Tom Holland & Peter J Williams: The Jesus Debate

Historian Tom Holland and Cambridge Bible scholar Dr Peter J Williams join me for a live audience conversation on the historical and miraculous claims about Jesus Christ. Recorded for Pillar and Step at All Souls Church London.

Watch now or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

7 Reasons The Rebirth is Alive and Well!

The prevailing story of Christianity in the West is decline. But there's another story to be told - and it's not just wishful thinking!

In this video essay, accompanying the first episode of the season, I outline 7 statistics, trends and signs that a Rebirth Of Belief In God is underway.

EARLY SUPPORTER ACCESS - Ep 3. Wes Huff: Talking Jesus with Joe Rogan, Diary of a CEO… and responding to Tom Holland.

Why is the case for Christ being profiled on major secular podcasts?

Bible scholar Wes Huff joins me to talk about sharing the evidence for Jesus on major platforms such as Joe Rogan, Flagrant and Diary of a CEO.

Wes also responds to the public conversation between Tom Holland and Peter J Williams on the Gospel birth narratives and evidence for the resurrection.

This episode will release publicly on 13 October, but you can watch and listen now as a Silver or Gold level supporter!

EXCLUSIVE SUPPORTER INTERVIEW: Kathy Keller on the Life, Death and Legacy of Tim Keller

We’ve a very special bonus episode exclusively for Silver & God level supporters! Belle Tindall-Riley and I interview author and theologian Kathy Keller, wife of the late Tim Keller who founded and lead Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York and was a prolific writer, speaker, and intellectual influence in Western Christianity.

We cover so much over the course of our hour together, including: Kathy’s correspondence with CS Lewis as a child, her marriage to Tim, how she’s living with his death, and her project to posthumously publish Tim’s book What Is Wrong With The World?

She also takes me on in a mini-debate about the roles of men and women in marriage, and speaks candidly on why critics of what became known as Tim’s ‘winsome approach’ are “clueless” about the challenges they faced when founding their church in New York City!

Join me at the Engage Conference 2026! Friday 9 October, London.

One Voice: Truth, Love & Honour in a Divided World
Engage Conference 2026 - Fri 9 Oct, London

I'll be delivering a keynote speech 'Uncommon Ground: Why we need to learn the art of better conversations' at this year's Engage conference, hosted by Christians in Media.

I'm also looking forward to chairing a panel discussing how Christians in the media can engage fruitfully with the divisive political age we live in!

Book your place!

If you’d like to help me reach skeptics, seekers and believers with Thinking Faith please consider supporting:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

Ep1: Not Dead Yet - 10 reasons the rebirth is alive and well

Does the withdrawal of the Quiet Revival report mean the rebirth is dead?

In this opening podcast documentary episode of Season 3 of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God, I outline 10 signs - including church growth in Europe, Bible sales, and faith in football - that show the rebirth is alive and well. Australia Ninja Warrior champion Ben Polson also shares his story of finding faith.

Listen now!

EARLY SUPPORTER ACCESS: Ep1 Video Edition, and Ep2 Podcast: Tom Holland & Peter J Williams

The prevailing story of Christianity in the West is decline. But there's another story to be told - and it's not just wishful thinking!

In this video essay I outline 7 statistics, trends and signs that a Rebirth Of Belief In God is underway - it will release on 22 September, but Silver and Gold level supporters can watch it right now!

Tom Holland & Peter J Williams: The Jesus Debate

Historian Tom Holland and Cambridge Bible scholar Dr Peter J Williams join Justin Brierley for a live audience conversation on the historical and miraculous claims about Jesus Christ. Recorded for Pillar and Step at All Souls Church London.

Our copy of the video of this event is now also available in the Silver & Gold level supporter feeds, as well as our podcast edition, which will release publicly on 29 September!

EXCLUSIVE SUPPORTER INTERVIEW: Kathy Keller on the Life, Death and Legacy of Tim Keller

And, we’ve a very special bonus episode exclusively for Silver & God level supporters! Belle Tindall-Riley and I interview author and theologian Kathy Keller, wife of the late Tim Keller who founded and lead Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York and was a prolific writer, speaker, and intellectual influence in Western Christianity.

We cover so much over the course of our hour together, including: Kathy’s correspondence with CS Lewis as a child, her marriage to Tim, how she’s living with his death, and her project to posthumously publish Tim’s book What Is Wrong With The World?

She also takes me on in a mini-debate about the roles of men and women in marriage, and speaks candidly on why critics of what became known as Tim’s ‘winsome approach’ are “clueless” about the challenges they faced when founding their church in New York City!

Interviewed about The Rebirth and my faith journey, on the Roots For Churches Podcast

I speak with Melanie Cave about the surprising shift from New Atheism to renewed openness toward Christianity. I share how my own faith journey began in a churchgoing family and became personal as a teenager, before intellectual questions at Oxford and years in broadcasting led me deeper into Christian apologetics.

We explore why the culture has changed, why thinkers like Tom Holland and Jordan Peterson have helped reopen the God question, and why many people now seem less interested in arguments alone and more drawn to meaning, identity, and belonging. We also look at Gen Z’s spiritual openness, the limits of cultural Christianity without Christ at the centre, and how churches can respond with confidence, imagination, and real community.

Listen now!

Join me at the Engage Conference 2026! Friday 9 October, London.

One Voice: Truth, Love & Honour in a Divided World
Engage Conference 2026 - Fri 9 Oct, London

I'll be delivering a keynote speech 'Uncommon Ground: Why we need to learn the art of better conversations' at this year's Engage conference, hosted by Christians in Media.

I'm also looking forward to chairing a panel discussing how Christians in the media can engage fruitfully with the divisive political age we live in!

Book your place!

If you’d like to help me reach skeptics, seekers and believers with Thinking Faith please consider supporting:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

LISTEN & WATCH EARLY: Not Dead Yet - 10 reasons the rebirth is alive and well

Does the withdrawal of the Quiet Revival report mean the rebirth is dead?

In this opening podcast documentary episode of Season 3 of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God, I outline 10 signs - including church growth in Europe, Bible sales, and faith in football - that show the rebirth is alive and well. Australia Ninja Warrior champion Ben Polson also shares his story of finding faith.

And if that weren’t enough, an accompanying video essay edition also makes the case for the survival of the Rebirth!

These will release publicly on 15 & 22 September, but Silver and Gold level supporters can access both of them right now!

Can I convince this podcast host that God exists?

I joined podcaster Vansh Deswal to make the case for Christian faith, and he pushed back as a non-believer throughout!

We got into why Gen Z is unexpectedly turning back to religion, whether a purely scientific story of reality is enough to live by, the problem of grounding morality without God, the "God-shaped hole" people try to fill with politics and ideology, and why I think Christianity is uniquely falsifiable. Watch now!

Why Is Belief in God Making a Comeback?

In this conversation, Karl Faase and I discuss why I now believes we’re watching something unexpected happen: a quiet, surprising return to faith among a generation raised on New Atheism. Watch now!

Can a Trump critic and a Trump supporter empathise with each other?

What happens when two Christians — a Trump critic and a Trump supporter — are challenged to temporarily swap sides and argue the other's viewpoint as best they can?

I hosted this fascinating conversation, on whether Trump is the president that Christians need, as part of my show Uncommon Ground, with authors and broadcasters Ross Douthat and Eric Metaxas!

Watch the clip

Watch or listen to the full conversation!

If you’d like to help me reach skeptics, seekers and believers with Thinking Faith please consider supporting:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

'This house hopes that Hell exists'.

That was the title of the motion I was invited to defend earlier this year at the Oxford Union. With some trepidation (and prayer!) I accepted. This felt like too significant an opportunity to pass up.

As one of the world's most famous debating chambers, the Oxford Union has a longstanding reputation for championing free speech and critical thinking by hosting leading voices on often controversial subjects. But could I persuade the students present of something as controversial as the concept that Hell is a good thing?

I was paired with two Oxford undergraduates as fellow proposition speakers - Gareth Lim and Max Papaioannades. We faced a robust opposition bench in the form of atheist skeptics Michael Shermer and Todd Steifel, and well-known Jain activist Satish Kumar.

Selfie at the pre-debate dinner with fellow proposition and opposition speakers.

The style of debates at the Oxford Union is, admittedly, rather odd.

Each speaker gives a short prepared speech for or against the motion. However, there is little opportunity for rebuttal or cross examination thereafter (so not much 'debate' to speak of). Instead members of the audience can offer their own shorter arguments, objections and 'points of order' in response to the speeches.

It's also a fairly raucous and knockabout affair - there's plenty of opportunity for grandstanding and rhetoric as well as nuanced argument. Once the debate is over and the speakers have departed the chamber, the audience vote by exiting the chamber via either the 'Aye or the 'Noe' doors.

Speaking for the Motion at The Oxford Union

So, who won? You can find out at the end of this article! If you want to watch all of the speeches and contributions made from the floor, the full video is there too.

For now, here's the argument I made for why this house should hope that Hell exists…

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to be here, some 25 years since I myself was an undergraduate at Oxford University, and to be able to speak in this extraordinary debating chamber. Thank you.

However, as you can imagine, I agreed to being on this side of the motion with some trepidation.

I am a Christian, and much of my life has been spent trying to make an intellectual defence of Christian faith through argument and reason. Today I will be speaking about this subject from my convictions as a Christian.

However, defending the concept of Hell is not where I would naturally choose to begin most conversations on the subject of faith. After all, who would want to defend some antiquated idea of an everlasting torture chamber reserved for those who simply happen not to believe in the God I believe in?

To that end, I anticipate you will hear arguments from the other side against the traditional understanding of Hell that, quite rightly, raise questions about the morality of a place of eternal conscious torment, and how this can possibly align with the existence of a good and loving God.

However, that is not the conception of Hell that I will be defending tonight. In fact, I probably don’t believe in the version of Hell that many of you don’t believe in either!

What is Hell?

Instead, this evening I ask you to set aside the medieval notions of fiery pits and torture chambers we often bring to this subject, because I don’t believe that is the picture of Hell we’re actually presented with in the Bible. Indeed, tonight I want to reframe the concept of Hell altogether... and that will mean doing a little bit of theology before we return to our main theme.

Jesus speaks more than anyone else in scripture about Hell - but he uses the Hebrew word 'Gehenna'. Gehenna was a valley used as a refuse tip outside Jerusalem and it was constantly burning the rubbish people brought there.

But the point of the image of 'burning' is that the fire consumes the detritus and refuse. There is a final end to that which is being burned up. I believe that this is in fact the way to understand all scriptural references to Hell.

Whether they be lakes of fire or other references, the Bible uses an enormous amount of images, especially in the book of Revelation, of pictorial imagery. We’re not necessarily meant to take it absolutely literally, anymore than when Jesus says ‘I am the Gate’, that we’re meant to assume he’s a physical gate! There are turns of phrase, metaphors and symbolic imagery used throughout the scriptures, and it’s no different with the concept of Hell. But what we do get from that symbolism is that Hell entails a final end to existence of all those who ultimately reject God. This view is sometimes known as 'annihilationism'.

But why would a good God assign anyone to such a fate? Why not simply welcome all into everlasting paradise? Well, this is where we also have to think hard about about the concept of Heaven.

What is Heaven?

In many people’s minds, Heaven is just a glorified retirement home where we’ll get to play heavenly golf for eternity as long as we’ve basically been good enough. Why would God not let everyone through the pearly gates if that’s what’s on offer? But again this is not the biblical vision of Heaven.

In fact the vision of the eternal future of those who choose God is not some ethereal eternity sitting on a cloud somewhere, it is something much earthier and real. It is a physical future reality - but a transformed, renewed and redeemed creation in which heaven and this earth are united. A place where death, pain, sorrow and suffering are no more and we see the return of humanity into a perfect relationship with God and each other.

Jesus called this the 'Kingdom of God' or the 'Kingdom of Heaven'. But what is the nature of a ‘Kingdom’? It has a King. And of course that King is Jesus. However, I don’t believe everyone will necessarily want to live under the rule and reign of that King.

There are many who in this life choose to be rulers of their own life. They don’t want any else to be in charge but themselves. I believe that desire can continue into the life to come. Tragically, when they stand before Jesus on the day of judgement, many will willingly choose a self-exile in Hell rather than to serve Christ in Heaven.

The brilliant Oxford thinker CS Lewis put it this way: ‘There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek, find. To those who knock, it is opened.”

This also challenges the commonly-held assumption that Heaven and Hell are places of reward and punishment for good or bad behaviour. Again this is not the Biblical view.

It’s all about Jesus

Those who reject God are choosing for themselves the eternal consequences of being the centre of their own life - eternal separation from God. But in choosing to cut themselves off from the source of life (I believe) they cease to exist altogether.

But what about those who find themselves in the Kingdom of Heaven? Again they are not there as a reward for the good deeds they’ve done. No amount of our own effort could earn any of us a ticket to Heaven, because none of us could stand in the presence of a holy and just God by our own efforts.

Imagine I was on the beach trying to throw a stone into the Atlantic Ocean - I may be able to hurl it 50 to 100 feet. Then an athletic passerby picks up a similar stone and hurls it much further - perhaps 200 feet - before it hits the water. In a similar way some of us may imagine we lead more morally upright and virtuous lives than others - we throw our stone quite a long way. But, imagine that the aim of both myself and the athlete was to throw the stone to the East Coast of America on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. By that standard, neither of our efforts ever stood a chance of hitting the mark.

The same is true of us when we imagine we could live a good enough life to make us worthy of standing in the presence of God. We are laughably far from being able to hit the target.

But there is good news - one person did live that perfect, sinless life. They threw the stone all the way across the sea. That person was God in human flesh - Jesus. Christians believe that at the cross, he stood in our place to take on all the consequences of our sin, pride and rebellion upon himself. And that through his death and resurrection, he offers us forgiveness and a new start with God. And he offers that free gift of grace to anyone who wants it.

So anyone who find themselves in Hell can only say: "It’s because of me". And anyone who finds themself in Heaven must say: "It's because of him".

Ultimate Justice

I’ve given you a somewhat theological response to the question of Hell so far. But, as has already been mentioned, there is larger ethical sense which should make us wish that there is a Hell - and that is the hope that there will be ultimate justice.

In the end, Heaven and Hell are the outworking of divine judgement. The very word ‘judgement’ can sound harsh and condemning - we tend to recoil from phrases that come loaded with religious baggage. But ‘judgement’ is actually for the purpose of something we all care about and feel very naturally - justice.

Justice is about making things fair. Evening the scales that have often been tipped in the direction of powerful oppressors. Divine judgement then is ultimately about cosmic justice - God having the final word in putting the world right.

For countless people over many generations this has been the source of great comfort and hope.

Think of a destitute widow in war-torn Sudan - poverty stricken, famished, abused, disease and death on her doorstep. The circumstances of her life have been shaped by injustice upon injustice. The rich, the powerful, the greedy have won, while she has spent her life at the bottom of the heap. She will die poor, forgotten, and broken.

Now consider… What hope of justice can be offered to that woman by those who sit opposite us? Who say there is no God, no Heaven, ‘no Hell below us, above us only sky’ to quote the John Lennon song?

I don’t believe my atheist humanist friends can offer any consolation. On their view life is a lottery in which some draw the shortest of straws. Survival of the fittest means that the ruthless and the powerful are often the ones who come out on top. It's just the way it is. There is no justice in the end.

How does the story end?

But I don’t believe that is how the story ends. I believe that there is a God, and there is a Heaven and a Hell - by which I mean there will be a day of judgement and justice. And that may be the only hope that makes any sense for the woman in my story. Ultimate justice, divine justice beyond this life, is the only hope for her and any for whom the scales were tipped against them in this age.

On that final day we will all be called to give an account of our life - you, me and those whose actions have led to the worst injustice and terrors of this world. And I believe that the God who sees every thought, word and deed and who is able see into our very soul, will see that justice is done from the greatest to the least.

On that day I believe that those who have committed evil - when confronted with the reality of who they are and what they have done in the presence of a perfect God - will experience a kind of punishment that is not inflicted by fiery pits or eternal torture. It will simply be the consequence of being seen through and through. Being confronted with who they truly are in the presence of a holy and loving God, will strike terror and fear into those who have always lived life on their own terms.

However, for that widow who throws her hope and broken life upon the mercy of a holy and loving God, I believe she will experience restoration to a place of healing, honour, dignity and beauty in the life to come. For in that Kingdom, “the first shall be last and the last shall be first”. Justice will be done, the scales will be balanced, the world will be put to rights.

I would even go so far at to argue that historically, a belief in divine judgement - the hope of heaven and the fear of hell - has been a significant deterrent to the abuse of powers by rulers down the centuries. The idea that, for even a king, queen or emperor, there is in fact a higher power to whom they are answerable, may have done more then we will ever know to curb the human tendency to dominate and exploit those beneath us.

Indeed I would argue it is precisely when societies lose their belief in God, and the promise of Divine Justice, that we see the worst crimes of dictators and despots - from the killing fields of Polpot to the gulags of Stalin, the worst atrocities of the 20th century were carried out by officially atheist states.

So this is the framing of both Heaven and Hell that I believe you need to consider when we vote on the motion ‘This house hopes that Hell exists’.

Firstly, because is takes our human moral agency seriously. It offers us a choice - My will be done or Thy will be done. But secondly, because what we are actually voting about tonight, in the end, is not just the hope that Hell exists, but whether you hope that ultimate justice exists.

Thank you.

In all honesty, I never went into this debate expecting our side to win. Persuading a room of largely progressive, agnostic Oxford students that Hell is worth believing in was always going to be an uphill battle! And so the result proved as the opposition won the vote at the end of the night.

I've been unable to track down an exact tally of the Ayes and Noes, but it came out at something like 175 to 125 - a result that was closer than I anticipated it might be. Perhaps our side persuaded some of those present to rethink the concept of Hell, and perhaps even to hope for a world where, in the end, everything will be made right through God's merciful justice.

In the end, win or lose, I was glad to present the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection to a room full of bright, young students who will be the next generation of culture shapers. Whatever 'this house hopes', it is our hope in Christ that ultimately matters.

If you’d like to help me reach skeptics, seekers and believers with Thinking Faith please consider supporting:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

Is Trump the President that Christians need? Bonus Uncommon Ground Episode!

Is Trump the president that Christians need? I’m joined by radio host and author Eric Metaxas, and New York Times columnist and podcast host Ross Douthat. Both are Christians, both are friends, but they hold very different opinions about the Trump presidency.

This special bonus edition of Uncommon Ground was recorded at this year’s ARC conference in the heart of London!

Watch now on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

Help me make Season 2 of Uncommon Ground!

Thus far we’ve filmed new Uncommon Ground episodes with Nick Spencer & Bart Ehrman, Joe Folley & John Lennox, Perry Marshall & Adam Rutherford, and Michael Jones & Stephen Woodford (aka Rationality Rules)! Help me to make more!

Meanwhile, we’ve filmed four great new episodes of Uncommon Ground season 2… BUT we can’t get the rest of the new season finished without your help!

If you’re not already a regular supporter, giving at “Silver Level” will even give you special two-week early access to Uncommon Ground episodes when Season 2 comes out, as well as The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God podcast season 3! “Gold level” will, additionally, also get you free signed copies of both my books, and access to a weekly supporter catch up call with me!

Join me on my summer speaking Trip!

Mon 10 Aug: ELO, Oxford Program 2026

The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.

I'll be part of the speaking team at this year's Entrepreneurial Leaders Organisation Oxford Programme, which runs 9-15 August.

Application here: https://www.elonetwork.org/LeadershipProgramApplication

Fri 28 - Sun 30 Aug: The Big Church Festival, Wiston Estate, West Sussex

John Lennox & Milton Jones on The Podcast Stage

I'm delighted to be back as part of the Podcast Stage at this year's Big Church Festival. This year I'll be joined for live shows by Christian thinker Prof John Lennox and comedian Milton Jones.

Tickets: https://bigchurchfestival.com/tickets/

If you’d like to help me reach skeptics, seekers and believers with Thinking Faith please consider supporting:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

Is Trump the President that Christians need? Bonus Uncommon Ground!

Is Trump the president that Christians need? I’m joined by radio host and author Eric Metaxas, and New York Times columnist and podcast host Ross Douthat. Both are Christians, both are friends, but they hold very different opinions about the Trump presidency.

This special bonus edition of Uncommon Ground was recorded at this year’s ARC conference in the heart of London!

Releases publicly on 4 August, but if you’re a Silver or Gold level supporter, you can watch this episode RIGHT NOW!

Join me on my summer speaking Trip!

Tue 4 Aug, 7pm: Word of Life Church, Springfield, VA, USA

The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.

I'll be speaking on why the tide of faith is coming back in the post-Christian West and how the church can respond to the challenges and opportunities it represents.

Hosted by Word Of Life Church in the Washington DC metro area.

https://www.wolag.org/

Mon 10 Aug: ELO, Oxford Program 2026

The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.

I'll be part of the speaking team at this year's Entrepreneurial Leaders Organisation Oxford Programme, which runs 9-15 August.

Application here: https://www.elonetwork.org/LeadershipProgramApplication

Fri 28 - Sun 30 Aug: The Big Church Festival, Wiston Estate, West Sussex

John Lennox & Milton Jones on The Podcast Stage

I'm delighted to be back as part of the Podcast Stage at this year's Big Church Festival. This year I'll be joined for live shows by Christian thinker Prof John Lennox and comedian Milton Jones.

Tickets: https://bigchurchfestival.com/tickets/

REMINDER, SPECIAL OFFER: Just $3.99 for the Kindle of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God throughout July!

The kindle edition of my book The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is just $3.99 during this July, on all major eBook retailers (including Amazon)! So, if you’ve been thinking about downloading and reading it, now’s the perfect time to save a bit of cash while you’re at it!

If you’d like to help me reach skeptics, seekers and believers with Thinking Faith please consider supporting:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

What a first season Uncommon Ground has had!

With the completion of our first season of Uncommon Ground, which saw 1 million views on YouTube and thousands more downloads on podcast, let’s look back on all 10 episodes (and stay tuned for a special 11th instalment coming very soon…!)

Have you missed any of the episodes below? Catch up now!

1. Richard Dawkins & Rowan Williams:
God vs Science. What is behind the poetry of reality?

The season kicked off with the world’s most famous atheist biologist Richard Dawkins engaging with former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who set the gold standard (thus far) for the “steel-manning” exercise which has become a hallmark of Uncommon Ground!

Watch or Listen Now

2. Alex O'Connor & Glen Scrivener:
Did Christianity give us our morality? Debating freedom, slavery, equality and the Bible.

Next, our most-watched episode of the season: atheist podcaster and influencer Alex O’Connor engaged Christian author and evangelist Glen Scrivener in a barnstorming debate about whether or not the West owes its morality to Christianity!

Watch or Listen Now

3. Jonathan Pageau & Joe Folley:
Does Art, Culture, and Human Experience Point Us to God?

Christian icon-carver and thinker Jonathan Pageau engaged atheist philosopher Joe Folley in an intensive dialogue about whether or not the patterning of reality points to God! They dove deep in this one!

Watch or Listen Now

4. Iain McGilchrist & Anil Seth:
Minds, brains, consciousness and the God question.

My personal favourite of the season! Renowned philosopher Iain McGilchrist and eminent neuroscientist Anil Seth discuss whether consciousness is a product of brain chemistry or points to God.

Watch or Listen Now

5. Paul Davies & Emily Qureshi-Hurst:
Is there purpose in the Universe? Exploring the weirdness of the cosmic and quantum realm.

The first of two appearances by atheist theologian and philosopher Emily Qureshi-Hurst, in which she engages eminent physicist Paul Davies on the question of whether or not the quantum realm points to a universe with a divine purpose.

Watch or Listen Now

6. Elizabeth Oldfield & James Marriott:
Is there meaning to life? And is our secular culture rediscovering it?

Elizabeth Oldfield, host of the Sacred Podcast, and James Marriott, literary critic and Times columnist, joined me to discuss whether we can find meaning in life without God. James seemed to be increasingly owning the label of ‘Nihilist’ as the conversation progressed!

Watch or Listen Now

7. Stephen Meyer & Phil Halper: Does the science of the Universe point to God?

The most epic debate of the season, at 3 hours long! Does the origin of the universe, and the fine-tuning of the initial conditions of the universe point to an intelligent designer behind the cosmos, as argued by Stephen Meyer, or is it all “just normal physics” in the words of Phil Halper? Their conversation got intense!

Watch or Listen Now

8. Lois McLatchie Miller & Ann Furedi: Is abortion immoral? Pro-life vs pro-choice.

Pro-life campaigner Lois McLatchie Miller engaged Ann Furedi, the former head of BPAS - the UK’s leading abortion provider. They discussed when life begins, bodily rights and baby rights, and why despite their deep disagreements, they have become friends.

Watch or Listen Now

9. William Lane Craig & Emily Qureshi-Hurst: Is it Time to Rethink God & Salvation? The A vs B theory and why it matters.

After having her baby, Emily Qureshu-Hurst returned to engage the world’s foremost Christian philosopher William Lane Craig, on the question of whether or not Christian belief is compatible with our best understanding of the nature of time! This was a mind-stretching “A theory” vs “B theory” debate, with historical scientists such as Newton, Einstein and Lorentz caught in the middle!

Watch or Listen Now

10. Matthew Vines & David Bennett: Can Christians affirm gay relationships? Side A vs Side B

And in our final episode of the season, we addressed this question: Can Christians affirm gay relationships? Two same-sex attracted Christians, Matthew Vines and David Bennett, joined me to discuss why they disagree on sexuality, marriage, celibacy and scripture.

Watch or Listen Now

Help me make SEASON 2 of Uncommon Ground!

With Nick Spencer and Bart Ehrman

We’re currently filming Season 2! Just this week we’ve recorded a great conversation between Theos author Nick Spencer and agnostic historian Bart Ehrman!

There’s more to be recorded… BUT I can’t do it without your help!

Your financial support will enable me to finish recording and producing this upcoming season of Uncommon Ground, and to continue making more!

With Joe Folley and John Lennox

If you’re not already a regular supporter, giving at “Silver Level” will even give you special two-week early access to Uncommon Ground episodes when Season 2 comes out, as well as The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God podcast season 3! “Gold level” will, additionally, also get you free signed copies of both my books, and access to a weekly supporter catch up call with me!

Here are a few ways you can support:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

Andrew J Wilson on How the 1776 American Declaration of Independence Created the Post-Christian West

Why did one of the founding fathers choose to delete ‘sacred’ for the words ‘self-evident’ in the Declaration of Independence? And how was that stroke of a pen emblematic of the changes taking place across the West?

As the USA celebrates 250 years of independence, British theologian and church leader Andrew J Wilson, author of the award-winning book ‘Remaking The World’ explains why the year 1776 was so pivotal to creating the post-Christian West.

In this special interview Andrew talks to me about doubt, the Enlightenment, abolition, and how the church can bring a message of grace to today’s post-Christian world.

Watch now on YouTube!

SPECIAL OFFER: Just $3.99 for the Kindle of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God throughout July!

The kindle edition of my book The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is just $3.99 during this July, on all major eBook retailers (including Amazon)! So, if you’ve been thinking about downloading and reading it, now’s the perfect time to save a bit of cash while you’re at it!

Gay-affirming Christian Matthew Vines SLAMS Queer Theory & Critical Theory!

In the final episode of our first season of Uncommon Ground, gay-relationship-affirming "Side A" Christian Matthew Vines unleashed an unexpectedly conservative-sounding attack upon Queer Theory and Critical Theory, during his conversation with celibate "Side B" Christian David Bennett, who is involved in a project called "Queering the Queer"!

This clip has had a lot of response, especially on X (Twitter)!

And, in case you missed anything, check out the whole of Uncommon Ground Season One!

Interviewed on The Art of the Question!

Is there evidence for a Christian comeback? My documentary series The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God revolves around the central argument that, after the heyday of New Atheism, secular thinkers across the West are taking Christianity seriously again, a cultural turn I traces through declining birth rates, the search for meaning, and a fresh openness among public intellectuals. A privilege to be interviewed by agnostic thinker Julius Moorman on his podcast The Art of the Question, and also to ask him a few questions too!

Watch on video

Listen on podcast

If you’d like to help me reach skeptics, seekers and believers with Thinking Faith please consider supporting:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

WATCH EARLY: Andrew J Wilson on How the 1776 American Declaration of Independence Created the Post-Christian West

Watch the trailer for our upcoming Andrew Wilson 1776 interview, and access the whole interview EARLY as a Silver or Gold level supporter!

Why did one of the founding fathers choose to delete ‘sacred’ for the words ‘self-evident’ in the Declaration of Independence? And how was that stroke of a pen emblematic of the changes taking place across the West?

As the USA celebrates 250 years of independence, British theologian and church leader Andrew J Wilson, author of the award-winning book ‘Remaking The World’ explains why the year 1776 was so pivotal to creating the post-Christian West.

In this special interview Andrew talks to me about doubt, the Enlightenment, abolition, and how the church can bring a message of grace to today’s post-Christian world.

This interview will release on 1 July, but if you are a monthly Silver or Gold level supporter, than you can watch it RIGHT NOW!

In conversation with Andrew J Wilson at Yarnton Manor

If you’d like to help me reach skeptics, seekers and believers with Thinking Faith please consider supporting:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

Can Christians affirm gay relationships? Matthew Vines & David Bennett

Can Christians affirm gay relationships? Two same-sex attracted Christians join me to discuss why they disagree on sexuality, marriage, celibacy and scripture.

Matthew Vines is the author of 'God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships'. He represents the 'Side A' view that faithful monogamous gay marriage can be affirmed by orthodox Christians.

David Bennett is the author of 'A War Of Loves' and forthcoming books 'Queering the Queer in Contemporary Theology' and 'Beyond Compromise'. He represents the 'Side B' view that heterosexual marriage is God's design for sex, and that LGBT Christians are called to celibacy and friendship.

Watch now, or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

Join me and special guests at Breakwater Festival, London, 19-21 June

Breakwater Festival is an annual three‑day Estuary gathering designed to offer a respite from the turbulent tides of online exchange. Inspired by influential thinkers such as Paul Van der Klay, Jonathan Pageau, and John Vervaeke, the Estuary movement has sparked a vibrant, ongoing conversation that fosters honest dialogue, shared meaning‑making, and community building. 19 - 21 June, London, UK!

Guest lineup: Paul Vander Klay, Jared Smith (Heliocentric), Nathan A Jacobs, Justin Brierley, Joe Folley, Elizabeth Oldfield, Glen Scrivener, Bethel McGrew, Nemo the Mormon, Naomi Brehm, Nate Morgan Locke & Elliot Bewick.

It’s not too late to book in! Get your tickets now!

Help me make SEASON 2 of Uncommon Ground!

We’ve had a fantastic first season of Uncommon Ground: 10 episodes, totalling more than 20 hours of rigorous and inquisitive discussion, watched or listened to by nearly a million people thus far across YouTube and podcast!

And we’ve already begun filming Season 2! Already we’ve filmed a fascinating conversation between Oxford Mathematician and Christian apologist John Lennox and atheist philosophy YouTuber Joe Folley; an evolution debate between Adam Rutherford and Perry Marshall, and arguably the ultimate test of our format: Christian YouTuber Michael Jones (Inspiring Philosophy) vs Atheist YouTuber Stephen Woodford (Rationality Rules)!

Recording Season Two of Uncommon Ground, with Joe Folley, John Lennox, Perry Marshall, Adam Rutherford, Michael Jones, and Stephen Woodford!

There’s more to be recorded… BUT I can’t do it without your help!

Your financial support will enable me to finish recording and producing this upcoming season of Uncommon Ground, and to continue making more!

If you’re not already a regular supporter, giving at “Silver Level” will even give you special two-week early access to Uncommon Ground episodes when Season 2 comes out, as well as The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God podcast season 3! “Gold level” will, additionally, also get you free signed copies of both my books, and access to a weekly supporter catch up call with me!

God’s Existence Can Adjudicate Between Competing Theories of Relativity!?

If God exists in time then there is a “privileged reference frame”, which means Albert Einstein was wrong about Relativity Theory, and his fellow scientist Hendrik Lorentz was right! That’s the claim of Christian philosopher and “tensed time A-theorist" William Lane Craig, in conversation with atheist theologian and “tenseless time B-theorist" Emily Qureshi-Hurst, on the previous episode of Uncommon Ground!

Missed the full discussion? Watch or Listen Now!

Here are a few ways you can support:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

William Lane Craig & Emily Qureshi-Hurst: Is it Time to Rethink God & Salvation? The A vs B theory and why it matters.

I’m joined by Christian philosopher William Lane Craig and atheist theologian Emily Qureshi-Hurst to discuss the question: 'Is Christian theism compatible with our best understanding of the nature of time?'

Craig defends the 'A theory' - that time flows from past, to present, to future. Qureshi-Hurst defends the 'B' theory - that all times exist at once. In a mind-expanding conversation, they discuss the implications of their different views for the nature of God and the doctrine of salvation in Christian faith.

Watch now, or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

WATCH EARLY: Can Christians affirm gay relationships? Matthew Vines & David Bennett

Can Christians affirm gay relationships? Two same-sex attracted Christians join me to discuss why they disagree on sexuality, marriage, celibacy and scripture.

Matthew Vines is the author of 'God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships'. He represents the 'Side A' view that faithful monogamous gay marriage can be affirmed by orthodox Christians.

David Bennett is the author of 'A War Of Loves' and forthcoming books 'Queering the Queer in Contemporary Theology' and 'Beyond Compromise'. He represents the 'Side B' view that heterosexual marriage is God's design for sex, and that LGBT Christians are called to celibacy and friendship.

This episode will release to the public on 17 June, but regular Silver and Gold level supporters can watch it RIGHT NOW!

Interviewed about ‘The Spiritually Open Generation’ on Gen Z Insights Podcast

They’re spiritual but not religious. They’re curious and have big questions. And they’re turning online for spiritual guidance. But given that they often have a “pick and mix” approach to faith, how can we help Gen Zs discover Jesus, the one true God?

In this episode of Gen Z Insights, Peter Dray, author of the IFES report Gen Z Insights for Global Student Ministry, shares his findings on Gen Z’s spiritual openness around the world.

Afterwards, series host Annette Arulrajah, Associate Generation Secretary of IFES, is joined by guests from IFES student movements and beyond (including myself!) to share their perspectives.

Listen now!

Belle Tindall-Riley: Why Manifesting, Crystals, Tarot & Witchcraft reveal our craving for God

Belle has written a book! The co-host of Re-Enchanting joins me and Graham Tomlin to talk about manifesting, witchcraft, nature worship and more as they explore Belle's new book 'The Sacred Ache: A Christian perspective on the search for spirituality in witchcraft, crystals and tarot'.

Reflecting on many interviews with former podcast guests, we explore the positive and negative aspects of re-enchantment in contemporary culture.

Watch now.

Alicia Edmund: Christ, Country & Christian Nationalism

Alicia Edmund is head of public policy for the Evangelical Alliance and leads the advocacy team’s parliamentary engagement. She has worked on a range of issues including: asylum resettlement, refugee integration, poverty relief and religious freedom in the UK and overseas.

Recently Alicia has been deeply involved in conversations on the rise of Christian Nationalism in the UK, helping policy makers and churches understand and engage with the use (and at times misuse) of Christian language and symbols in rallies, protests and politics.

Is there a better way to pursue love of country and Christ? I ask Alicia whether we can re-enchant…. Christian Nationalism.

Watch now.

William Lane Craig reviews our Stephen Meyer vs Phil Halper Debate! (Parts One & Two!)

William Lane Craig, well-known Christian philosopher and advocate of the Kalam Cosmological and Fine-Tuning Arguments, did an intensive review and commentary of our Uncommon Ground debate between Intelligent Design advocate Stephen Meyer and atheist cosmologist Phil Halper. It was released in two parts, which you can listen to below!

Part One: Craig responds to Meyer & Halper on the origin of the universe

Part Two: Craig responds to Meyer & Halper on the fine-tuning of the universe

Here are a few ways you can support:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

What is Breakwater Festival?

Breakwater Festival is an annual three‑day Estuary gathering designed to offer a respite from the turbulent tides of online exchange. Inspired by influential thinkers such as Paul Van der Klay, Jonathan Pageau, and John Vervaeke, the Estuary movement has sparked a vibrant, ongoing conversation that fosters honest dialogue, shared meaning‑making, and community building.

FESTIVAL THEME: 
Cross Pollination: Conversing Across Religious Lines

Cross‑pollination plays a pivotal role in increasing the resilience, quality, and yield of crops. At this year’s Breakwater Festival, we explore how this dynamic plays out when beliefs encounter diversity. In an increasingly pluralistic world, how should we approach religious questions across difference?

Guest lineup

Paul Vander Klay, Jared Smith (Heliocentric), Nathan A Jacobs, Justin Brierley, Joe Folley, Elizabeth Oldfield, Glen Scrivener, Bethel McGrew, Nemo the Mormon, Naomi Brehm, Nate Morgan Locke & Elliot Bewick.

—» Get your tickets here «—

Fri 19 June - Kick off event, in conversation with Joe Folley, Nathan Jacobs & Paul Vanderklay

I’ll be hosting the opening evening of the Breakwater Festival, moderating a conversation between Paul Vander Klay, Joe Folley and Nathan Jacobs. An informal ‘pub chat’ with audience Q&A on the topic ‘Is theology the queen of the sciences?’

DETAILS:
Friday, June 19th: 
The Clerkenwell Tavern, 2 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4PX
Gathering and drinks from 5:00pm
Event begins 6.30pm
Pub Chat: ‘Is Theology the Queen of the sciences?’ with audience Q&A
Featuring: Nathan Jacobs, Joseph Folley, Paul Vander Klay & Justin Brierley 

SPEAKERS

Justin Brierley is a writer, speaker and broadcaster, known for hosting conversations between Christians and non-Christians on radio, podcast and video.

Joe Folley is a writer and YouTuber who runs the channel Unsolicited Advice, where he explores ideas drawn from philosophy and related fields. He studied at the University of Cambridge, completing his BA in 2021 and his MPhil in 2022. His academic interests include Epistemic Logic and the Divine Hiddenness Problem, topics that reflect his broader engagement with questions about knowledge, belief, and religion.

Paul Vander Klay is a Christian Reformed pastor, speaker, and online content creator known for his thoughtful engagement with philosophy, theology, and culture. His life and work is dedicated to navigating the fields of faith, meaning, secularism, and the intersection of religion with modern intellectual life

Nathan A. Jacobs, Ph.D., is an artist turned scholar turned writer/producer/director. His newly published book, "Leibniz, Classical Theism, and the Problem of Evil: Why Classical Theism Must Affirm That Our World is the Best of All Possible Worlds" (Routledge Studies in Seventeenth-Century Philosophy), represents his latest scholarly contribution to the field. Jacobs film work includes KILLING POE (2016), BECOMING TRULY HUMAN (2017), and of HOUSE OF DAVID (2025), the $100M Amazon Studios Original biblical epic series.

—» Get your tickets here «—

SATURDAY 20 AND SUNDAY 21 JUNE SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 20th: 

St Mark’s, Clerkenwell

09:00 AM
Welcome & Introductions

09:30 AM
Uprooted: Stories of Faith Disruption- Panel
Featuring: Elizabeth Oldfield, Nemo the Mormon & Jared Smith

11:00 AM
Seeds or Weed: Is Apologetics Helping or Hurting? - Dialogue
Featuring: Nathan Jacobs, Jared Smith, Bethel McGrew & Elliot Bewick 

12:30 PM
Lunch Break

2:00 PM
Estuary Leadership Panel and Q&A

3:30 PM
Rando's Conversation
Featuring: Paul Van der Klay & Mystery Guest

5:00 PM
Dinner Break

6:30 PM
Tilling the Sacred Ground: Navigating Faith Conversations- Dialogue and Q&A
Featuring: Paul Vander Klay, Jared Smith, Nathan Jacobs & Glen Scrivener

Sunday, June 21st: 

Mercato Mayfair

10:00 AM
Ready Singer One! - Musical Performance

12:00 AM
Lunch Break

St Marylebone Parish Church

2:00 PM
Becoming Truly Human Film Screening
A Nathan Jacobs Film

4:00 PM
Live Speaker Estuary Conversation
Featuring: Paul Vander Klay, Jared Smith, Nemo the Mormon, Bethel McGrew, Naomi Brehm & Nate Morgan Locke 

6:00 PM
Closing Remarks

Lois McLatchie Miller & Ann Furedi: Is abortion immoral? Pro-life vs pro-choice. | Uncommon Ground

Over 250,000 pregnancies are terminated in the UK every year. Is access to abortion a woman's right or the taking of an innocent life?

Pro-life campaigner Lois McLatchie Miller engages Ann Furedi, the former head of BPAS - the UK’s leading abortion provider. They join me to discuss when life begins, bodily rights and baby rights, and why despite their deep disagreements, they have become friends.

Watch now, or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

WATCH EARLY: William Lane Craig & Emily Qureshi-Hurst: Is it Time to Rethink God & Salvation? The A vs B theory and why it matters.

I’m joined by Christian philosopher William Lane Craig and atheist theologian Emily Qureshi-Hurst to discuss the question: 'Is Christian theism compatible with our best understanding of the nature of time?'

Craig defends the 'A theory' - that time flows from past, to present, to future. Qureshi-Hurst defends the 'B' theory - that all times exist at once. In a mind-expanding conversation, they discuss the implications of their different views for the nature of God and the doctrine of salvation in Christian faith.

This episode will release to the public on 2 June, but regular Silver and Gold level supporters can watch it RIGHT NOW!

Join me at Breakwater Festival, June 19-21, in London!

I’ll be speaking at Breakwater Festival, an annual three‑day Estuary gathering designed to offer a respite from the turbulent tides of online exchange! Inspired by influential thinkers such as Paul Van der Klay, Jonathan Pageau, and John Vervaeke, the Estuary movement has sparked a vibrant, ongoing conversation that fosters honest dialogue, shared meaning‑making, and community building. While these conversations have flourished online, Breakwater Festival seeks to bring them into embodied, real‑world contexts by partnering with local Estuary groups to host interactive, in‑person gatherings. In doing so, we aim to create true harbors for meaningful conversation, collective sensemaking, and deep, lasting connection rooted in local communities.

June 19 - 21, London, England. Book now!

Al Gordon: How to ignite your God-given creativity

Al Gordon leads Saint, a thriving church in East London which has been seeing a remarkable upturn of young people gathering for all night prayer and worship in recent years.

Al is the founder of Renaissance - a movement to equip creatives and empower churches to be cathedrals of creativity.

Al's new book 'Spark' is aimed at igniting our God-given creativity.

Belle and I ask him how, in an age of AI, distraction and noise, we re-enchant… creativity and imagination.

Watch now.

Angela Tilby: Does England needs its church?

Angela Tilby is a broadcaster, writer, theological educator and priest in the Church of England, which is the topic of her latest literary offering - 'Good Faith: Why England needs its church'. Angela joins me and Belle for an episode (recorded on the day the Church of England installed a new Archbishop of Canterbury) to discuss whether people have good reason to be disenchanted with some of our oldest institutions and ponder the place for the Church of England in our ever-changing cultural landscape.

Watch now.

William Lane Craig reviews our Stephen Meyer vs Phil Halper Debate! (Part One)

William Lane Craig, well-known Christian philosopher and advocate of the Kalam Cosmological and Fine-Tuning Arguments, does an intensive review and commentary of our Uncommon Ground debate between Intelligent Design advocate Stephen Meyer and atheist cosmologist Phil Halper… and apparently there’s a part two of this review on the way as well!

Listen now on Craig’s Reasonable Faith Podcast

Here are a few ways you can support:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

Stephen Meyer & Phil Halper: Does the science of the Universe point to God? | Uncommon Ground

Did the Universe have a 'beginning'? Is the Cosmos 'finely-tuned' for life? And do these phenomena point to God?

Stephen C Meyer, author of 'Return of the God Hypothesis' debates Phil Halper, co-author of 'Battle of the Big Bang' in a lively 3 hour conversation, with me in the moderating chair, for the latest episode of Uncommon Ground!

Watch now, or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

WATCH EARLY: Lois McLatchie Miller & Ann Furedi: Is abortion immoral? Pro-life vs pro-choice.

Over 250,000 pregnancies are terminated in the UK every year. Is access to abortion a woman's right or the taking of an innocent life?

Pro-life campaigner Lois McLatchie Miller engages Ann Furedi, the former head of BPAS - the UK’s leading abortion provider. They join me to discuss when life begins, bodily rights and baby rights, and why despite their deep disagreements, they have become friends.

This episode will release to the public on 18 May, but regular Silver and Gold level supporters can watch it RIGHT NOW!

Join me and John Lennox at Revive 2026 - Friday 8 May, London!

Join me on Friday 8 May, London, at Revive 2026, a CBC UK conference empowering Christians in the media landscape. With special guest Professor John Lennox and other leading Christian voices, this London gathering will inspire and equip believers to share the case for faith across journalism, broadcasting, video and social media.

Book now at cbc.org.uk.

Diplomat Daniel Taub: How the Talmud taught me to negotiate the Arab-Israeli conflict

Daniel Taub is a former diplomat who served as Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2011 to 2015. He has been a senior negotiator in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and a member of Israel's negotiation team in the Israel-Syrian negotiations.

His new book ‘Beyond Dispute’ draws on the wisdom of the Talmud to rediscover the Jewish art of constructive disagreement. He joins me and Belle to re-enchant… disagreement!

N.T. Wright: Why we need to rethink Heaven, God and the Soul

N.T. (Tom) Wright is Research Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews and Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Having written close to one hundred books, he is, undoubtedly, one of the most trusted and influential teachers of the Christian story in the 21st Century. In this conversation, he joins me and Belle to speak of 'God's Homecoming', arguably one of the most forgotten elements of the Christian worldview.

Interviewed by Upside Down People Podcast

Why has belief in God made a surprising comeback in the West? I had the opportunity to talk on the Upside Down People podcast about: Why New Atheism imploded from within and what replaced it; The ONE historical truth that shows our deepest Western values are irreducibly Christian; How to have genuinely good conversations in a polarised, rage-bait world; The surprising intellectual case for Christianity that even secular thinkers can’t ignore; Why “cultural Christianity” without Jesus at the centre is just another form of idolatry.

Watch now

Here are a few ways you can support:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

Elizabeth Oldfield & James Marriott: Is there meaning to life?

Elizabeth Oldfield, host of the Sacred Podcast, and James Marriott, literary critic and Times columnist, join me on Uncommon Ground to discuss whether we can find meaning in life without God.

Elizabeth tells of her own search for meaning in Christian faith, while James explains why, as an atheist nihilist, he still loves art and literature. They discuss the search for purpose, and signs of a new interest in faith among young people.

Watch now, or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

WATCH EARLY: Stephen Meyer vs Phil Halper Debate Intelligent Design!

Did the Universe have a 'beginning'? Is the Cosmos 'finely-tuned' for life? And do these phenomena point to God?

Stephen C Meyer, author of 'Return of the God Hypothesis' debates Phil Halper, co-author of 'Battle of the Big Bang' in a lively 3 hour conversation hosted by myself!

This episode will release to the public on 4 May, but regular Silver and Gold level supporters can watch it RIGHT NOW!

Join me and John Lennox at Revive 2026 - Friday 8 May, London!

Join me on Friday 8 May, London, at Revive 2026, a CBC UK conference empowering Christians in the media landscape. With special guest Professor John Lennox and other leading Christian voices, this London gathering will inspire and equip believers to share the case for faith across journalism, broadcasting, video and social media.

Book now at cbc.org.uk.

Malcolm Guite - Poet, priest and storyteller kicks off Re-Enchanting Season 9.

Malcolm Guite is a beloved poet, storyteller, Anglican priest, and academic. He is author of numerous books including the Faith Hope and Poetry, Lifting the Veil: Imagination and the Kingdom of God. As well as his latest offering - his first instalment of a mighty four-volume work - Galahad and the Grail.

It really was only a matter of time until Malcolm found his way into the world of Re-Enchanting.

In this conversation, Malcolm speaks to me and Belle about poetry, beauty, old stories and slow reading. Together, we seek to re-enchant myths and legends.

Review of Iain McGilchrist & Anil Seth Debate

Erik Strandness reviews the Uncommon Ground episode where Iain McGilchrist and Anil Seth debated consciousness and God.

Here are a few ways you can support:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

Paul Davies & Emily Qureshi-Hurst: Is there purpose in the Universe? Exploring the weirdness of the cosmic and quantum realm.

Is there a purpose to the largest thing of all - The Universe? And does the weird world of the smallest things - Quantum Physics - tell us anything about it?

Atheist theologian Emily Qureshi-Hurst believes the evidence points to a purely physical reality. However, astrophysicist Paul Davies says there's a deeper meaning to the 'directionality' of our cosmos. In this mind-expanding conversation, they join me to explain the science they agree on... and work out where they differ.

Watch now, or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

WATCH EARLY: Elizabeth Oldfield & James Marriott: Is there meaning to life?

Elizabeth Oldfield, host of the Sacred Podcast, and James Marriott, literary critic and Times columnist, join me on Uncommon Ground to discuss whether we can find meaning in life without God.

Elizabeth tells of her own search for meaning in Christian faith, while James explains why, as an atheist nihilist, he still loves art and literature. They discuss the search for purpose, and signs of a new interest in faith among young people.

This episode will release to the public on 20 April, but regular Silver and Gold level supporters can watch it RIGHT NOW!

‘Quiet Revival’ report withdrawn… but it’s not the end of the rebirth!

Following the withdrawal of The Quiet Revival report by Bible Society, I reflect on lessons that need to be learned. But one flawed report does not mean the ‘rebirth' is a myth - there are many other data points showing a new attitude towards faith is on the rise.

I released my reflections as a video response (and put out the audio on The Surprising Rebirth podcast too) but you can also read my response in article format, complete with citations.

Iain McGilchrist on his Christian faith

Renowned philosopher and psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist opens up about his recent embrace of Christian faith, during his conversation with influential neuroscientist Anil Seth on minds, consciousness and God.

This is a clip from the full conversation, which you can watch on YouTube or listen to on your favourite podcast platform!

Why didn’t the first Christians abolish slavery?

Glen Scrivener (author of 'The Air We Breathe') argues that Christianity paved the way, uniquely, for the abolitionist movement, whereas Alex O'Connor (host of the Within Reason podcast) takes the view that the Bible actively endorses slavery, and that Christians contributed just as forcefully to anti-abolitionism. They clash in this fascinating exchange from the second episode of my new show, Uncommon Ground!

This is a clip from the full conversation, which you can watch on YouTube or listen to on your favourite podcast platform!

Here are a few ways you can support:

1. Become a regular Patreon Supporter.

   Silver supporters get early access to new episodes and bonus content. Gold supporters also receive signed copies of my books and monthly catch ups with me.

2. Support via Paypal

   A great way to make a one-off gift - thank you!

3. Tax-deductible giving from the USA

   If you’d like to give in this way, we are partnering with Defenders Media to make this possible. Just follow the link.

The Quiet Revival report has been withdrawn. But rumours of a rebirth are not dead yet

Like many others, I greeted the news of a ‘Quiet Revival’ with enthusiasm when Bible Society published its data in April last year. The report, based on YouGov polling data between 2018 to 2024, contained remarkable statistics about rising church attendance in the UK, especially among 18-24 year olds.

After years of depressing statistics about the decline of churchgoing and religiosity, this felt like a long-awaited good news story for the church. The results of the report were shared far and wide in both Christian circles and mainstream media. 

As the creator of a book and podcast series titled ‘The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’ the data was especially pertinent to my thesis that we are seeing a renewal of interest in faith in the secular West. It was referenced frequently in our second season of the podcast and our ‘Responding To the Rebirth’ conference. 

However, that data was soon being robustly challenged by both secular campaigners and some religious journalists too. They were concerned  that the opt-in nature of the poll could produce unreliable data. They pointed out that the statistics did not reflect actual attendance numbers reported by church denominations. Likewise, the release of the 2025 British Social Attitudes survey directly contradicted the data - showing a continued decline in church attendance across all age profiles.

The picture was evidently complicated. In my public speaking I chose to caveat any references to the Quiet Revival, with an acknowledgement that the figures were being contested. I also interviewed the most prominent critic of the report, sociologist David Voas, for an edition of my podcast that interrogated the data. You can hear that on Season 2 of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God podcast, Episode 30 - Is the Rebirth Real? Debating The Data, Probing the Politics.

Despite the mounting criticism, Bible Society continued to stand by its report. YouGov was a reputable polling company, used and trusted by hundreds of organisations, including secular organisations like Humanists UK. Bible Society had sought and been given repeated reassurances of the quality of the data.

Then came last week’s bombshell. 

A Flawed Survey

Bible Society announced they were withdrawing the Quiet Revival report, having recently discovered that YouGov “failed to activate key quality control technologies that protect the sample from a wide range of errors and this undermines the reliability of the results.” It appears that the survey had been contaminated by bogus respondents.

Arguably, the organisation wiping the most egg from their face in all of this is YouGov who ran the survey. CEO Stephan Shakespeare has apologised personally, stating they take full responsibility for the flawed data and outputs and saying, “We would like to stress that Bible Society has at all times accurately and responsibly reported the data we supplied to them.”

Nevertheless, this moment is an important wake up call. A reminder that we should all be very wary of putting our faith in any survey or poll, especially when they align with our deepest desires. Confirmation bias - our propensity to ‘count the wins’ and ‘ignore the misses’ runs deep in human nature. As a Christian I’ve been guilty of it, as are people on the other side of the aisle.

In fairness, since the error emerged, Bible Society have owned up quickly to what went wrong, and will no doubt think carefully about how they publicise any future research. For the moment, a dose of humility and introspection is in order, and perhaps an opportunity to build some bridges with critics whose concerns turned out to be fully justified.

Over 75% of non-Christian students would accept an invitation to church if asked, according to research carried out by Fusion.

But Something Is Happening

However, the danger with a U-turn of this magnitude is that it can also lead to errors in the opposite direction. Humanists UK, freshly vindicated by the reversal, state on their website: “We need to be absolutely clear: there is no revival of Christianity in Britain.”

That statement is true. However, it doesn’t do justice to the actual picture of what’s happening both here and in Europe. Perhaps ‘Revival’ isn’t the word we should ever have used for what’s happening… but the word ‘rebirth’ still feels appropriate. 

The same day that the Bible Society’s report was retracted, Le Figaro, one of France’s leading newspapers, published a full page article on the continuing growth of demand for adult baptism. For the past two years the famously secular country has seen the largest number of adult converts to Catholicism in living memory. This year’s Easter vigil is expected to set a fresh record as over 20,000 people enter the church.

But France is not an outlier. Spain is reporting a similar trend. Something unexpected is also happening in Scandinavian countries. Sweden has seen a notable rise in confirmations offsetting church decline, while Norway, Finland and Denmark are all reporting an uptick of interest, especially among young men.

Likewise, many Orthodox parishes around Europe are dealing with a boom in young catechumens, while a survey by Fusion, a UK Christian campus ministry, found that over 75% of non-Christian students would accept an invitation to church if asked.

In the UK, the Catholic diocese of Westminster is about to see its largest intake of new converts for 15 years and other parts of the country are recording similarly spikes of people being prepared for baptism or confirmation. The Baptist church in the UK is reporting significantly higher numbers of baptisms and youth attendance, while registration on Alpha courses, an introduction to the Christian faith run by many churches across the UK, has also risen sharply in the past few years.

Commercial metrics tell the same story. Christian music streaming on Spotify has surged in recent years and, against an otherwise stagnant book market, UK Bible sales are at an historic high, rising from £2.69million to over £6.3million between 2019-2025.

Now let me be clear. None of these figures or trends amount to a ‘revival’. But they are reliable data points and they indicate that something is happening. 

How that plays out in future church attendance statistics remains to be seen. At this point, my best guess is that any new converts are not yet fully offsetting the number of older religious people who are dying or have fallen away for church going. That means the church may still be shrinking, but that the decline itself may be slowing. 

This is underscored by figures from the Church of England. The Covid lockdowns of 2020-21 decimated churchgoing. Since then, there have been 3 years of overall growth, but attendance hasn’t yet reached pre-Covid figures.

However, this is about more than just numerical figures. 

The season 2 finale of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God Podcast interrogated the data behind the Quiet Revival report, and explored the current religious and political vibe shift.

A Religious And Political Vibe Shift

A ‘vibe shift’ is a difficult thing to quantify, but there’s been an undoubted change in the way people are talking about faith in public in the past few years. It’s perhaps best captured by the list of influential converts that have been popping up in recent years. 

To mention just a handful: In 2024 the historian Niall Ferguson was baptised and confirmed, along with his wife Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former New Atheist activist. Historian and podcast host Tom Holland is now a regular churchgoer, and his best-selling book ‘Dominion’ has been reminding a secular culture about its Christian roots. Journalist and female rights activist Louise Perry now describes herself as a Christian. Sociologist Charles Murray recently announced his conversion. Joe Rogan says he’s going to church. Even Prince William, after years of speculation about whether the future head of the Church England actually believes, has confirmed a ‘quiet faith’.

It won’t escape notice that many of the afore-mentioned personalities lean conservative (or at least anti-woke) in their outlook. There’s no doubt that some of the new interest in traditional faith is a backlash to the overreach of progressive ideologies in our culture. Likewise, it’s no secret that the religious vibe shift is overlapping with a wider political vibe shift. The result is sometimes dubbed Christian Nationalism. 

At the softer end it manifests in voices such as Danny Kruger, whose Parliamentary speech on the dangers of losing the Christian culture of the UK went viral last summer. At the sharp end it results in Christian slogans and symbols bedecking flags at anti-immigration rallies. Tommy Robinson is also one of the new converts to Christianity.

However, whenever Christianity gets into bed with politics (of the left or right) it’s a breeding ground for disaster. In my opinion, being co-opted by cynical political actors would be a far greater catastrophe for the church than a flawed report based on faulty data.

Searching For A Better Story

Nevertheless, we shouldn’t be surprised when tumultuous times create a messy picture. Religious renewals of the past have always been bred of cultural disruptions and mixed motives. Whether or not we approve of St-George-cross-flag-waving-crowds (who are arguably responding to a lot of other people waving other flags in recent years), the common thread is that people are searching for identity. 

The default secular humanism on offer in our culture has manifestly failed to deliver on its promises. We are being atomised by technologies that are programmed to polarise us. AI is proving to be a dangerous substitute for real human relationships, while the endless variety of identities and ideologies promoted by social media has created a generation of disillusioned, distracted and depressed young people. And it’s leading many of them to look for a better story.

That’s why, as I’ve met with vicars, church ministers and youth leaders over the past three years, I’ve kept hearing the same thing: “We are encountering an unprecedented spiritual hunger among the the new seekers turning up at our doors”. In the process I’ve also met an unusual number of once-committed atheists who have come to faith in unusual circumstances.

Let me be clear - these stories are all anecdotal, they don’t come attached to any dataset. And if a Christian revival ever truly gets underway, we won’t need a spreadsheet to tell us - it’ll be obvious. So lets be careful with the word ‘revival’, regardless of whether we attach it to a qualifier such as ‘quiet’. Humble pie needs to be consumed and lessons need to be learned. But its not the end of the story. 

The withdrawal of the Quiet Revival report this past week has felt like bad news for many - but remember, so did Good Friday, until the morning of Easter Sunday came along. With that in mind, let’s not make the mistake of thinking that nothing whatsoever is happening. 

If you turn up at your local church this Easter (or any Sunday this coming year) you might just be surprised at the number of ‘rebirth’ stories you encounter among those who have chosen to take a second look at Christianity. 

Thanks for reading… and Happy Easter!

Justin Brierley

Watch this article on video 👇

Watch my video essay responding to the Quiet Revival withdrawal. Look out for more coverage of this issue when The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief In God podcast returns for a 3rd season later this year.

Religion Media Centre panel discussion on Quiet Revival withdrawal

This week I took part in a panel discussion on the withdrawal of the Quiet Revival research, featuring Paul Williams of Bible Society and critics of the research including David Voas and Tim Wyatt.

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Iain McGilchrist & Anil Seth: Minds, brains, consciousness and the God question.

Renowned philosopher Iain McGilchrist and eminent neuroscientist Anil Seth sit down with me to discuss whether consciousness is a product of brain chemistry or points to God.

They discuss left and right brain hemispheres, panpsychism, theories of consciousness and how meditation and prayer affect our psychology. Seth also describes his atheist-agnostic worldview, and McGilchrist explains his recent embrace of Christian faith.

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Jonathan Pageau & Joe Folley: Does art, culture and human experience point to God?

Orthodox thinker Jonathan Pageau and atheist philosopher Joe Folley sit down with me to discuss whether art, culture and human experience point to God.

In a deep and rich conversation ranging across consciousness, science, religion, the incarnation and the resurrection, they debate whether a Divine Logos or natural forces explain the reality we all encounter.

Watch now, or listen on your favourite podcast platform!

WATCH EARLY: Iain McGilchrist & Anil Seth: Minds, brains, consciousness and the God question.

Renowned philosopher Iain McGilchrist and eminent neuroscientist Anil Seth sit down with me to discuss whether consciousness is a product of brain chemistry or points to God.

They discuss left and right brain hemispheres, panpsychism, theories of consciousness and how meditation and prayer affect our psychology. Seth also describes his atheist-agnostic worldview, and McGilchrist explains his recent embrace of Christian faith.

This episode will release to the public on 23 March, but regular Silver and Gold level supporters can watch it RIGHT NOW!

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A thoughtful conversation about faith, culture, and the future in a post-secular age.

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The Air We Breathe or Christian Hot Air?

Erik Strandness reviews the Uncommon Ground episode where Glen Scrivener and Alex O’Connor debated the role of Christianity in shaping the West’s morality.

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Alex O'Connor & Glen Scrivener - Did Christianity give us our morality? Debating freedom, slavery, equality and the Bible.

This was a barnstormer to moderate, and at the time of writing this newsletter, this episode has surpassed 45,000 views in less than 24 hours!

Atheist thinker Alex O'Connor goes toe-to-toe with Christian thinker Glen Scrivener on whether Christianity gave us our belief in kindness, equality, freedom and consent.

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WATCH EARLY: Jonathan Pageau & Joe Folley: Does art, culture and human experience point to God?

Orthodox thinker Jonathan Pageau and atheist philosopher Joe Folley sit down with me to discuss whether art, culture and human experience point to God.

In a deep and rich conversation ranging across consciousness, science, religion, the incarnation and the resurrection they debate whether a Divine Logos or natural forces explain the reality we all encounter.

This episode will release to the public on 9 March, but regular Silver and Gold level supporters can watch it RIGHT NOW!

Is there evidence for Jesus? | Tom Holland & Peter J. Williams

Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History, and Peter J. Williams, principal of Tyndale House, participated in a conversation hosted by Pillar and Step - and which I had the privilege of moderating - on the evidence for Jesus' life, death, and resurrection!

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‘The Quiet Revival of Christianity’ interview

In this premiere episode of Socrates Dialogues with Mary Harrington, I joined her to explore the shifting terrain of the New Atheist movement and the surprising cracks forming in its once-confident certainties. Drawing on years of conversations and cultural observation, I examined the “quiet revival”—a renewed openness to faith, meaning, and transcendence emerging beneath the surface of our secular age.

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