The Humble Skeptic

Daniel Boyarin is a professor of Talmudic Culture at U.C. Berkeley who argues that many Jews before the time of Jesus were expecting a divine-human Messiah who would suffer on behalf of his people. These ideas are not only found throughout the Hebrew Bible, but we also discover them in a variety of ancient Jewish texts written before the rise of Christianity. On this episode, Shane Rosenthal talks with Dr. Boyarin about these and many other views that he presents in his book, The Jewish Gospels: The Story of the Jewish Christ.SHOW NOTESFor a gift of any amount to help support the work of The Humble Skeptic podcast we’ll send you “Finding Christ in All the Scriptures,” a 12-page PDF resource by Shane Rosenthal. For a preview of this helpful resource, click here.Related BooksThe Jewish Gospels, Daniel BoyarinThe Jewish Annotated New Testament, (includes material from Boyarin)The Jewish Targums & John’s Logos Theology, John RonningA Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, Craig EvansA Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Gospels, Craig EvansProof of the Gospel, Eusebius of CaesareaThe Angel of the Lord, Foreman & Van DornJesus in the Old Testament, Iain DuguidThe Gospel According to Isaiah 53 • Darrell Bock & othersThe Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy • Rydelnik & BlumThe Life & Times of Jesus The Messiah • Alfred EdersheimRelated ArticlesFinding Christ in All The Scriptures • Shane RosenthalIsaiah’s Prophecy of the Messiah’s Birth, Shane RosenthalPassover & The Last Supper, Shane RosenthalA New Way of Reading Scripture • Shane RosenthalA Dead Sea Scroll Hymn on the Suffering Servant • Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe The Bible? • Shane RosenthalWhat’s the Most Important Thing in the Bible?, Shane RosenthalA New Way of Reading Scripture, Shane RosenthalThe Application of Messianic Prophecy, Richard BauckhamRelated AudioThe Angel of Yahweh, Humble Skeptic #70 with Foreman & Van Dorn Jacob’s Ladder, Humble Skeptic #63 with Richard Bauckham and othersDid The Exodus Ever Happen? Humble Skeptic #69 with David RohlBabylon, Humble Skeptic Episode #66 Decoding the Prophecies of Daniel, Humble Skeptic #68 Were Jews Expecting a Divine Messiah?, WHI #1243 with Craig EvansHow to Read & Apply the Old Testament, WHI #1568 with Iain DuguidWhat Did The Earliest Christians Believe? HS #25 with Dennis JohnsonThe Big Picture, Humble Skeptic #26 with J. Daniel HaysWhat Child Is This? Humble Skeptic (bonus episode)Music Heard on This EpisodeO Come O Come Emmanuel • Ardie Son, from his Album, DecemberWhat Child is This • Ardie Son, from his Album, DecemberCarol of the Bells • Will Taylor, from his Album, A Mandolin ChristmasWe 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). Tax-deductible giving options are also available. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this episode of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane talks with Mike Brown, one of the authors of Sacred Bond: Covenant Theology Explored, about common errors to avoid when reading and interpreting Scripture. They also discuss a variety of interpretive tools that will make your study of the Bible more effective.SHOW NOTESFinding Christ in All The Scriptures — A New PDF resourceIn John 5:39, Jesus famously told the religious leaders of his day, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, but it is they that bear witness of me.” What are the implications of this verse, and how can it change the way we read and understand the entire Bible? That’s the focus of this PDF resource by Shane Rosenthal which you can receive by making a gift of any size.Related BooksSacred Bond: Covenant Theology Explored • Mike Brown & Zach KeeleKnowing Scripture • R.C. SproulJourneys with Jesus • Dennis JohnsonExegetical Fallacies • D.A. CarsonEchoes of Exodus • Alistair Roberts & Andrew WilsonThe Angel of the Lord • Doug Van Dorn & Matt ForemanAccording to Plan • Graeme GoldsworthyThe Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis • Nancy GuthrieLamb of God: Seeing Jesus in Exodus • Nancy GuthrieThe Unfolding Mystery • Edmund ClowneyGod Dwells Among Us • G.K. Beale & Mitchell KimRelated ArticlesExploring Covenant Theology • Mike Brown & Zach Keele (interview)What’s the Most Important Thing Taught in the Bible? • Shane RosenthalThe Story of Us • Shane RosenthalA New Way of Reading Scripture • Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible? • Shane RosenthalRelated AudioWhat Did The Earliest Christians Believe? • Humble Skeptic Ep. 25The Big Picture • Humble Skeptic Ep. 26The Gospel Creed • Humble Skeptic Ep. 09How to Read & Apply the Old Testament • WHI-1568Failed Bible Heroes • WHI-1572We 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). Tax-deductible giving options are also available. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

What is a good definition of “culture,” and why is it so effective at conforming us to believe certain things, and to behave in certain ways? How do we protect ourselves and the next generation from the negative influences of our increasingly secular culture? On this episode, Shane Rosenthal discusses these issues and more with Brett Kunkle, founder of Maven, and co-author of A Practical Guide to Culture.SHOW NOTESResources by Brett KunkleA Practical Guide to Culture and A Student’s Guide to Culture (books)The Ambassador’s Guide to Mormonism (booklet)A Motivating Mormon Roleplay (article & video)Don’t Just Doubt Your Faith, Doubt Your Doubts (article)Five Tools to Equip Your Kids (article)Do Pronouns Matter? (article)Brett Kunkle Interviews his Co-Author John Stonestreet (podcast)Maventruth.com (Brett Kunkle’s website)Other Related ResourcesThe Lost Tools of Learning, Dorothy Sayers (article)Creed or Chaos?, Dorothy Sayers (article)Recovering the Art of Persuasion, Shane Rosenthal (article)What is Faith? Shane Rosenthal (article)The Virtue of Doubt, Shane Rosenthal (article)Be a Berean!, Shane Rosenthal (article)So The Next Generation Will Know, McDowell & Wallace (book)Post Christian: A Guide to Contemporary Thought, Gene Veith (book)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). Tax-deductible giving options are also available. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

The word “totalitarianism” describes a political system in which the state has total authority over every aspect of life. In regimes of this kind, external conformity is just the first step—what they really want is your soul. According to Rod Dreher, we’re now seeing the rise of a new “soft totalitarianism” which is closer to Huxley’s Brave New World, than Orwell’s 1984. In soft totalitarianism, conformity is achieved by manipulating access to things like status and comfort, often by means of a social credit system. On this program, Shane Rosenthal talks with Rod Dreher about these and other disturbing trends that he outlines in his bestselling book, Live Not By Lies, which also happens to be the subject of a forthcoming documentary series.SHOW NOTESResources by Rod DreherLive Not By Lies (book)The Axis of the Human Heart (essay)Exclude the Excluders! (essay)Live Not By Lies, Rod Dreher on The Jordan Peterson Podcast (video)The Fog of Propaganda: Rod Dreher on American Thought Leaders (video)Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn ResourcesLive Not By Lies (essay)A World Split Apart (Harvard commencement address)One Word of Truth (Nobel Prize speech)Solzhenitsyn at Harvard: The Address & Responses (book)The Solzhenitsyn Reader (book)A Portrait of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, David Aikman (Mars Hill Audio) The Christian Humanism of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Mars Hill Audio)Aleksander Solzhenitsyn: A Brief Autobiography (essay)Other Related ResourcesLive Not By Lies: The Documentary Series (video preview)We Are Repaganizing, Louise Perry (essay)Why I Am Now a Christian, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (essay)Yes, The West is Becoming More Like China, N.S. Lyons (essay)Post Christian: A Guide to Contemporary Thought, Gene Veith (book)Post Christian, featuring Shane Rosenthal & Gene Veith (podcast)Modern Fascism: Liquidating the Christian Worldview, Gene Veith (book)The False Gospel of Fascism, Shane Rosenthal & Gene Veith (podcast)The Rise & Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl Trueman (book)Politics & Original Sin, Shane Rosenthal & Michael McClymond (podcast)How to Detect Deception, Shane Rosenthal (essay)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). We also now have tax-deductible giving options as well. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Fifty years ago, Os Guinness released his book, The Dust of Death, which offered a piercing analysis of the sixties counterculture movement with its revolutionary ideas about human nature and sexual liberation. In his preface to a new edition of this work, Guinness argues that during this tumultuous decade, “many of the seeds of today’s most radical ideas were sown, only to flower more recently in their most destructive forms.” Shane Rosenthal talks with Os about many of his observations and predictions from a half-century ago, as well as how these radical ideas eventually became mainstream.SHOW NOTESResources by Os GuinnessThe Dust of Death, and Last Call for Liberty (books)The Magna Charta of Humanity and Fools Talk (books)We’re All Children of the 60’s (article - TGC)I Believe in Doubt (article - Ligonier)A Free People’s Suicide (video - Socrates in the City)The Magna Charta of Humanity (video - Socrates in the City)The Future of Freedom (podcast - WHI)Additional Resources by Os Guinness (website)Other Related ResourcesOs Guinness: The Christian Public Intellectual, John Shelton (article)Let’s Be Civil About It, Michael Horton & Os Guinness (article - MR)Time for Truth, Ryan Glomsrud (article - MR)Be a Berean!, Shane Rosenthal (article)The Virtue of Doubt, Shane Rosenthal (article)Live Not By Lies, Rod Dreher (book)Modern Fascism, Gene Veith (book)The False Gospel of Fascism, S. Rosenthal & Gene Veith (podcast)The Political Implications of Original Sin, Rosenthal & McClymond (podcast)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). We also now have tax-deductible giving options as well. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

As discussed on recent episodes, when it comes to religion and worldview preferences, most people tend to follow their own internal feelings, intuitions, and experiences. But what are the larger social implications of this increasing emphasis on the subjective? According to Carl Trueman, in today’s culture of “expressive individualism,” the idea of conforming to anything external—anything outside the “self”—has come to be seen as “inauthentic.” As a result of this cultural shift, identity is now being formed by a person’s internal feelings and desires rather than by external considerations, including nature itself. Shane Rosenthal talks with Dr. Trueman about this and many other issues he addresses in his book, The Rise & Triumph of the Modern Self.SHOW NOTESResources by Carl TruemanThe Rise & Triumph of the Modern Self & Strange New World (books)Dylan Mulvany and the Real Clash of Civilizations (article - First Things)In Our Chaotic Age, Some Atheists are Rethinking Secularism (article)6 Ways Christians Can Respond to Our Strange New World (article - TGC)The Genesis of Gender (podcast)Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age (podcast)Other Related ResourcesThe Mormonization of American Christianity, Shane Rosenthal (article)The Story of Us, Shane Rosenthal (article)What is Faith?, Shane Rosenthal (article)Liberalism or Christianity?, J. Gresham Machen (article)Is Faith a Feeling?, The Humble Skeptic, Episode 4Religion on Trial, The Humble Skeptic, Episode 5Faith & Experience, The Humble Skeptic, Episode 28We 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). We also now have tax-deductible giving options as well. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

In his 1923 classic, Christianity & Liberalism, J. Gresham Machen argued that the liberal churches of his day had abandoned everything distinctive about Christianity in favor of a non-redemptive religion that was rooted in moralism and personal experience. According to Michael J. Kruger, contemporary liberal and progressive Churches are making the same crucial mistakes a century later. On this episode, Shane talks with Dr. Kruger about his book, The Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity.SHOW NOTESResources by Michael J. KrugerThe Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity (book)The Question of Canon & Canon Revisited (books)Surviving Religion 101 & Christianity at the Crossroads (books)A Review of The Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity (article)No, the Church Didn’t Create the Bible, Kruger & Carson (video)Keeping the Faith in College, (podcast)Other Related ResourcesChristianity & Liberalism, J. Gresham Machen (book)Liberalism or Christianity?, J. Gresham Machen (article)History & Faith, J. Gresham Machen (article)Is Luke a Trustworthy Historian?, Sir William Ramsay (article)What Do Progressive Christians Believe? Alisa Childers (article)Why Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane Rosenthal (article)What is Faith?, Shane Rosenthal (article)The Story of Us, Shane Rosenthal (article)American Gospel: Christ Crucified (video)Progressive Christianity: Another Gospel? (podcast)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). We also now have tax-deductible giving options as well. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast, we’ll contrast popular beliefs about ghosts and the afterlife with the views presented in the Old and New Testaments. Joining Shane to discuss this important topic is Dr. Michael McClymond, who is the professor of Modern Theology at St. Louis University, and the author of numerous books including Familiar Stranger: An Introduction to Jesus of Nazareth, and The Devil’s Redemption: A New History & Interpretation of Christian Universalism.SHOW NOTESResources by Michael McClymondThe Devil’s Redemption & Familiar Stranger (books)Exploring the Theology of Richard Rohr (article)Original Sin: A Tool for Decoding Human Nature (article)The Untold Story of Purgatory (podcast episode)Does Everyone Go to Heaven? (podcast episode)Other Related ResourcesUnseen Realities, R.C. SproulThe Story of Us, Shane RosenthalWhat is Faith?, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane RosenthalKarma vs. Grace (podcast episode)Heaven in Pop Culture (podcast episode)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). We also now have tax-deductible giving options as well. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

T. David Gordon served as a professor of Media Ecology at Grove City College for several decades, and as laptops, smartphones, and social media arrived on the scene in successive waves, he and his colleagues began to notice a change in students’ ability to pay attention and to process the various reading assignments. Shane discusses this with Dr. Gordon along with some of the issues he addresses in an article he recently wrote titled, “The Material is Not Immaterial.”SHOW NOTESRelated ArticlesThe Material is Not Immaterial, by T. David GordonMedia Ecology for the Family, by T. David GordonWhy Johnny Can’t Preach (article), by T. David GordonA Discussion of Postman’s Amusing Ourself to Death, by T.D. GordonAn Interview with Neil Postman, Modern Reformation Yes, It’s the Phones (and Social Media), by Jean TwengeRelated BooksWhy Johnny Can’t Preach, by T. David GordonAmusing Ourselves to Death, and Technopoly, by Neil PostmanUnderstanding Media, by Marshal McLuhanGeneration Me, and iGen, by Jean TwengeLife on the Screen, and Alone Together, by Sherry TurkleDistracted: The Erosion of Attention, by Maggie JacksonRelated PodcastsSocial Media, Technology & Cultural Decline, T. David Gordon on WHI Distracting Ourselves to Death, T. David Gordon on WHIPop Culture, Technology & Worship, T. David Gordon on WHIYouth Ministry & Youth Culture, T. David Gordon on WHIRecovering Focus in a Distracted Time, Maggie Jackson on WHIWe 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). We also now have tax-deductible giving options as well. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

How can we know whether religious experiences are authentic, or just a trick of the brain? And if they really are supernatural, how we be sure that they emanate from the God of the Bible, as opposed to the Koran? Too often we allow our experiences to confirm that which we already believe. On this episode, Shane discusses this with believers from a wide variety of faiths and also airs the second half of his conversation with Dr. J.R. Miller, author of One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. SHOW NOTESRelated ResourcesMore Than Cake, J.R. Miller’s SubstackOne Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, J.R. Miller (book)The Mormonization of American Christianity, Shane RosenthalActs 2 & The Tongues Controversy, Shane RosenthalThe Story of Us, Shane RosenthalThe Megachurch Century, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane RosenthalRelated EpisodesFaith & Experience (Part 1), The Humble Skeptic #28Is Faith a Feeling?, The Humble Skeptic #4Religion on Trial, The Humble Skeptic #5Faith & Proof, The Humble Skeptic #7Proof & The Gospel, The Humble Skeptic #8The Gospel Creed, The Humble Skeptic #9We 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). We also now have tax-deductible giving options as well. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Mormons know their religion is true because they experience a “burning in the bosom.” Pentecostal Christians believe they have proof of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit because they speak in tongues. So how are we to know which religious experiences are truly authentic? Is experience a proper way to ground faith in the first place? On this episode, Shane talks with Dr. J.R. Miller, co-founder of The Center for Cultural Apologetics about his book, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, which traces the history of the “subjective turn” that has taken root in many Christian circles over the past few centuries.SHOW NOTESRelated ResourcesMore Than Cake, J.R. Miller’s SubstackOne Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, J.R. Miller (book)The Mormonization of American Christianity, Shane RosenthalActs 2 & The Tongues Controversy, Shane RosenthalThe Story of Us, Shane RosenthalThe Megachurch Century, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane RosenthalRelated EpisodesFaith & Experience (Part 2), The Humble Skeptic #29Is Faith a Feeling?, The Humble Skeptic #4Religion on Trial, The Humble Skeptic #5Faith & Proof, The Humble Skeptic #7Proof & The Gospel, The Humble Skeptic #8The Gospel Creed, The Humble Skeptic #9The Jesus of History, The Humble Skeptic #12We 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

Have you ever noticed that conversations about religion and politics tend to produce more heat than light? Because most of us are aware of this, we tend to avoid conversations relating to our deepest convictions. So how can we discuss our beliefs with others in a way that ends up producing more light than heat? How do we have difficult conversations on controversial topics such as the use of personal pronouns? On this episode, Shane talks with Greg Koukl about his forthcoming book Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Questions.SHOW NOTESRecommended BooksStreet Smarts, Greg KouklThe Story of Reality, Greg KouklTactics, Greg KouklLive Not By Lies, Rod DreherRecommended ArticlesI’d Like to Have an Argument, Please, by Greg KouklRecovering the Art of Persuasion, by Shane RosenthalIron Curtain Diary, by Greg KouklRecommended AudioGreg Koukl on Blind FaithDealing with DoubtGreg Koukl on The Problem of EvilWalking in Wisdom Toward OutsidersLive Not By Lies (Shane’s full interview with Rod Dreher)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

Have you ever been puzzled by things you read in the Bible? For example, why does the book of Exodus spend so much time walking through all the meticulous details related to the Tabernacle? On this episode, Shane Rosenthal talks with J. Daniel Hays about the Bible’s grand narrative, which helps us to understand all the individual puzzle pieces. Dr. Hays is the senior professor of Old Testament at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, and he’s the author of The Temple and the Tabernacle: A Study of God’s Dwelling Places from Genesis to Revelation.SHOW NOTESRecommended BooksThe Temple & The Tabernacle, J. Daniel HaysA Christian’s Guide to Evidence for the Bible, J. Daniel HaysGod Dwells Among Us, G.K. Beale & Mitchell KimThe Temple & The Church’s Mission, G.K. BealeJesus in the Old Testament, Iain DuguidJourneys with Jesus, Dennis JohnsonThe Angel of the Lord, Doug Van Dorn & Matt ForemanRecommended ArticlesFinding Christ in All of Scripture, Shane RosenthalWhat’s the Most Important Thing in the Bible? Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane RosenthalThe Story of Us, Shane Rosenthal A New Way of Reading Scripture, Shane RosenthalThe Tower of Babel, Shane RosenthalBlessed Are the Pure in Heart? Shane RosenthalRecommended AudioJacob’s Ladder, Humble Skeptic #63 with Richard Bauckham and othersBabylon, Humble Skeptic Episode #66 Did The Exodus Ever Happen? Humble Skeptic #69 with David RohlJewish Views of the Messiah, Humble Skeptic #38 with Daniel Boyarin The Gospel Creed, Humble Skeptic #09How to Read & Apply the Old Testament, WHI-1568 with Iain DuguidWhat Did The Earliest Christians Believe? HS #25 with Dennis JohnsonStories of Jesus: Can They Be Trusted? HS #61 with Peter J. WilliamsWe 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

What were some of the notable features of the earliest Christian sermons? What sort of things did they have in common, and how do they compare with the messages we’re likely to hear in Christian circles today? Shane Rosenthal discusses these questions and more with Dr. Dennis Johnson, author of The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption, and Let’s Study Acts.SHOW NOTES• Recommended books by Dennis Johnson: Journeys with Jesus, The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption, Let’s Study Acts, Walking With Jesus Through His Word, and Him We Proclaim.• Related articles by Shane Rosenthal: “Can We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement?”, “The Story of Us”, “On Faith & History”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “What is Faith?”, and “How to Detect Deception?”• Related episodes: “Authenticating the Book of Acts”, “Faith & Certainty”, “Faith & Proof”, “Proof of the Gospel”, “The Gospel Creed”, and “The Jesus of History.”• The image above featuring the Jerusalem Temple from the vantage point of Solomon’s Portico is a production of Archaeology Illustrated (used by permission). According to John 10:23, Acts 3:11, and 5:12, Jesus and his followers frequently met in this area.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

Is the book of Acts a collection of stories and legends about the lives of the apostles, or is it a trustworthy and reliable history of the earliest days of the church? Is there any external evidence that helps to corroborate its claims? Shane Rosenthal discusses these questions and more with Dr. Lydia McGrew, author of Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts.SHOW NOTESRecommended BooksHidden in Plain View, Lydia McGrewTestimonies to the Truth, Lydia McGrewThe Mirror or The Mask, Lydia McGrewThe Eye of the Beholder, Lydia McGrewThe Book of Acts, F.F. BruceThe Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History, Colin HemerSt. Paul The Traveller and Roman Citizen, William RamsayPictures of The Apostolic Church, William RamsayThe Trustworthiness of the New Testament, William RamsayRelated ArticlesIs Luke a Trustworthy Historian?, William RamsayCan We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement?, Shane RosenthalWho is Sergius Paulus?, Shane RosenthalOn Faith & History, Shane RosenthalAuthenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe The Bible?, Shane RosenthalHow to Detect Deception?, Shane RosenthalRelated EpisodesFake or Authentic? (1)Fake or Authentic? (2)Faith Founded on Facts (1)Faith Founded on Facts (2)Faith & CertaintyThe Jesus of HistoryWe 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

In 1Pet. 3:15, Peter famously says, “Always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies in you.” In many ways, this has become the standard prooftext for the apologetic enterprise, but have we really understood all that this verse has to teach us? Shane discusses this question and many other related issues with Jeremy Smith, the founder and president of ReThink315.SHOW NOTES• For more information about Jeremy Smith and the mission of ReThink315, click here. • Related articles by Shane Rosenthal: “Recovering the Art of Persuasion”, “What is Faith?”, “On Faith & Doubt”, and “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”• Related episodes: “Power or Persuasion?”, “Questioning Your Faith”, “Dealing with Doubt”, “Greg Koukl on Blind Faith”, “Is Faith Irrational?” and “Is Faith Blind?”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 episode of The Humble Skeptic, Shane talks with Dr. Adam Duker about his interest in the study of comparative religion, as well as some of his unique experiences teaching this subject at The American University in Cairo. In particular, he relates a story that he was directly involved with a few years ago which became international news.SHOW NOTES• To read news articles related to the international incident involving Dr. Duker, use the following links: Fire, ARA, RNS, Fox News, Alex Morey, and Julia Duin. Also, Dr. Duker is currently looking for an attorney to assist with his case, so if you or someone you know might be able to help, send an email to infoAThumbleskepticDOTcom. • Relevant episodes: “Questioning Your Faith”, “Religion on Trial”, “Dealing with Doubt”, “Greg Koukl on Blind Faith”, “Is Faith Irrational?” and “Is Faith Blind?”• Relevant articles by Shane Rosenthal: “Recovering the Art of Persuasion”, “What is Faith?”, “How to Detect Deception”, “On Faith & Doubt”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”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 program, Shane talks with Fikret Bocek who currently serves as the pastor of a Christian church in Izmir, Turkey. Fikret was raised as a Sunni Muslim, and during this episode he tells the story of the time in which he began to question his faith. In this process, he began to explore both the Koran and the Bible, and ultimately this led to his conversion to Christianity.SHOW NOTES• For more information about Fikret Bocek, click here. For information about Global Church Ministries, which he referenced at the end of this episode, click here.• To listen to Shane’s interview with Sarabeth Kapusta referenced at the beginning of this episode, click here. You can also read her new essay, “Reconstructing My Faith.”• Related episodes: “Religion on Trial”, “Dealing with Doubt”, “Greg Koukl on Blind Faith”, “Is Faith Irrational?”, “Is Faith Blind?”, and “Is Faith a Feeling?”• Related articles by Shane Rosenthal: “What is Faith?”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “How to Detect Deception”, “On Faith & Doubt” and “On Faith & History.” 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 episode, Shane talks with Sarabeth Kapusta about her experience growing up in a cult that in her words “masqueraded as a Baptist church.” Sarabeth is the host of Reconstructing Your Faith, which is a podcast designed to help those who’ve been affected by various forms of spiritual abuse. SHOW NOTES• For more information about Sarabeth Kapusta’s podcast, click here. To listen to the two episodes of Reconstructing Your Faith featuring Shane Rosenthal, use these links: Part 1, and Part 2. When Sarabeth’s autobiographical essay becomes available, it will be linked here.• Related episodes: “Dealing with Doubt”, “Greg Koukl on Blind Faith”, “Is Faith Irrational?”, “Is Faith Blind?”, “Is Faith a Feeling?”• Related articles by Shane Rosenthal: “I believe—help my unbelief”, “Is Faith a Feeling?”, “On Faith & Doubt”, “What is Faith?”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “How to Detect Deception” and “On Faith & History.”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

Is it okay to question your faith or to express doubts about your religious convictions? On this episode, Shane explores a fascinating scene from Luke 7 in which John the Baptist questions whether Jesus is the promised Messiah. Shane discusses the implications of this passage with Greg Koukl and Alisa Childers, and he also hears from Sarabeth Kapusta of the Reconstructing Your Faith podcast who shares her experience of being raised in a cult where questions were off-limits and doubt was a sin.SHOW NOTES• If you’d like to explore this topic further, be sure to check out Shane’s two-part article “On Faith & Doubt” referred to in this episode and Greg Koukl’s excellent article: “Faith is Not Wishing” Other related articles include: “The Virtue of Doubt”, “What is Faith?”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “How to Detect Deception”, and “On Faith & History.” Also, check out Sarabeth Kapusta’s article, “Reconstructing My Faith.”• For more information about the guests who appear on this episode, use the following links: Greg Koukl (Stand to Reason), Alisa Childers (alisachilders.com — Shane appears on episode #190), Sarabeth Kapusta (Reconstructing Your Faith — Shane appears on episode #19).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 episode of The Humble Skeptic, Shane talks with Greg Koukl about the way faith is misunderstood in our day. In fact, he argues that the English word “faith” has evolved to such an extent that Christians should probably stop using it altogether. Greg is the founder and president of Stand to Reason and the author of The Story of Reality, Tactics, and Faith is Not Wishing.SHOW NOTES• Related Humble Skeptic episodes: “Is Faith Irrational?”, “Is Faith Blind?”, “Is Faith a Feeling?”. To listen to an interview Shane recorded with Greg about his book Tactics, click here. To listen to an interview related to the problem of evil, click here.• Resources by Greg Koukl: Faith Is Not Wishing, Tactics, The Story of Reality, and “Truth Is Not Ice Cream, Faith Is Not Wishing” (Audio Lecture).• Recommended articles by Shane Rosenthal, “What is Faith?”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “On Faith & History”, “How to Detect Deception”, and “Authenticating The Fourth Gospel.” • To order a copy of The Proof of The Gospel by Eusebius of Caesarea, click here. To download a free PDF document containing quotes from Eusebius, Justin Martyr and Augustine related to this episode, click here.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 bonus edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane reads lessons 9 & 10 of Richard Whately’s Introduction to Christian Evidences.SHOW NOTES • Click here to access an online version of Richard Whately’s Introduction to Christian Evidences. If you would like to obtain a paperback reprint, click here.• Recommended articles by Shane Rosenthal, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?,” “How to Detect Deception,” “Authenticating The Fourth Gospel,” and “On Faith & History.” • To watch a video lecture by Peter J. Williams on “New Evidence the Gospels Were Based on Eyewitness Accounts,” click here.• For more info about The Humble Skeptic vision and how you can help, click here.We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a YEAR-END gift! Another way to help is 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

Most translations of the New Testament refer to Golgotha as “The Place of the Skull.” But is this correct? On this episode of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane Rosenthal talks with Egyptologist David Rohl about a variety of historical and textual clues that help us to better understand, not only the precise location of Golgotha, but also it’s meaning and significance.SHOW NOTES• Recommended articles by Shane Rosenthal, “Where Was Jesus Crucified?,” “How to Detect Deception,” “Authenticating The Fourth Gospel,” “Why Should We Believe The Bible?,” “On Faith & History,” and “Did Palm Trees Grow in Jerusalem?”• Recommended books by David Rohl, Exodus: Myth or History, and Legendary Kings: The Real Bible Unearthed (which is currently only available in Kindle format).• To listen to Shane’s previous interviews with David Rohl, use the following links: “Questioning Conventional Wisdom Part 1” and “Part 2”, “Exodus, Myth or History?”, and “The Search for the Historical Joseph.”• To find out more about the Joanna ossuary or the chiastic structure of Luke 24:1-12, check out some of the slides from Shane’s lecture: “Who is Joanna?” To read a journal article about the ossuary, click here. For further reading see: Gospel Women, by Richard Bauckham, and Who Are Joanna & Theophilus, by Richard Anderson. • To read the Journal of the American Medical Association article, “On The Physical Death of Jesus Christ” click here.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 episode, Shane continues weaving together various interviews he’s recorded on topics related to the reasons Christians can have confidence in the portrait of Jesus presented in the New Testament Gospels. During this podcast, you’ll hear from Peter J. Williams, Richard Bauckham, John Dickson, D.A. Carson, Craig Blomberg, Lydia McGrew, and Daniel Wallace. SHOW NOTESRelated AudioFor Part 1 of this discussion, click here. For the complete interview with Richard Bauckham, click here, and here. For the complete interview with Daniel Wallace and other resources related to an early date for John’s Gospel, click here.Related BooksCan We Trust The Gospels? Peter J. WilliamsJesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard BauckhamJesus: A Very Short Introduction, Richard BauckhamTestimony of The Beloved Disciple, Richard BauckhamIs Jesus History? John DicksonA Doubter’s Guide To Jesus, John DicksonThe Gospel According to John, D.A. CarsonIntroduction to the New Testament, D.A. CarsonCan We Still Believe The Bible? Craig BlombergThe Historical Reliability of the Gospels, Craig BlombergRevisiting the Corruption of the New Testament, Daniel WallaceRedating the New Testament, John A.T. RobinsonRelated ArticlesThe Gospels as Authentic Testimony, Richard BauckhamThe Gospel of John: An Introduction, Daniel WallaceYou Can Trust the Four Gospels, Craig BlombergThe Authenticity & Genuineness of the Fourth Gospel, J.B. LightfootAuthenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalWater Into Wine? Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe The Bible? Shane RosenthalOutside The Gospels, What Can We Know About Jesus? Shane RosenthalHow to Detect Deception, Shane RosenthalCan We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement? Shane RosenthalSimon of Cyrene: An Intriguing Archaeological Discovery, Shane RosenthalUndesigned Coincidences, Lydia McGrew & Shane RosenthalOther Related ResourcesNew Evidence for the Gospels, Peter J. Williams (video)Are the Gospels Reliable? Peter J. Williams & Bart Ehrman (video)Authenticating The Book of Acts, Humble Skeptic #24 with Lydia McGrewAn Interview with D.A. Carson, Shane Rosenthal, WHI #1456The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel, Craig Blomberg, WHI #1462Has the Bible Been Miscopied or Mistranslated? Daniel Wallace, WHI #1377We 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

On this episode, Shane weaves together several interviews he’s recorded over the years on topics related to the Christian view of “faith,” how it’s grounded in the facts of the real world, and why we can be confident that it’s true. So during this podcast, you’ll hear from scholars such as John Lennox, Peter J. Williams, Richard Bauckham, John Dickson, and D.A. Carson.SHOW NOTESRelated AudioFor Part 2 of this discussion, click here. For the complete interview with Richard Bauckham, click here, and here. For the complete interview with John Lennox, click here, and here.Recommended BooksCan We Trust The Gospels? Peter J. WilliamsThe Surprising Genius of Jesus, Peter J. WilliamsJesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard BauckhamJesus: A Very Short Introduction, Richard BauckhamTestimony of The Beloved Disciple, Richard BauckhamIs Jesus History? John DicksonA Doubter’s Guide To Jesus, John DicksonCan Science Explain Everything? John LennoxGunning for God, John LennoxThe Gospel According to John, D.A. CarsonIntroduction to the New Testament, D.A. CarsonRecommended ArticlesThe Gospels as Authentic Testimony, Richard BauckhamYou Can Trust the Four Gospels, Craig BlombergThe Authenticity & Genuineness of the Fourth Gospel, J.B. LightfootIs Luke a Trustworthy Historian? Sir William RamsayOutside the Gospels, What Can We Know About Jesus? Shane Rosenthal?Can We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus’ Movement? Shane RosenthalAuthenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe The Bible? Shane RosenthalHow to Detect Deception, Shane RosenthalOn Faith & History, Shane RosenthalOther Related ResourcesAgainst the Tide, John Lennox (documentary)Has Science Buried God? John Lennox (video)By Design, John Lennox, Michael Behe & Stephen Meyer (video)New Evidence for the Gospels, Peter J. Williams (video)Evidence for the Resurrection, Peter J. Williams (video)Are the Gospels Reliable?, Peter J. Williams & Bart Ehrman (video)Authenticating The Book of Acts, Lydia McGrew (podcast)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 episode, we’ll pick up where we left off last week with Egyptologist, David Rohl. During this part of the conversation, Shane talks with Dr. Rohl about various archaeological discoveries which he argues are connected to the lives Saul and David. Later in the program, the discussion shifts to the recent discovery of the Mt Ebal curse tablet, as well as to questions related to the history and chronology of events recorded in the New Testament.Click here to listen to Part 1SHOW NOTES• To order an English edition of The Amarna Letters, click here.• To watch a series of videos featuring Scott Stripling’s discussion of the recently discovered Mt. Ebal curse tablet, use the following links: 1) The Altar, 2) Curses & Covenants, 3) The Name of God, 4) Translating, 5) Biblical Archaeology, 6) The Future• To order a copy of David Rohl’s book, Legendary Kings (currently only available in Kindle format) click here; for Exodus: Myth or History, click here.• To order a series of lectures by David Rohl on video, click here. To order The Patterns of Evidence: Exodus documentary featuring Dr. Rohl, click here.• Shane interviewed David Rohl on two other occasions, and you can find those interviews here.• Click here to read Shane’s article “Where Was Jesus Crucified,” and here to listen to Shane’s discussion of this topic with David Rohl on Episode 17.• Reference was made on this program to the work of John A.T. Robinson who famously argued for a pre-70 date for all the NT documents in his book, Redating the New Testament. Shane also discussed Robinson’s work in his conversation with Daniel Wallace on episode 51: Is John’s Gospel Late & Unreliable?, and interacts with his views (along with many others) in the following post: John 5:2 “There is in Jerusalem”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

On this episode, Shane tells the story of Egyptologist David Rohl by weaving together various interviews and audio clips over the past few decades related to his research into the New Chronology. In the second half of the program, Shane talks with Dr. Rohl about a number of fascinating discoveries that he writes about in his latest book, Legendary Kings: The Real Bible Unearthed.Click here to Begin Part 2SHOW NOTES• To order a copy of David Rohl’s latest book, Legendary Kings (which is currently only available in Kindle format) click here, and to order a copy of Exodus: Myth or History, click here. • To order a video copy of some of David Rohl’s lectures, click here. To order The Patterns of Evidence: Exodus documentary featuring David Rohl, click here.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 episode, Shane interacts with statements made on a History Channel documentary about the reference to Jesus in the writings of Josephus. Some claim that the passage is a complete forgery, while others argue that the passage was mildly interpolated. So, outside the Gospels, what can we really know about Jesus from history? Do the Gospels qualify as history, or should they be set aside as works of religious propaganda? SHOW NOTES• For further reading on this topic, check out Shane’s articles: “On Faith & History,” “Why Should We Believe the Bible?”, and “Authenticating the Fourth Gospel.”• If you’d like to listen to other interviews related to this episode, check out Shane’s interview with John Dickson (author of A Doubter’s Guide to Jesus), as well as his conversation with Daniel Boyarin (author of The Jewish Gospels). If you’d like to hear the full discussion related to Josephus, here’s a link to the complete interview with Paul Maier.• The clips featuring Simcha Jacobovici originally appeared on this episode of The Naked Archaeologist. 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

How can we tell whether a painting signed by Claude Monet is authentic or not? Similarly, how can we know for certain that the New Testament Gospels aren’t fictional stories, but real historical accounts of the life of Jesus? On this episode, Shane Rosenthal continues his conversation of this subject with Dr. Lydia McGrew, author of Testimonies to the Truth: Why You Can Trust the Gospels.SHOW NOTES• For further reading on this topic, check out Testimonies to the Truth: Why You Can Trust the Gospels, and Hidden in Plain View by Lydia McGrew. See also Shane’s articles How to Detect Deception, and Authenticating the Fourth Gospel.• Click here to listen to Shane’s interview with Richard Bauckham, author of Jesus & The Eyewitnesses, on the topic of the reliability of John’s Gospel, and here to listen to his discussion with New Testament scholar Daniel Wallace regarding an early date for John’s Gospel.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

How can we know whether the New Testament Gospels are authentic accounts of the life of Jesus, as opposed to fictional documents written as a part of some larger hoax or conspiracy? Shane Rosenthal discusses this question with Dr. Lydia McGrew, author of Testimonies to the Truth: Why You Can Trust the Gospels.Click here to begin Part 2SHOW NOTES• Click here to order a copy of Lydia McGrew’s new book, Testimonies to the Truth: Why You Can Trust the Gospels, and here to read an article by Shane Rosenthal that outlines his interpretation of the parable of The Rich Man & Lazarus.• Lydia McGrew also appeared on Episode 24 of The Humble Skeptic: Authenticating the Book of Acts.• For more info about The Humble Skeptic vision and how you can help, click here.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

On this bonus edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane reads lessons 6 through 8 of Richard Whately’s Introduction to Christian Evidences.SHOW NOTES • Click here to access an online version of Richard Whately’s Introduction to Christian Evidences. If you would like to obtain a paperback reprint, click here.• Click here to read Shane’s article, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”• For more info about The Humble Skeptic vision and how you can help, click here.We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a YEAR-END gift! Another way to help is 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.To Listen to PART 4 of Evidence & Faith, click below: Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this special bonus edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane continues reading selections from the Introduction to Christian Evidences by Richard Whately.SHOW NOTES • Click here to access an online version of Richard Whately’s Introduction to Christian Evidences. If you would like to obtain a paperback reprint, click here.• Other related articles include: Why Should We Believe The Bible?, What is Faith?, History & Faith, Authenticating the Fourth Gospel, and On Faith & Doubt.• For more info about The Humble Skeptic vision and how you can help, click here.We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a YEAR-END gift! Another way to help is 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.To Listen to Part 3 of Evidence & Faith click below: Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Did the story of Jesus evolve over time? Did he even exist in the first place? On this episode, Shane explores the beliefs of the world’s first Christians through an in-depth investigation of the earliest Christian creed cited by Paul in 1st Corinthians 15.SHOW NOTES• Click here to download a PDF document containing the Dead Sea Scroll material referenced during this episode. If you would like to order a modern English translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, we recommend this edition. • Click here to listen to Episode 15, Faith Founded on Facts.• For more info about The Humble Skeptic vision and how you can help, click here.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

On this special bonus edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane Rosenthal plays some Beethoven and reads selections from the Introduction to Christian Evidences by Richard Whately.SHOW NOTES • Program update: OFFICIAL episodes are released most Tuesdays — BONUS episodes, occasional Fridays.• Click here to access an online version of Richard Whately’s Introduction to Christian Evidences. If you would like to obtain a paperback reprint, click here.• Click here to read Shane’s article, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”• For more info about The Humble Skeptic vision and how you can help, click here.We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a YEAR-END gift! Another way to help is 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.To Listen to Part 2 of Evidence & Faith, click below: Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this episode, Shane Rosenthal continues his conversation with Dr. Mike Farley of Covenant Seminary in St. Louis about the relationship between faith and proof. What does the Bible itself say about this issue, and how was faith promoted during the first few centuries of the Christian Church? That’s the focus of this edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast.SHOW NOTES• To order a copy of Eusebius’ book, The Proof of The Gospel, click here. Also, if you would like to read an article related to the topic of this episode, check out Shane’s article, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?” • To download a free PDF document containing select quotations from Justin Martyr, Eusebius, and Augustine mentioned during this episode, click here.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

What is the relationship between faith and proof? Shane Rosenthal discusses this question with Dr. Mike Farley of Covenant Theological Seminary. How did the Israelites come to believe that Moses really spoke with God, and how did his writings become so authoritative among the ancient Hebrews? Was it just a leap of faith? That’s the focus of this edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast.SHOW NOTES• If you would like to read further on this topic, start with Shane’s article “Why Should We Believe the Bible?” For a more in-depth treatment, we recommend Proof of the Gospel by Eusebius of Caesarea.• Reference was made on this episode to an interview Shane conducted with Daniel Boyarin, author of The Jewish Gospels. You can listen to that conversation here. 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

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