Shows / Undeceptions with John Dickson
Undeceptions with John Dickson
Every week on Undeceptions we’ll explore some aspect of life, faith, history, culture, or ethics that is either much misunderstood or mostly forgotten. With the help of people who know what they’re talking about, we’ll be trying to ‘undeceive ourselves’ and let the truth ‘out’.
Episodes
Undeceptions with John Dickson184. Forgive Us
Christianity has a bit to say about ‘forgiveness’, both on a theological and a sociological level.In short, God forgives us, and Christians are therefore…
Undeceptions with John Dickson183. With Lennox
John Lennox is one of Christianity’s greatest living “Undeceivers”. His Irish charm, kindness, and general approachability defuse even the most intense debates…
Undeceptions with John Dickson182. Tough Texts
The Bible is full of tough texts that can be off-putting to the curious sceptic.But at its best, Christianity stands smiling in the ring of history, science…
Undeceptions with John DicksonBeautiful Maths
Almost everyone can remember the exact moment they gave up on mathematics.But for those who persist, many don’t just find maths useful; they find it…
Undeceptions with John DicksonOn Hildegard
It’s high time for an episode on the fabulous Hildegard of Bingen.This remarkable 12th-century nun’s work covered a vast amount of ground: she wrote about…
Undeceptions with John DicksonSpiritual ≠ Religious
The West might be becoming less ‘religious’, but according to many it’s becoming a lot more ’spiritual’.In fact, “spiritual but not religious” is described as…
Undeceptions with John Dickson178. Against Ambition
High performers - athletes, business professionals, artists, and the like - inspire and motivate us. They give us benchmarks to strive for and show us what…
Undeceptions with John DicksonSINGLE: Good Missionary?
Africa is home to over 1.5 billion people and some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but it still faces vast challenges.Thousands of missionaries…
- Undeceptions with John Dickson
REWIND: Just War
War is a horror – so how has Christianity, in its classical tradition, approached the human reality of war? Can it ever be justified on spiritual grounds?We…
Undeceptions with John Dickson177. Wes Huff
Wes Huff has made the historical case for Christianity to an audience of millions on some of the biggest podcasts in the world, including the Joe Rogan…
Undeceptions with John Dickson176. Question Answer XVI
Is it ok for a Christian to enjoy secular music? Why did Jesus have to get baptised? And how does the church’s teaching on money compare to what the Bible…
Undeceptions with John Dickson175. Literary Bible
The Oxford English Dictionary describes the Bible as a “library,” not a single work.But this library has been the most sold book in the world for millennia!So…
Undeceptions with John Dickson174. God's Image
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience…
Undeceptions with John Dickson173. Good Friday
It’s hard to get a clear picture of the historical Jesus without projecting cultural tropes onto Him.Jesus - perhaps more than anyone in history - is often…
Undeceptions with John Dickson172. Reading Classics
There’s a certain collection of Greek and Roman writings - from roughly 800 BC to AD 200 - which, apart from the Bible, has shaped the Western world more than…
Undeceptions with John DicksonFirst Hymn US / UK Release
The First Hymn is coming to the big screens on both sides of the Atlantic!Find tickets here.
Undeceptions with John Dickson171. Without God
The cultural hangovers of Christianity are well attested.Recently, people who were once describing themselves as ‘New Atheists’ have gone as far as to call…
Undeceptions with John Dickson170. Evolution Revolution?
Since Charles Darwin’s 1859 book On the Origin of Species, evolution has been considered by many to be the final nail in the coffin of religion.Because…
Undeceptions with John Dickson169. Against Coercion
A popular myth is that when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, he forced everyone else to embrace the faith - or else face deadly…
Undeceptions with John Dickson168. Virtue / Vice
In pop culture, we often enjoy watching - or reading - vice and virtue play out, with the former often far more exciting than the latter.But what about real…
Undeceptions with John DicksonREWIND: The Reformation
The Reformation remains a pivotal moment not just for the church, but for global history. It permanently split the church, triggered wars, created new…
Undeceptions with John DicksonSINGLE: Concert Hymn
On November 2, 2024, Chris Tomlin performed the world premiere of The First Hymn at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Ben Fielding joined him onstage…
Undeceptions with John DicksonSINGLE: Christmas Peace
We attempt to make sense of the silly season, to explain why there really is “more to life”, and why the traditional Christmas story still holds the…
Undeceptions with John Dickson167. Nicene Creed
It’s probably the most significant of all church history’s debates: Was Jesus fully human, fully divine, or a hybrid of some sort?1700 years ago, bishops from…
Undeceptions with John Dickson166. Jesus Proof?
The first-century historian Flavius Josephus is the oldest source we have for the historical Jesus outside of the Bible.His 90-word paragraph about Jesus -…
Undeceptions with John Dickson165. Question Answer XV
Why don’t Christians still follow the Laws of the Old Testament? Why did God create humans if so many are apparently destined for Hell? Is the ‘Golden Rule’…
Undeceptions with John Dickson164. After Christendom
Christianity no longer has the cultural sway it once held. But there’s always been a long tradition of Christians being flexible in engaging their…
Undeceptions with John DicksonREWIND: Post Christian
Back in 2020, John caught up with author and journalist Greg Sheridan to talk about Christianity’s struggles in both Australia, and the global West more…
Undeceptions with John Dickson163. Divine Comedy
In his Divine Comedy, Dante isn’t claiming to offer us a vision of what hell and heaven are actually like. It might be set in the afterlife, but it’s really…
Undeceptions with John Dickson162. Persecution Complex
Some claim Christian persecution is on the rise, while others find the idea of a modern persecution implausible. So, what’s the truth? It’s complex … (00:00) -…
Undeceptions with John Dickson161. Jane Austen
Jane Austen’s words and books are well known. But what do we know of Jane herself - what she was like, and what she believed? What did she think of society and…
Undeceptions with John Dickson160. Deep Learning
Christianity is sometimes branded as anti-intellectual, and its followers labelled unteachable. But in an increasingly divided age, the church - with its rich…
Undeceptions with John Dickson159. African Jesus
African Christianity is almost as old as Christianity itself. Many of the early church's theological giants came from Africa, and today, Christianity is…
Undeceptions with John Dickson158. Faith Factor
As the West undergoes a ‘de-churching,’ some are starting to wonder about the unintended consequences of a society with fewer believers.After all, some of…
Undeceptions with John DicksonREWIND: Mental Health
Season 15 of Undeceptions is coming really soon! And our latest REWIND will help you brush up on some of the issues we’ll be discussing in our first full…
Undeceptions with John DicksonREWIND: Decoding Dreams
Are our dreams full of messages and warnings? John was sceptical, but for most of human history, that’s been the common view. In this Undeceptions REWIND, we…
Undeceptions with John Dickson157. Why Believe?
The 18th-century philosopher David Hume famously predicted that, as the world grew more rational and scientific, people would stop having supernatural…
Undeceptions with John Dickson156. Question Answer XIV
Why does the church meet on a Sunday? How far is too far when it comes to self-defence, biblically speaking? Is it possible that Hell is temporary?John tackles…
Undeceptions with John Dickson155. Good Pope
The world’s attention has recently been on the Vatican, and the election of the new Pope Leo XIV.But what’s the history behind the office of the Bishop of…
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REWIND: Emotional Intelligence
Some think we might not be too far away from Artificial Intelligence actually having feelings. If it does happen, what will it mean? Might it mean we humans…
Undeceptions with John Dickson154. Boy Jesus
The Gospels tell us about Jesus’ adult life, with scant references to his childhood.We can catch glimpses of the younger Jesus' life, but there’s so much we…
Undeceptions with John Dickson153. The Chemists
According to the data, chemistry is the scientific discipline with the highest number of ”theists”.Perhaps it’s not that surprising: Chemistry grew out of…
Undeceptions with John Dickson152. God Laments
Like it or not, life will let us down. We all face disappointment.Despite this, people spend their entire lives trying to avoid and outrun disappointment.But…
Undeceptions with John Dickson151. Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene has played many roles throughout history. She’s been a prostitute, a temptation, Jesus’ wife, Jesus’ lover, a cave-dwelling mystic, a devoted…
Undeceptions with John Dickson150. Jesus' Trials
This week, leading up to Easter, we’re looking at the most famous trial of all time: the trial of Jesus. It’s a courtroom drama like no other, and its outcome…
Undeceptions with John Dickson149. Our Hymn
When John Dickson convinced top Christian songwriters Ben Fielding and Chris Tomlin to have a go at transforming an 1800-year-old hymn into a tune for our…
Undeceptions with John Dickson148. The Anthropologists
Welcome to season XIV of Undeceptions!Anthropology has a reputation for being the most “godless” of all the sciences. The so-called Father of Anthropology, Sir…
Undeceptions with John DicksonREWIND: Jesus Philosopher
The cliche: ‘faith’ is the antithesis of knowledge, of wisdom and therefore “Christian philosophy” is an oxymoron, right? For this Undeceptions rewind, we…
Undeceptions with John DicksonREWIND: Danger - Proselytising
Why are Christians such god-botherers? Is it possible to share your belief system with someone who doesn’t accept it without being a jerk? In this Undeceptions…
Undeceptions with John DicksonIntroducing Small Wonders season 4
Words can change lives – whether on paper, on screen, or spoken down a phone line.A library has an abundance of words – and an abundance of opportunities to…
Undeceptions with John Dickson147. On Hell
Hell is one of the most difficult parts of Christian belief - but of all the characters in the Bible, no one comes close to using the word "Hell" as much as…
Undeceptions with John DicksonREWIND: Kingdom Come
As we gear up for a special episode on the difficult topic of Hell, we first bring you this Undeceptions Rewind looking at what the Bible says about Heaven…
Undeceptions with John Dickson146. Question Answer XIII
Is Christianity an offshoot of an ancient fertility cult? Why do the Gospels only talk about Jesus' genealogy in connection to Joseph? Is there a place for…
Undeceptions with John Dickson145. Second Act
The Acts of the Apostles is the epic sequel to Luke's Gospel. It follows the dramatic events immediately after the resurrection of Jesus, and follows how the…
Undeceptions with John Dickson144. Into Wine
If we’re talking only about liquids you drink—because the water in the Bible is washed in, crossed over, and even walked on once—wine is no.1.Wine appears more…
Undeceptions with John Dickson143. Virgin Mary
There's just something about the Virgin Mary. She stirs up big feelings - she has for millennia. Some have perhaps given her more prominence than she would…
Undeceptions with John Dickson142. First Hymn
In the 3rd century, in the Ancient Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus, a group of Christians composed a song of praise set to the pagan music of the time. Now, 1800…
Undeceptions with John Dickson141. Bible Genres
With 66 different books composed across literally thousands of years, it's fair to say the Bible is a complex read. But it doesn't have to be. The key to…
Undeceptions with John Dickson140. Disenchanted Age
The great project of the Enlightenment was to bring reason to the forefront. No more would humans be held back by superstitions: the power of the mind was all…
Undeceptions with John Dickson139. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A new movie has been released this week about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was killed by the Nazis for his involvement in a plot to kill Hitler…