?Dennis Johnson has written two books related to the book of Acts: The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption, and Let’s Study Acts. Also, his book Journeys with Jesus is a very helpful introduction to reading the entire Bible in a Christ-centered way.If you’re a fan of this podcast and you still haven’t rated the show or written a review, please consider doing so today via the Apple podcast app (the more positive reviews we get, the more exposure we get — and the next few weeks are crucial). Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this special Christmas edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane takes a break from his current series on “Questions of Faith” and plays a Christmas sermon he recently preached on Micah chapter 5.SHOW NOTESFor Further ReadingFinding Christ in All of Scripture, Shane Rosenthal (PDF)Why Should We Believe The Bible?, Shane Rosenthal (article)A New Way of Reading Scripture, Shane Rosenthal (article)The Jewish Gospels, Daniel Boyarin (book)Is Jesus in the Old Testament?, Ian Duguid (booklet)Four Principles for Reading the Old Testament, Ian Duguid (article)Journeys with Jesus, Dennis Johnson (book)Proof of the Gospel, Eusebius of Caesarea (book)The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, Rydelnik & Blum (book)Echoes of Exodus, Roberts & Wilson (book)The Angel of the Lord, Foreman & Van Dorn (book)Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament, Nancy Guthrie (book series)We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or by upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

In his book, Religion on Trial, Craig Parton says that “Religions are worldviews. They claim to address the primary questions of our existence—where we came from, where we are going, and why we are going where we are going.” In that sense he says, “Everyone is religious, because everyone has a worldview, even if that worldview is that we came from a totally purposeless beginning and are returning to dust.” But, how can we determine whether a given worldview happens to be true? That’s the focus of this special bonus episode of The Humble Skeptic podcast.SHOW NOTESFor a gift of any size (using the tip jar above), we’ll send you a copy of What is Faith? by Shane Rosenthal.To listen to a White Horse Inn conversation featuring Shane Rosenthal, Craig Parton and others on the eyewitness testimony found in the Fourth Gospel, click here.To order a copy of Religion on Trial by Craig Parton, click here.To order a copy of The Testimony of The Evangelists by Simon Greenleaf, click here.To read an online edition of A Brief Outline of The Evidences of The Christian Religion by Archibald Alexander, click here. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

According to many Christians today, faith isn’t based on external facts or evidence, but is considered an internal, subjective feeling, intuition, or experience. But is this taught anywhere in the Bible? What about other religious texts and traditions? Shane Rosenthal explores these questions and more and talks with Craig Parton, author of Religion on Trial.SPECIAL OFFER: What is Faith?This 20-page PDF resource by Shane Rosenthal walks through many of the issues covered on this episode, and includes all the supporting documentation in case you’d like to research things further yourself. We’ll send you a link to download this PDF when you upgrade to a paid subscription or make a gift of any size. Click here for more info.SHOW NOTESArticlesIs Faith a Feeling? Shane RosenthalThe Mormonization of American Christianity, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane RosenthalDoes Hebrews 11:1 Teach Blind Faith?, Shane RosenthalIs My Dad Mentioned in Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”?, Shane RosenthalBe a Berean!, Shane RosenthalOn Faith & Doubt, Shane RosenthalHow to Detect Deception, Shane RosenthalThe Story of Us, Shane RosenthalEpisodesReligion on Trial, Humble Skeptic #5 with Craig PartonFaith & Experience, Humble Skeptic #28Is Faith Blind? Humble Skeptic#3Is Faith Irrational? Humble Skeptic #2Faith Founded on Facts, Humble Skeptic #15The Pilot Episode, Humble Skeptic #1 — The Billy Joel episodeNew Evidence for The Executive Room, HS #55 with John GibsonEvidential Reasoning, Humble Skeptic #56 with Craig PartonBooksReligion on Trial, Craig Parton,Habits of the Heart, Robert Bellah et al1984, George OrwellGod in the Whirlwind, David WellsFaith is Not Wishing, Greg KouklTestimonies to the Truth, Lydia McGrewCan We Trust The Gospels? Peter J. WilliamsIs Jesus History? John DicksonWe Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or by upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

When Shane Rosenthal recently polled close to a hundred Christians at a variety of different events, the overwhelming majority described faith as a “blind leap.” But is this idea taught anywhere in Scripture? On this episode of The Humble Skeptic, Shane examines the arguments and passages that some people use in support of the idea that faith is blind. SHOW NOTESRecommended ReadingDoes Hebrews 11:1 Teach Blind Faith?, Shane RosenthalWhat is Faith?, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane RosenthalThe Mormonization of American Christianity, Shane RosenthalBe a Berean!, Shane RosenthalThe Virtue of Doubt, Shane RosenthalRecommended EpisodesGreg Koukl on Blind FaithDealing with DoubtFaith Founded on FactsFaith & ProofProof of the GospelWe Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or by upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Many people today claim that faith is “believing in things without evidence,” but is this really the case? On this episode of The Humble Skeptic, we’ll take a deep dive into the true definition of faith.SPECIAL OFFER: What is Faith?, by Shane RosenthalThis 20-page PDF document walks through many of the issues covered on this episode, and includes all the supporting documentation in case you’d like to research things further yourself. We’ll send you a link to download this PDF when you upgrade to a paid subscription or make a gift of any size. Click here for more info.SHOW NOTESRelated ArticlesWhat is Faith? Shane Rosenthal (20-page PDF)Faith Is Not Wishing, Greg KouklDon’t Take a Leap of Faith, Greg KouklOn Faith & Doubt, Shane RosenthalHow to Detect Deception, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane RosenthalWhat Can We Know About Jesus from History? Shane RosenthalOn Faith & History, Shane RosenthalIs My Dad Mentioned in Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”?, Shane RosenthalRecommended BooksFaith is Not Wishing, Greg KouklReligion on Trial, Craig PartonTestimonies to the Truth, Lydia McGrewCan We Trust The Gospels? Peter J. WilliamsIs Jesus History? John DicksonA Doubter’s Guide to Jesus, John DicksonProof of The Gospel, Eusebius of CaesareaLuke’s Key Witness, Shane RosenthalRelated AudioThe Pilot Episode, Humble Skeptic #1 (The Billy Joel episode)Greg Koukl on Blind Faith, Humble Skeptic #18Dealing with Doubt, Humble Skeptic #19Are the Gospels History? Humble Skeptic #52 with John DicksonFaith Founded on Facts, Humble Skeptic #15 with John Lennox and othersThe Jesus of History, Humble Skeptic #12 Why Should We Trust the Bible? Humble Skeptic #39 with Mike FarleyEvidence & Faith (Pt. 1), (Pt. 2), (Pt. 3), (Pt. 4)Below is the Google Ngram chart referenced on this episode. This tool charts the occurrence of words or phrases in all the scanned books that Google has in its database. The graph below illustrates the fact that the phrases “blind faith” and “leap of faith,” came to prominence in the 19th and 20th centuries.We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this pilot episode, Shane Rosenthal discusses what it means to be a "humble skeptic," and tells a story that helps to explain his overall approach for this new podcast. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe