Abstract
In November 2005, the first episode of Unbelievable? aired on Premier Christian Radio, a show whose premise encourages debate between apologists for Christianity and their atheist and sceptic opponents. In an increasingly secularised society, where discussions of faith have become progressively marginalised in favour of ideologies including those of the New Atheism movement, the show’s host and author of Unbelievable? Why, After Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I’m Still a Christian Justin Brierley aims not only to bring many of the show’s conversations to a wide readership, but endeavours to defend his own Christian beliefs.
With 2.5 million downloads of the show’s podcast per year, Unbelievable’s audience is undoubtedly wide reaching, figures reflected in the calibre of Brierley’s guests, who have in the past included renowned and respected Christian academics Michael Licona, Gary R. Habermas and Richard Bauckham amongst many others. But it is Brierley’s conversations with prominent atheists Richard Dawkins and the British illusionist Derren Brown which offer the greatest apologetic perspectives on the most popular common objections against the case for God, including the science versus religion debate, moral arguments surrounding good and evil and why human suffering exists. It is these issues which form the basis of Brierley’s debut and which he answers with convincing authority. Presenting evidence in support of some of the show’s most debated subjects, for example the resurrection of Jesus, Brierley’s arguments are thoroughly researched and often strengthened by historical factual events verified by scholars across the academic spectrum.
Inspired from a young age by the writings of C. S. Lewis, Brierley unlike many of his contemporaries, chooses to deconstruct the stereotypical world view of atheists as ‘cold-hearted and rationalistic’ people, instead describing many of his own very personal, moving and heartfelt encounters with proponents of what he terms, Atheism 2.0. A movement away from ‘the brash fundamentalism’ of the atheist philosophies of Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris, Brierley aims to humanise the Christianity debate beyond the vitriolic exchanges which have come to characterise so many of the discussions which take place online and via social media platforms.
Reporting that UK church attendance has declined from 11.8% of the population in 1980 to 5% in 2015, the challenges of engaging with a wide reaching demographic on the subject of faith are immediately apparent. Yet Brierley’s persuasive and engaging tone, accompanied by his steadfast belief, enables Unbelievable? to succeed in presenting the fundamental principles of apologetics to a mainstream audience, from Christians and theists to the most sceptical of atheists.