Audio Interviews, Lectures, and Debates

This section includes radio and podcast interviews, debates, and lectures.

Randal talks heaven on the television show “Insight” with Paul Arthur (audio only)

The Wrath of God was Satisfied

What can we know about heaven? Randal talks with The Friendly Atheist (Hemant Mehta)

In this episode of the UK radio show “Unbelievable with Justin Brierley” (originally broadcast February 1, 2014) Randal discusses his book What on Earth do we Know About Heaven?

Hemant Mehta (The Friendly Atheist) provides his skeptical response. The result is an interesting exchange of perspectives regarding the afterlife.

Is God Violent? Christianity and the Problem of Biblical Violence

Christians worship the Prince of Peace. So how come there is so much violence in their holy book? Unfortunately Christians often respond with a conspiracy of silence in which they avoid all the most difficult biblical passages, from the hatred of the imprecatory psalmist to the violence of a worldwide drowning to the staggering massacre of the Canaanite genocide to the dizzying sweep of eternal damnation. How is a Christian to bring together the call to peace with these images of violence? In this two-part series Randal offers a way into the discussion of biblical violence, Bible reading and Christian discipleship.

The first session is a 40 minute sermon in which Randal introduces the problem of the imprecatory psalms and offers a reading of them that starts in identification (we, like the imprecatory psalmist, often hate our enemies) and moves on to transformation (we are called to follow Christ by loving our enemies).

In the second session, a two hour seminar, Randal pulls back to survey several types of biblical violence. Next, he focuses in on the problem of divine Yahweh war, particularly in the Canaanite genocide. In response, Randal surveys several responses that the church has explored. There may be no easy answers, but the call to Christian discipleship and a commitment to the plenary inspiration of scripture demands nothing less than an open and honest wrestling with the text in the context of Christian community as we all seek to live in faithfulness to the Prince of Peace.

Sermon on the Imprecatory Psalms

Seminar on Biblical Violence

To hear the seminar click here.

Maternal God, Godly Mothers

On Sunday, May 11th 2014, I preached a Mother’s Day sermon at Greenfield Baptist Church on the maternal aspects of God and the divine aspects of motherhood.

Unfortunately, Christianity has often downplayed the maternal aspects of God and in turn has failed to appreciate the transcendent call of motherhood.

This sermon offers a tribute to mothers in an attempt to redress that imbalance.

Is belief in God rational? The Reasonable Doubts Debate

In this debate, originally recorded in autumn, 2013 for the Reasonable Doubts Podcast, Randal squares off against atheist and blogger Chris Hallquist (aka The Uncredible Hallq) on the issue of whether belief in God is rational.

Hallquist argues that the defeaters for theism (of which he notes two: the problem of evil and Stephen Law’s evil God argument) are so substantial that nobody could rationally be a theist.

Randal offers the contrary view, arguing that one can believe in God as a properly basic belief (i.e. one accepted without evidence) or as a non-properly basic conclusion from evidence.

Check it out!

What happens when we die?

This talk was part of an extended series at St. Albert Alliance Church on the concept of heaven. My specific task was to fill in the gap by talking about the intermediate state. I ended up delivering a talk that focused significantly on the existential crisis presented by annihilation at death contrasted with the hope and peace one can find in the Christian doctrine of the intermediate state according to which death signals a period of rest in the presence of Christ pending our future resurrection.

Randal debates John Loftus on “Unbelievable”

On June 15, 2013 Randal appeared with John Loftus on the UK radio program “Unbelievable” with Justin Brierley to discuss God or Godless and John Loftus’ book The Outsider Test for Faith. Click below to listen/download:

The Outsider Test of Faith & Miracle

Randal debates God or Godless with John Loftus

In June, 2013 Randal debated with John Loftus on the topic of God’s existence. Audio from two of the three debates is included below:

Edmonton debate: God-Godless_debate-Edmonton

Calgary debate: God or Godless-Loftus v. Rauser (Calgary)

Big Questions … No Easy Answers

This is a three-part series Randal delivered at Urban Bridge Church in Edmonton, AB in May/June 2013. Each talk was followed by lively discussion with the audience.

1-The problem of doubt

2-The problem of evil

3-The Problem of Salvation

Randal interviewed on the Apologetics 315 podcast:

Randal was interviewed by the popular Apologetics 315 podcast in April, 2013. The audio of the debate is included below:

Click here to listen/download: interview-randal-rauser

Randal on “Unbelievable”

This is a dialogue that Randal had with self-described “anti-theist” Ralph Jones on the UK radio show “Unbelievable”.

Debating God on The Drew Marshall Show

Randal has appeared on The Drew Marshall Show (a popular, Toronto-based radio program that focuses on religious topics) on several occasions. In these two appearances Randal participates in an informal debate on the existence of God and the truth of Christianity.

Randal on The Drew Marshall Show (May 2013)

Randal on The Drew Marshall Show (June 2013)

What on Earth do we Know About Heaven?

This is a selection of interviews on the topic of Randal’s book What on Earth do we Know About Heaven?

Randal talks heaven on The Bob Dutko Show:

Randal talks heaven on Amplify with Father Ron:

God or Godless

This is a selection of interviews on the topic of Randal’s book God or Godless, co-authored with John Loftus.

Randal Rauser on Bob Dutko

(Click title to listen to/download MP3)

Randal interviewed on 99.1 CHRI FM:

The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails

These are interviews on Randal’s book The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails.

Interview with God321

Interview with Drew Marshall

Randal on Faith Radio Mornings

Author_Talks_-_Episode_27_-_Randal_Rauser

(Click title to listen to/download MP3)

A Debate on the Historicity of the Nativity

In December 2012 Randal participated in a pre-recorded debate with philosopher Jonathan Pearce on the topic “The Nativity accounts of Matthew and Luke: are they historically reliable?” (Randal argued in the affirmative!) The debate was broadcast on the Reasonable Doubts podcast.

To listen click here: the nativity debate

Or click below: