“Apologetics today is more about explaining to the church what is going on in the world than explaining to the world what the church teaches.” This is a view held by author, theologian and ecclesiastical historian Carl Trueman. In his latest book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (2020), he investigates the foundations and developments of the current secular age and sexual revolution as symptoms, rather than the causes, of the human search for identity. In this latest interview,...

Do we fully appreciate the power of art and creativity in reconciliation processes? When considering conflict, both global and local, how can understanding the imago dei (image of God) influence advocacy? Peter and Jo chatted with artist and activist Hannah Thomas. Hannah was selected for Forbes 30 under 30 in 2019, and nominated for a UN Women UK Award in 2020, and her art projects have been exhibited in Buckingham Palace, the Scottish Parliament and the Saatchi Gallery. Through portrait...

In a culture that idolises desire, but lacks real intimacy, can we tell a better story? And is this possible when some mainstream theology has perpetuated unhelpful conceptions of desire, and its potential for knowing God?     Originally from Sydney, Australia, David Bennett is an author, communicator, and scholar currently completing a doctorate in theology at Oxford university. His first book, A War of Loves (2018) describes his own story from atheistic gay activism to becoming a follower...

In an age characterised by information overload and difference of belief, it can be challenging to learn how to engage well in discourses swirling round in our headlines, Twitter feeds and churches. As followers of Jesus, our engagement can start with learning how to read well and listen attentively. Nobody understands this better than reader, writer and academic Karen Swallow Prior. As a professor of English and Christianity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina,...

How we think our story is going to end has massive implications on the lives we live today. Is the outcome certain or left contingent on the rises and falls of social opinions and actions?  On the right and left we face stories of utopia and dystopia with no clear vision of a bright and beautiful destination. But advertisers are keenly aware that there is power in our telos stories to shape our behaviours, and we want to shape our work on the proper vision of the end.  Join Peter and Jo as we...

The pandemic has challenged how all of us think about community. Our assumptions have been exposed. We find ourselves rethinking what it means to be a human in community. The church has a long tradition of prophets and reformers who have challenged and deconstructed for the sake of rebuilding on a firm foundation. While not all deconstruction is constructive, some Christian leaders are using this moment to realign our church practices with our God-given mandate and mission.  So what is the...

It’s in the backdrop of darkness that the light shines brightest. When God’s people felt abandoned in exile, the gospel changed everything. The marginalised were brought in and the powerful were humbled. The pinnacle of the God story is all about the beautiful paradox that sacrifice is the mechanism of hope. Our fears and doubts are no longer barriers to God, but become the occasion our Saviour draws us near.  If you’re feeling at all like Peter and Jo, you’re ready for some good news in the...

The world is changing. It can feel like it’s changing so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Things we once thought were true or good or right are now either up for questioning or seen as downright wrong. Our culture has changed so much that it can feel like we’re living in exile even in our homeland. Our culture today tells a story of individual expression, where being human is fundamentally about living out of our internal identity, working out what’s true for ourselves and pursuing our 'best...

Are all of our disagreements about justice in the world simply power struggles? Our global and neighborhood communities seem to constantly clash over imbalances and injustices. It seems as if we are watching a stage play where different actors constantly switch the roles of victim and oppressor.  The standard of true justice in the God story is not contingent upon the shifting sands of power struggles. Rather, we see that real justice is rooted in morality and defined by the character of God....

What does it mean to live in relationship? Culture today governs our relationships through the ideas of choice, consent and contracts. As individuals, we relate to ours on our own terms and break relationships when they fail to meet our needs. We see these stories bubble up in marriages, international commitments and through the latest hashtag #cancelculture. The God story invites us into covenant relationship with God and his people. The books of Joshua and Judges present a robust...

The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted so many of our personal liberties and limited our daily choices. Does that mean we are no longer free? Join hosts Peter and Jo in this week’s episode of Being Human as we look at a foundational God story of what it means to have freedom. The great novelists always seem to worry human beings risk losing their freedom, but they don’t always agree what that will look like. Recent conversations about social media has have suggested we worry so much about...

Being human in a networked world - Part 2Are conspiracy stories the real pandemic of 2020? Stories like QAnon have spread with just as much vigor and speed as the novel coronavirus. What parables can Christians hear in recent events?   Mark Sayers, author, thinker, speaker, podcaster, and pastor from Melbourne, Australia, joins Jo and Peter for a two-part conversation around what it means to be human in the global network of connections we find ourselves in today.   Listen now to part...

Bonus Episode – Part 1The COVID-19 virus has shown us all just how connected our world has become. Just like a tiny virus can spread across the globe, our connected societies have shown us that stories can travel with just as much speed and impact.Mark Sayers, author, thinker, speaker, podcaster, and pastor from Melbourne, Australia, joins Jo and Peter for a two-part conversation around what it means to be human in the global network of connections we find ourselves in today.Listen now to the...

S2E03: The problem is meWhat’s wrong with our world? What drives us apart? Things get gritty in this week’s episode of Being Human, as Peter and Jo wrestle with the conflict driving our story forward.We all seem to know something is off, but in the stories we listen to, what carries the plot along? If conflict is the engine, who is driving the car? Are we the heroes in the stories we tell ourselves, and if so, who is the villain?The God story surprises us with an inconvenient narrative. The...

S2E02: Foundation storiesWhat are the stories that we build our lives on? Are they strong enough for us to build our purpose, identity and behaviour upon?  Join us for a new episode of Being Human as our hosts Jo and Peter examine the different stories that are trying to frame the deepest parts of who we are.Some of the narratives promoted by public figures in our culture—from David Attenborough, to Marie Kondo, to Jordan Peterson—may offer some helpful advice or call us to do good and noble...

Whose lives matter? Diving in at the deep end, Jo Frost and Peter Lynas are back for a new season of the Being Human podcast.

Being Human in lockdown; special edition. Peter and Jo are back! With a series of specials looking at the effects of the coronavirus crisis on the fundamental questions we ask about who we are and how we are to live. In this episode we look at dignity and the value of life.

Episode 8: I'm only human after all. Jo and Peter, separated thanks to the coronavirus, chat through the series so far. Reflecting on some of the bigger stories we've looked at, from Love Island to China, from Augustine to Donald Trump we are asking what does being a person of freedom look like when we live through times of extreme restriction. As well as looking back, we also look forward to conversations we have planned for Being Human; image, identity, relationship and purpose are all in...

Episode 7: Free speech. Through issues surrounding no platforming, cancel culture, Donald Trump and hospitality, Peter and Jo discuss many of the stories that have been hitting our news feeds recently. Exploring the idea of freedom of speech, and the role of control, we chat about how we can extend hospitality to those we disagree with.

Episode 6: Freedom, justice and jubilee. Jo and Peter discuss stories and ideas around the massive ideas of forgiveness, reconciliation, power and retribution. With a minor diversion to tech and social media and some misquoting of the Bible, we look at the intractable relationship between freedom and justice, issues of the misuse of power in places like Myanmar and how poverty feeds injustice. We look at the impact of focusing on Jesus at the centre of our story, and how understanding jubilee...

Episode 5: Freedom, liberalism and democracy. Jo and Peter geek-out exploring the critical role of the public square. From Reith lectures, through pelagianism, with a brief stopover with Harry and Meghan, to Tim Farron and the current state of political parties. Throughout it all we're asking "Is liberal democracy under threat and should we care?"

Episode 4. Freedom of religion, China and AI. How does technology and the control of data affect our freedom? Peter and Jo discuss China’s global influence, advances in AI and the implications for freedom of belief and religious and minorities persecution.

Episode 3. Peter and Jo discuss Facebook, Tinder, and data mining. They explore how we as followers of Jesus can seek the presence of God in a culture where image shapes identity and technology is a significant driving force shaping the story in our society today.

Episode 1. Jo and Peter explore the meeting place between what our culture talks about in terms of being human and what the Bible says. When we talk about ideas of freedom, identity, purpose, meaning, do we mean the same thing? Jesus offers life in the fullness, Paul wrote it is for freedom that we have been set free. Does the picture our culture paints of what freedom looks like, match the bigger story outlined in the Bible?

Episode 2. How does Love Island or dating apps form, reform and deform our desires? What impact does that have on our understanding of, and access to, freedom? We are storied creatures, stories shape who we are. The story of the world appears to be one of individual freedom - I get to be who I want to be and date or sleep with whom ever I like - that is being free. But freedom isn’t about choice, it isn’t even about control. The biblical story shows us that ultimately freedom is rooted in a...