Spiritually Incorrect

When talking about God, angels, etc., you may sometimes hear it described as a "spiritual/higher dimension". In fact, authors such as Billy Graham and C. S. Lewis used just such language. It's an interesting description, but what does it mean? Are there other dimensions? Are they like the three dimensions of space we have only... more? Where did this talk come from?

Joining us today is Dr. Christopher White, an expert on the origin of and conversation around higher dimensions and their relationship to Christian faith.

War. Disease. Famine. No, I'm not talking about the evening news (though I easily could be). These are the supposed signs of the end of the world. Yet many Christians believe that before it gets too bad, the church will be raptured and taken away from the world.

The idea of the Rapture and the Apocalypse has gained pop cultural attention through the Left Behind series and an uncountable number of books claiming to interpret the prophecies of Revelation. Yet according to many biblical scholars, we may have gotten it wrong. In fact, the majority now believe the Bible teaches something completely different. Here with us today is Dr. Shane Wood, a scholar on the book of Revelation, to help clear up this most unusual book and discover just how the world will really end.

Does God really get angry? Upset? Horrified? If so, is God's emotional life less than perfect? How, then, can we call God perfect? If God doesn't feel these emotions, why does Scripture portray Him this way?

Can we truly figure out what sort of emotions God feels? According to our guest, Dr. Ryan Mullins, we can. Join us in this episode for our deep dive into the emotional life of God!

You have questions; we have answers. We can't promise they're good ones, but on this episode, we take your questions and give our best (off-the-cuff) responses!

We've spent plenty of time discussing the evidence for the Christian faith on Spiritually Incorrect. Still, we would be lying if we said Christians were the only ones attempting to use reason and evidence to support their faith.

Islam, the world's second-largest religion, has marshalled its own intellectuals to the task of defending the core tenets of the religion. What are their arguments? With Islam becoming an ever-increasing presence in the West, understanding this faith tradition and its claims is becoming increasingly important, and here to help us through this topic is Dr. Shoaib Malik, one of the world's foremost scholars on Islam and science.

Near-death experiences (or NDEs) have become something of a sensation as of late. While virtually no one knew about them just a few decades ago, now we know a huge number of people who have come close to death have experienced them. Even mainstream science is now being forced to take them seriously. But should Christians take them seriously?

And while a good percentage of them are generally positive, there are quite a few that... aren't. Are people really experiencing Hell and living to tell the tale? On today's podcast, we bring on Jimmy Akin, host of the famed Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World, to help us wrestle through this perplexing topic.

To see more from Jimmy Akin, visit https://jimmyakin.com/

Does God exist? And can we prove it? Apologetics is the field of study that attempts to prove the central claims of the Christian faith, and for centuries, it has offered arguments for God's existence.

How successful have they been? In this episode, we rank the most famous arguments for (and one against) God's existence.

And for our Patreon subscribers, you get over twice the content! Check out an entirely separate episode debating these separate arguments!

One of the more common Christian slogans you might see plastered upon shirts, bracelets, or other paraphernalia is "Make Heaven Crowded." A nice thought, to say the least!

But if that should be our ambition, shouldn't it be God's, as well? If God wants all people to be saved, why aren't they? Why isn't heaven not just crowded... but overcrowded?

For a select but growing number of theologians, the answer is that, yes, it will be! Universalism is a position that has seen a recent resurgence, even among Evangelicals, and holds that everyone will (eventually) come to know Christ and be redeemed, though some might have to go through Hell (literally) to get there.

And here to defend the position is Dr. Robin Parry, one of the world's foremost experts and defenders of the position. His book, The Evangelical Universalist, was the title that helped to revitalize the position, though it was one he had to publish anonymously at first due to the provocative nature of the subject! Hear about this and much more on the final episode of our Rethinking Hell series!

A brief update from us for Years' End!

Hell is the absence of God's presence... right? Many are taught that. It seems to make sense, to some degree. If we reject God, He rejects us.

But is that what the Bible actually teaches? Here with us today to offer a startling and Biblically-founded model of Hell is Dr. Zachary Manis. He suggests that Hell isn't caused by God's absence but by God's presence! If that sounds astonishing, confusing, or interesting in the slightest, this is the episode for you.

Hell is likely the least favorite topic of most Christians. It's often times considered one of the hardest doctrines to swallow. The idea of an eternity of misery separated from God seems horrendous, so it's no wonder we often like to avoid it.

But there is a certain segment of Christians who believe we have gotten Hell wrong. In fact, they think the Bible portrays a very different image of Hell. Hell, they argue, isn't a place of unending suffering but simply nonexistence. In other words, the fate of the unredeemed is less like Dante's Inferno and more like just ceasing to exist altogether. Here to defend this view from a Biblical standpoint is Chris Date, one of the foremost defenders of the view often called Annihilationism.

Purity culture. It's one of the most divisive topics you can bring up. For many Christians, it is a bastion of hope against the sex-crazed state of our pop culture and college campuses. For others, it has been repressive and harmful to youth, and the horror stories are everywhere to be found. Some now even claim it isn't even a truly Christian sexual ethic.

So which is it? Is purity culture a good thing with some fixable quirks? Or is it something that is so fundamentally flawed that it ought to be abandoned altogether? In the first of its kind, Seth and Jonathan each defend both sides of the issue. If you're wanting an answer one way or the other, you'll be disappointed, but if you're looking for a nuanced and deep take in an entertaining form, this is the episode for you.

Happy Halloween! It's the best time of year for Spiritually Incorrect since we love to cover topics ranging from the bizarre to the paranormal.

And this year, we have a special treat for you:

Joining us is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Deborah Blum to discuss the topic of ghosts and the supposed scientific evidence the top scientists in the world gathered at the dawn of the 20th century. While nearly forgotten today, there was a time when the study of ghosts was a serious academic discipline, and the results they came up with were... astonishing.

If you don't want your beliefs to be challenged, please consider skipping this episode. For the rest of you, buckle up.

Purity culture once dominated the American church scene, and the book at its center was I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. Now, over 25 years later, Joshua and Shannon, his wife, have divorced. Joshua has renounced Christianity, and, most recently, Shannon has released a new, different perspective, in a book called The Woman They Wanted, giving us a behind-the-scenes view of what really went on in their church and their marriage.

Now, in an exclusive interview, we talk to Shannon to hear all the hard truths of what really happened and what we can learn from the whole affair.

This is an episode you cannot miss!!!

Without a doubt, the subject of ghosts is an insanely popular one. Shows, movies, and ghost tours are a billion-dollar industry. But it's all fun and games. None of this has any basis in reality, right?

According to a new study, there may be something to it. Believe it or not, over 4 in 10 Evangelicals believe they have been contacted by a dead relative over the past year. And that number is below the overall percentage of the population.

What are we to make of this? Is contacting the dead real? Is it something we ought to pursue? Just in time for Halloween, we tackle the question of ghosts and how communication with the other side touches on our faith.

We all love a good story. We watch movies, listen to friends talk about their last vacation, or listen to podcasts (this one included) just to hear an entertaining and provocative tale. But one story trumps them all: the story of how we have arrived at our modern world.

With technology evolving every year, drugs lessening the effects of illness, and possibilities undreamt of just a few decades ago, it's easy to imagine that the story of how we got here is one of triumph. We've conquered the stone age, overcome every obstacle, and now the march of progress of inevitable.

Yet with lessening resources, dying environments, and threats of war and crises flavoring every news broadcast, it's time to ask, is the story we tell ourselves real? Or have we been lying to ourselves the whole time? Are we really progressing?

Here to help us through this tricky issue is Dr. Ryan McDermott, who runs the Genealogies of Modernity project. If you've ever felt not at home in the modern world, this is the episode for you.

In the first of its kind, Jonathan and Seth investigate some of the top news stories that have likely gone under your radar. With their normal irreverent attitude, they dissect some of the most important events through a theological and philosophical lens. One part humor, another part cutting critique of the modern world, it's an episode you won't want to miss.

This episode includes:

-Congressional hearings on UFO retrieval programs

-Invasion of the self-driving car

-Confessions of an ex-churchgoer

-The rise of homeschooling

-Much, much more!

While psychedelics seemed to have had their heyday in the 1970s, when hippies and the counterculture were all the rage, they now appear to be having a remarkable comeback. However, unlike the 70s, this revolution is being felt not just by the common person but also within the hallowed halls of academia. Psychedelic research is bigger than ever, and it's revealing some remarkable things. Could it be that these experiences, which often lead people to believe in the religious and supernatural, actually have some truth to them?

Here to help us through this thorny issue is Dr. Sarah Lane Ritchie, an expert on both theology and the research into these drugs.

We've all heard it before: God in the Old Testament just seems to be a different character than the one portrayed by Jesus. In the New Testament, God is loving, patient, and forgiving. In the Old, He sometimes appears vindictive, violent, and remarkably harsh. He commands the destruction of nations, kills countless people, and even floods the earth.

How do we reconcile the two images of God? Here to help us out with this age-old question is Dr. Matthew Lynch, who has recently published a work on the topic entitled Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God.

And, as usual, our Patreon subscribers get bonus content left out of today's interview!

Perhaps the most heated, contentious, and difficult topic in Western World today is the topic of abortion. For those in favor of it, it is a part of basic reproductive rights and necessary for ensuring full equality of women. For those against, it is the slaughter of unborn life on the altar of convenience.

Which position is right? Stereotypically, the church has sided with the pro-life camp, and many today continue in that tradition.

Dr. Calum Miller is one such person. In this second part of our two-part episode, we ask Dr. Miller to defend the stance that human life does, indeed, begin in the womb.

Perhaps the most heated, contentious, and difficult topic in Western World today is the topic of abortion. For those in favor of it, it is a part of basic reproductive rights and necessary for ensuring full equality of women. For those against, it is the slaughter of unborn life on the altar of convenience.

Which position is right? While the church has stereotypically sided with the pro-life position, there are many Christians who disagree with that stance.

In the first part of this two-part episode, we ask Rev. Jasmine Mimitzraiem to help us work through her case for why Christians ought to stand on the side of abortion's legality.

Many may be forgiven for thinking the primary target of evolutionary biologists has been the young earth creationist movement. With thinkers like Ken Ham stealing much of the spotlight in the media, it's easy to forget that another movement, one perhaps just as significant, has arisen in the past few decades to challenge the evolutionary hegemony.

The Intelligent Design movement continues to make a major impact on popular culture, perhaps most exemplified in the 2005 Dover trial that saw it brought to national attention. And in the past two decades, it has only grown and now boasts figures such as Gunter Bechly, Michael Behe, and Michael Denton. Yet perhaps most famous of them all has been Stephen Meyer, whose multiple works on Intelligent Design have generated millions of sales and endless conversations. With the release of his newest work, The Return of the God Hypothesis, he's here to discuss the basics, the best arguments, and the future of the movement he's helped to lead.

When most people hear the term "science and religion", they usually expect to hear something like "conflict" or "clash" soon afterward. The two domains, we are told, are in a constant state of warfare, and science has been on a triumphant march while religion slowly recedes into obscurity. In fact, this is often one of the first lines of attack against professing Christians.

Is this the case? Or has this supposed battle been highly overblown? In this episode, Jonathan asks Seth to step up and tackle the question himself. A Ph.D. candidate on the topic of science and religion, Seth also has graduate degrees from Oxford and Regent College in the subject. This episode tackles everything from the history of the conflict, why we still think this way today, and whether there is good scientific evidence for God.

For our Patreon subscribers, be sure to also check out an exclusive conversation on AI and theology.

In the West, romance is king. It's a billion-dollar film and book industry. Dating apps are everywhere, and it seems virtually every new song is about relationships. And they all seem to tell the same tale: you meet, you date, you fall in love, you know the rest...

But that's not the whole story. For many people even today, they didn't date their spouses. Many barely knew the person they would pledge their lives to. As antiquated as it sounds, there are millions who still practice arranged marriages in the 21st century. Perhaps this isn't too surprising, given the popularity of shows about matchmakers on today's streaming services. Yet why are we fascinated by these shows? And why are so many still willing to leave one of the biggest decisions of their lives to someone else?

Is there something we can learn from arranged marriages, something we have lost in our romance-obsessed culture? Here today to help us analyze Western culture's addiction is someone who is in an arranged marriage and can speak to its benefits and setbacks. Sherene Joseph, an accomplished writer in her own right and someone who has lived in both an Eastern and Western culture, seems like the perfect person to help us navigate the difficult road of love and marriage as we delve into one of the most difficult topics we have ever covered.

Origins Series, pt. 3: An Old Earth and the Historical Adam

There are so many questions Christians have about what to do with modern-day science and the Genesis text. Indeed, it sometimes seems like it might be the biggest barrier to having real conversations about faith. Does science undermine faith? Does one have to put their brain aside in order to believe the first pages of Scripture? Many have certainly claimed that, and others have tried to fight back against the scientific consensus.

Is there another option? In this week's episode, we're joined by Dr. Andrew Loke whose work has quickly placed him as one of the foremost defenders of Christianity today. In his most recent book, he defends not only a literal interpretation of Genesis that is compatible with an old earth but also a perspective that reconciles a historical view of Adam and Eve with genetic evidence. In his brilliant and succinct fashion, Dr. Loke gives us a summary of his radical and provocative new proposal that shows science and scripture are two complementary paths to the same truth.

Origins Series, pt. 2: Theistic Evolution

Evolution and Christianity have never been the best bedfellows. Just hearing the two terms together often evokes images of conflict and fierce rivalry. Both, it seems, cannot occupy the same territory. But does that need to be the case? While many have claimed the two can coexist, our guest today has an even more bold proposal:

Evolution may be Christianity's best friend. Dr. Zachary Ardern is here to show us just how he is able to pair both his faith and the science in a way that is not only compatible but complementary, and, as a trained Cambridge biologist, there are few more qualified to actually know the state of science today. According to Dr. Ardern, there is emerging evidence to show that the process of evolution itself has been finely crafted for the emergence of organisms like us. If this is true, then evolution may prove to be just as good of evidence for God as creationists and intelligent design advocates claim for their case.

Be sure not to miss today's mindblowing episode as we delve into the question of Darwinism and design!

Also be sure to check out our Patreon. We've just uploaded an unaired episode on abortion and the Supreme Court for your eyes only!

Origins Series, pt. 1: Young Earth Creationism

How old is the earth? Did God use evolution? How should we interpret the first few chapters of Genesis?

These are the questions that never seem to die... except, we are told, if you're a scientist. In fact, the story we often hear is that no self-respecting scientist would ever affirm young earth creationism. As it turns out, that's not the case, and our guest today, Dr. Marcus Ross, is living proof of that. A credentialed paleontologist, he is among a number of scientists who take the claims of a young earth seriously.

In the first part of our Origin Series, we ask Dr. Ross to explain just how he is able to hold together the claims of Genesis 1-2 and his scientific mind. We tackle everything from Noah's flood, radioactive dating, dinosaur blood cells, the growth of the young earth movement, and the current drama over Ken Ham's treatment of other young earth creationists. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks as we dive into other perspectives, including old earth views, theistic evolution, and intelligent design.

And for our PATREON subscribers, be sure to check out Jonathan and I's exclusive extended discussion!

Thanks to titanic franchises like Harry Potter and Dungeons and Dragons, the topic of witchcraft has never been more popular. These worlds offer a much-needed, magical escape from the mundane boredoms of the real world. But for many, the idea of witches is more than just a silly fantasy. In fact, the Wiccan religion has seen astronomical growth in the past few years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Millions now claim the faith as their own, and millions more likely will in the coming decades. Yet many, especially within the church, have no idea what Wiccans believe or what they practice. As medieval as it may sound, witches are the future, and this is a fact no one can ignore.

Do witches actually possess real powers? Can they command spirits? How ought we engage with the ever-rising tide of interest in magical abilities?

To help us understand this phenomenon and her own journey both into and out of Wicca, S.A. Tower joins us in what will likely remain one of our most haunting, jaw-dropping, and fascinating interviews ever.

Why are young people leaving the church in droves? That is the question that has been on the minds of Evangelicals for decades now, and over the past few years, the numbers have only seemed to skyrocket. Whether for political, ethical, or personal reasons, more and more millennials and gen-z are joining what has been collectively called the ex-vangelical movement. Who are they, and why has the movement gained such momentum?

Here to help us think through the topic is Jon Mathieu, an editor for the Christian Century and founding pastor of the post-evangelical Harbor Online Community. As a former evangelical minister himself, Jon talks to us about his own experiences and what he has seen from those in his community. Whatever your feelings on the topic, this conversation is vital for understanding what has become one of the most important events in the history of the American church. 

One of the few philosophical topics that has become mainstream is the idea that everything you know - your family, your friends, and even your whole life - is just the product of one giant simulation. We're all stuck inside a computer program with no way of figuring out that our world isn't really real (at least not real in the way we think it is!). As wacky as this idea sounds, it actually has been defended by many major thinkers, and people no less famous than Elon Musk, Neil Degrasse Tyson, and Joe Rogan have taken it seriously. It's an idea that just won't die, and, in fact, seems to be gaining in popularity.

Buckle up and get prepared to enter the Matrix, because on today's episode, we invite the philosopher extraordinaire Parker Settecase (host of Parker's Pensées) to explain the simulation hypothesis and what it might mean for the church. Should we fear it or utilize it? Does it rule out God? Is there even any evidence for it? Thank the programmers, Parker dives into the weeds on all these questions and more, helping us to grapple with what might be the popular philosophical topic in America today.

Listeners be warned: This episode is the most technical to date. Get your simulated brains ready for a hard but fascinating topic!

History books are filled with stories of colonization, oppression, and cultural genocide perpetrated by the hands of European settlers. It's an unfortunate saga, to say the least, and it is made all the more painful by the church's participation in the conquest. Across the world and to varying degrees, the church stood by and often participated in some of the most appalling instances of what would collectively be referred to as colonization.

To this day, it is a scar on the history of the church, and the involvement of missionaries in the building of European empires at the expense of indigenous people has led many to question whether missions as a whole bears a permanent mark of shame. Yet today, as much as ever, the church sends out missionaries in hopes of reaching others for Christ. How are we to square this with its less-than-perfect history? Are missionaries, as a whole, just perpetuating the sins of our past? Should the whole enterprise be abandoned? These are tough questions, and they deserve honest answers. 

Luckily, we have an expert. Today, with Dr. Chris DeWelt, we ask whether missionaries are still guilty of colonization. 

In the United States, we don't have a good history with royalty. As Lorde so aptly put it, we will never be royals. In fact, most of Western history has been one long slide away from monarchies. While the transition hasn't always been smooth, it's been consistent, and even in the UK, the monarchy is coming under severe attack. It seems that if we can agree on anything, it's that kings and queens are positively medieval.

Is that correct? It's rarely challenged, yet it's a question worth asking: Did we make a mistake by getting rid of royal lineages? Believe it or not, there are many today who think so, and Dr. James Orr, a Cambridge philosopher and guest on Jordan Peterson's Exodus series, joins us to defend the place of monarchy in our 21st-century world. 

In the second part of our alien series, we bring in Cambridge professor Andrew Davison, famed for a recent series of articles about theologians funded by NASA to investigate the religious implications of extraterrestrial life. Bearing the (remarkably appropriate) title Starbridge Professor in Theology and Natural Sciences, Dr. Davison has doctorates in both biochemistry and theology. In a book releasing next year, Dr. Davison tackles the most difficult issues around alien life and the church.

Will extraterrestrials need a savior?
Would God incarnate on their planet?
If we ever make contact, how ought the church regard such beings?

In this episode, we get a great sneak peek of his answers and ask him all the awkward questions every Christian has wondered yet few dare to ask. Grab your tinfoil hats and get ready for one of our best interviews to date!

It's been over five hundred years since the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, and tensions within the Western church haven't abated. However, the 20th century saw renewed efforts to open communication between the two largest branches of Christianity. Catholics began to refer to Protestants as "separated brethren" rather than heretics and schismatics. The formation of the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together was approved in 1994 which communicated a new era of ecumenicism. Yet the division remains, and there is little hope for further reunification in the near future. For many, this is no bad thing. 

In many Evangelical circles, accusations against Catholics are rampant: the worship of saints, extra-biblical heresies, and works-based salvation. Are they true? What do Catholics actually believe? What are the walls separating us, and are our battles better spent fighting the growing secularization of the West? Or would such an alliance ultimately prove harmful?  Here to discuss these increasingly important topics is Prof. Jonathan Reimer, the John H. Van Gorden Assistant Professor of History at Eastern University. Prof. Reimer is not only an expert in the Protestant Reformation but is himself a convert to Catholicism from Protestantism. As such, there seems to be no better person to talk for both sides and help illuminate us on the truths about the one billion-strong church next door. 

For those curious about what actually goes on behind those giant Gothic doors, this episode is for you. 

God's grace can cover any sin, right? Well, there is that one unforgivable sin, and then Jesus does say that those who don't forgive others won't be forgiven...

Does grace have a limit, then? And, if so, what is it? Are serial killers beyond the scope of forgiveness? In this episode, we tackle the bloody and horrific reality of serial killer conversions. Many high-profile murderers have become Christians in their final moments. How should we as Christians interpret this? Do we embrace them as fellow repentant sinners? Or does the reality of some unforgivable sins make us pause?

Demonic Possession. It's not something we usually like to talk about. For nonbelievers, it's the perfect example of the religious clinging to medieval superstitions. For believers, it is an uncomfortable and frightful topic, one few seem comfortable addressing. 

But is it real? Are there really dark forces lurking around us waiting to overtake our bodies? Do people really manifest ungodly, supernatural powers, or is this just a movie spectacle? In this Halloween special, we bring in Father Vincent Lampert to answer these very questions. If you don't know him, he is the designated exorcist of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, having performed dozens of exorcisms over the past few decades. We ask him to share his spookiest stories and convince us the devil truly does still haunt our modern world. 

For Christian and non-Christian alike, you will not want to miss this episode. 

Science fiction has had a heyday speculating on whether or not we are alone in the universe, but there are, in fact, real scientists trying to discover life on other worlds as we speak. What would it mean for our faith if they are successful? What would such life look like? 

On this week's episode, we ask Dr. Paul Rimmer, a Christian and geochemist at the University of Cambridge and the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe, about his thoughts on the question. As someone who has actually participated in this research, what are the chances we will find life on other worlds in our lifetime? How ought the church respond? How would it impact your faith? Should we baptize a Martian?

The idea that our souls are reborn over and over throughout history is a popular one among Eastern faiths (and a growing one in the West), but it's just something one takes on faith. It's not something Christians need to worry too much about.

Or is it? Well-credentialed scientists have made some shocking discoveries that may challenge the faith of many. How ought the church respond to the supposed scientific case for reincarnation? Is it an open and shut case? Or can we poke holes in the evidence?

In this week's episode, Jonathan and Seth explore the scientific case for reincarnation to see if really lives up to its paranormal claims.