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Premier Unbelievable?

Unbelievable? offers a weekly podcast, blog, and video series hosted by Ruth Jackson and a team of thinkers and Christian apologists.

Unbelievable?

CS Lewis scholar Michael Ward and atheist activist Dan Barker debate whether Lewis' Christian apologetics were convincing or not. Michael Ward currently has a new book out on Lewis: After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man. 

Originally aired: 2010

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Unbelievable? Classic: Debating the apologetics of CS Lewis

Join an electrifying debate exploring life's ultimate questions: What’s the purpose of existence? How do God and atheism shape our understanding of the cosmos, consciousness, and meaning?
Recorded at the prestigious Royal Institution in London, this thought-provoking discussion features:
Alex O’Connor @Cosmic Skeptic – Atheist YouTuber, host of @withinreasonpod, philosopher.Elizabeth Oldfield – Host of @sacred_podcast, author of Fully Alive Prof. Philip Goff – @Philip_Goff on X, philosopher and leading voice on panpsychism.Rowan Williams – Former Archbishop of Canterbury, theologian, poet and writer.Dr. Jack Symes – Public philosopher, BBC New Generation Thinker, and host of The Panpsycast Podcast, jacksymes.co.ukIntroduced by Ruth Jackson of Premier Unbelievable, this debate dives deep into:
🌍 The origins and purpose of the cosmos.
🧠 The nature of consciousness and its mysteries.
💡 The role of God, faith, and atheism in ethics and meaning.
With lively discussion, challenging ideas, and a live audience—including students from local schools—this event is a must-watch for anyone grappling with the biggest questions of existence.
👉 Join the conversation, like, share, and comment with your thoughts!
🔔 Subscribe to Premier Unbelievable for more engaging debates and inspiring discussions.
#Debate #GodVsAtheism #Philosophy #Cosmos #Consciousness #RowanWilliams #CosmicSkeptic #Panpsychism #PremierUnbelievable

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• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101
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PART 1 of What’s the Point of Existence? God, Atheism, and the Meaning of Life 🌍

Debate has raged over the timeline of Christ's return. Daniel Goepfrich holds to 'premillennialism' - that Christ will return before a 1000 year reign of peace, Chris Date holds to 'amillennialism' - that there will be no literal 1000 year reign.

For Chris Date https://rethinkinghell.com/
For Daniel Goepfrich https://www.theologyisforeveryone.com/

Originally aired: July 2021

• Get our 'Confident Christianity' course: http://www.premier.org.uk/courseierchristianradio.com/... 
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Unbelievable? Classic: Premillennial vs Amillennial debate on Christ's return - Daniel Goepfrich & Chris Date

Join an electrifying debate exploring life's ultimate questions: What’s the purpose of existence? How do God and atheism shape our understanding of the cosmos, consciousness, and meaning?

Recorded at the prestigious Royal Institution in London, this thought-provoking discussion features:
Alex O’Connor @Cosmic Skeptic – Atheist YouTuber, host of @withinreasonpod, philosopher.
Elizabeth Oldfield – Host of @sacred_podcast, author of Fully Alive 
Prof. Philip Goff – @Philip_Goff on X, philosopher and leading voice on panpsychism.
Rowan Williams – Former Archbishop of Canterbury, theologian, poet and writer.
Dr. Jack Symes – Public philosopher, BBC New Generation Thinker, and host of The Panpsycast Podcast, jacksymes.co.uk

This debate dives deep into:
🌍 The origins and purpose of the cosmos.
🧠 The nature of consciousness and its mysteries.
💡 The role of God, faith, and atheism in ethics and meaning.

With lively discussion, challenging ideas, and a live audience Q&A —including students from local schools — this event is a must-watch for anyone grappling with the biggest questions of existence.

👉 Join the conversation, like, share, and comment with your thoughts!

🔔 Subscribe to Premier Unbelievable for more engaging debates and inspiring discussions.

SOCIAL LINKS 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe 
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• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101
• More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com
• For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live
• For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training
• Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow
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PART 2 of What’s the Point of Existence? God, Atheism, and the Meaning of Life 🌍

In a world splintered by distrust across science, faith, and politics, is it possible to find common ground on the sources of true wisdom? Dr. Francis Collins, a world-renowned geneticist and Christian, believes we must, and his new book, The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust, aims to rekindle these values. Collins argues that a foundation of humility, truth, and morality — not partisan loyalty — should guide our judgement. But in an age where allegiance often outweighs evidence, can this vision truly take hold?

In this episode of Premier Unbelievable, Collins squares off with Phil Halper, atheist scientist and creator of Before the Big Bang, to probe the limits of science and the necessity of faith. 

Together, they’ll tackle pressing questions: 
Can faith and science coexist without compromising truth? How does trust (or lack of it) contribute to today’s social and political divides?Is it possible to transcend polarization and rebuild a fractured world?
Whether you're a person of faith, a skeptic, or simply searching for answers in a turbulent world, this episode offers a deep dive into the limits of science, the necessity of trust, and the pursuit of wisdom. Can Collins' vision inspire change, or are we too entrenched to move forward?

🔔 Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more!

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• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 
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Science vs Faith: Can We Find Truth and Trust in a Divided World? with Dr. Francis Collins & Phil Halper

Andy Bannister and Abdullah Al Andalusi
In a world filled with questions about faith, truth, and the future, can Islam and Christianity find common ground, or do their beliefs reveal irreconcilable differences? Dr. Andy Bannister, a Christian apologist and author, and Abdullah Al Andalusi, an Islamic thinker and activist, go head to head in this week's episode of the Unbelievable? Podcast - coming together for a powerful discussion on the big questions shaping our world today.
Together, they explore:
Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God?How do Islamic and Christian beliefs shape our understanding of life, purpose, and truth?What happens when faith influences technology and the future of AI?What unique visions of humanity's future do Islam and Christianity have to offer?
Dr. Andy Bannister, a former atheist turned Christian, and Abdullah Al Andalusi, who embraced Islam after leaving Christianity, bring their personal journeys and intellectual insights to this thought-provoking debate.

Whether you’re a believer, skeptic, or curious seeker, this episode dives deep into the heart of faith, identity, and humanity’s future in a rapidly changing world.

🔔 Subscribe and hit the notification bell to join the conversation and never miss an episode!

#IslamVsChristianity #FaithDebate #PurposeAndTruth #FutureOfAI #UnbelievablePodcast #InterfaithDialogue #ReligionAndTechnology #MuslimsAndChristians

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• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 
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Islam vs Christianity: Do We Worship the Same God? with Dr. Andy Bannister & Abdullah Al Andalusi

Towards the end of this discussion, Roger Bolton's guests acknowledge a profound hunger for Christianity. So, how did we get here? How can Christianity recover its confidence? Have Christian leaders, in their pursuit of relevance, lost sight of the true distinctiveness of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ?

Host Roger Bolton dives deep into the evolving role of Christianity with distinguished guests Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow at the Theos think tank, and Rupert Shortt, acclaimed author and journalist. Together, they tackle some of the most pressing questions about faith in the modern age:
How has Christianity shaped Western values like morality, equality, and human rights?What is the faith's relationship with science and secularism?Can Christianity remain relevant in an increasingly multicultural and secular world?The discussion unpacks cultural amnesia, media misrepresentation, and the rising spiritual hunger among younger generations. Is Christianity truly in decline, or is there a path to renewal?

For today's guests: 
📖 Rupert Shortt
Get your copy of: The Eclipse of Christianity https://amzn.to/3WhhI51 and Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack https://amzn.to/3DZdzMIYou can read more of his work here: Rupert Shortt on TLS
📖 Nick Spencer
Get your copy of: The Evolution of the West: How Christianity Shaped Our Values https://amzn.to/3OoJqbQ and Magisteria: The Entangled Histories of Science and Religion https://amzn.to/41FQLePReading Our Times podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185Follow him on Twitter: @theosnickDiscover more about Theos: @theosthinktank 
• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101
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Does Christianity need to recover its confidence? with Rupert Shortt and Nick Spencer

In this thought-provoking episode of Premier Unbelievable, host Vince Vitale is joined by two brilliant minds to unpack the ontological argument for the existence of God: ✨ Dr. Gavin Ortlund – President of Truth Unites, theologian, author, and YouTuber and 🎓 Joe Schmid – Philosophy PhD student at Princeton, metaphysics expert, creator of Majesty of Reason and Alex O'Connor's favourite young agnostic. 

In this thought-provoking episode, we explore:
🔹 Anselm's famous ontological argument and its philosophical legacy
🔹 A priori reasoning and what it means for theology and metaphysics
🔹 Modal arguments and the concepts of necessary vs. contingent existence
🔹 Critiques, including Kant’s objections and parody arguments

This dynamic conversation unpacks the complexities of God’s existence, philosophical rationality, and the nature of being itself. Whether you're a philosopher, theologian, or curious skeptic, this episode will challenge your perspective and expand your understanding. 🌌📚

Meet the Guests:
1️⃣ Joe Schmid
Joe is a Philosophy PhD student at Princeton University, specializing in metaphysics and philosophy of religion. He has co-authored the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on ontological arguments and written two books: Existential Inertia and Classical Theistic Proofs and The Majesty of Reason. On his YouTube channel, Majesty of Reason, Joe creates lectures and hosts philosophical discussions.
📚 Follow Joe Schmid:
🌐 Website: josephschmid.com
▶️ YouTube: Majesty of Reason
🐦 Twitter/X: @majestyofreason

2️⃣ Dr. Gavin Ortlund
Gavin is the President of Truth Unites, a theologian, and author of nine books, including Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn’t and What It Means to Be Protestant. He holds a PhD in historical theology from Fuller Seminary and is a fellow of several esteemed organizations, including the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. Gavin also shares content on theology, apologetics, and church history through his YouTube channel, Truth Unites.
📚 Follow Dr. Gavin Ortlund:
🌐 Website: truthunites.org
▶️ YouTube: Truth Unites
📸 Instagram: truth.unites
👍 Facebook: Truth Unites Page
🐦 Twitter/X: @gavinortlund

👉 What do you think? Can the ontological argument prove God’s existence, or is it just a fascinating mental exercise? Let us know in the comments below!

🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform or watch the full video for more deep philosophical insights!

#Philosophy #Theology #ExistenceOfGod #OntologicalArgument #Anselm #Metaphysics #Kant #Agnosticism #FaithAndReason #PhilosophicalDebate #GodExists #LogicAndReason #PhilosophyPodcast

SOCIAL LINKS
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👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢

• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101
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Does God Exist? The Ontological Argument Debate 🤔✨ Dr Gavin Ortlund vs AOC favourite agnostic Joe Schmid

How do we know the age of the Universe, really? Today's guest suggests atheists should believe our world is actually 5 minutes old… no, seriously!!In this episode, Vince Vitale hosts a fascinating discussion with David Lu and Dan Linford to explore a groundbreaking theory and its philosophical and scientific implications on the Big Bang, the existence of a Creator, and the age of the universe.

🔍 David Lu presents a novel argument suggesting the universe might only be five minutes old, challenging traditional cosmological beliefs. This bold claim ignites a lively debate on causation, time, and the very nature of existence.

💡 Dan Linford counters with philosophical and scientific perspectives, leading to a deep exploration of topics such as:
The nature of space-time and causationProbability distributions of cosmic events and the Boltzmann brain problemEmpirical evidence vs. theoretical claims about the universe's ageThe validity of cosmological dating methods
Together, they unpack whether the universe’s beginning requires a cause and explore how the interplay of science and philosophy shapes our understanding of reality.
Meet the Guests:1️⃣ David Lu
David is an MD-PhD Candidate at Stanford University and holds an M.Sc. in Philosophy, Science, and Religion from the University of Edinburgh. With a background in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry from Yale University, David has published in leading scientific and philosophical journals.
📚 Follow David Lu:
🌐 Linktree

2️⃣ Dan Linford
Dan is an instructor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Old Dominion University. He is also a co-host of the Sci-Phi Podcast and co-author of Existential Inertia and Classical Theistic Proofs with Joseph Schmid.
🎙️ Follow the Sci-Phi Podcast for more deep dives into philosophy and science.

👉 Join the Conversation!
What do you think? Could the universe truly be five minutes old, or is this just a fascinating thought experiment? Share your thoughts in the comments or on social media!

🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform or watch the full discussion on YouTube for more philosophical insights.

#BigBang #Cosmology #PhilosophyPodcast #PhilosophyOfScience #SpaceTime #BoltzmannBrain #CosmologicalArguments #UniverseAge #ScienceAndReligion #Causation #DeepThinking #PodcastDiscussion #ExistentialQuestions

SOCIAL LINKS:
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🎥 YouTube Channel: Premier Unbelievable
📸 Instagram: @premier.unbelievable
🐦 Twitter/X: @unbelievablefe
📘 Facebook: Premier Unbelievable
🎙️ For more podcasts, articles, and bonus content: www.premierunbelievable.com

Is the Universe 5 minutes old? Did the universe begin with a cause? Dan Linford vs David Lu Debate the Kalām Cosmological Argument

Is the universe fine-tuned for life? And does physics point to God? Tune in to the Unbelievable? Podcast for our debate this week which was filmed in front of a live audience at the University of Durham, with Prof. Philip Goff moderating. 

We have two excellent physicists in the hot seats. Dr Luke Barnes is a senior lecturer at Western Sydney University and has published extensively on the fine tuning of physics for life. On the other side we have Dr Martin Bauer an associate professor in physics from Durham University, UK. Martin's research focuses on dark matter, and Higgs physics to name just two. 

This debate at Durham University was funded by the panpsychism and panentheism three-year project that Philip Goff and Andre Buchareth run at Durham University, which is currently funded by the John Templeton Foundation. 

MEET THE GUESTS
For Philip Goff:
https://philipgoffphilosophy.com/
Philip’s book: Why? The Purpose of the universe https://amzn.to/3X3zklx
https://x.com/philip_goff
https://bsky.app/profile/philipgoff.bsky.social

For Luke Barnes:
https://researchers.westernsydney.edu.au/en/persons/luke-barnes
https://x.com/lukebarnesastro

For Martin Bauer:
https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/martin-m-bauer/
https://x.com/martinmbauer?lang=en

#finetuning #reasonsforgod #sciencevsgod #physicists #astrophysics #debate #christianapologetics

• Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101
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• For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live
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Is the universe fine-tuned for life? Luke Barnes vs Martin Bauer with Philip Goff [recorded on location at Durham Uni]

Laura Miller was captivated by Lewis' Narnia stories as a child. As a teenager she learnt of the Christian parallels in the books and felt "cheated and betrayed". Find out why in today's programme and how she has come to terms with Narnia by writing "The Magician's Book".

Michael Ward is a leading expert on CS Lewis and author of "Planet Narnia". As a Christian the Narnia stories served to deepen his faith, and he has also recently uncovered a rich secret within the books that has gone unnoticed until now.

They discuss how the Christian Narnia affected Miller and some of the criticisms she levels at them in her book. 

For Michael Ward see www.planetnarnia.com

For Laura Miller see www.lauramiller.org

If you enjoyed this discussion you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 8 Dec 2007 The Golden Compass - is it atheist propaganda?

For more Christian/non Christian discussions visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast or via itunes

Join the discussion at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 6 Jun 2009 A Skeptic in Narnia

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