Undeceptions with John Dickson

We attempt to make sense of the silly season, to explain why there really is “more to life”, and why the traditional Christmas story still holds the answers. (00:00) - - Unwanted Christmas cards (04:41) - - Diagnosing our festive illness (08:49) - - Happiness or peace? (10:35) - - Jesus the umpire (13:10) - - The Prince of Peace (18:55) - - Christmas and the Gulag Archipelago (22:56) - - Christmas is good enough without Jesus, right? (30:39) - - Jesus turns his face towards us CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer and researcher. Sophie Hawkshaw is on socials and membership. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today were the Undeceptions Team - wishing you a happy Christmas! Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

It’s probably the most significant of all church history’s debates: Was Jesus fully human, fully divine, or a hybrid of some sort? 1700 years ago, bishops from across the Christian world gathered in the city of Nicaea to settle this once and for all. The outcome was three paragraphs which went on to represent the core of Christianity, and spell out who Jesus is - and who he isn’t . (00:00) - - Jesus: Man or something else? (08:44) - - Why did the Creed happen? (12:19) - - Constantine's influence (17:18) - - The key players at the council (29:45) - - The Arian controversy (42:02) - - The Trinity (56:49) - - Five Minute Jesus (01:01:23) - - Faith and the Creed (01:04:19) - - Why does the Creed matter? CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer and researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

The first-century historian Flavius Josephus is the oldest source we have for the historical Jesus outside of the Bible. His 90-word paragraph about Jesus - where he calls Jesus “the Christ”, and says Jesus “appeared to them [the disciples] alive again on the third day", spending a third day restored to life - has sparked centuries of debate. Most experts think this paragraph has an authentic core, but has been embellished by a later Christian scribe. But new scholarly evidence has emerged that might turn our understanding of Josephus - and what he wrote about Jesus - on its head. (00:00) - - 90 Words (10:39) - - Flavius Josephus (14:20) - - Traitor or pragmatist? (22:09) - - Josephus and James (26:22) - - Testamonium Flavianum (41:43) - - "Would Josephus really write that?" (55:43) - - Josephus' networks (01:08:41) - - What did Josephus really say about Jesus? (01:13:42) - - What did Josephus really think about Jesus? (01:15:49) - - Rethinking history CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actor today was Yannick Lawry. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Why don’t Christians still follow the Laws of the Old Testament? Why did God create humans if so many are apparently destined for Hell? Is the ‘Golden Rule’ actually a Christian idea? John answers all these - and more - for our Season XV Q&A! (00:00) - - Intro (05:12) - - Why don't Christians still follow the Old Testament Law? (14:49) - - Deep reading for non-readers (19:41) - - Are Christians allowed to practise Old Testament laments post-Jesus? (23:31) - - Why would God create a species destined for Hell? (32:42) - - Why does the modern church look so different compared to the first-century church? (38:47) - - Why did Joseph and Mary have to go to Bethlehem? (49:55) - - The Golden Rule CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne, and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is the online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Christianity no longer has the cultural sway it once held. But there’s always been a long tradition of Christians being flexible in engaging their culture—whether in ancient Rome, Viking Scandinavia, or modern America. So what does a ‘relevant’ Christianity look like in the 21st century? CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer and researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors for this episode were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Back in 2020, John caught up with author and journalist Greg Sheridan to talk about Christianity’s struggles in both Australia, and the global West more broadly. However, Greg wasn’t so glum on the future of the faith in a post-Christian world. Ahead of an upcoming episode on how the gospel applies to a post-Christian world, we thought now was the time to look back at what Greg had to say.

In his Divine Comedy, Dante isn’t claiming to offer us a vision of what hell and heaven are actually like. It might be set in the afterlife, but it’s really about how we live life here and now. Even if you’ve never read one line of the epic poem, you’ve been influenced by The Divine Comedy . It’s time we learned more about one of Western literature’s greatest works … and how it might just change our lives. CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer and researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actor today was Yannick Lawry. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception's episode possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Some claim Christian persecution is on the rise, while others find the idea of a modern persecution implausible. So, what’s the truth? It’s complex … (00:00) - - John Dickson's persecution complex (08:56) - - The myth of persecution (13:24) - - The first Christian persecutions (21:29) - - The third-century persecutions (32:25) - - The Emperor Diocletian comes to power (38:32) - - The Great Persecution (48:04) - - The persecutions end (53:10) - - Haroon's story (01:02:53) - - Smash and squeeze persecution (01:15:33) - - Five Minute Jesus CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer and researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actor today was Yannick Lawry. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Jane Austen’s words and books are well known. But what do we know of Jane herself - what she was like, and what she believed? What did she think of society and class, ethics, literature, romance, and faith? (00:00) - - Jane behind the text (05:51) - - Jane's world (10:35) - - Jane the novelist (19:31) - - The author and the characters (32:39) - - Romance, satire, or something else? (39:50) - - Jane's 'undeceptions' (41:34) - - Jane and the church (50:50) - - Ethics and virtues (55:47) - - Five Minute Jesus (01:00:31) - - Silence on slavery (01:06:26) - - Jane's legacy CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Christianity is sometimes branded as anti-intellectual, and its followers labelled unteachable. But in an increasingly divided age, the church - with its rich history of learning - might be able to help the world recover what it means to have a teachable spirit … and to know who to learn from. (00:00) - - How we learn (04:17) - - Teachability (10:44) - - Humility in learning (16:00) - - Is faith a block to thinking critically? (20:58) - - Combating fear with knowledge (26:51) - - Learning from strangers (31:25) - - Learning from the dead (43:33) - - Learning from our enemies (53:40) - - Five Minute Jesus (01:01:03) - - Why learn from Christians? CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actor for this episode was Suzanne Ellis. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

African Christianity is almost as old as Christianity itself. Many of the early church's theological giants came from Africa, and today, Christianity is exploding across the continent. In this episode, we look at Jesus through African eyes. (00:09) - - The Tortoise and the Hare: A different perspective (08:15) - - Why look at Jesus through African eyes? (11:26) - - Africa in the Bible (15:26) - - Diversity in Christianity (18:19) - - Hermeneutics - African style! (23:30) - - The African church (30:39) - - Syncretism (36:41) - - Scripture through different lenses (43:32) - - Five Minute Jesus (51:04) - - Hannah's prayer (57:12) - - Can we see Jesus however we want?

As the West undergoes a ‘de-churching,’ some are starting to wonder about the unintended consequences of a society with fewer believers. After all, some of history’s greatest humanitarians all had one thing in common: a Christian faith. (00:00) - - Intro (04:32) - - The power of faith communities (08:21) - - Faith and politics (15:20) - - Navigating tragedy in a faith community (18:11) - - The Charleston shooting (24:35) - - Measuring the 'good life' (32:14) - - The great de-churching (40:06) - - The happiness 'miracle drug' (43:06) - - Five Minute Jesus (47:25) - - Why join the faith? (00:00) - Chapter 11

Season 15 of Undeceptions is coming really soon! And our latest REWIND will help you brush up on some of the issues we’ll be discussing in our first full episode of next season. There’s a growing body of research – authoritative, real-life, peer-reviewed research – that reports a significant benefit to wellbeing if you are religious. And not just religious, but part of a faith community.

Are our dreams full of messages and warnings? John was sceptical, but for most of human history, that’s been the common view. In this Undeceptions REWIND, we take a closer look. If you like what you hear, listen to the episode in full: Episode 105 'Decoding Dreams'.

The 18th-century philosopher David Hume famously predicted that, as the world grew more rational and scientific, people would stop having supernatural encounters. But that’s not what has played out. We might live in a secular age, but we continue to have seemingly divine experiences. Lots of people now describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious”, but taking that next step - that leap of faith - into a formal belief system might actually be more rational than not. (00:00) - - Intro (00:09) - - Modern miracles (05:14) - - Ross Douthat: Columnist and podcaster (06:28) - - The Decadent Society (11:29) - - Secular regrets (18:51) - - The Logos of creation (36:13) - - The Pathos of near-death experiences (42:39) - - Buff Dickson's near-death experience (48:06) - - More miracles (56:21) - - Join a religion - any religion! (01:07:35) - - The three problems with religion (01:13:35) - - Why believe in Jesus? CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today was Yannick Lawry. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Why does the church meet on a Sunday? How far is too far when it comes to self-defence, biblically speaking? Is it possible that Hell is temporary? John tackles these questions and more in this, our season XIV Q&A!

The world’s attention has recently been on the Vatican, and the election of the new Pope Leo XIV. But what’s the history behind the office of the Bishop of Rome? What makes a good pope? By looking at the extraordinary career of John Dickson’s favourite pontiff, we attempt to answer those questions. CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John Dickson's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out. (01:08) - - Intro (07:19) - - Where did the papacy come from? (11:18) - - The Roman Empire is falling (16:20) - - Gregory's early life (23:55) - - Constantinople: The heart of the ancient world (27:52) - - Gregory becomes pope (31:33) - - A reluctant pontiff (40:33) - - A job description of an ancient pope (46:02) - - Was Gregory drunk on power? (47:23) - - The Pastoral Rule (55:15) - - Five Minute Jesus (01:01:12) - - Humility and leadership (01:04:15) - - John Dickson's favourite pope (00:00) - Chapter 14

Some think we might not be too far away from Artificial Intelligence actually having feelings. If it does happen, what will it mean? Might it mean we humans are, in the end, just machines? We look back at that question - and more - in this Undeceptions Rewind! If you like what you hear, listen to the episode in full: Episode 71 'Emotional Intelligence'.

The Gospels tell us about Jesus’ adult life, with scant references to his childhood. We can catch glimpses of the younger Jesus' life, but there’s so much we don’t know. But if we move beyond the Bible, we can learn about the world the younger Jesus lived in. Growing up a refugee, in a land under foreign occupation, and a region full of militia groups, it’s worth asking: How did the turbulent background of the boy Jesus affect His message … and the whole of Christianity? CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is the Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

According to the data, chemistry is the scientific discipline with the highest number of ”theists”. Perhaps it’s not that surprising: Chemistry grew out of alchemy, a mysterious science that attempted to uncover the secrets of nature, with goals some would consider supernatural. Modern chemists are also working to uncover the secrets of nature. For some, seeing just how ordered the world is has led them to wonder whether there might be more going on behind the scenes than mere chemistry. CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is the Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Like it or not, life will let us down. We all face disappointment. Despite this, people spend their entire lives trying to avoid and outrun disappointment. But the Bible offers a different solution. It gives us the tools to feel and express disappointment. Tools to grieve well. Tools to lament. But it doesn’t stop there. In the Bible, we also find a God who sits with us in our grief and shares our disappointment. We find a God who laments. CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is the Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Mary Magdalene has played many roles throughout history. She’s been a prostitute, a temptation, Jesus’ wife, Jesus’ lover, a cave-dwelling mystic, a devoted follower, a revolutionary, and a penitent. The supposed sinner-turned-saint comes to us in a multiplicity of earthly, perhaps even scandalous, portraits that surprise and inspire. So what can we know about this woman for sure? CREDITS Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is the Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love. Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

This week, leading up to Easter, we’re looking at the most famous trial of all time: the trial of Jesus. It’s a courtroom drama like no other, and its outcome changed everything. But what do we actually know about the trial and conviction of Jesus? Was it fair? Was it real?

When John Dickson convinced top Christian songwriters Ben Fielding and Chris Tomlin to have a go at transforming an 1800-year-old hymn into a tune for our times, they felt the weight of responsibility. This is part two of our mini-series on how the song 'The First Hymn' came to life, with a full documentary soon to follow, which will track the hymn's journey from the deserts of Egypt to the middle of a sold-out stadium arena in the heart of America in the 21st century. This episode takes you behind the scenes: how Ben Fielding and Chris Tomlin resurrected The First Hymn and made it ours. (00:00) - - Intro (05:21) - - Ben Fielding joins The First Hymn Project (08:21) - - Creating something modern from something ancient (13:21) - - The songwriting process (16:15) - - Chris Tomlin joins The First Hymn Project (21:02) - - Collaboration (24:30) - - Tomlin and Fielding exchange musical ideas (29:54) - - John hears 'The First Hymn' for the first time (36:20) - - St Ephrem - one of the first hymn writers (40:46) - - The history of worship music (43:40) - Five-Minute Jesus (48:55) - - Who was the original composer of The First Hymn? (52:01) - - 'The First Hymn' for a secular world (55:38) - - Bringing the hymn to life in an arena Undeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer and researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Edited by Richard Hamwi. Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love. A big thank you to Michael Wilder at Wheaton College, and Tony Payne for his arrangement of the original First Hymn, and the 50-person choir led by John Trotter that brought this work to life. Special thanks to our series sponsor, Zondervan, for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

Welcome to season XIV of Undeceptions! Anthropology has a reputation for being the most “godless” of all the sciences. The so-called Father of Anthropology, Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, abandoned his faith as an anthropologist, declaring religion was “animalistic”. But religion hasn’t gone away - and many anthropologists are now realising there might be something to belief after all … (00:00) - - Coffee and anthropology (09:08) - - What is anthropology? (14:25) - - Edward Tylor, the 'Father of Anthropology' (19:28) - - Why is anthropology so godless? (21:25) - - James Frazer (33:12) - - E.E. Evans Pritchard (40:29) - - Mary Douglas (46:24) - - How Christine became a Christian anthropologist (50:00) - - What is the "good life"? (51:52) - - Victor and Edith Turner (56:20) - - Cultural relativism (01:00:02) - - Five-Minute Jesus (01:06:55) - - Good God, good anthropology