If there was one thing drilled into me growing up in the church, it is that the Bible is “The Good Book”. And “good” meant, among other things, morally good. So throughout years of Sunday school I never thought twice about the mass drowning of men, women, children and animals in the Noahic flood. I never […]
Podcast-The Tentative Apologist
30. Roger Olson on Calvinism and Arminianism
Twenty years ago when I took a university course in contemporary theology, my main textbook was Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson’s modern classic 20th Century Theology. Since then I have profited from reading several of Professor Olson’s books. So it was a real thrill to have him on The Tentative Apologist Podcast. Professor Olson is the Foy Valentine […]
29. Craig Keener on miracles
From the crossing of the Red Sea to the virgin birth, miracles occupy a central role in the biblical narratives. Alas, their role in modern life has been decidedly more ambiguous. That ambiguity owes much to the skeptical eighteenth century philosopher David Hume who famously defined a miracle as a violation of the laws of nature. […]
28. Robin Parry on demons
The ministry of Jesus was characterized by many miraculous signs, chief among them his victory over demonic forces. In one dramatic encounter in Mark chapter 5 we read of Jesus confronting a demon-possessed man living out among the tombs. “Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” […]
27. Yoram Hazony on the Bible as philosophy
Some years ago I pulled open the nightstand drawer in the room of the hotel in which I was lodging. Inside I found the familiar Gideon’s Bible. With nothing much to do I pulled the book out and opened it up. Upon opening the book I discovered that some previous hotel guest had taken the […]
26. Peter Enns on faith, the Bible, and evolution
Richard Dawkins famously declared that Charles Darwin made it possible to be “an intellectually fulfilled atheist”. Assuming that’s the case, did he also make it impossible to be an intellectually fulfilled theist, or at least an intellectually fulfilled Christian? In short, can evolution be reconciled with the Bible and Christian faith? Does Genesis 1-3 demand […]
25. Do the gospels have errors? Michael Licona’s new insights on ancient history
Christians have always been aware of the apparent contradictions in the Gospel accounts. For example, how does one reconcile the genealogies of Matthew (1:2-17) and Luke (3:23-38)? Did Jesus cleanse the temple at the beginning of his ministry (John 2:13-17) or the end (Mark 11:15-19)? Who appeared at the empty tomb? Was it a young man […]
24. Travis Dumsday on evil and divine hiddenness
If there is any person in the modern age who has embodied saintliness, it was that pillar of faith, Mother Teresa. So it was quite the surprise when, after her death in 1997 her diaries were published and we discovered that this paragon of faith had often struggled with doubt. She wrote: “If there be a […]
23. In Search of the Gospel: A Reformation Day Talk by Randal
Reformation Day (Oct 31) celebrates the achievements of the Reformation, among them a new degree of clarity that came to the doctrine of justification and with it the church’s understanding of the Christian gospel itself. But the most important lesson of the Reformation is not found in looking back to events that occurred five centuries ago. Rather, it […]
22. Father Matthew Hysell on God, the Church and the Deaf
This time on The Tentative Apologist Podcast we are joined by Father Matthew Hysell, who was ordained one year ago as Canada’s first deaf Catholic priest. After a bout with meningitis as a toddler, Father Matthew lost all hearing in one ear and is now only able to hear in the other with a hearing aid. […]
21. Depression and Christianity: An interview with Stefano Piva
Have you ever experienced the dark night of the soul? What about the dark month? Or dark year? Have you ever dreaded facing another day? If so, then this interview is for you. In this episode of The Tentative Apologist Podcast we sit down with Dr. Stefano Piva, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Richmond, B.C. Dr. […]
20. Theologian Michael Hardin on violence and atonement
This time on The Tentative Apologist Podcast we sit down for a conversation with theologian Michael Hardin. Michael is a scholar who has studied the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rene Girard and who also counts Girard as a personal friend. Michael is also a visionary and activist, and together with his wife Lorri he founded the […]
19. Mark Buchanan on becoming an Acts church
This time on The Tentative Apologist Podcast we sit down with pastor, author, public speaker and professor Mark Buchanan. After pastoring for 17 years at New Life Community Baptist Church in Duncan, BC, Buchanan moved to Calgary, Alberta in September 2013 to become Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Ambrose Seminary. Buchanan is perhaps best known […]
18. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here? Filmmaker Kevin Miller reconsiders the doctrine of hell
In this episode of The Tentative Apologist Podcast we sit down with screenwriter, producer and film director Kevin Miller. Kevin is perhaps best known as the screenwriter for the 2008 documentary “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” and as director of the 2012 documentary “Hellbound?” (You can see my review for “Hellbound?” here.) “Hellbound?” (which is now available […]
