Matters of Life and Death

Tim Cross, retired British Army Major General turned lay minister and leadership writer. He talks about reconciling Christian faith with military command. Short reflections cover conversion in service, moral complexity of combat, just war questions, technology and AI in warfare, and care for soldiers' souls.

They discuss why many young people now prefer being “spiritual” over “atheist,” embracing astrology, crystals, witchcraft and mindfulness. Historical ideas of disenchantment and modernity are explored. The conversation weighs whether this re-enchantment is a chance for churches or a spiritual risk and surveys different Christian responses and approaches to formation.

Justin Brierley, podcaster and journalist who hosts Unbelievable and wrote The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God, explores whether a Quiet Revival is drawing young men back to church. He discusses evidence from studies and Bible sales, social and cultural drivers like Covid and social media, the role of influencers and political overlap, and how churches might welcome seekers from unexpected places.

A wide-ranging look at spiritual evil as a real, personal force alongside human wrongdoing. They trace how materialism and therapeutic thinking have obscured demonized agency. Biblical motifs like Jesus binding the strong man, Christus Victor, and spiritual armor are explored. The conversation connects cosmic conflict to culture, politics and even AI, urging renewed attention to discernment and prayer.

Tim recently spent a few weeks researching AI misinformation in the church context for a newspaper article, and that serves as the jumping off point for today’s conversation. What are Christian AI experts saying about the way our online world is filling up with AI generated nonsense and fake images and videos? Are there useful ways to use this increasingly powerful new technology for the kingdom? Or is the church’s role to stand against a society losing its grasp on objective reality and the difference between the real world outside and the world on the screen? • You can send in your questions for us to discuss on the podcast, or ideas for future episodes, to molad@premier.org.uk • Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 • If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com • Find some of Tim's journalism and sign up for free to his weekly church news newsletter The Critical Friend: https://tswyatt.com • For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

They trace psychedelics from counterculture taboo to clinical renaissance and microdosing trends. Ancient shamanic ritual use and biblical contrasts get examined. Neuroscientific theories about how these drugs alter brain connections are unpacked. Risks such as psychosis triggers and bad trips are discussed. Christian moral reflection, authenticity of spiritual experiences, and the balance between brain science and whole-person care are explored.

A landmark trial alleges social platforms design addictive features that harm teenagers. They debate whether courts can hold tech firms accountable and compare legal tactics with past public-health lawsuits. The conversation contrasts Australia’s under-16 ban with harm-minimisation approaches and explores how design, advertising models and platform immunity shape youth risk.

They revisit the parliamentary clash over assisted dying, focusing on the flood of amendments and whether that was scrutiny or obstruction. Listeners’ defenses of Lords’ procedures and the tension between elected and unelected chambers get debated. Conversation then shifts to Sarah Mullally’s rise from nurse to Archbishop and how her NHS experience might reshape church leadership and ties with healthcare.

Last year, the democratically-elected MPs of Britain’s House of Commons passed by a margin of 23 votes a bill to introduce assisted suicide for the first time. Before it can come into force, the bill has to also be approved by the UK’s unelected upper chamber of parliament, the House of Lords. Here it has started to founder, as opposition grows and the parliamentary procedure is gummed up by a thousand separate amendments. For those of us who think assisted dying will be a disaster, is this kind of political dirty war the right way to go to stop a bad bill becoming law? Or should we admit defeat and allow a bill approved in a free vote by the representatives of the people to pass, rather than tear up democracy in the process? What could be lost as collateral damage in the increasingly ugly battle over assisted suicide? And what are the Christian roots of the tradition of giving our lawmakers the freedom to vote their consciences on ethical issues like this, anyway? Our last podcast after the assisted dying bill was first approved by the House of Commons: https://www.johnwyatt.com/the-assisted-suicide-bill-has-been-passed-by-parliament-what-comes-next/ John’s briefing on the legislation, circulated to all MPs ahead of the original vote: https://www.johnwyatt.com/leadbeaterbill/ • You can send in your questions for us to discuss on the podcast, or ideas for future episodes, to molad@premier.org.uk • Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 • If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com • Find some of Tim's journalism and sign up for free to his weekly church news newsletter The Critical Friend: https://tswyatt.com • For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

Elly Hanson, a clinical psychologist who advised the John Smyth review, explains how evangelical culture can enable abuse. She outlines how hierarchies, patriarchy, loyalty and grooming create vulnerability. Short, sharp takes on boarding-school pipelines, spiritual manipulation, and whether conservative communities can reform without losing convictions.