Best Undeceptions Ltd Podcasts (2025)

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African Jesus 1:04:22

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3d ago1:04:22

1:04:22

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 …

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158. Faith Factor 55:25

10d ago55:25

55:25

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 (…

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REWIND: Mental Health 16:06

25d ago16:06

16:06

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 r…

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REWIND: Decoding Dreams 28:29

1M ago28:29

28:29

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'.By Undeceptions Ltd

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157. Why Believe? 1:27:31

3M ago1:27:31

1:27:31

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 reli…

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156. Question Answer XIV 39:55

4M ago39:55

39:55

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!By Undeceptions Ltd

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155. Good Pope 1:16:45

4M ago1:16:45

1:16:45

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, pr…

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REWIND: Emotional Intelligence 16:33

4M ago16:33

16:33

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 Intellige…

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154. Boy Jesus 1:12:04

5M ago1:12:04

1:12:04

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 gro…

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Postcard from Busselton 14:22

5M ago14:22

14:22

A trip to Western Australia brought Laurel to the famous Busselton Jetty - a 1.8 km timber-piled jetty stretching out into the Indian Ocean - the longest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Initially built for practicality, the jetty is now a tourist destination and even features on postcards. The way it reaches out with such purpose is similar…

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153. The Chemists 1:15:52

5M ago1:15:52

1:15:52

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…

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Imagination 14:55

5M ago14:55

14:55

In Romans 12, the Apostle Paul has a challenge for Christians: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” But where can we actually start with this renewal?…

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152. God Laments 1:14:35

5M ago1:14:35

1:14:35

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 …

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York Lane 16:27

5M ago16:27

16:27

Along York Lane in the Sydney CBD are alcoves and recessed doorways set into the buildings. It was in one of these recessed doorways where a man named Karl used to live (or rather, sleep). Hundreds of people passed Karl every day - and sadly, in 2013, Karl died in his sleep, exposed on York Lane. However, in a remarkable postscript, his long-lost b…

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151. Mary Magdalene 1:11:43

5M ago1:11:43

1:11:43

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 w…

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Sacred Bin Chicken 15:31

5M ago15:31

15:31

The gap between what an Ibis is made for and what it does in the city becomes very apparent once you see it in its natural habitat. The Ibis is made to roam marshlands and use their elegant bills to dig for crayfish and mussels - not for scraps of rubbish in bins. But like these birds, we also often lose sight of the type of world we are made for a…

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150. Jesus' Trials 1:27:02

6M ago1:27:02

1:27:02

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?By Undeceptions Ltd

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Molasses 9:53

6M ago9:53

9:53

No matter how well things may seem, everyone faces times of testing where every day can feel like wading through thick sludge. But these challenges can also sometimes be, like molasses, unexpectedly sweet.By Laurel Moffatt

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149. Our Hymn 1:05:23

6M ago1:05:23

1:05:23

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…

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Cast and Care 13:21

6M ago13:21

13:21

God is never far off - we can talk to him at any time. But sometimes, strange as it may seem, casting our anxieties on the creator of all things feels like the hardest thing in the world to do.By Laurel Moffatt

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148. The Anthropologists 1:13:39

6M ago1:13:39

1:13:39

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 …

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Kissinger's Hat 11:59

6M ago11:59

11:59

So much of our world is built on hierarchical relationships. If one is of more excellent status, importance, or class than another, that can dictate so much of their interactions. A meeting with the late Henry Kissinger two decades ago brought this reality into focus for our host - and reminded her how this is anathema to the Creator of all things.…

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Entertaining Angels 17:16

6M ago17:16

17:16

A verse in Hebrews reminds us that when we help a passerby, there might be more going on than we expect. "Don't forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels." However, what if angels have entertained us? What if we've encountered these celestial warriors and never realised?…

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REWIND: Jesus Philosopher 30:34

6M ago30:34

30:34

The cliche: ‘faith’ is the antithesis of knowledge, of wisdom and therefore “Christian philosophy” is an oxymoron, right? For this Undeceptions rewind, we speak to two Christian philosophers who explain why that’s not the case. Available now, wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, listen to the episode in full: Episode 57 'Jesus…

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The Library: Part 2 15:29

7M ago15:29

15:29

More often than not, libraries collect and organise works of human creativity, intellect and industry. They are repositories of finished works. Books and recordings, films and magazines and many more - all discrete units of human creation. Archives, in contrast, provide us with the backdrop to the works, the settings, the background, and the workin…

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REWIND: Danger - Proselytising 18:56

7M ago18:56

18:56

Why are Christians such god-botherers? Is it possible to share your belief system with someone who doesn’t accept it without being a jerk? In this Undeceptions rewind, we revisit a conversation about why Christians are so committed to sharing their faith with others - and why, if done right, it can be life changing. If you like what you hear, liste…

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Introducing Small Wonders season 4 16:39

7M ago16:39

16:39

Words can change lives – whether on paper, on screen, or spoken down a phone line. A library has an abundance of words – and an abundance of opportunities to change a life. After a long break, Laurel Moffatt returns with season 4 of Small Wonders! Undeceptions is pleased to introduce our listeners to this podcast in our network. Each episode of Sma…

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The Library: Part 1 15:29

7M ago15:29

15:29

Welcome to a new season of Small Wonders! This is the first of a two-part series on the power of words. People read for different reasons. For some people, reading is work; for others, it's a hobby. Sometimes, reading can cause something within us to shift; we might go from wanting to read to needing to read. Our lives can suddenly - unexpectedly -…

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147. On Hell 1:40:55

8M ago1:40:55

1:40:55

Hell is one of the most difficult parts of Christian belief - but of all the characters in the Bible, no one comes close to using the word "Hell" as much as Jesus does. So, what did he mean, how is it plausible, and what does it matter?By Undeceptions Ltd

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REWIND: Kingdom Come 23:10

8M ago23:10

23:10

As we gear up for a special episode on the difficult topic of Hell, we first bring you this Undeceptions Rewind looking at what the Bible says about Heaven. This rewind is from episode 64 'Kingdom Come'By Undeceptions Ltd

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146. Question Answer XIII 1:01:31

9M ago1:01:31

1:01:31

Is Christianity an offshoot of an ancient fertility cult? Why do the Gospels only talk about Jesus' genealogy in connection to Joseph? Is there a place for Christian patriotism? John answers all these and more in our Season XIII Q&A! (00:00) - - Intro (04:16) - - Missionaries (12:02) - - Anglicanism (16:06) - - Resurrection science (25:17) - - Inte…

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145. Second Act 1:21:43

9M ago1:21:43

1:21:43

The Acts of the Apostles is the epic sequel to Luke's Gospel. It follows the dramatic events immediately after the resurrection of Jesus, and follows how the first Christians - led by perhaps the most unlikely person - took the news of the Messiah to the edges of the Roman Empire - and beyond. (00:10) - - A Biblical sequel (04:50) - - The genre of …

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144. Into Wine 1:10:02

9M ago1:10:02

1:10:02

If we’re talking only about liquids you drink—because the water in the Bible is washed in, crossed over, and even walked on once—wine is no.1. Wine appears more than 200 times in the Bible. And almost all of them are positive references—not critiques. Christianity has a long, rich history with wine. But oftentimes, we’ve made it much more complicat…

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143. Virgin Mary 1:17:43

9M ago1:17:43

1:17:43

There's just something about the Virgin Mary. She stirs up big feelings - she has for millennia. Some have perhaps given her more prominence than she would feel comfortable with. Others have hacked down her statues in reforming zeal. Others never think about her, except when they come across a nativity scene in a shopping mall (and even that’s beco…

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142. First Hymn 1:05:57

10M ago1:05:57

1:05:57

In the 3rd century, in the Ancient Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus, a group of Christians composed a song of praise set to the pagan music of the time. Now, 1800 years later, John Dickson is working with two of the world's best songwriters to bring this lost song - this First Hymn - back to life. Along the way, they make some incredible discoveries ab…

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141. Bible Genres 1:01:46

10M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

With 66 different books composed across literally thousands of years, it's fair to say the Bible is a complex read. But it doesn't have to be. The key to understanding the Bible is understanding the different literary genres.By Undeceptions Ltd

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140. Disenchanted Age 1:12:17

10M ago1:12:17

1:12:17

The great project of the Enlightenment was to bring reason to the forefront. No more would humans be held back by superstitions: the power of the mind was all that was needed for advancement. Three centuries on though, and some people are beginning to think the pendulum has swung too far. Celebrated journalist and public intellectual Stan Grant joi…

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139. Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1:17:33

10M ago1:17:33

1:17:33

A new movie has been released this week about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was killed by the Nazis for his involvement in a plot to kill Hitler. Bonhoeffer's fame has ballooned into a kind of mythology that has seen people of all stripes "claim" him as their own. But our guest for this episode says that if we only think of him as a “h…

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SINGLE: Environmental Jesus 10:37

10M ago10:37

10:37

Sam Allberry was involved in environmental activism when he became a Christian - a development that his activist friends saw as bad news. After all, why would a follower of a religion that looks forward to the coming of a new Earth be concerned with the state of the current world? For Sam though, becoming a Christian led him to a very different con…

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SINGLE: 39 Books 29:08

11M ago29:08

29:08

The Old Testament is sacred not just to the Christian but also to the Jewish religion. Its 39 books cover thousands of years with an array of literary genres including poetry, history, creation myth, apocalyptic, and song. It can be confusing and overwhelming - but luckily, John happens to work in the same building as a leading expert on it all who…

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REWIND: Global Christianity 11:53

11M ago11:53

11:53

The 21st century has seen—and will continue to see—the rise of Christianity in the ‘Global South’, with surging conversion numbers in Asia and Africa. That’s according to Gina Zurlo, a leading authority on Christian demographics, and our guest on episode 75, ‘Global Christianity’. According to Gina, while the Western world is grappling with secular…

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REWIND: Christian Revolution 26:13

12M ago26:13

26:13

We interviewed Tom Holland, historian and co-host of the extraordinarily popular podcast The Rest is History, back in 2021 for episode 45, Christian Revolution. At the time Tom wouldn’t have called himself a Christian (and we won't speak for him now), but he was adamant that not only is Christianity good, but our very sense of what good is comes fr…

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138. Van Gogh 1:01:06

1y ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Artists have used their tools not just to capture beauty and transcendence, but also the essence of what it means to be human. In this episode, we learn from history's greatest artists about loss, hope, the ugly, and the sublime. What lessons can we take from these broken artists? What might their observations about the world tell us about God? (04…

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137. Bible Unlocked 1:04:41

1y ago1:04:41

1:04:41

Is there a "right" way to read The Bible? Millennia of Ink has been split trying to answer that question. Surely if The Bible is God's word it should be easier to understand, right? Well, some experts think there is a right way to read scripture. What we need is a key to unlock The Bible for us. (00:48) - - The Rossetta Stone (05:02) - - Reading th…

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136. Question Answer XII 1:00:15

1y ago1:00:15

1:00:15

Why did God make the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Can Christians smoke weed? Why does God allow natural disasters to happen? John Dickson tackles your questions in one of our best Q&A episodes yet!By Undeceptions Ltd

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135. Intelligible Universe 1:11:44

1y ago1:11:44

1:11:44

Famed Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once (well, several times actually) claimed Christianity was irreconcilable with the science of the Universe. But there's plenty of scholars who beg to differ. Recorded live in Brisbane at the State Library of Queensland. (01:08) - Show begins (05:42) - Introducing Peter Harrison (08:41) - Did we used to hav…

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134. History Wars 1:12:30

1y ago1:12:30

1:12:30

Is history under threat? Increasingly, the modern, individualistic global West is coming to see history as a discipline that's irrelevant, harmful, and divisive. Some are worried that we're becoming increasingly disconnected from a broader story. Can the past help us navigate our modern world? Or is it better if we let it fade into a "dark age"? (0…

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133. Why Trust? 1:06:37

1y ago1:06:37

1:06:37

Trust is everywhere. It underpins our institutions, our health, and our relationships. However, experts are worried that the world is facing a trust crisis. If so much of our lives depend on it, what could happen if trust starts to break? In this episode, we spend some time talking about institutional church abuse. Check the time codes below if it …

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132. True Crime 44:01

1y ago44:01

44:01

True Crime is one of the most popular genres of film, podcasting, literature, and TV worldwide. We are obsessed with tales of the morbid, dark, and most importantly, true. As one cold-case detective believes, we can't get enough true crime because of what it teaches us about our human nature. But that same detective found that these lessons on huma…

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131. English Language 1:01:37

1y ago1:01:37

1:01:37

Half a billion people alive today speak English as their first language. But how you speak English depends on where you live, where you come from, and how it was taught to you. It's truly a universal language. So - what's its history? If this is the language that has done the most to spread Christianity (as some claim), how have its quirks influenc…