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What if hell isn't eternal torment? And what if Christians have misunderstood what Jesus actually taught? Christian thinker and Questioning Christianity host Dan Paterson joins John Nelson for a searching conversation about three of Christianity's most difficult questions: hell, divine hiddenness and the problem of evil. Dan explains why he changed his mind about eternal conscious punishment, explores whether everyone could ultimately be saved, and asks why a loving God sometimes seems absent from those who genuinely seek him. From C.S. Lewis and the teachings of Jesus to the suffering of innocent children and animals, this conversation confronts the deepest objections to Christian faith without avoiding the difficult answers. Can we still trust that God is good? SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

In a culture of outrage, division and cancel culture, Dr Amy Orr-Ewing believes forgiveness may be one of the most radical ideas we have. But what happens when forgiveness is used to silence victims, excuse abuse or avoid justice? Joining Luke Martin on Unbelievable? The Interview, the bestselling author and public theologian discusses her new book, Forgiveness: Reclaiming Its Power in a Culture of Outrage and Fear. From the extraordinary story of a mother who forgave her daughter's murderer to the hardest questions about suffering, biblical violence and whether we can really trust the Gospels, Amy makes a compelling case for taking Christianity seriously. And as Gen Z rediscovers faith, could Christianity offer something our increasingly divided culture desperately needs? In this conversation: Can forgiveness be harmful?Should we forgive someone who never apologises?Does Christianity let abusers off the hook?Why does a loving God allow suffering?Did God command violence in the Old Testament?Can we trust the Bible and the eyewitness accounts of Jesus?Why are young people becoming interested in Christianity again? Dr Amy Orr-Ewing's new book: Forgiveness: Reclaiming Its Power in a Culture of Outrage and Fear. Hosted by Luke Martin for Premier Unbelievable? Subscribe for thoughtful conversations exploring Christianity, faith, doubt and life's biggest questions. #AmyOrrEwing #Forgiveness #Christianity #UnbelievablePodcast SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate

What happens to those who never believe in Jesus? Could everyone eventually be saved — even after death? Dan Paterson and Matt Whiteley join John Nelson to explore Christian universalism, eternal judgment and whether salvation is possible without explicit faith in Christ. A thoughtful debate about the Bible, the justice of God and the ultimate fate of those we love. Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)

The birth narratives of Jesus contain some of the most famous stories in Christianity: the virgin birth, angels and shepherds, the Magi, the star of Bethlehem and Herod’s massacre of the innocents. But did Matthew and Luke actually intend their readers to believe these events happened? Dr Caleb Friedeman joins John Nelson to challenge a widespread assumption in historical Jesus scholarship: that the infancy narratives can largely be sidelined because they belong more to the world of legend and theological storytelling than history. Drawing on his new book, Gospel Birth Narratives and Historiography: Reopening a Closed Case, Friedeman compares Matthew and Luke with ancient biographers including Plutarch, Suetonius and Philo. He argues that supposedly “legendary” ancient birth stories often show clear signs of historical intent — including the use and evaluation of sources — and asks whether scholars have been applying the wrong assumptions to the Gospels. But historical intent doesn’t automatically mean historical accuracy. So what about the difficult questions? Did Luke get the census of Quirinius wrong? Is there any evidence for Herod’s massacre of the innocents? Did Luke really get his information from Mary? And can the apparently different birth stories in Matthew and Luke actually be reconciled? Can we take the Christmas story seriously as history? SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate

Pat Allerton joins Luke Martin to explore the growing openness to Christianity, the search for meaning and why faith may be returning to the cultural conversation. From science and the resurrection to anxiety, healing and his own dramatic conversion, Pat makes the case for why Christianity still speaks to a searching generation. SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate

Has Christian apologetics become too focused on winning? Mary Jo Sharp joins John Nelson to confront the darker side of defending the faith: pride, outrage, confirmation bias and the temptation to treat people as arguments to defeat. What if apologetics is meant to transform the Christian too? A conversation about truth, humility, suffering and one uncomfortable question: Does Christianity just make us right, or should it make us good? Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)

What do we really know about Jesus before he began preaching? Professor Joan Taylor joins John Nelson to explore the missing years of Jesus, from Bethlehem and Egypt to Nazareth, his family, education and work. Could memories preserved in the Gospels reveal far more history than scholars have assumed? A fascinating investigation into the childhood, world and experiences that may have shaped Jesus. Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE

After cancer and intensive chemotherapy, Tyler Staton says he came to know Jesus in a way he never had before: not simply as the victorious Saviour, but as the suffering servant. In this deeply personal conversation with Ruth Jackson, the Bridgetown Church pastor explores unanswered prayer, miraculous healing, anxiety, doubt and why suffering did not destroy his faith. He also reflects on America’s culture wars, Britain’s apparent spiritual revival, the coming age of AI and why beauty and story may increasingly speak to people more powerfully than traditional apologetic arguments. • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate

Does the apparent fine-tuning of our universe point to God, or are we drawing a theological conclusion from physics we don’t yet understand? Philosophers Miles Donahue and Alex Malpass go head-to-head on one of the most fascinating arguments for God’s existence. Miles argues that the extraordinary precision of the universe’s fundamental constants provides powerful evidence for theism. Alex pushes back: could fine-tuning simply expose gaps in our current physics rather than the fingerprints of a designer? An extended Unbelievable? conversation on one of the greatest debates of our time. Subscribe to Miles and Alex on YouTube: Miles: Miles K. Donahue Alex: Thoughtology Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE

Is Christianity really about going to heaven when we die? N.T. Wright thinks we have been telling the biblical story the wrong way round. Recorded at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, Wright joins John Nelson to explore the argument of his book God’s Homecoming: that the Bible’s great hope is not humanity escaping earth, but God coming to dwell with his renewed creation. They discuss the Kingdom of God, resurrection, Plato’s influence on Christianity, the Eucharist, Christian nationalism, evangelism, the soul and what happens after death. Recorded at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, as part of its New Renaissance Project, which seeks to cultivate transformational scholarship, leadership, arts and culture rooted in Christian community and offering the truth, goodness and beauty of the gospel to the wider world. Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)

Is prayer still relevant in a hyper-digital, secular age? Dr Johannes Hartl – Catholic philosopher, author, and founder of the Augsburg House of Prayer – thinks not only is it relevant, but it may also be the key to our future. In this wide–ranging conversation, Johannes and Luke explore: Why even non-believers “pray” more than they realiseHow prayer begins as attention, not just wordsThe problem of divine hiddenness and unanswered prayerWhy transactional prayer misses the heart of Christian spiritualityHow a 24/7 House of Prayer has logged over 100,000 hours of worshipDigital minimalism, smartphones, and why he goes on holiday without a phoneWhy Gen Z men are surprisingly more open to faithThe failure of the promises of secularism and the sexual revolutionDeconstruction, church hurt, and emotionally unhealthy ChristianityWhy we may need a new monasticism and holistic, embodied faith Whether you’re a sceptic, a deconstructing Christian, or a lifelong believer, this episode offers a challenging and hopeful vision of prayer, community, and cultural renewal. For Johannes Hartl: https://johanneshartl.org/en/ For Luke Martin: follow on X: https://x.com/luke_s_martin   Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)

In this special extended episode of Unbelievable? two leading philosophers of religion go head-to-head over one of Christianity’s most fundamental doctrines: is the Trinity actually biblical - and is it truly orthodox? Recorded live debate from the Guild Church of St Katherine Cree in the City of London, hosted in partnership with the Unitarian Christian Alliance, Joshua Sijuwade and Dale Tuggy go head-to-head over the nature of God. With opening statements, rebuttals, moderated discussion and audience questions, this special extended edition goes deep into a question at the very heart of historic Christianity: Is the Trinity biblical? Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)

What if fairy tales reveal more about reality than facts alone? Storyteller, poet and author Amy Scott Robinson joins Luke Martin to explore how imagination, myth and metaphor can illuminate Christian faith. Drawing on C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Greek myth, biblical imagery and the enduring logic of fairy tales, Amy argues that stories help us recognise both the brokenness of human nature and our longing for rescue. She explains why art and faith belong together, how stories can carry truth without reducing it to a moral lesson, and why tears, wonder and longing may point beyond themselves. Amy also shares the moving tale of Little Scarface, reflects on the loss of long-form storytelling, and considers whether our AI-shaped culture is rediscovering a hunger for ancient wisdom, beauty, transcendence and truth. For Luke Martin: follow on X: https://x.com/luke_s_martin   Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)

Can evolution and Christianity really fit together – and does modern evolutionary science leave any room for purpose? Leading Cambridge evolutionary biologist Professor Simon Conway Morris joins scientist and philosopher of science Sam McKee to tackle Genesis, Intelligent Design, human uniqueness, animal suffering and the remarkable phenomenon of convergent evolution. They ask whether evolution might be more constrained than we once thought, whether Christians have misunderstood Genesis – and what discovering alien life would mean for belief in God. Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)

What if Jesus’ atoning work wasn’t completed on the cross? Professor David Moffitt and Dr Jonathan Rowlands join John Nelson to rethink one of Christianity’s central doctrines: the atonement. Is penal substitution really the Bible’s main explanation of Calvary? Does sacrifice simply mean the killing of an animal? And what did the first Christians believe Jesus was doing after his resurrection and ascension? Drawing on Leviticus, Hebrews and Paul, Moffitt and Rowlands argue that the cross cannot be understood in isolation from Jesus’ resurrection, ascension and ongoing intercession before the Father. But that raises some big questions. Was Jesus’ work really “finished” on the cross? Can Christians lose their salvation? What might the atonement mean for victims of abuse and violence? And why should any of this theology matter for ordinary Christian life today? This episode is sponsored by the University of St Andrews and its online  Bible and the Contemporary World  programme, a flexible part-time course engaging biblical and theological study in conversation with contemporary culture and major public issues. Learn more: Bible and the Contemporary World - online - Subjects - University of St Andrews: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/divinity/bible-contemporary-world-online/ Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE)