Matters of Life and Death

Explore the origins of COVID-19, including the lab leak theory and gain-of-function research. Uncover the controversy surrounding the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the manipulation of animal coronaviruses. Learn about the timeline of COVID origins and the difficulty in determining the truth. Discover the cultural perspectives on loyalty and truth, with Christianity emphasizing truth-telling. Reflect on the importance of finding and telling the truth amidst competing interests.

The podcast discusses the compatibility of alternative health practices with Christian beliefs, the ethics of selling placebos in homeopathic medicine, the relationship between climate change and wildfires, the biases in scientific journal publishing, the importance of unsexy research, and the compatibility of the scientific method with Christian thinking.

The podcast discusses the theological foundation of creation and its significance in understanding modern issues. It explores the suspicion of the 'world' by the Brethren and the celebration of beauty. The role of music in worship and creation is examined, as well as the story of Eric Liddell and his faith. The Genesis account of creation is highlighted, along with the eternal value of worshiping God through His creation. The tragedy of neglecting creation in modern evangelical churches is also discussed.

The podcast discusses the conflict between the biblical Genesis account and the scientific evidence for an old earth. It explores the historical development of interpretations of Genesis and emphasizes the importance of dialogue between believers and skeptics. The podcast also delves into the contributions and limitations of philosophers and the significance of philosophy in shaping society.

Britain has been gripped by horror by the recent conviction of a neonatal nurse called Lucy Letby, who murdered seven premature babies and attempted to kill six others at the hospital where she worked. In this episode we discuss this horrifying and tragic story and whether Letby could or should have been stopped earlier. Will this case damage trust between parents and patients, and the medical professionals tasked with looking after them? Is it actually possible to prevent the one-in-a-thousand psychopathic killers from getting into positions of power over vulnerable people? What unintended consequences might result in our efforts to protect ourselves from dangerous and rogue individuals like Letby? And how might our Christian understanding of evil help us cope with the horrifying truth that an ordinary and unremarkable nurse could also be Britain’s worst child serial killer? There has been lots of excellent media coverage and investigations into the case for those who would like to read more: - We relied on the Sunday Times investigation in the episode a lot https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lucy-letby-files-nurse-hospital-evidence-rkxchgqh9 - The BBC have also done a thorough investigation https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66120934 - And this Guardian piece digs into the background of Letby https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/18/lucy-letby-the-beige-and-average-nurse-who-turned-into-a-baby-killer - 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 - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

We have another episode of listener questions today. First, we respond to feedback from a listener with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as ME) who queried how we spoke about the condition in our previous episode touching on Long Covid. What exactly do we mean when we talk about some illnesses being ‘psychosomatic’ and how has the scientific method itself started to break down in our efforts to get more insight into what CFS/ME really is? Then, we move on to a question from a listener who works at a university and is curious to know what will happen to academic and teaching assessments in an era when ChatGPT can answer written tasks for students. Will we have to move to in-person, oral examination entirely? Can large language model AI software really come up with genuinely new content, or is it simply a skilful rehash of human creativity? Don’t forget, you can send in your own questions for us to consider by emailing molad@premier.org.uk or tweeting Tim at twitter.com/tswyatt. - 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 - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

This week we have another classic episode of Matters of Life and Death from the archive. We invited theologian Andrew Davison to join us to talk through the spiritual ramifications of cosmology and what light thinking about the wider universe sheds on vital doctrines such as creation and incarnation. We then talked about the subject of his book, which is out now, on astrobiology - what would the discovery of life elsewhere in the universe mean for us as Christians and for what we believe about God? - Andrew’s new book, ‘Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine’, is available to order now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Astrobiology-Christian-Doctrine-Exploring-Implications/dp/1009303155 - 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 - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

Evolution versus creationism is the internal Christian argument which doesn’t go away. We recorded an episode last year exploring this knotty problem and how believers might go about trying to debate it respectfully even if they disagree. We look at the age of the Earth, common descent, natural selection, and the historicity of Adam, Eve and the Fall, to try and shed some light on this murky issue. - 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 - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

It’s been almost two years since we recorded an episode about abusive church leadership inspired by the downfall of Mark Driscoll and the Mars Hill church. Today we re-examine that conversation in the light of the latest scandal rocking the British evangelical church – allegations against Mike Pilavachi from Soul Survivor. We discuss his influence in the church and the impact of the latest stories, before cueing up our older discussion about how contemporary culture thinks about sex and power (and in particular how they are exploited) in human relationships. And then we consider to what extent Christians should become as suspicious of our leaders and their relationships, as it seems wider society is. - 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 - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

We’re bringing you a classic episode of Matters of Life and Death from the archive today, all about suffering. The problem of suffering has been one of the most intractable and painful theological debates for centuries. But is it perhaps not a problem to be solved, but a deeper mystery to be journeyed through? How does knowing Jesus’s death and resurrection are not simply a response to pain but God’s Plan A from the start change things? We also think through some faithful Christian responses to evil and loss. How can the church reintegrate the deeply Biblical tradition of lament into its corporate and individual life, picking up on the psalms and ultimately Jesus on the cross? - 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 - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com