Undeceptions with John Dickson

The Bible uses a very "human" way to communicate God's word: letter writing. But how do we know these letters - mostly written by the Apostle Paul - really are God's word? How could it be that the divine would speak through simple mail - and how can we trust it?This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinnessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

In memory of Timothy James Keller (1950-2023).This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Is nature inherently valuable if there is no God? According to one scientist, without faith, that's an almost impossible question to answer. But if there is a design to it all? That changes everything - including how we should treat the natural world.This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Apathy has seeped into every part of society. We've become a "Seinfeldian culture"; alive to the trivial, and numb to the meaningful. How can we find ways to care more, and how might Christianity's history of grappling with apathy help us, whatever we believe?This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Dorothy L. Sayers was much more than a celebrated detective novelist - she was a Christian playwright and author who brought the message of the Gospels to millions of people in everyday, easy-to-understand language. A true Undeceiver, it's high time we knew more about her.This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

There aren’t many parts of the Bible that excite the imagination more than its thrilling climax in the book of Revelation. Amidst the imagery, fantasy and controversy, how do we sort truth from fiction?This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Is there room for the supernatural and the advancing world of medicine? According to some scientists - absolutely!This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments/feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

An hour with acclaimed speaker and church leader Beth Moore.This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Introducing The Venerable Bede: Father of English history and the most brilliant polymath you've never heard of.This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Why did Jesus have to die? Why did it have to be such a violent death? And what on earth does the death of Jesus on a cross such a long time ago have to do with us today?This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

Is there still something to celebrate about the Reformation, or is it, as many claim, the root of Christian division and conflict? This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

The Reformation: one of the greatest ruptures in European history, a rupture that permanently split the church, triggered wars, created new city-states, and even led, in the opinion of many experts, to the Enlightenment, Science, and the secularization of the West.It's such a big deal we’re going to take two whole episodes to examine it—and still only scratch the surface. How did one man go from a pious local friar in an obscure backwater town to the leader of a global movement that ripped Christianity in two (and then three, then four, and ultimately thousands of Protestant denominations!). And what is the real legacy of this thing we call The Reformation? This season of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic. Get discounts on MasterLectures video courses and exclusive samples of their books at zondervanacademic.com/undeceptionsVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

"We know less than ever about history and are losing the ability to grapple with the ethical complexities of the past - the entwining of good and evil - in the same historical figure, or empire."

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. QUESTIONSWhy did Jesus come during the Ancient period? I get why Jesus came (to fulfill God’s promises and save the world etc.) but why the specific time period and place? Why didn’t Jesus come in say, the medieval era? Or the 1900s? Why was it ancient Rome?In ‘The Flood’ episode, you talk of the story of the flood as a piece of ‘high art’ that should be understood as a retelling of stories that existed in the cultural climate. But would the ancient audience have thought like this or take it at face value as though they were real events that really happened? Do you believe that Adam and Eve are historical figures? In the episode called ‘Global Christianity’, you mention the missionary impulse in Judaism: in the NT book of Acts we meet people who are described as ‘God fearers’. How many ‘God fearers’ who weren’t Jewish were around in the first century? And what motivated them to worship the God of Israel? Regarding the ‘Pro Life’ episode, suppose a pregnant mother in labor has a series of complications. If she births the baby, she’ll die. But if she doesn’t birth it soon, the baby will die. Would it be a sin, if you chose the mother to live, and the baby to die? I teach school students who are blind or have low vision and some have a hard time understanding what their blindness means in regard to their relationship with God. I’m keen to know if you have a way to account for the descriptions of blindness in such a way that my students can hear the different passages and still see themselves as loved and valued by a good God, even if/when they are not healed, and despite the fact that some passages use blindness as a criticism. Can you help? Why is the Catholic and Protestant bible different? What are those differences? Should Protestants read the books that are in the Catholic Bible too? What can Protestants learn from those books? How have those differences changed how Protestants and Catholics view the world? I want to learn more about the Catholic faith and what happened before it became so ritualised. What was it like before the Catholic faith became the Catholic faith? What’s the deal with burial vs Cremation – specifically around our renewed bodies that God will transform us into? Does cremation hinder this? The typical Christian answer to the question “Where does evil come from?” is free will. I.e. God made Adam and Eve perfect, but gave them free will. They decided to turn away from God, and now there’s evil, sin and suffering in the world. But that argument doesn’t really make sense, because free will doesn’t necessarily entail evil. For example, God has free will, and he’s completely good. God could have made us with a good nature, and still given us free will (like what we’ll have in heaven). Based on this, it seems like God must have made evil. Or to phrase it another way, God seems to have made Adam and Eve with a propensity for evil, or made them too weak to cope with the moral choices he was giving them. If an inventor designs something and it malfunctions, it isn’t really fair for him to blame the thing he’s made for going wrong. We’d say that it’s his fault for not designing it properly. So how is God not responsible for our sin?A friend follows Baháʼí religion and says there is essential worth of all religions is the unity of all people. They regard the major world religions as fundamentally unified in purpose. At the heart of their teaching is the goal of a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, creeds and classes. It all sounds nice, but how does it play out in reality, and how does it differ from Christianity? I have been reading your book, Bullies and Saints and was struck by your Chapter on the Inquisition. I get it, that the French Revolution in comparison had more deaths and other sorts of sufferings. However when a Catholic friend said to a Jewish friend (in my presence) that the Spanish Inquisition wasn’t so bad, I wondered what the Jews thought of the whole issue? My Jewish friend just looked at him. Also what would be a helpful way to handle this issue when talking to people of other faiths, like Jewish and Muslim, who as you stated in your book were booted out of Spain? I was reading a book by author and pastor Mark Clark who said Jesus would have dropped his ‘h’s, that he had a really distinctive accent, and that other people from Galilee dropped their ‘h’s and that the people from Jerusalem would have thought they were really uneducated because of that. Any other interesting things from Jesus that we might not know from the Bible that would help us connect with him as a man who walked the earth as well as our Lord and Jesus Christ our Saviour. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the s

The more we learn about the world, the more we see how it operates under elegant laws. There is an order to the universe that betrays the randomness you so often hear about.This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2023

There’s no such thing as a “New Testament Christian”. While the popular scepticism about parts of the Old Testament is understandable, we're convinced by the arguments of our guest today: Christ isn’t just the hero of the New Testament … He is everywhere in the Old Testament.This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

‘Tis the podcast before Christmas, so we’re diving into the fairy lights and tinsel to uncover some of the myths of Christmas - things you might have thought were true but aren’t. And we’ll look at a few of the common challenges to the history of Christmas that aren’t as strong as our sceptical friends reckon.This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

You might think the Chronicles of Narnia are just for kids. But scholars have discovered some amazing historical, literary, and theological keys in the stories that Lewis never talked about openly, and that bind the 7 stories together in a way only Lewis could have imagined.This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Check out Delores Morris' course Believing Philosophy. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The Byzantine capital, Constantinople, was famously fortified with an impenetrable three-wall network, which preserved it from foreign conquest for centuries. But the Byzantine Empire doesn’t have to be impenetrable to us, today. This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Five Views on Christ in the Old Testament, edited by Brian J. Tabb and Andrew M. King. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Bully Pulpit by Michael J. Kruger.How we think about time, the value we give to the three parts of time (past, present, and future) really matters. And our special guest reckons it’s part of what makes for the good life.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

We’re talking all things animals in this episode, starting with why God would create a world that seems to embed animal suffering into the fabric of things. And we’ll get to some practical questions too: do animals go to heaven? Is it OK to keep pets? And, should we all, actually, be vegetarian?

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Master Lecture series by Russ Ramsey, Rembrandt is in the Wind. Click here to get 50% off your first 3 months subscription with the code UNDECEPTIONS50.Since their publication between 1950 and 1956, the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis have sold more than 100-million copies in 47 languages.And despite their dated references and sometimes controversial worldviews, they continue to sell over a million copies a year.They’ve also inspired theatre performances, radio plays, television series, and three major films that earned a healthy one and a half billion US dollars.So it’s understandable that many people know of C.S. Lewis only as a fantastically successful children’s author, unaware that he is also the author of a huge collection of books commending and defending the Christian faith, Mere Christianity, Miracles, The Screwtape Letters, and so on. Narnia is wonderful. But it’s a pity people don’t know more about the man, his career, and his famous town–all of which form the backdrop for the incredible fantasy world he created for millions of readers. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

From John Dickson: While we’re working hard on our next Season of Undeceptions, I’ve asked the Rev Dr George Athas to have a chat to you about how we can be sure our old stuff - artefacts we’ve found from thousands of years ago - is actually old. George is Director of Research, Old Testament and Hebrew at Moore Theological College in Sydney. We spoke to him at length for our super popular episode called ‘Between Testaments’, so go check that out if you haven’t heard it already. It’s one of my favourites. George has done a huge amount of research on the Tel Dan Inscription, a fragmentary stele that dates to the 9th Century BC. It’s considered the most important - and controversial - inscription found in Israel in recent years. And George wrote the first book about it. So, over to him.

One of the surprises when we turn the pages of the New Testament is how little the word “Christian” actually comes up. Given this is the book for Christians you’d expect it to be littered with the words “Christian” and “Christianity.” But the word “Christian” only comes three times, whereas the language of being “in Christ” comes up over 200 times. It’s pretty much everywhere.

The basic aim of ‘critical theory’ is to make visible the hidden structures of a culture, so as to critique society and then, in the best forms of critical theory, bring about improvements. Our guest today reckons the Bible has its own way of exposing the flaws of our culture–and, of course, pointing to the Good. The Bible, in other words, has a critical theory of its own.This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Five Views of Christ in the Old Testament, edited by Brian J. Tabb and Andrew M. King.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

It's our seasonal Q&A episode and there are actually quite a few curly questions about the future of the universe, heaven, as well as plenty of other questions about a bewildering range of topics, some of which push John to the edge of what he knows–perhaps beyond! This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics for Everyone, Volume 1 - The Doctrine of the Word of God: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners and Pros, by Marty Folsom. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

It may just be that science is an imaginative, creative, and emotive enterprise, just as it is obviously a rational, mathematical, evidence-based discipline. Which, to John Dickson's mind - and that of our expert guest - makes perfect sense. After all, the Creator is an artist and logician in one!This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture by Christopher Watkin.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

We take a closer look at 15 words that are often misunderstood, or sometimes forgotten. And my guest today reckons these words communicate the heart and soul of the New Testament, of the Christian faith, of God himself.This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic’s new book Bright Hope for Tomorrow by Chris Davis.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode, we’re laying out the best arguments for and against legalising euthanasia and asking: What view of the human person should a good society embody in its laws?This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book Seasons of Sorrow by Tim Challies.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The death of religion was the conventional wisdom in the social sciences during most of the twentieth century. Turns out, they were wrong. Religion is not dead. It’s still here. Actually, it’s growing.This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets by John Goldingay. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The period 500 to 1500 - the Middle Ages - was anything but dark. In fact, it was one of the most lively periods in world history. This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book The Beauty Chasers by Timothy Willard.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

Buddhism probably takes the prize today for World’s Most Lovable Religion. But is this widespread appreciation of Buddhism matched by widespread understanding? This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's new book 15 New Testament Words of Life by Nijay Gupta. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan’s new book Global Christianity: A Guide to the World’s Largest Religion from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe by Gina Zurlo. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan Academic's book Bully Pulpit by Michael J. Kruger.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonLibrarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The song 'Christmas Time' was written by John's mate Ben Shaw, with some help from John himself. We recorded Ben’s beautiful guitar parts just 4 weeks before he died of cancer. Ben was on this podcast a couple of times in his last months, so we hope regular listeners think of him as their friend, too.He died a year ago today, June 17. And we’re releasing the song in his memory – it was one of his last big wishes that we take this song, which he and John had performed many times over the years but had never recorded, and rework it with a full band and release it. That’s what we’ve done. You’ll hear the entire song at the end. In the meantime, we sat down with our long-time music producer Colin Benvenuto (and his guitar) and Ben’s wife Karen, a backing vocalist in the song, and we chatted about … well, Ben … and how the song came together. If you want to see a little more, we’ve produced a video montage for the song over at undeceptions.com/christmastime.

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book The Beauty Chasers by Timothy Willard.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Religious Freedom in a Secular Age by Michael F. Bird.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Typology-Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns: How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ by James M. Hamilton Jr. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Malestrom: How Jesus Dismantles Patriarchy and Redefines Manhood by Carolyn Custis JamesVisit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book The Sexual Reformation by Aimee Byrd. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

We're launching our longboats on to the seas of myth and popular culture… and discovering over two in-depth episodes what we can actually say with some confidence about the Vikings - their origins, exploits, culture, religion and - perhaps the best-kept Viking secret - their eventual decision (and it was their decision!) to become Christians.This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Four Views of Heaven edited by Michael Wittmer.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

What happens beyond death is one of those areas—like the idea of a Rapture prior to a Second Coming—where myths have crept into popular Christian thought which have little connection either with the Bible or with what the church has taught throughout the centuries.The modern myth is: When Christians die, their bodies decay once and for all, while their spirits (whatever they are) go eternally into God’s presence in heaven. The Bible’s claim is: When Christians die, they rest safe in God’s presence, until they are bodily raised to life to enjoy forever a new creation.This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book Recovering Our Sanity: How the Fear of God Conquers the Fears that Divide Us by Michael Horton. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

The Joshua Tree National Park in California is a good starting place for Laurel Moffatt's reflection on our struggles to see the light.The park is full of interesting characters as well as a compelling number of stars - most of which are invisible to the outside world. Because of the amount of artificial light we use each night, more than a third of people can no longer see the Milky Way.But the brightness of the light in deep darkness can show us how faint, how small, how very weak and narrow our own attempts at lighting our own way are.LINKSPaul Bogard, The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light.Emily Dickinson, “I saw no Way – The Heavens were stitched –” Fr633 (1863) J378Fabio Falchi, et al. “The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness”, Science Advances, 10 Jun 2016, Vol 2, Issue 6WHAT IS SMALL WONDERS?The clarity the desert brings. Hurricanes and hard relationships. Finding reason in the middle of a ruin. Small Wonders are quiet but profound observations about life from Dr Laurel Moffatt. In each fifteen-minute episode, Laurel uncovers lessons learned from broken and beautiful things that are polished to perfection and set in rich audio landscapes for your consideration.

Tim Keller is the founding pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the author of several New York times best-selling books.It's also fair probably fair to say that he is something of a Christian prophet for our secularizing 21st century.This is a chat with one of our world’s most trusted ‘undeceivers’. Whether you believe or doubt, we're sure what you’re about to hear will bring fresh clarity about the Christian faith in doubting times.This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book Good News of Our Limits by Sean McGever.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This season, we’re launching Undeceptions Plus which offers exclusive bonus content to members - who we’re calling our ‘Undeceivers’. For a small monthly fee - just AU$5 a month - you can unlock uncut interviews, extra question and answer sessions, and peeks behind our creative process as we put the shows together. Don’t worry – all our regular episodes will remain free and available for everyone. But in becoming an Undeceiver, you’re really helping us to keep the show sustainable and thriving. We’d love to have you with us. It’s really easy, so head to undeceptions.com/plus for more.

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan’s new book Religious Freedom in a Secular Age by Michael F. Bird.Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: [email protected] is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

This episode was sponsored by Zondervan's new book Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey.For the full show notes for this episode head to Undeceptions.com.

Greg Sheridan is one of Australia's most influential foreign affairs analysts, as well as an acclaimed author. In short, he's not afraid of sharing an opinion. He and John Dickson take a stroll through his latest book, Christians: The urgent case for Jesus in our world, and take a close look at the key elements of the faith.Greg bravely shares how he thinks the Christian faith makes perfect sense to the rational mind.

Undeceptions is proud to announce that the popular podcast, With All Due Respect, is joining the network as of today.To mark the occasion hosts Megan Powell du Toit and Michael Jensen have crafted a single about the power of storytelling to transform lives.You can find out more about their awesome show over at The WADR Project website.