Matters of Life and Death

<p>In the week the first images from the new James Webb Space Telescope were beamed back to Earth, we are joined by theologian Andrew Davison to consider the spiritual value of cosmology and astrophysics. Andrew is a theologian of the sciences and especially interested in the deep questions about life thrown up by new developments in space exploration. We consider what the telescope might discover, how Christians can reconcile themselves to our smallness in the universe, and if there is spiritual value in spending billions on this kind of far-sighted scientific endeavour in the first place.</p> <p>For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: <a href='http://www.premierunbelievable.com'>http://www.premierunbelievable.com </a></p> <p>If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John’s website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p>

<p>Hello, and welcome to Matters of Life and Death. Today we’re going back to our conversation about simulation for part two of this re-broadcast. Last week’s episode discussed the growth of deep fakes and other digital technologies which allow us to simulate human faces and speech with increasing accuracy. We thought about how these developments had been presaged for decades by sci fi, such as Philip K Dick’s iconic novels, but also by the influential yet eccentric French philosopher Jean Baudrillard. Baudrillard sketched out four phases of simulated reality, beginning with a first phase of accurate, faithful representation where an image acted as a sacrament. We’re going to pick up the discussion as John explains the next phase in Baudrillard’s analysis.</p> <p>If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John’s website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p>For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: <a href='http://www.premierunbelievable.com/'>http://www.premierunbelievable.com</a></p>

<p>For the next two weeks we’re dipping back into the Matters of Life and Death archive to bring you an episode we first broadcast last year. It’s all about simulation. We live in an era when digital technology is making it increasingly easy and cheap to create fake but compelling images or videos of people, or even entirely artificial human-like personalities. Machine learning tools and progress in artificial intelligence software means we are closer than ever to things previously only imaginable in sci fi: computer programs which can speak to us like a human or, androids which are indistinguishable from real people. In this episode we discuss examples of this kind of tech already in the world, what impact it may have in the future, and how we as Christians should think about these forms of simulated images, relationships and personalities.</p> <p>If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John’s website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p>For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: <a href='http://www.premierunbelievable.com'>http://www.premierunbelievable.com</a></p>

<p>Could it be that some knowledge – including whether your unborn child has a serious genetic condition – is actually not helpful, and even harmful to us? In this episode we dig further into the complex ethics of prenatal screening and explore what the Christian tradition makes of seeking to understand the future, and the different arguments for and against aborting children we know will be disabled.</p> <p class="sc-hZiMVj fGyIRZ slate-block slate-body-placeholder">If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John’s website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p class="sc-hZiMVj fGyIRZ slate-block slate-body-placeholder">For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: <a href='http://www.premierunbelievable.com'>http://www.premierunbelievable.com</a></p>

<p>Pregnant women today are offered a battery of tests and screening for their unborn child, looking for an ever-increasing range of conditions and risks. But is the onward march of technology in this sphere always an unmitigated good thing? With abortion for a disability legal in the UK up to term, women are being given terrible choices previous generations never faced: give birth to a child who probably has a life-limiting or even fatal condition, or end the pregnancy early. What ethical challenges does this knowledge, whether gained via the official NHS programmes or a growing number of DIY tests available online, pose?</p> <p>If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John’s website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p>For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: <a href='http://www.premierunbelievable.com'>http://www.premierunbelievable.com </a></p>

<p>Demographic trends reveal clearly the next century will be one increasingly dominated by older people. If God is giving us a lot more folk in their later years, what are they for in church life? Has the modern church, terrified of decline, alienated its faithful, older congregants in a desperate attempt to lure back the young? And what wisdom and service do older Christians have to offer their churches?</p> <p class="sc-eCqeQn dHNuca slate-block slate-body-placeholder">If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p class="sc-eCqeQn dHNuca slate-block slate-body-placeholder">Matters of Life and Death is part of Premier Unbelievable. Find out more at <a href='http://www.premierunbelievable.com'>www.premierunbelievable.com</a></p>

<p>The world’s population is rapidly becoming older and older, with many developed nations seeing unprecedented proportions of their citizens in retirement age. Why is this taking place, and does this presage an era of economic stagnation or a utopia of stability? How have fears over demography shifted as fertility rates plummet across the world, and how can we avoid pitting the young against the ever more powerful old in bitter intergenerational conflict?</p> <p>If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p>Matters of Life and Death is part of Premier Unbelievable. Find out more at <a href='http://www.premierunbelievable.com'>www.premierunbelievable.com</a></p>

<p>In the second part of our conversation on robot rights, we explore three Christian responses to calls for robot personhood, spanning the spectrum of hostility to optimism about the development. What Biblical truths and doctrines can we turn to as we wrestle with what is a fundamentally brand new dilemma? And how would our theology and practice as believers change should conscious, intelligent, autonomous robots come to live among us?</p> <p>You can find plenty of resources on the question of personhood and robotics on John’s website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com'>www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p>John co-edited a multi-author book last year called The Robot Will See You Now which brought together Christian thinkers and writers to consider how the rise of robotics and AI might affect everything from the arts to healthcare. You can find out more and order a copy here: <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/01/the-robot-will-see-you-now/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/01/the-robot-will-see-you-now/</a></p>

<p>If and when autonomous and intelligent robots come into existence, should they be granted rights, or even personhood? A growing number of technologists argue governments must lay out what status conscious and rational machines would have before they actually have been invented. But how can we decide what is and isn’t a person, and what rights and responsibilities such a thing should have? And how could this philosophical and technical debate affect our Christian beliefs on human uniqueness?</p> <p>You can find plenty of resources on the question of personhood and robotics on John’s website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com'>www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p>John co-edited a multi-author book last year called The Robot Will See You Now which brought together Christian thinkers and writers to consider how the rise of robotics and AI might affect everything from the arts to healthcare. You can find out more and order a copy here: <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/01/the-robot-will-see-you-now/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/01/the-robot-will-see-you-now/</a></p>

<p>Abortion is a flashpoint issue in both the church and wider culture, with the very language you choose used as a cudgel for either side. So how can Christians talk about it and respond to it in a way which cools tensions rather than inflames them? How has the church’s thinking on abortion and pregnancy changed over the many decades John has been involved in healthcare? And can a pro-life believer offer truly non-directive counselling to a pregnant woman considering termination, or work with integrity in a hospital which carries out abortions?</p> <p>(This episode was recorded before the news broke about the draft Supreme Court ruling in the United States which would revoke Roe v Wade and the constitutional right to an abortion.)</p> <p>A good place to get help if you or someone you know is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy (or if you'd like to find your local pregnancy crisis centre in the UK) is <a href='https://www.pregnancychoicesdirectory.com/info'>https://www.pregnancychoicesdirectory.com/info</a></p> <p>You can find more information and resources on abortion and the beginning of life on John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com'>www.johnwyatt.com</a> </p>

<p>Rates of unplanned pregnancies rose significantly during the coronavirus lockdowns. What kind of support is out there for women (and men) facing this situation, and how can the church try and plug the gaps? In this episode we speak with Sophie Guthrie-Kummer, who runs a charity in London which has offered pregnancy crisis counselling (among other services) for two decades, to hear what this work looks like and how Choices juggles the theological and social hot potatoes of pregnancy and abortion. </p> <p>You can find more information and resources on abortion and the beginning of life on John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com'>www.johnwyatt.com</a> </p> <p>A good place to get help if you or someone you know is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy (or if you'd like to find your local pregnancy crisis centre in the UK) is <a href='https://www.pregnancychoicesdirectory.com/info'>https://www.pregnancychoicesdirectory.com/info</a> </p> <p>You can find out more about Choices here: <a href='https://www.choicesislington.org/'>https://www.choicesislington.org/</a> </p>

<p>This is part two of our re-broadcast of last year’s John Stott episode, to mark what would have been his centenary. Is Stott’s vision of lay Christians persuading for Christ in the public square a naïve fantasy in the 21st century? And should we be more cautious before lionising evangelical titans like Stott in this age of scandal and disappointment?</p> <p>(Originally broadcast in April 2021).</p> <p>Resources from John's website from the Stott centenary:</p> <p><a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/05/03/talk-and-discussion-the-life-and-legacy-of-john-stott/'>Talk and discussion: Quick to listen – lessons from John Stott on grace under fire</a></p> <p><a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/04/26/interview-and-talk-the-john-stott-centenary-biblical-convictions-for-the-contemporary-church/'>Interview and talk: The John Stott Centenary – Equipping the people of God for ministry</a></p> <p><a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/04/29/interview-the-life-and-legacy-of-john-stott/'>Interview: The life and legacy of John Stott</a></p>

<p>This month marks 101 years since the late John Stott was born, and his centenary last year prompted a flurry of events to mark the centenary of this highly influential vicar, Bible teacher and evangelical leader. ‘Uncle John’, as he was affectionately known, also had a huge impact on John's life and career and so we dialled in back then to reflect on not just the legacy of Stott’s many decades of ministry, but also to consider whether his vision for how Christians can engage well in the public square was still relevant and meaningful now, more than 60 years after he began making the case. Has society long since moved on, or are there still things to learn and challenges to heed from Stott?</p> <p>(This episode was first broadcast in April 2021)</p> <p>Other resources on John's website from the John Stott centenary:</p> <p><a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/05/03/talk-and-discussion-the-life-and-legacy-of-john-stott/'>Talk and discussion: Quick to listen – lessons from John Stott on grace under fire</a></p> <p><a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/04/26/interview-and-talk-the-john-stott-centenary-biblical-convictions-for-the-contemporary-church/'>Interview and talk: The John Stott Centenary – Equipping the people of God for ministry</a></p> <p><a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/04/29/interview-the-life-and-legacy-of-john-stott/'>Interview: The life and legacy of John Stott</a></p>

<p>In Britain as in many countries there is a growing campaign to legalise assisted suicide and to make doctors prescribe on request lethal drugs to terminally ill patients. In the second part of our interview with Sarah Foot, a Christian palliative care doctor, Sarah explains why her colleagues are overwhelmingly opposed to this, the ignorance which lies behind many of the arguments for changing the law, and the implications for palliative care should assisted dying be imposed upon it.</p> <p>John's resources page for material on euthanasia and the end of life: <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/medical-ethics/euthanasia-end-of-life/'>https://johnwyatt.com/medical-ethics/euthanasia-end-of-life/</a> </p> <p>An article he wrote about the Assisted Dying Bill introduced to the UK parliament last year: <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/08/whats-wrong-with-the-assisted-dying-bill/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/08/whats-wrong-with-the-assisted-dying-bill/</a> </p> <p>Our episode about assisted dying from 2021: <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/10/08/assisted-dying-the-meacher-bill-radicals-in-the-lords-canadas-slippery-slope-and-fragile-conscience-protections/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/10/08/assisted-dying-the-meacher-bill-radicals-in-the-lords-canadas-slippery-slope-and-fragile-conscience-protections/</a> </p>

<p>Over the past 60 years a new field of medicine has emerged – palliative care. In this episode we interview Sarah Foot, a Christian palliative care doctor, who explains how she treats the physical, mental, social and even spiritual needs of those who are dying, the Christian foundations of the discipline, and what impact her profession has on her.</p> <p> </p> <p>If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p>

<p>Following on from our discussion last week on the rise of climate fatalism, we discuss what an authentically Christian response to our environmental crisis would look like. How can we steer a middle path between complacency and despair? Does our different theology of the future change how we act on climate change? And, what can we learn from our evangelical forbears about how to live well in the face of potential climate catastrophe?</p> <p> </p> <p><a href='https://www.crossroads.net/media/articles/how-will-the-bomb-find-you'>Excerpts from CS Lewis's essay Living in an Atomic Age</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.christianaid.org.uk/news/climate-change-its-now-or-never'>Christian Aid's climate change projects</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.arocha.org/en/theology-churches/eco-church/'>A Rocha's Eco Church scheme</a></p> <p><a href='https://christianclimateaction.org/who-we-are/cca-principals-and-values/'>The Christian Climate Alliance's principles and values for Christian climate activism</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.cmu.ca/faculty/gmatties/lynnwhiterootsofcrisis.pdf'>'The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis' - 1967 essay by Lynn White</a></p> <p>If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p>

<p>The latest report from the UN's climate scientists was both incredibly downbeat about climate change and almost entirely ignored by a media fixated on Ukraine. In this episode we consider the communication and changing narratives around climate change, why an unscientific hyper-fatalism has set in with many activists, and what impact this might be having on younger generations terrified humanity itself is going extinct. </p> <p> </p> <p><a href='https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/11/how-bad-will-climate-change-get/620605/'>'We're heading Straight for a Demi-Apocalypse' - Emma Marris in The Atlantic </a></p> <p><a href='https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(21)00278-3/fulltext'>Climate anxiety in children - study in The Lancet</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-ii/'>Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability - IPCC report</a></p> <p>If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p>

<p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder">In this episode we pick up our conversation from last week about transhumanism and how technology might redefine what it means to be human. We consider what place technology has in today's social narrative and whether it makes sense as Christians to automatically resist efforts to use cutting-edge science to reshape ourselves. Is the human body to be regarded as a Lego kit or a flawed masterpiece of art? How do we discern the Creator's original intention for our bodies in a world where they, like everything else, have been broken by the Fall? And how might it change our ethics in this area if we focused our attention on the resurrected Jesus as the firstfruits of a new kind of humanity? </p> <p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder">If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p>

<p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder">Billions of dollars are currently being spent by a suite of private firms, mostly in Silicon Valley, pursuing radical research to enhance human capacities. These companies want to put off, or even defeat, aging, upload our minds to computers and give humans new abilities. Is this simply the next frontier for science and something to be welcomed, or should Christians hesitate to endorse research which appears to target our very created selves? What is the difference between using technology to tackle cancer versus tackling the aging process itself? And what is driving tech billionaires to spend their fortunes in this way?</p> <p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder">If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p>

<p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder">To mark our arrival on the Premier network, we recap how Matters of Life and Death began and what we hope our intergenerational conversations might achieve. We then reflect on how the pandemic and its acceleration of digital technology has shaped so many of the issues we discuss, before briefly exploring three stories we will cover in future episodes (human enhancement, climate change nihilism, and end of life care). </p> <p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder">If you're new to the show, please do also scroll down the podcast feed to find the last two years of episodes we've already produced to have a listen.</p> <p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder">If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/'>http://www.johnwyatt.com</a></p> <p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder">US based listeners can support this podcast financially. Head to <a href='https://premierinsight.org/mattersoflifeanddeath'>https://premierinsight.org/mattersoflifeanddeath</a> UK based listeners can support this podcast financially. Head to <a href='https://my.premier.org.uk/donate/donate-unbelievable-2021'>https://my.premier.org.uk/donate/donate-unbelievable-2021</a></p> <p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder"> </p> <p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder"> </p> <p class="sc-epGmkI hLnGFI slate-block slate-body-placeholder"> </p>

<p>The Omicron variant has in a few short weeks almost taken over the pandemic. This highly transmissible version of covid is raising afresh complicated ethical questions about vaccine distribution and international solidarity between nations. How can we ascertain what is the common good during global crises affecting different countries in different ways? Does Christianity lend any intellectual backing to those who demand the state refrain from telling them how to live during a pandemic? And how might the differing legacies of authoritarian regimes in Europe and the dissenting pilgrims who founded America be playing a part in contemporary vaccine politics?</p> <p> </p> <p>Note: This episode was recorded earlier in December so sadly the wildly explosive growth of Omicron since has meant some of the data and news we mention in passing is now quite out of date!</p> <p> </p> <p>Also, at the end we have a special announcement about the future of Matters of Life and Death. Thanks for listening, and see you all in 2022.</p> <p> </p> <p>See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

This week we are resuming our conversation about infertility which begun in our previous episode. If you haven’t yet listened to that discussion, which focused on IVF, we’d recommend pausing this and going back to it as we will build on some of the ideas we explored last time. Today, we moved on to consider new ethical issues among other reproductive technologies. This is an area of medicine and science which is developing fast, sometimes faster than ethicists and regulators can keep up. What would it mean if we were able to genetically screen embryos to choose the most desirable traits before pregnancy? Is surrogacy, a growing alternative to IVF, a good option for couples or could it unintentionally become exploitative? And more broadly, should we as Christians be concerned by this rush to find technological solutions to our human frailties? <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>Today we are delving into a complex and sensitive topic – infertility and IVF. The statistics suggest about one in seven couples will be unable to conceive without some kind of medical intervention, and the most popular form of reproductive treatment is in vitro fertilisation – IVF. Partly because infertility is such a painful time for many of those experiencing it, we don’t talk about it much. The same is also true of IVF, even though today in some places the procedure now accounts for as many as five per cent of all births. In this episode we wanted to consider how infertility interacts with both church culture and broader society, for good or ill, and then examine the complicated ethical questions raised by IVF treatment. </p> <p>Some links which may be helpful for Christians who are experiencing infertility:</p> <p><a href='http://saltwaterandhoney.org/'>Saltwater and Honey</a> - a collection of voices sharing their stories about infertility, miscarriage, childlessness and faith, plus lots of resources</p> <p><a href='https://www.therhythmofhope.co.uk/'>The Rhythm of Hope</a> - an annual retreat and community for Christian couples</p> <p><a href='https://www.htb.org/waitingforchildren'>Waiting for Children</a> - a course which many churches around the UK run, including HTB who are running it online</p> <p>John's book <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2018/01/04/matters-of-life-and-death/'>Matters of Life and Death</a> also has several chapters exploring infertility and reproductive technology.</p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>This week we’re digging into assisted dying. A bill to legalise it in England has been introduced to parliament – what does it propose and how likely is it to actually become law? And zooming out a little, what are the social factors behind this renewed push to introduce a form of euthanasia to Britain, and in particular via the House of Lords of all places? Finally, we discuss what we could learn from Canada – which has brought in its own form of assisted suicide, with some alarming consequences, since we in the UK last debated it six years ago. </p> <p>You can find more information on Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying programme here: <a href='https://www.betterwaycampaign.co.uk/canada/'>https://www.betterwaycampaign.co.uk/canada</a></p> <p>John's article unpacking the Meacher Bill is here: <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/08/whats-wrong-with-the-assisted-dying-bill/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/08/whats-wrong-with-the-assisted-dying-bill</a></p> <p>You can also find lots more material and resources on the topic on this page on his website: <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/medical-ethics/euthanasia-and-palliative-care/'>https://johnwyatt.com/medical-ethics/euthanasia-and-palliative-care</a></p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>Today’s episode is a little hard to sum up – we begin by reflecting on the recent series of scandals around abusive church leaders, before going to discuss how contemporary culture thinks about sex and power (and in particular how they are exploited) in human relationships. And then we consider to what extent Christians should become as suspicious of our leaders and their relationships, as it seems wider society is.</p> <p>The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast (which we both strongly recommend) can be found here - <a href='https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/'>https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/</a></p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>This episode was inspired by John’s new book – The Robot Will See You Now – which was published last week. It’s a multi-author volume he has co-edited with the theologian Stephen Williams, where they have gathered an array of theologians, academics and thinkers to explore how upcoming advances in robotics and artificial intelligence will revolutionise society, from healthcare to employment, from art to sex. And, perhaps more critically, how we as Christians should engage with and respond to these developments in cutting-edge technology. Excitingly, we have been able to invite our first guest onto Matters of Life and Death to discuss this - Nathan Mladin. Nathan is a researcher with the religion thinktank Theos and has written a chapter for The Robot Will See You Now. With his help we bat around some of the big ideas from the book and then look in more detail as his specialism - the concerning rise of 'surveillance capitalism'.</p> <p>Find out more about The Robot Will See You Now, including how to pre-order it, on John's website - <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/01/the-robot-will-see-you-now/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/01/the-robot-will-see-you-now/</a></p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>In today’s episode we’re returning to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s been almost six months since we last dedicated an episode to covid, and since then a lot has happened. Hundreds of millions of vaccine doses have been delivered around the world, but are they going to the right people at the right time? We now know the vaccines increase by a tiny amount the risk you might experience a dangerous blood clot in the brain – how have we done at understanding that risk and putting it in its proper context? We’re also sadly much more familiar with long covid– what’s going on there and how should we as a society look after those suffering these symptoms? And finally, does the way we count – or rather, significantly undercount – deaths caused by coronavirus really matter? </p> <p>Please take our three-minute listener survey to help us improve the podcast - <a href='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJjFoI3G6a-5lJ07S7vBm_yxOkDVoDQXQfI6RnrZSJNI2zuw/viewform'>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJjFoI3G6a-5lJ07S7vBm_yxOkDVoDQXQfI6RnrZSJNI2zuw/viewform</a></p> <p>The ONS report on how many people in the UK have long covid - <a href='https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/prevalenceofongoingsymptomsfollowingcoronaviruscovid19infectionintheuk/1april2021'>https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/prevalenceofongoingsymptomsfollowingcoronaviruscovid19infectionintheuk/1april2021 </a></p> <p>The BBC Radio 4 programme on long covid - <a href='https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000w4t4'>https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000w4t4</a></p> <p>The Sun's front page on the blood clot risk - <a href='https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14589798/brilliant-front-page-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine/'>https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14589798/brilliant-front-page-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine/</a></p> <p>The government's information page on the blood clot risk with the covid vaccines - <a href='https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-and-blood-clotting/covid-19-vaccination-and-blood-clotting'>https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-and-blood-clotting/covid-19-vaccination-and-blood-clotting</a></p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>Last week marked 100 years since the late John Stott was born and there has been a flurry of events to mark the centenary of this highly influential vicar, Bible teacher and evangelical leader. He also had a huge impact on John's own life and career and in this episode we wanted to talk about not just the legacy of Stott’s many decades of ministry, but whether his vision for how Christians can engage well in the public square is still relevant and meaningful today, more than 60 years after he began making the case. Has society long since moved on, or are there still things to learn and challenges to heed from Stott? </p> <p>John's talk and discussion on Stott at LICC - <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/05/03/talk-and-discussion-the-life-and-legacy-of-john-stott/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/05/03/talk-and-discussion-the-life-and-legacy-of-john-stott/ </a></p> <p>Sermon on lay ministry inspired by Stott at All Souls Church - <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/04/26/interview-and-talk-the-john-stott-centenary-biblical-convictions-for-the-contemporary-church/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/04/26/interview-and-talk-the-john-stott-centenary-biblical-convictions-for-the-contemporary-church/</a></p> <p>A Glen Scrivener interview with John about his friendship with Stott - <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2021/04/29/interview-the-life-and-legacy-of-john-stott/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2021/04/29/interview-the-life-and-legacy-of-john-stott/</a></p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>Today’s topic is simulation. We live in an era when digital technology is making it increasingly easy and cheap to create fake but compelling images or videos of people, or even entirely artificial human-like personalities. Machine learning tools and progress in artificial intelligence software means we are closer than ever to things previously only imaginable in science fiction: computer programs which can speak to us like a human or androids which are indistinguishable from real people. In this episode we discuss examples of this kind of tech already in the world, what impact it may have in the future, and how we as Christians should think about these forms of simulated images, relationships and personalities. </p> <p><a href='https://www.tiktok.com/@deeptomcruise?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1'>Tom Cruise deep fakes on TikTok</a></p> <p><a href='https://www.synthesia.io/blog#case-studies-grid'>Synthesia </a>- the company offering deep fake videos as corporate communications</p> <p><a href='https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia'>MyHeritage Deep Nostalgia</a> - a family history DNA company will now use AI to animate your old photos of dead relatives, 'bringing them back to life'</p> <p><a href='https://www.affectiva.com/'>Affectiva </a>- who claim to use AI to analyse human emotional states from looking at their faces</p> <p><a href='https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Simulacra_and_Simulation/9Z9biHaoLZIC?hl=en&gbpv=0'>Simulation and Simulacra</a> - the seminal work by Jean Baudrillard</p> <p><a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truman_Show'>The Truman Show</a> film</p> <p><a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix'>The Matrix</a> film</p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

This episode explores one of the most significant and potentially long-lasting ways the covid pandemic has affected church life – the shift to digital. Ever since the first lockdown began almost a year ago, churches of every shape and size and from every denomination have been forced to offer worship online. And even though it has been legal to re-open buildings since last summer, most have continued to livestream, pre-record or video conference their way through the pandemic alongside some physical gathering. Will this continue indefinitely even when covid is long gone? Are we really seeing digital church spark a revival among non-churchgoers? And what implications for our worship and our theology does this brave new online world pose? <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>In today’s episode we’re taking a sideways step from the covid pandemic and instead are discussing social media and free speech.</p> <p>The banning of Donald Trump from every social media platform following the deadly riot earlier this month at the US Capitol building has prompted fierce debates, not only about free speech and censorship online, but also the role of social media in fostering hate and lies. Why is it that so much horrendous stuff accumulates and spills out of social media, from deranged conspiracy theories about coronavirus all the way up to the violent and often racist political rhetoric which inspired the Capitol insurrection? Do we need more regulation and moderation of what people are saying online, or less? What are the implications of unaccountable tech CEOs barring anyone they choose from the world’s dominant communications networks? And how should we, as Christians, think about the ethics of free speech and censorship in our always online 21st century world? </p> <p>Our previous episode on conspiracy theories and misinformation online about coronavirus - <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-misinformation'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-misinformation</a></p> <p>Research on the spread of false and true news online, published in Science - <a href='https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6380/1146'>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6380/1146</a></p> <p>'Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media Knows It', published in Scientific American - <a href='https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/'>https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/</a></p> <p> </p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>Microchips. Bill Gates. The mark of the beast. 5G cell towers. False positive rates. Big pharma. DNA alteration. It’s been hard to avoid the swirling morass of misinformation and conspiracy theories around the pandemic. And this confusion and fear have surged in recent weeks as the first covid vaccines have begun to be rolled out. But why have so many people, including many in the church, fallen for untruths about coronavirus? Where has all our trust – in government, in science, even in doctors – gone? How can we steer a clear path through the toxic brew of lies and misinformation swamping the internet and social media? </p> <p>Read the World Health Organisation's guide to navigating the 'infodemic' and verifying online information here: <a href='http://www.johnwyatt.com/who.int/news-room/spotlight/let-s-flatten-the-infodemic-curve'>who.int/news-room/spotlight/let-s-flatten-the-infodemic-curve</a></p> <p> </p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>The first coronavirus vaccine jabs have already gone into the arms of people here in the UK, as Britain this week became the first country in the world to actually deploy a vaccine which had completed all its clinical trials and been signed off by the regulator. But there remain lots of questions about the vaccine – how has it been made so fast, can we be sure it is safe, who should get it first, and can Christians be given it without compromising on their religious convictions? </p> <p>Listen to previous episodes on covid vaccines here:</p> <p>Part 1 - <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines</a></p> <p>Part 2 - <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines-part-2'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines-part-2</a></p> <p>Read John's article on vaccines and Christian ethics here - <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2020/10/08/article-coronavirus-vaccines-and-christian-ethics/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2020/10/08/article-coronavirus-vaccines-and-christian-ethics/</a> At the bottom is a document which has more detailed information on which particular vaccines have used which particular cell lines which may have ethical concerns, produced by the pro-life research centre the <a href='https://lozierinstitute.org/about/'>Charlotte Lozier Institute</a>. </p> <p>John has also put together a document on his website tackling some of the frequently asked questions about the vaccine - <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2020/12/21/faq-coronavirus-vaccines-frequently-asked-questions/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2020/12/21/faq-coronavirus-vaccines-frequently-asked-questions/</a></p> <p> </p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

The second coronavirus lockdown started here in the UK on 5 November and is due to last the rest of the month. Unlike the first time round in the spring, we aren’t going into this with our eyes closed – we know the lockdown will cause immense economic damage, as well as impacting mental and even physical health. Is this crude, blunt instrument really the best way to tackle the second wave of the covid pandemic? What does the Christian ethic have to say about how to balance the goods of saving lives versus protecting livelihoods? Is there actually any alternative? <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>We received a fascinating question from a listener after our last episode on vaccines, picking up on the competing and perhaps contradictory philosophies behind the anti-vax movement. So we decided to respond to their question and thoughts with a special bonus episode looking over this issue and other developments in coronavirus vaccines since. </p> <p>You will probably want to listen to the main episode on vaccines first here: <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines</a></p> <p>And we subsequently made a third vaccines episode - <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines-part-3'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines-part-3</a></p> <p>John has also put together a document on his website tackling some of the frequently asked questions about the vaccine - <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2020/12/21/faq-coronavirus-vaccines-frequently-asked-questions/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2020/12/21/faq-coronavirus-vaccines-frequently-asked-questions/</a></p> <p>We're really interested in hearing more questions and comments from you - if you have something you would like us to discuss or respond to, please email <a>[email protected]</a>. </p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>There are about 40 different potential covid vaccines already being tested on humans, with almost a hundred more at earlier stages of development in the lab. The delivery of a vaccine is seen by many as the silver bullet which could end the pandemic for good. But they are more morally complex than we might at first assume. Join us as we sift through the ethical questions around clinical trials, testing vaccines on humans, how they can be most equitably distributed, and even what material they are made with. </p> <p>John's article on the ethics of vaccines, which includes a discussion of the rights and wrongs of using tissue from aborted fetuses to develop vaccines, can be found here: <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2020/10/08/article-coronavirus-vaccines-and-christian-ethics/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2020/10/08/article-coronavirus-vaccines-and-christian-ethics/</a></p> <p>He has also put together a document on his website tackling some of the frequently asked questions about the vaccine - <a href='https://johnwyatt.com/2020/12/21/faq-coronavirus-vaccines-frequently-asked-questions/'>https://johnwyatt.com/2020/12/21/faq-coronavirus-vaccines-frequently-asked-questions/</a></p> <p>You can listen to the next two episodes which also discuss vaccines here:</p> <p>Part 2 - <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines-part-2'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines-part-2</a></p> <p>Part 3 - <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines-part-3'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-vaccines-part-3</a></p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

We’re back after a slightly longer than expected summer break with a new episode, all about our fears, anxieties and hopes amid the pandemic. People are afraid of the virus, and understandably so after months of the government stoking our anxiety to get us to stay at home while the media pumps grim death statistics into our screens on a daily basis. Is it healthy or wise to remain in this state of anxiety and fearfulness? How can we see God at work during times of mental health crisis and perpetual anxiety about death? And how can we foster an appropriate, grounded but Christlike hopefulness in its place? <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>In the second part of our conversation on technology during the coronavirus pandemic, we look into our crystal balls and try to imagine what the world of tech will look like in the future, thanks to Covid-19. Are the major American tech companies are emerging from the crisis stronger than ever? Will coronavirus accelerate the rise of artificial intelligence and robotics in healthcare? And has the modernist pro-science movement struck a lasting blow in the battle of ideas against the anti-expert populists?</p> <p>You can listen to the first episode on coronavirus and technology here: <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-technology-part-1'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death/episodes/coronavirus-technology-part-1</a></p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

<p>One of the perhaps unexpected results of the coronavirus pandemic is how it has thrown up some fascinating debates about technology. Many countries, including the UK, have been grappling with if and how they could use Bluetooth apps to try and trace the spread of the virus. Around the world other nations have used the ubiquity of smartphones to quarantine and control potentially infected people, while poorer states have seen their efforts hindered by a critical lack of healthcare tech. In this episode of Matters of Life and Death, we delve into some of these discussions and try and look forward to see what impact the pandemic may have on our increasingly digital lives in the future. </p> <p>Listen to the second part of our conversation on covid and technology here - <a href='https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death'>https://shows.acast.com/matters-of-life-and-death</a></p> <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

For many years death has been described as perhaps the final taboo in British society. Rarely it is deemed polite to mention the uncomfortable fact that one day we all will die, let alone try to bring faith or spirituality into that conversation. But in the midst of a pandemic which has already claimed over 50,000 British lives in various ways, is that changing? And how as Christians can we be modelling a different way to approach death – and serve those in their final days – particularly in these stressful and frightening times? In this episode of Matters of Life and Death we resolutely break the taboo and talk about death, about dying and about spiritual care. <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

Protect the NHS. It has been one of the key government slogans, designed to inspire us to stay with the lockdown so that hospitals do not get overwhelmed by coronavirus patients and services collapse under the pressure. In today's episode we examine what life in the NHS has been like during the Covid-19 crisis. Has it been protected? Has morale held up? What can the church do to support Christian medics? Is our relentless focus on PPE and self-protection having unintended consequences for the idea of medicine as a sacrificial vocation? And what lessons for the longer term future of our health service should we as Christians be learning during this time? <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

First come, first served? Or key workers and politicians before everyone else? How can doctors decide who to treat in a healthcare emergency when there are not enough beds or ventilators to go around? Triage, the practice of working out who to care for first, has been around in medicine for centuries but the concept has acquired a fresh intensity during the Covid-19 pandemic, when it was realistically feared the NHS might have significantly more patients sick with the virus than it had capacity. In this episode we discuss if it is ever right to pick between patients like this, and if so what methods might be wise - and which are ethically dubious. <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

Our third episode on coronavirus zooms in to focus on how Christians should be thinking and acting during the pandemic. We ask how we might square this global crisis with our belief in a sovereign and loving God and if we should look for anything good to come out of it. And what shape will our faith be in when all this finally comes to an end and something like normal life resumes? <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

In this second episode in our series on coronavirus, we explore how Covid-19 is different to plagues in the past. Building on what we learned about how Christians in generations before us responded to similar crises, how should we be navigating these unprecedented times? What does it mean for followers of Jesus to be experiencing the very first pandemic of the information age? What trends are already emerging during the first few weeks of lockdown which we need to understand, or even challenge? <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>

Our first ever episode of Matters of Life and Death kicks off a short series on coronavirus. Today we take a lightning tour through the history of the church, going all the way back to the Roman Empire, to try and see how Christians have responded to times of plague in the past. What might we have to learn by looking back at times when the world was, as today, convulsed by a devastating virus? Is there wisdom to glean from the way believers in previous generations have acted during pandemics? And why might we interpret these moments of crisis differently today? <p> See <a href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>