Almost Heretical
Christianity isn’t about pretending to believe something you know isn’t true. Former pastor Nate Hanson and Bible scholar Shelby Hanson sit down with leading scholars and thinkers to hear their best case for Christianity. We bring the tough questions, the doubts, the pushback, and the "but what about…" not to tear it down, but to show why it’s worth holding on to. With over 2 million downloads, Almost Heretical has become a space for doubters, seekers, and believers to discover a faith built on reason, history, and hope.
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Topics: faith and reason, christian belief, apologetics, faith and science, biblical studies, scripture study, science and faith, case for christ, richard bauckham
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#144 – Jon Foreman: Leaving the Christian Label
Jon Foreman discusses deconstruction, rejecting Christian labels, and embracing community over tribalism in a divided culture.
46 min
27
#143 – Candida Moss (Part 2): Uncovering Biblic...
Delving into the manuscript traditions, writing processes, and the role of dictation in early Christian texts.
34 min
28
#142 – Candida Moss (Part 1): Enslaved Authors ...
Discovering the hidden contributors to the New Testament and their impact on our faith.
35 min
29
#141 – Rethinking the Tower of Babel
Exploring the Tower of Babel: Language, Culture, and Interpretation
21 min
30
#140 – Frank Kenny: Unveiling the God of War
Exploring the historical conflicts and contexts that have shaped modern Christianity.
48 min
31
#139 – Brian McLaren: Christianity Beyond Belief
Exploring a Christianity Focused on Actions, Not Beliefs with Brian McLaren
50 min
32
#138 – Olivia Jackson: Why Christians Deconstruct
Do people really deconstruct for street cred?
36 min
33
#137 – Tim Alberta: Reject Trump, Embrace Jesus
How can Christians navigate politics with grace? How should the church respond to cultural shifts and conflicts?
64 min
34
#136 – Tiffany Yecke Brooks: Spiritual Anxiety ...
Breaking Free from Spiritual Anxiety and Religious Trauma
58 min
35
#135 – Thomas Jay Oord: Open Relational Theology
Exploring the transformative concept of a God who loves, influences, and is influenced by us.
63 min
36
#134 – Dr. Laura Anderson: Sex, Dating, Courtsh...
How Does Religious Trauma Shape Us? Can Purity Culture Distort Love?
57 min
37
#133 – David Fitch: Is God's Love Coercive?
David Fitch debates with Nate and Shelby about whether God's love is coercive.
54 min
38
#132 – Elaine Pagels: Trump and Doubting Thomas
Did the gospel of John pull a Trump and create Doubting Thomas? What can we learn from the Gospel of Mary?
60 min
39
#131 – Peter Rollins: The Philosophy of Deconst...
Unraveling Belief and Unbelief
75 min
40
#130 – Anna Gazmarian: Religious OCD and Mental...
Faith and Seeking Support: Can the Church Embrace Mental Health Struggles?
39 min
41
#129 – Did Noah's Ark Actually Happen?
Noah's ark means something completely different
43 min
42
#128 – Nephilim and Gender Dynamics (Genesis 6:...
Uncover the Nephilim, their biblical significance, and enduring mysteries of the sons of God.
44 min
43
#127 – Eve and the Apple (Genesis 3)
Satan, Paul and Women's roles
31 min
44
#126 – Marriage, Gender, and Homosexuality (Gen...
Is Genesis 2:24 an institution of heterosexual marriage? Does it matter?
31 min
45
#125 – Rethinking Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:7)
Did the Tree of Knowledge Really Cause the Fall? Why No Mention of Satan?
31 min
46
#124 – How was light created before the sun? (G...
What have we been missing in the creation story? What does the Sun being created before “Light” mean? Why do we have two different creation stories?
52 min
47
#123 – Rainn Wilson: Spirituality and the Meani...
When did the West lose spirituality? What is the motivation to love? What would Dwight Schrute think of all this?
67 min
48
#122 – Neil deGrasse Tyson: Christianity and th...
Is there evidence Jesus rose from the dead? What does Neil say to the pushback from Christians that "science is always changing so you can't trust it"? Is the U.S. a Christian nation?
65 min
49
#121 – Many Creation Stories (Genesis 1:1-5)
Dig deeper into Genesis 1:1-5 to see things we may have missed.
45 min
50
#120 – Sex, Orgasm, Masturbation and Purity Cul...
We talk about orgasm, sex education and masturbation.
69 min