This time on The Tentative Apologist Podcast I’m delighted to introduce two guests, Andrew Murtagh and Adam Lee. Andrew is a Christian apologist who blogs at Soapbox Redemption on the Patheos platform. He is also the author of the 2013 book Proof of Divine. Adam Lee is an atheist and writer living in New York. […]
Podcast-The Tentative Apologist
100. Evolution and Christian Faith: A Conversation with Denis Lamoureux
It’s hard to believe but it has been four 1/2 years since The Tentative Apologist Podcast was launched in May 2013. Since then a lot of water has flowed under that bridge. Now for this, our 100th episode, I invite my first guest, Dr. Denis Lamoureux, back to continue our conversation on evolution, the Bible, and Christian […]
99. How do you hear the voice of God?
There are few questions as basic and important as this: how do you hear the voice of God? How do you discern God’s will for your life? How does one seek divine guidance in the day to day? Is divine guidance a matter of hearing a literal voice from heaven? Or is it simply a […]
98. That All May Be One: An Ecumenical Conversation for Reformation Day
One suspects that October 31, 1517 dawned much like any other in the region of Saxony. And when an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther hammered up 95 theses for public debate, he could not have imagined that his action would be the catalyst for a schism within Christendom, one whose repercussions would be felt for […]
97. Redemption and Omar Khadr
The story of Omar Khadr is inextricably interwoven with that of Canadian identity in a post 9/11 world. For years his story occupied national headlines, often polarizing a nation as it embodied concerns about security and terrorism, Islam and the clash of civilizations, punishment and the promise of redemption. As a public narrative, Omar’s story begins […]
96. Those Without Religion: Cory Seibel on the Nones
When they are asked to provide their religious affiliation, they reply “none”. Religious free agents, free to be secular or spiritual. But they definitely aren’t religious. And their ranks are growing. Over the last two decades the numbers of people disaffiliating with any religious tradition has continued to rise. But what should we think of the […]
95. The Problem of God-Breathed Violence
Over the last several years I’ve reflected, written, and spoken extensively on the problem of biblical violence. So when I was recently invited to present a devotional at a board meeting, of course I decided to talk about the Bible and violence. In this episode of The Tentative Apologist Podcast I read that devotional reflection […]
94. For those who doubt, this book’s for you: Bill Anderson on Ecclesiastes
I first encountered existentialist philosophy in university. Thinkers like Sartre, Kafka and Camus had a big impact on me as they explored the seeming absurdity of existence with an unflinching bravery. Even if I didn’t accept their conclusions, I had to admit that there was an authenticity in their writing that was often absent from the Christianity […]
93. Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? A conversation with Andy Bannister
In December 2015, Wheaton College Professor Larycia Hawkins expressed her support for Muslim Americans in a Facebook post. She wrote: “I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.” The impact of Professor Hawkins’ […]
92. God is everywhere: James Gordon on Divine Omnipresence
Christians regularly talk about God’s presence in space, but what do we mean when we use such language? I discuss this issue in the following passage on pages 22-23 of my 2009 book Finding God in the Shack: “if you go to church on a Sunday morning you might hear the pastor address the hushed congregation with the words: […]
91. Andy Bannister on Atheism, Morality, and the Meaning of Life
In his famous essay “A Free Man’s Worship,” Bertrand Russell describes the plight of our species in a godless universe with a haunting eloquence that ranks among the most memorable passages of twentieth century philosophy. As Russell puts it, man’s “origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome […]
90. Apologetics Today: A Conversation with Tawa Anderson
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it […]
89. What did the cross achieve? Oliver Crisp on Atonement
In 1973 the great Reformed theologian J.I. Packer delivered a very influential Tyndale Lecture titled “What did the cross achieve? The logic of penal substitution.” In that address Packer eloquently summarized and defended a theory of atonement which has been so influential in the western church that many Christians have simply identified atonement with penal substitution. […]
88. Euthanasia, Death, and the Good Life: A Conversation with Heidi Janz
“Euthanasia.” The word derives from the Greek prefix “eu” or good, and “thanatos” or death. Hence, euthanasia promises a good death. But what is a good death? And what right do medical practitioners have to bring it about? These questions press themselves upon us with increasing urgency as various jurisdictions consider the adoption of new […]
