Every week on Undeceptions we’ll explore some aspect of life, faith, history, culture, or ethics that is either much misunderstood or mostly... more
Sam Allberry was involved in environmental activism when he became a Christian - a development that his activist friends saw as... more
The Old Testament is sacred not just to the Christian but also to the Jewish religion. Its 39 books cover... more
The 21st century has seen—and will continue to see—the rise of Christianity in the ‘Global South’, with surging conversion numbers... more
We interviewed Tom Holland, historian and co-host of the extraordinarily popular podcast The Rest is History, back in 2021 for... more
Artists have used their tools not just to capture beauty and transcendence, but also the essence of what it means... more
Is there a "right" way to read The Bible?Millennia of Ink has been split trying to answer that question.Surely if... more
Why did God make the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Can Christians smoke weed? Why does God allow... more
Famed Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once (well, several times actually) claimed Christianity was irreconcilable with the science of the Universe. But... more
Is history under threat? Increasingly, the modern, individualistic global West is coming to see history as a discipline that's irrelevant, harmful,... more
Trust is everywhere. It underpins our institutions, our health, and our relationships. However, experts are worried that the world is... more
True Crime is one of the most popular genres of film, podcasting, literature, and TV worldwide. We are obsessed with tales... more
Half a billion people alive today speak English as their first language. But how you speak English depends on where... more
There's a reason our guests have mentioned Augustine more than any other theologian or philosopher. St Augustine of Hippo was... more
Reasoning can take us to almost any conclusion we want. We ask "Can I believe?" if we want to believe,... more
Jazz is a genre of music steeped in tradition, culture, and most importantly, improvisation. According to some, the church can... more
Evangelicalism has always been a politically loaded word - but especially since the turn of the century. This is especially true... more
John faces down some of our most diverse - and controversial - questions yet. What's the deal with circumcision? Why... more
If Christianity is one big conspiracy, we wouldn't find so many mistakes and inconsistencies in the Gospels! Surely if the... more
You can make a pretty good case that the Gospels are the four most influential - and controversial - books... more
In this special Undeceptions Single, Stan Grant shares his reflections on God and suffering in the wake of the Bondi... more
From the mid-1990s to the 2010s, 'New Atheism' dominated the intellectual space. A virulent, attacking form of godless evangelism, it... more
Theology: It's a dry term that conjures images of old academics writing dusty books that will never be read. However, this... more
Science is a relatively new term. Chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy - all have only existed as defined, singular fields for... more
The Apostle Paul writes that Christians must battle against "powers and principalities". But what are they? What does the Bible... more
There are sophisticated, academic arguments for the resurrection of Jesus. It’s not just a matter of accepting on the basis... more
The pursuit of celibacy is seen as strange, taboo, and repressive in modern society. But that's what David Bennett, a... more
At the heart of cancel culture is a desire to combat injustice, and expose flaws within society. This is a... more
For the final episode of season X, we're taking a deep dive into the global centre of Atheism - France.... more
Aliens, more Old Testament violence, and ... The Devil. Our tenth question-and-answer episode was one of the toughest yet for John. Make... more
The story of Christianity is full of wonderful highs and terrible lows. It's truly an epic - and it takes... more
Christianity wasn't always its own religion - the first Christians were, in fact, Jewish ... because Jesus was Jewish! How... more
Angels are everywhere in history. From winged guardians in Sumerian mythology to the messengers of the Gods in Ancient Greece,... more
J.R.R. Tolkien needs no introduction. The Oxford Philology Professor who would go on to create the world of Middle Earth... more
The Middle Ages saw an explosion of literature, art, and thought around the personhood of Jesus. What can we learn... more
The Puritans: Everything wrong with a Christian society, or much misunderstood forefathers of innovation and social justice?This season of Undeceptions... more
This episode, we're visiting some of the ancient Christians to see that they were actually real human beings, with flaws... more
Our world spends billions of dollars a year on anti-ageing, but nothing will change the simple fact that we are... more
"I love Jesus but I hate the God of the Old Testament. He's just so violent."You might have heard this... more
In this live episode, recorded at the Melbourne leg of the Undeceptions Conference, we ask: What did the first Christians... more
The multiverse has become a popular cinema trope, but more and more astrophysicists are taking it seriously. Could there really... more
Is the Bible bad news for women? Is Jesus misogynistic?Or - as some claim - were the teachings of Jesus... more
To kick off season 10 of Undeceptions, we're exploring the new "threat" to the Christian faith - deconstruction.Deconstruction has become... more
If Jesus was just a teacher who lived and died in first-century Palestine, Christianity would be a waste of time.But... more
Most of us can agree that the world is a pretty messed up place.But what’s the problem with humanity? What’s... more
Many believe Christianity is all about following rules and not having any fun.However, this is a huge misunderstanding; Christianity is... more
Lots of people assume that Christianity is a nice story for kids or a niche hobby for weirdos.John Dickson brings... more
Throughout history, humans have looked for hidden meanings behind dreams. But in this modern, scientific age, surely we don't believe... more
Is there a place for pessimism in the Christian life? Is Halloween evil? Does God have 'mothering' characteristics, too? Why... more
If we can make sense of our faith, is it really faith at all, or just a projection of what... more
The Bible uses a very "human" way to communicate God's word: letter writing. But how do we know these letters... more
In memory of Timothy James Keller (1950-2023).This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video... more
Is nature inherently valuable if there is no God? According to one scientist, without faith, that's an almost impossible question... more
Apathy has seeped into every part of society. We've become a "Seinfeldian culture"; alive to the trivial, and numb to... more
Dorothy L. Sayers was much more than a celebrated detective novelist - she was a Christian playwright and author who... more
There aren’t many parts of the Bible that excite the imagination more than its thrilling climax in the book of... more
Is there room for the supernatural and the advancing world of medicine? According to some scientists - absolutely!This season of... more
An hour with acclaimed speaker and church leader Beth Moore.This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts... more
Introducing The Venerable Bede: Father of English history and the most brilliant polymath you've never heard of.This season of Undeceptions... more
Why did Jesus have to die? Why did it have to be such a violent death? And what on earth... more
Is there still something to celebrate about the Reformation, or is it, as many claim, the root of Christian division... more
The Reformation: one of the greatest ruptures in European history, a rupture that permanently split the church, triggered wars, created... more
"We know less than ever about history and are losing the ability to grapple with the ethical complexities of the... more
What have scholars throughout history thought about who Jesus was and what did they conclude about his significance in their... more
This is our seasonal Q&A episode, and our first question is all about why Jesus came to earth when he... more
The more we learn about the world, the more we see how it operates under elegant laws. There is an... more
There’s no such thing as a “New Testament Christian”. While the popular scepticism about parts of the Old Testament is... more
‘Tis the podcast before Christmas, so we’re diving into the fairy lights and tinsel to uncover some of the myths... more
You might think the Chronicles of Narnia are just for kids. But scholars have discovered some amazing historical, literary, and... more
The Byzantine capital, Constantinople, was famously fortified with an impenetrable three-wall network, which preserved it from foreign conquest for centuries.... more
How we think about time, the value we give to the three parts of time (past, present, and future) really... more
We’re talking all things animals in this episode, starting with why God would create a world that seems to embed... more
There's much more to C.S. Lewis than the (wonderful) Chronicles of Narnia. Join John Dickson as he tours Oxford -... more
With so much riding on such small fragments of our past, how do we know our old stuff is actually... more
One of the surprises when we turn the pages of the New Testament is how little the word “Christian” actually... more
The Bible has its own way of exposing the flaws of our culture, and, of course, pointing to the Good.
It's our seasonal Q&A episode and there are actually quite a few curly questions about the future of the universe,... more
It may just be that science is an imaginative, creative, and emotive enterprise, just as it is obviously a rational,... more
We take a closer look at 15 words that are often misunderstood, or sometimes forgotten. And my guest today reckons... more
We’re laying out the best arguments for and against legalising euthanasia.
The death of religion was the conventional wisdom in the social sciences during most of the twentieth century. Turns out, they... more
Right in the so called ‘Dark Ages’, it wasn’t all flat-earthers and biblical literalists. In fact, there were very few... more
Buddhism probably takes the prize today for World’s Most Lovable Religion. But is this widespread appreciation of Buddhism matched by... more
In some ways, the biblical story of Noah and his ark has been a focus over centuries for debates about... more
Some think we might not be too far away from Artificial Intelligence actually having feelings. If it does happen, what... more
Four weeks before John's mate Ben Shaw died of cancer, a group of friends got together to record Ben playing... more
The question: ‘What is beauty’ has been of interest since the earliest ancient philosophers began asking questions. It’s often considered... more
Is there a Christian way to think about and engage with people who identify as something other than their birth... more
It’s Season 6’s Q&A episode – and you guys really didn't hold back. There are some TOUGH questions this time... more
We’re asking one of the most frequent - and fraught - questions I come across as someone who talks about... more
In Part Two of our in-depth look at the Vikings, we meet the greatest Viking of the era: the man... more