Topic Guide
What Is Christianity?
Christianity is a subject covered in depth across 1 podcast episode in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Christianity
New atheism
A philosophical movement, popular in the early 2000s with figures like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, that advocates for a secular, rational worldview and critically examines religious belief. The guest argues it was more effective in academic discourse than in providing practical meaning for real life (03:04, 04:04).
Expressive individualism
A sociological term describing a cultural trend that glamorizes individual autonomy, remote work, and delayed personal commitments. The episode links this to people feeling 'unanchored' and experiencing increased mental health issues, contributing to a search for deeper meaning (07:09-08:09).
Verbal plenary inspiration
A Christian theological term explaining the nature of biblical authorship. It states that while human authors wrote the Bible's 66 books (verbal, plenary), they did so under the guidance and influence of the Holy Spirit (inspiration), making it the inspired word of God (18:24).
Mythological drift
A concept referring to the potential for stories to become exaggerated or corrupted over time, similar to the 'Chinese whispers' game. The guest argues this was mitigated in biblical accounts by the ancient world's oral culture, multiple witnesses, and the apostles' public proclamation of events in 'the scene of the crime' (24:32-26:34).
Problem of evil
A prominent philosophical and theological challenge to the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God, questioning why such a God would permit suffering and evil. The guest counters that acknowledging 'evil with a capital E' implicitly points to a standard of 'good with a capital G' and thus a moral lawgiver (43:55-45:58).
Intelligent design
A view that certain features of the universe and living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, rather than an undirected process like natural selection. The guest, while not a scientist, aligns with this perspective for explaining the origins of life and the universe (53:40, 63:50).
What Experts Say About Christianity
- 1.Wesley, a historian and theologian specializing in ancient biblical manuscripts, contends that widespread belief in the 'lie that we are the sum of our actions' leads to a world 'lacking in purpose and meaning' (00:00).
- 2.He notes a recent reversal of the decline in religion, with 63% of US adults identifying as Christian, Bible sales hitting a 21-year high in 2025, and Christian and gospel music streams increasing by 20% in 2024 (02:02).
- 3.Wesley argues that the 'new atheism' movement, while influential in print, failed to provide practical answers for ultimate identity questions and meaning in a complex, over-connected world (04:04).
- 4.He presents the historical case for Jesus by comparing the four biographical accounts (Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and earlier writings by Paul to the four biographies of Emperor Tiberius, noting a 'phenomenal amount of source information' for Jesus (12:16, 14:21).
- 5.Addressing the 'gap' argument between Jesus's life and written accounts, Wesley explains that the ancient world was an oral culture (15:56), and 99% of historians agree the New Testament books were written 'in the lifetime of the eyewitnesses' (22:27).
- 6.He debunks the 'Chinese whispers' analogy (23:28), arguing that stories were told in large groups with many witnesses, and the disciples proclaimed the resurrection in Jerusalem, 'the scene of the crime,' a risky act if disingenuous (25:33, 26:34).