Erik Strandness shares some further thoughts about a recent debate between Bishop Robert Barron and Alex O’Connor (aka CosmicSkeptic). You can read part one here. I, like many others, have stared at the vast night sky and asked: “What lies beyond?” It’s a crude form of the contingency argument that I think most people have entertained at one time or another. Why would we even ask that question? I believe it’s because we see a contingent sky and wonder if... Read more
The Big Conversation is off to a great start. I have to admit that I approached this first episode, which compares Christianity and Atheism, with some trepidation because I worried it would be a conversation between the teacher and the student – the wise and experienced Bishop Robert Barron and the upstart atheist philosopher Alex O’Connor. But I have to admit, O’Connor exhibited a thoughtful intellect beyond his years and demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with. However,... Read more
Following a recent survey suggesting that the Coronavirus has caused many people to question their faith, Bishop Robert Barron of Word on Fire shares his thoughts about faith and suffering. You can watch him discussing this topic with atheist YouTuber Cosmic Skeptic on a brand new episode of The Big Conversation here. Premier Christian Radio recently commissioned a survey, which investigated how the Covid crisis has affected religious beliefs and attitudes. There were three major findings, namely, that 67 per cent... Read more
Jordan Monge was a devout atheist from a young age. Jana Harmon, whose PhD research is in adult conversion, tells Jordan’s story of discovering faith through both an intellectual and experiential encounter. Jordan strongly identified with atheism from her earliest memories, declaring her disbelief in God at the age of 6. Born in the home of atheistic parents, her father a university philosophy professor, she readily dismissed Christianity as a man-made, irrelevant, irrational, antiquated superstition. An ivy-league educated student who was highly certain... Read more
The pandemic has raised many big questions for young people. As we head into Holy Week, we can look to the Easter story for comfort. Patrick Regan OBE warns us not to rush straight past Good Friday to Easter Sunday. It may help questions our children have if we reflect on the brokenness of Holy Saturday. My children recently asked some tough questions about unanswered prayer. I have stopped trying to come up with a textbook answer. Instead I reminded them of... Read more
If you have been a Christian for longer than a minute, chances are you have read something written by C.S. Lewis – even if just in the form of a quotation by someone else. As we launch a new podcast on C.S. Lewis’ thought, theology and teaching, we take a look at how influential he has been on Oxford professor Alister McGrath. C.S. Lewis is one of the most influential voices in modern Christianity. The 20th Century British writer and... Read more
There are many things that cause people to question God’s existence. The presence of suffering in the world and our own lives is often a key factor. This was the case for Mike Arnold who lost his faith at the age of 7. Jana Harmon, whose PhD research is in adult conversion, tells Mike’s story of losing his faith and then rediscovering it years later. Mike became an atheist when he was 7 years old. My intuition told me that something significant... Read more
There are so many things Western churches can learn from our African brothers and sisters. Erik Strandness shares his reflections from a Ugandan pastor. Unbelievable? featured an interview with pastor Richmond Wandera about the history of Ugandan Christianity and the cultural, political and theological challenges facing the growing African Church. It was a fascinating discussion that not only examined the regional challenges but also addressed the influence of Western Christianity both past and present. Richmond Wandera was able to escape... Read more
Rev Alister McGrath, Professor of science and religion at Oxford University, shares his personal reflections on John Polkinghorne’s unique contribution to the science and faith debate. Back in 1979 the science world received the bombshell announcement that John Polkinghorne, professor at Cambridge, had resigned his chair to begin training for ministry in the Church of England. That was when I got to know him. He and I were fellow students at the same institution training for ministry together. We got to... Read more
What would it take for you to move from staunch atheism towards Christianity? For Frank Federico, it was a combination of factors. Jana Harmon, whose PhD research is in adult conversion, shares a little of Frank’s story. Frank was a thinker. He valued knowledge. In fact, he is a high school teacher whose prior atheism flowed from his belief in religion’s apparent irrationality, its irreconcilability with science, and apparent lack of objective or historical evidence. His resistance towards belief was... Read more
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