Episode 149 – On Genuinely Seeking God

Also known as teenager God, who doesn’t want to come downstairs — apparently He loves you, but He’s not coming out of His room.

In this episode Matthew addresses one aspect of the hiddenness of the Christian god — specifically the claim that people only fail to find God because they never *truly* sought Him.

1. Sean McDowell’s original video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RvABkX8LnM

2. Greg Ganssle (Biola University)

https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/greg-ganssle

3. J.L. Schellenberg – Divine Hiddenness Argument (overview)

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/divine-hiddenness/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hBpZ-ystOg&list=PLKuMaHOvHA4qePAEaCyr77IieZRtuqEYm

4. works by Justin Barrett and Pascal Boyer

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:9fdfa5e2-249c-46fd-87da-0d13b60c3c37/files/m7e131b8b0742d6390becc105d9845469?utm_source=copilot.com

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/2153599X.2025.2474404?utm_source=copilot.com

In this Episode of Still Unbelievable, Matthew chats with David from Skeptics and Seekers, see link in the show notes.

David and Matthew are going to do a regular catchup to talk about current events and a lot of nonsense. This first chat is over 3 hours and covers politics, DNA, family ancestry, Matthew reveals that he's discovered a dark secret in his family, you have to listen to find out what that is, moving house, apologetics and a few other things.

As always, leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments or email reasonpress@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

Skeptics and Seekers

https://skepticsandseekers.squarespace.com/

Matthew's DNA traits reveal video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qO8drPlx7w

---------

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Apostate book:

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To contact us, email: reasonpress@gmail.com

our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonpress2901

Our Theme Music was written for us by Holly, to support her and to purchase her music use the links below:

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EP148 - Tiffany Yecke Brooks - To Rebehold the Stars

In this episode Matthew is in conversation with Tiffany Yecke Brooks, author of To Rebehold the Stars — a book that doesn’t shy away from the hardest questions about faith, silence, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves about God. Tiffany invites us into a space where certainty dissolves, where divine silence feels indistinguishable from absence, and where the work of knowing one’s authentic self can be both unsettling and necessary.

She challenges us to interrogate our assumptions: about spirituality, about the body’s role in emotion and trauma, about whether mystical experiences require anything supernatural at all. This is a book that pushes us out of our comfort zones — not to destroy faith, but to examine it honestly. We're grateful to have Tiffany here to explore these tensions, and to talk about what it means to rebuild meaning when the old frameworks no longer hold.

1) To Rebehold the stars

https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802884367/to-rebehold-the-stars/

https://www.tiffanyyeckebrooks.com/books

2) 2014 Aalto University Study

https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/finnish-research-team-reveals-how-emotions-are-mapped-in-the-body

3) The Body Keeps The Score

https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/

https://www.simplypsychology.org/the-body-keeps-the-score-summary.html

4) Apocrypha

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocrypha

5) The Maccabees

https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10216-maccabees-books-of

Still Unbelievable! book: https://amzn.eu/d/fmsN1Cw

Apostate book: https://amzn.eu/d/9RIUZYx

To contact us, email: reasonpress@gmail.com

our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonpress2901

Our Theme Music was written for us by Holly, to support her and to purchase her music use the links below:

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Episode 147 James McGrath - Beyond Deconstruction.

In this episode of Still Unbelievable! Matthew is in conversation with James McGrath about his book, Beyond Deconstruction. James extolls us all to be kind and considerate when facing the deconstruction of cherished beliefs. In a world where the extremes are becoming more fractured and the calm middle seems to no longer exist, James reminds us that progress is only made when we actually stop and consider our fellow humans and appreciate beauty and the nuance of existence.

1) Beyond Deconstruction - Building a More Expansive Faith - James F. McGrath

https://www.eerdmans.com/9781467468817/beyond-deconstruction/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Deconstruction-Building-Expansive-Faith/dp/0802884598

2) James F. McGrath

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionprof/2025/03/are-you-losing-your-faith.html

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionprof/

https://blue.butler.edu/~jfmcgrat/

3) Walter Wink

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Wink

4) James with Alex on John the Baptist

https://youtu.be/WqkkfnlttOI?si=3xCBb_t5LIk8D6sw

5) YouTube Interview with James on Deconstruction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4lG6QtDF3Q

6) Ryan Burge, Scholar of Religion and Politics

https://www.drburge.com/

7) Deconstruction & Support Communities

- Recovering From Religion — https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org

- The Clergy Project — https://clergyproject.org

- Reclamation Collective — https://www.reclamationcollective.com

- Religious Trauma Institute — https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com

- The Liturgists Community — https://theliturgists.com

- Exvangelical (Podcast + Community) — https://exvangelicalpodcast.com

- Almost Heretical (Podcast + Discord) — https://almostheretical.com

- The Deconstructionists Podcast — https://thedeconstructionists.com

- Oasis Network (Secular community gatherings) — https://www.oasisnetwork.com

United Kingdom

- Humanists UK — [https://humanists.uk]

- Faith to Faithless (Humanists UK) — [https://faithtofaithless.com]

- The Sea of Faith Network — [https://www.sofn.org.uk]

United States

- Recovering From Religion — [https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org]

- The Clergy Project — [https://clergyproject.org]

- Oasis Network — [https://www.oasisnetwork.com]

- Reclamation Collective — [https://www.reclamationcollective.com]

- Religious Trauma Institute — [https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com]

Canada

- Centre for Inquiry Canada — [https://centreforinquiry.ca]

- Canadian Unitarian Council — [https://cuc.ca](https://cuc.ca)

- Local Humanist Groups (via Humanist Canada) — [https://www.humanistcanada.ca]

Australia

- Humanists Australia — [https://humanistsaustralia.org]

- Rationalist Society of Australia — `https://rationalist.com.au` - Atheist Foundation of Australia — `https://atheistfoundation.org.au`

Still Unbelievable! book: https://amzn.eu/d/fmsN1Cw

Apostate book: https://amzn.eu/d/9RIUZYx

To contact us, email: reasonpress@gmail.com

our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonpress2901

Our Theme Music was written for us by Holly, to support her and to purchase her music use the links below:

https://hollykirstensongs.com/

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Episode 146 - Suicide and the Communion of Saints. In this episode of Still Unbelievable! Matthew is joined by wife Sarah to talk with priest and author Rhonda Mawhood Lee. She writes compassionately about suicide in her book, Suicide and the Communion of Saints see the show notes for further information, where there are additional mental health and suicide resources.

If you wish to send feedback on this collaboration contact us at reasonpress@gmail.com.

1) Suicide and the Communion of Saints

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suicide-Communion-Saints-Rhonda-Mawhood/dp/0802884717

https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/theology-books/liberation-theology/suicide-and-the-communion-of-saints/

2) more about Rhonda

https://faithandleadership.com/authors/rhonda-mawhood-lee

https://www.eerdmans.com/author/rhonda-mawhood-lee/

https://thrivinginministry.org/authors/

3) Alexander Murray - Suicide in the Middle Ages: Volume 2: The Curse on Self-Murder

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=trene_8DY10C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://academic.oup.com/book/1711

4) the catholic view on suicide and why it changed

https://christianfaithguide.com/what-is-the-catholic-churchs-view-on-suicide-the-catholic-position-on-suicide/

5) suicide by proxy

https://daily.jstor.org/suicide-by-proxy/

6) Elizabeth Antus

https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/003Hp00002jNaqrIAC/elizabeth-antus

https://www.ncpd.org/events/where-god-when-somebody-dies-suicide-updated-consideration-divine-mercy-and-justice

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/boisi-center/events/archive/spring-2019/Elizabeth-Antus.html

https://theologicalstudies.net/articles/the-silence-of-the-dead-remembering-suicide-victims-and-reimagining-the-communion-of-saints/

https://philpapers.org/s/Elizabeth%20L.%20Antus

7) biblical references and thoughts

Ahithophel’s suicide - 2 Samuel 17:23.

Samson’s death - Judges 16:30

Hagar going into the wilderness known death would come - Genesis 21:16

did Paul consider suicide?

8) Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 1 — Laertes at Ophelia’s funeral

https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/5/1/

9) suicide and mental health resources

UK:

Samaritans

- 24/7 phone: 116 123

- Email: jo@samaritans.org

NHS 111 (Option 2 in some regions)

- Phone: 111

Shout Crisis Text Line

- Text: “SHOUT” to 85258

Childline

- Phone: 0800 1111

- Website: childline.org.uk

YoungMinds Crisis Messenger

- Text: “YM” to 85258

Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline

- Phone: 0300 330 0630

Papyrus (for under 35s)

- HOPELINE247: 0800 068 4141

- Text: 07860 039967

USA:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

- Call: 988

- Text: 988

- Chat: 988lifeline.org

Crisis Text Line

- Text: “HOME” to 741741

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth)

- Call: 1‑866‑488‑7386

- Text: “START” to 678678

- Chat: thetrevorproject.org

Trans Lifeline

- US: 877‑565‑8860

Mental Health America

- Website: mhanational.org

Canada:

988 Suicide Crisis Helpline (Canada)

- Call or Text: 988

Talk Suicide Canada

- Call: 1‑833‑456‑4566

- Text: 45645 (evenings)

Kids Help Phone

- Call: 1‑800‑668‑6868

- Text: “CONNECT” to 686868

Trans Lifeline (Canada)

- Canada: 877‑330‑6366

Australia:

Lifeline Australia

- Call: 13 11 14

- Text: 0477 13 11 14

- Chat: lifeline.org.au

Suicide Call Back Service

- Call: 1300 659 467

13YARN (for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples)

- Call: 13 92 76

Kids Helpline

- Call: 1800 55 1800

- Chat: kidshelpline.com.au

QLife

- Call: 1800 184 527

- Chat: qlife.org.au

Still Unbelievable! book: https://amzn.eu/d/fmsN1Cw

Apostate book: https://amzn.eu/d/9RIUZYx

To contact us, email: reasonpress@gmail.com

our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonpress2901

Our Theme Music was written for us by Holly, to support her and to purchase her music use the links below:

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Episode 145 Downsizing: Letting Go of Evangelicalism’s Nonessentials.

In this episode of Still Unbelievable Matthew is in conversation with Michelle Van Loon, a writer with a Jewish upbringing who converted to evangelical Christianity as a teen. She gives her perspective on both traditions. Hear what drew her towards Christianity, what she carried from Judaism, and what she thinks people often misunderstand about Jewish identity and practice.

They discuss:

- her experiences inside evangelicalism, including patterns of spiritual abuse. Are these isolated situations or symptoms of deeper issues around evangelism and revival culture, that protect harmful behaviour.

- religious trauma, what led Michelle to seek counselling, and how others might identify and recover from similar experiences.

- What churches might need to let go of, how “downsizing” can compliment deconstruction and how a downsized community might look.

- And of course her favourite bible character

1) Downsizing: Letting Go of Evangelicalism’s Nonessentials

https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802884626/downsizing/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224465982-downsizing

https://bobonbooks.com/2025/09/15/review-downsizing/

https://amzn.eu/d/6VE2CxW

2) Follow Michelle

https://michellevanloon.substack.com/

https://thesageforum.com/about-us

3) Michelle's other books

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/383322.Michelle_Van_Loon

4) Deconversion Anonymous

https://www.facebook.com/groups/deconversion

5) Religious Trauma

https://www.empathyparadigm.com/religioustrauma

https://therapist.com/trauma/religious-trauma/

https://resilientmindcounseling.com/10-signs-you-may-be-experiencing-religious-trauma/

6) Jewish Chosenness

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-quot-chosen-people-quot

Still Unbelievable! book: https://amzn.eu/d/fmsN1Cw

Apostate book: https://amzn.eu/d/9RIUZYx

To contact us, email: reasonpress@gmail.com

our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonpress2901

Our Theme Music was written for us by Holly, to support her and to purchase her music use the links below:

https://hollykirstensongs.com/

https://hollykirsten.bandcamp.com/

Episode 144 - Angela J. Herrington - Embracing the Old Witch in the Woods

In this episode of still Unbelievable! Matthew interviews Angela Herrington author of Embracing the Old witch in the woods. Angela has written another book, Deconstruct your faith without losing yourself. She is a beautiful human being who puts enormous effort and thought into affirming others and guiding them into being validated versions of themselves. We found her book thought provoking and challenging as well as heart warming and helpful. When you've listened to this, please support her by buying her books. Links below.

Angela, is the first of several author conversations that we will publish in 2026. This year is going to be a busy year here at Still Unbelievable!

1) Embracing the Old Witch in the Woods

https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835233/Embracing-the-Old-Witch-in-the-Woods

2) Angela's website

https://angelajherrington.com/about/

https://angelajherrington.com/press/

https://angelajherrington.com/books-by-angela-j-herrington/

3) The Relentless Indigenous Woman

https://relentlessindigenouswoman.ca/

https://relentlessindigenouswoman.ca/pages/podcast

4) intersectionality explained

https://www.britannica.com/topic/intersectionality

5) perpetual virginity of mary

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/how-to-explain-the-perpetual-virginity-of-mary

6) Mary did not have consent

https://blakehereth.com/uploads/1/2/7/5/127509046/w_mary_did_you_consent_.pdf

7) Wilda Gafney

https://www.holytroublemakers.com/revgafney

https://www.wilgafney.com/

8) Wounds into Wisdom by Tirzah Firestone

https://amzn.eu/d/8GeBkgp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirzah_Firestone

9) other trauma healing resources

It Didn’t Start with You - https://amzn.eu/d/3kL8uaZ

My Grandmother’s Hands - https://amzn.eu/d/3Y6C8FC

The Body Keeps the Score - https://amzn.eu/d/iS56mLX

Healing Collective Trauma - https://amzn.eu/d/85L1mM6

Break the Cycle - https://amzn.eu/d/bVJObFT

Survivor Café - https://amzn.eu/d/8iYALqB

https://www.balancedmindstherapy.com/blog/healing-intergenerational-trauma

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-flourishing-family/202107/breaking-the-chains-generational-trauma

https://thepsychologycompany.co.uk/unraveling-the-threads-understanding-and-healing-intergenerational-trauma/

Still Unbelievable! book: https://amzn.eu/d/fmsN1Cw

Apostate book: https://amzn.eu/d/9RIUZYx

To contact us, email: reasonpress@gmail.com

our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonpress2901

Our Theme Music was written for us by Holly, to support her and to purchase her music use the links below:

https://hollykirstensongs.com/

https://hollykirsten.bandcamp.com/

In this episode of still unbelievable, Matthew reviews an episode of the Unbelievable? podcast. It's an episode that features Stephen Law and Michael Jones in conversation. He'll mostly focus on the things that Michael Jones says, because through his channel, Inspiring Philosophy, he says things about Christianity which are Unbelievable!, at least to the listener who is prepared to fact check things. Which sadly, most christians are not, so let us do that job for you so we can all see how Christianity always was, and is Still, Unbelievable!

1) original episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UOwOCGIPzQ

https://www.premierunbelievable.com/unbelievable/does-humanism-or-christianity-offer-the-world-a-better-future-mike-jones-inspiring-philosophy-vs-stephen-law/19875.article?fbclid=IwY2xjawMFQvhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHn10xC1NvdZ0kJ4DK7W0wbeHoLbQEzThrFMsbk6TOJmSPwV_cM7ThYeErj5m_aem_DpmX3nw7Y91-weiovn7nqw

2) Dr Stephen Law

https://lifelong-learning.ox.ac.uk/profiles/stephen-law

3) Michael Jones

https://www.inspiringphilosophy.com/team

4) 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 (ESV)

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

5) Foundations of Modern Science in the Middle Ages, Edward Grant

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YyvmEyX6rZgC&pg=PA223&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

6) The Byzantine Empire

https://www.worldhistory.org/Byzantine_Government/

7) Forced Conversion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_conversion

8) Human rights

https://www.un.org/en/about-us/udhr/history-of-the-declaration

9) Life Unwasted Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/show/4z1czHu4yiCPXGU4gauvkM

10) Robert Woodberry and the Benefits of Protestant Missions

https://tifwe.org/robert-woodberry-and-the-benefits-of-protestant-missions/

11) Critique of Robert Woodberry

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-political-science/article/abs/conversionary-protestants-do-not-cause-democracy/89D4552E3CEED18F62E94E4ABEF322F6

12) National context, religiosity, and volunteering: Results from 53 countries

https://research-portal.uu.nl/en/publications/national-context-religiosity-and-volunteering-results-from-53-cou

13) Community involvement and mental health

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/england/node/9466

https://www.jstor.org/stable/30038985

14) Secularism and Fertility Worldwide

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/23780231211031320

15) Is the Earth really overpopulated?

https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/is-the-earth-really-overpopulated/

16) Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?, By Eric Kaufmann

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/shall-the-religious-inherit-the-earth-by-eric-kaufmann-1939316.html

17) Human Rights

https://www.questjournals.org/jrhss/papers/vol10-issue3/Ser-2/B10030812.pdf

https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/human-rights-explained-human-rights-origins

https://polsci.institute/comparative-politics/human-rights-evolution/

https://lawbhoomi.com/evolution-and-historical-development-of-human-rights/

18) Children in Antiquity and Early Christianity: Research History and Central Issues

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/50604571.pdf

19) Ancient Marriage in Myth and Reality

https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-2261-9-sample.pdf

20) John W. Compton

https://academic.oup.com/book/32101

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywrobxq-h7U

Still Unbelievable! book: https://amzn.eu/d/fmsN1Cw

Apostate book: https://amzn.eu/d/9RIUZYx

To contact us, email: reasonpress@gmail.com

our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonpress2901

Our Theme Music was written for us by Holly, to support her and to purchase her music use the links below:

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https://hollykirsten.bandcamp.com/