Undeceptions with John Dickson

The Oxford English Dictionary describes the Bible as a “library,” not a single work.But this library has been the most sold book in the world for millennia!So should we call this ultimate best-seller “literature”?There are many ways to read the Bible. But reading it as literature may help us see something easily missed: the Bible isn’t just a collection of texts any more than a symphony is just a collection of notes.The literary approach asks a simple question: how might the Bible’s story work on us?FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - CLICK HERECREDITSUndeceptions 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 my wonderful assistant.  Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant.  Peter Kozushko is our North American representative. 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 Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”.This seems obvious to us today, but many people throughout history didn’t believe in these ideals.Many would wonder how it could be that every human being, regardless of capacity or usefulness, could be considered equally valuable.Truth be told, it's hard to find the logic behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights anywhere in historical literature … apart from the Bible.FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - CLICK HERECREDITSUndeceptions 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 my wonderful assistant.  Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant.  Peter Kozushko is our North American representative. 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.

It’s hard to get a clear picture of the historical Jesus without projecting cultural tropes onto Him.Jesus - perhaps more than anyone in history - is often co-opted to fit either personal or political agendas.So this Easter, we’re trying to untangle the cultural Jesus from the real historical Jesus - by zeroing in on his famous last few days.CREDITSUndeceptions 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. Peter Kozushko is our North American representative and a point of contact for church pastors interested in engaging with our work here at Undeceptions.  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.

There’s a certain collection of Greek and Roman writings - from roughly 800 BC to AD 200 - which, apart from the Bible, has shaped the Western world more than any other intellectual tradition.Today, we call them the Classics.Many are familiar with the names behind these ancient texts: Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Livy … the list goes on.But just because these works have a legacy doesn’t mean that people today actually like them.For starters, they’re hard work. Mark Twain once described a Classic as “something that everybody wants to have read, and nobody wants to read”.Others dislike the very concept of the Classics because they privilege the writings of (presumably) white men over other rich, non-Western traditions.But like it or not, the Classics still matter in their own right today - especially if you’re interested in Christianity.FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - click hereCREDITSUndeceptions 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. Peter Kozushko is our North American representative and a point of contact for church pastors interested in engaging with our work here at Undeceptions.  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 cultural hangovers of Christianity are well attested.Recently, people who were once describing themselves as ‘New Atheists’ have gone as far as to call themselves ‘Cultural Christians’, due to the prevalence of Christian thought in modern ethics.But what if the great dream of the New Atheists eventually succeeded?What would a world where God was actually dead look like?FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - click here.CREDITSUndeceptions 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. Peter Kozushko is our North American representative and a point of contact for church pastors interested in engaging with our work here at Undeceptions.  Editing by Richard Hamwi.Our voice actor today was 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.

Since Charles Darwin’s 1859 book On the Origin of Species, evolution has been considered by many to be the final nail in the coffin of religion.Because evolution is supposedly random - or indeed, blind - the argument follows that there is no design.But recently, a quiet revolution has been raging among the top tier of evolutionary scientists.The apparent randomness of evolution has come into question, and some experts now suggest there may be patterns, agency, and even intention behind it all.FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - click here.CREDITSUndeceptions 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. Peter Kozushko is our North American representative and a point of contact for church pastors interested in engaging with our work here at Undeceptions.  Editing by Richard Hamwi.Our voice actor today was 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.

A popular myth is that when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, he forced everyone else to embrace the faith - or else face deadly consequences.But this couldn’t be further from the truth.It was under Constantine that the very modern-sounding ideas of freedom of religion and “justice for all” were first instituted.These were revolutionary ideals, and they came from a very smart, learned Christian in the Emperor's inner circle.FOR FULL SHOW NOTES - https://undeceptions.com/podcast/against-coercion/(00:00) - - One of history's great persuaders (06:17) - - Persecution and the Crisis of the Third Century (09:52) - - Christianity and Neoplatonism (17:44) - - Lactantius: The Christian Cicero (31:10) - - Lactantius and Constantine (39:26) - - Constantine and religious tolerance (48:06) - - Arguing Christian ethics from pagan philosophy (51:41) - - Freedom of religion and Thomas Jefferson (56:24) - - Lactantius and justice (01:07:14) - - Five Minute Jesus (01:11:43) - - Lactantius' legacy CREDITSUndeceptions 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. Peter Kozushko is our North American representative and a point of contact for church pastors interested in engaging with our work here at Undeceptions.  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.

In pop culture, we often enjoy watching - or reading - vice and virtue play out, with the former often far more exciting than the latter.But what about real life? Do we still find vice “sizzling” (as one writer described it), and virtue stale?At the heart of this lies a much deeper question: What good is there in pursuing the good?FOR FULL SHOW NOTES: https://undeceptions.com/podcast/virtue-vice/(00:08) - - Is virtue boring? (05:18) - - What is virtue? (11:14) - - What's valuable about the Middle Ages? (15:23) - - Aristotle and the virtues (18:10) - - Vice vs. Virtue (30:42) - - The root of all evil (34:38) - - The root of all good (41:56) - - Rapid Fire Round: Virtue/Vice pairs (49:58) - - Cultivating virtue (58:59) - - Why pursue Christian virtue? (01:02:40) - - Five Minute Jesus CREDITSUndeceptions 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. Peter Kozushko is our North American representative, a contact point for church pastors who are interested in engaging with our work here at Undeceptions.  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 Reformation remains a pivotal moment not just for the church, but for global history. It permanently split the church, triggered wars, created new city-states, and even led, in the opinion of many experts, to the Enlightenment, Science, and the secularisation of the West.When it came to covering the topic on Undeceptions, there was so much to talk about that we needed two episodes just to scratch the surface.In this Rewind, we’re revisiting some highlights of those episodes.

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 (31:13) - - The Arian controversy (43:30) - - The Trinity (01:00:34) - - Five Minute Jesus (01:05:08) - - Faith and the Creed (01:08:04) - - Why does the Creed matter? CREDITSUndeceptions 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? (23:37) - - Josephus and James (27:50) - - Testamonium Flavianum (43:11) - - "Would Josephus really write that?" (59:28) - - Josephus' networks (01:12:26) - - What did Josephus really say about Jesus? (01:17:27) - - What did Josephus really think about Jesus? (01:19:34) - - Rethinking history CREDITSUndeceptions 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? (34:10) - - Why does the modern church look so different compared to the first-century church? (42:32) - - Why did Joseph and Mary have to go to Bethlehem? (53:40) - - The Golden Rule CREDITSUndeceptions 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?CREDITSUndeceptions 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. CREDITSUndeceptions 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 (33:53) - - The Emperor Diocletian comes to power (40:00) - - The Great Persecution (49:32) - - The persecutions end (56:55) - - Haroon's story (01:06:38) - - Smash and squeeze persecution (01:19:18) - - Five Minute Jesus CREDITSUndeceptions 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 (34:07) - - Romance, satire, or something else? (41:18) - - Jane's 'undeceptions' (45:19) - - Jane and the church (54:35) - - Ethics and virtues (59:32) - - Five Minute Jesus (01:04:16) - - Silence on slavery (01:10:11) - - 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 (28:19) - - Learning from strangers (32:53) - - Learning from the dead (47:18) - - Learning from our enemies (57:25) - - Five Minute Jesus (01:04:48) - - 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 (32:07) - - Syncretism (38:09) - - Scripture through different lenses (45:00) - - Five Minute Jesus (54:49) - - Hannah's prayer (01:00:57) - - 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 (00:00) - Chapter 2 (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 (26:03) - - Measuring the 'good life' (35:59) - - The great de-churching (43:51) - - The happiness 'miracle drug' (46:51) - - Five Minute Jesus (51:10) - - Why join the faith?