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Why are we even talking about God? It’s a fair question. In a world of deadlines, distractions, and endless entertainment, why spend an evening discussing faith over a pint of beer? Yet despite all our progress and technology, the big questions refuse to disappear. Why are we here? Does life have meaning? Is there something—or Someone—beyond ourselves?

In the first episode of ‘God, Beer and the Meaning of Life’, Pete from the Curious Team sits down with his friend Tony, who isn’t a Christian but is curious enough to ask questions that many people think about but rarely say out loud. Together we explore where that curiosity comes from, whether belief in God is rational or merely emotional, and whether the God question actually matters at all. If God doesn’t exist, does it change anything? And if He does, could there be any more important question to ask? This isn’t a debate to be won or a sermon to be endured—it’s the beginning of an honest conversation about the questions that lie just beneath the surface of everyday life.

Further Reading
Here’s a bit of homework for you….we’ve included a few articles that compliment this episode….

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/what-scientific-proof-do-we-have-that-there-is-a-god/

https://activechristianity.org/from-atheism-to-christianity-how-i-know-god-exists

https://philosophynow.org/issues/99/Does_God_Exist


What we’re reading?
As a feature to our notes, we are adding the book or books that we’ve browsed related to this episode…enjoy!

C. S. Lewis—
Mere Christianity

Timothy Keller—
The Reason For God

Send your questions or thoughts to: theologyforthecurious@gmail.com

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We have never been more connected, and yet many of us have never felt more distracted, hurried, and restless. Our phones sit beside our beds, our notifications interrupt our conversations, and our attention is constantly being pulled in a thousand directions. We can reach almost anyone at any time—but what might this perpetual connectedness be doing to our souls?

In this episode, the Curious team sit down with sociologist and author Dr. Felicia Wu Song to explore the promises and perils of life in the digital age. Together we ask some unsettling questions: How is technology shaping our understanding of personhood, presence, and community? Why do so many of us struggle to be still? What happens when there is never silence, never solitude, and never a moment when we are simply present before God? While recognising the remarkable benefits of digital technology—education, support, and meaningful connections—we also consider its hidden costs and the practical wisdom needed to reclaim attention, recover deeper relationships, and cultivate spaces where our hearts can once again hear the voice of God.

Further Reading
Here’s a bit of homework for you….we’ve included a cross section of articles here for further reflection;

https://www.christianitytoday.com/podcasts/viral-jesus/felicia-wu-song-perils-of-digital-discipleship/

https://publicchristianity.org/podcast/the-year-of-getting-off-your-phone/

https://youtu.be/J71qzk_wMd4?is=TCwnKvZUt1go1QSW


What we’re reading?
As a feature to our notes, we are adding the book or books that we’ve browsed related to this episode…enjoy!

Felicia Wu Song—
Restless Devices – Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age

Amy & Andy Crouch—
My Tech-Wise Life: Growing Up and Making Choices in a World of Devices


Samuel James—
Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age

Send your questions or thoughts to: theologyforthecurious@gmail.com

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Few theological labels generate as much heat—and as many misconceptions—as Calvinism. In this episode of Theology for the Curious, we sit down with historian and theologian Ken Stewart to discuss his insightful book Ten Myths About Calvinism and to separate fact from fiction when it comes to one of Christianity's most debated traditions. Is Calvinism simply whatever John Calvin taught? Must every Calvinist subscribe to TULIP as the ultimate test of orthodoxy? Does belief in God's sovereignty inevitably portray God as unloving, arbitrary, or selective in His affections?
Together we examine some of the most common objections levelled against Reformed theology and ask whether they genuinely reflect what Calvinists have historically believed. We explore the perennial questions of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, wrestle with accusations that Calvinism undermines free agency, and consider whether doctrines such as election discourage evangelism, missions, prayer, or personal holiness. We also discuss the pastoral concerns often raised against Calvinism: Does it produce spiritual anxiety, fatalism, or doubt about salvation? Or can it, rightly understood, foster assurance, humility, confidence in God's grace, and zeal for gospel ministry?
Throughout the conversation, Ken Stewart brings both historical depth and theological clarity, helping listeners understand how Calvinism has been caricatured, where legitimate criticisms should be acknowledged, and what a healthy, Christ-centred expression of Reformed theology should sound like in the church today. Whether you are convinced by Calvinism, sceptical of it, or simply curious about what it actually teaches, this episode offers a thoughtful and charitable exploration of one of the most influential streams within Christian theology.

Further Reading
Here’s a bit of homework for you….we’ve included a few articles that compliment this episode….

https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/what-is-reformed-theology

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/does-calvinism-discourage-evangelism/

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-does-a-sovereign-god-love


What we’re reading?
As a feature to our notes, we are adding the book or books that we’ve browsed related to this episode…enjoy!

Kenneth J Stewart—
Ten Myths About Calvinism

R C Sproul—
Chosen by God

Michael Horton—
For Calvinism

Send your questions or thoughts to: theologyforthecurious@gmail.com

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Pornography is often spoken about as a problem "out there" in the culture, but what if the reality is much closer to home? In this candid and compassionate episode of Theology for the Curious, we sit down with sexual and relationship psychotherapist Paula Hall to explore one of the most significant yet often hidden challenges facing the modern church.
Drawing on years of clinical experience, Paula helps us understand why pornography use is as prevalent within Christian communities as it is outside them and why so many believers find themselves trapped in cycles of shame, secrecy, and repeated failure. We discuss the statistics that reveal the scale of the issue, challenge the assumption that this is a struggle limited to a small minority, and unpack the important distinctions between occasional use, problematic pornography use, compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, and addiction.
Along the way, we explore the psychological and neurological shifts that can move someone from recreational use to compulsive patterns, the role that emotional pain and coping mechanisms often play, and the profound tension many Christians experience between their values and their behaviour. Paula also helps us understand the difference between impulse control problems and genuine addiction, offering practical insight into how these issues can be identified and addressed.
We explore the often-overlooked impact on spouses and loved ones, discussing the pain, betrayal, and confusion that can accompany these struggles, and the liberating truth behind the "three Cs"—you can't control it, you didn't cause it, and you can't cure it. Yet this conversation is far from hopeless. We conclude by exploring Paula's framework for recovery and lasting change, offering a realistic but deeply hopeful vision for freedom, healing, and restoration.
Whether you are struggling personally, supporting someone who is, or simply seeking to understand this issue more clearly, this episode offers wisdom, honesty, and hope in equal measure.

Further Reading
Here’s a bit of homework for you….we’ve included a few articles that compliment this episode….

https://thelaurelcentre.co.uk

https://fightthenewdrug.org/#the-issue

https://www.covenanteyes.com


What we’re reading?
As a feature to our notes, we are adding the book or books that we’ve browsed related to this episode…enjoy!

Paula Hall—
Understanding and Treating Sex and Pornography Addiction

Jay Springer—
Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing

Michael John Cusick—
Surfing for God

Patrick Carnes—
Out of The Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction

Send your questions or thoughts to: theologyforthecurious@gmail.com

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What happens to those who never heard the gospel? Is death the final boundary of human response to God, or might there be an opportunity for salvation beyond the grave?
In this fascinating episode of Theology for the Curious, we sit down with Professor Jim Beilby to discuss his thought-provoking book Postmortem Opportunity: A Biblical and Theological Assessment of Salvation After Death. Together we explore one of the most debated questions in Christian theology: whether there is any possibility of salvation after death and how such a view differs from both universalism and the traditional understanding of eternal judgment. We examine key biblical texts often cited in the discussion, including the difficult passages of 1 Peter 3 and 4, where Christ is said to have proclaimed a message to the spirits in prison, and consider whether these verses suggest a postmortem opportunity for faith. At the same time, we wrestle with passages that appear to teach the finality of death and judgment, such as Hebrews 9:27 and Luke 16. Along the way, we discuss the theological, pastoral, and moral implications of the debate: if another opportunity exists after death, what becomes of the urgency of repentance and evangelism today? How should Christians understand the reality of hell, divine justice, and eternal separation from God?
Whether you find Beilby's proposal persuasive or problematic, this conversation will challenge you to think deeply about the character of God, the scope of salvation, and one of the most profound questions facing Christian theology.

Further Reading
Here’s a bit of homework for you….we’ve included a few articles that compliment this episode….

https://www.equip.org/PDF/JAJ773.pdf

https://bibleq.net/answer/6803/

https://growrag.org/2019/03/28/a-brief-contra-to-the-possibility-for-post-mortem-salvation-with-reference-to-new-testament-teaching/


What we’re reading?
As a feature to our notes, we are adding the book or books that we’ve browsed related to this episode…enjoy!

James Beilby—
Postmortem Opportunity

Ed: Stanley Gundry and Preston Sprinkle—
Four Views on Hell

D A Carson—
The Gagging of God

Send your questions or thoughts to: theologyforthecurious@gmail.com

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Click here to text us your thoughts and questions!

Few doctrines generate as much discussion, discomfort, and debate as the doctrine of reprobation. In this episode, the Curious team sit down with theologian Peter Sammons, author of ‘Reprobation and God’s Sovereignty’, to explore one of the most challenging questions in Christian theology: if God graciously chooses some unto salvation, what does that mean for those who are not chosen?
Together they discuss the crucial distinction between preterition and double predestination, wrestle with Romans 9 and the hardening of Pharaoh, examine divine love, justice, fairness, and human responsibility, and consider how concepts such as concurrence and compatibilism seek to explain God’s sovereignty without making Him the author of evil. Along the way, Peter offers both biblical and pastoral reflections on how Christians can approach these weighty truths with humility, confidence, and worship.

Further Reading
Here’s a bit of homework for you….we’ve included a cross section of articles here for further reflection;

https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/double-predestination-biblical

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/doctrine-of-reprobation/

https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/predestination-what-does-mean-non-elect


What we’re reading?
As a feature to our notes, we are adding the book or books that we’ve browsed related to this episode…enjoy!

Peter Sammons—
Reprobation and God’s Sovereignty

R C Sproul—
Chosen by God

John Piper—
The Justification of God

Send your questions or thoughts to: theologyforthecurious@gmail.com

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Click here to text us your thoughts and questions!

What does it really mean to be free? If God is sovereign over all things, are our choices genuinely ours? And if human beings are unable to choose God apart from divine grace, how can they be held responsible for their actions?
In this episode, the Curious team sit down with theologian and author Scott Christensen to explore some of the most challenging questions in theology and philosophy. Together they unpack the nature of the human will before and after the fall, the meaning of freewill, libertarian freedom, determinism and compatibilism. They discuss why we do what we do, whether our desires shape our choices more than we realise, and what it means to say that we are free to choose what we want, but we’re not free to choose what we choose! Along the way they tackle difficult questions about God‘s justice, human responsibility, and whether accountability can exist without ultimate self—determination.

Whether you are wrestling with these issues for the first time or have studied them for years, this conversation will challenge assumptions and deepen your understanding of one of theology’s most endurable debates.

Further Reading
Here’s a bit of homework for you….we’ve included a cross section of articles here, some of which may not fully capture the convictions of the Curious team, but in the interest of balance they are included;

https://www.renewingyourmind.org/2026/03/04/what-is-free-will

https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/ultimately-with-rc-sproul/do-we-have-free-will

https://www.christianity.org.uk/article/predestination-and-free-will

What we’re reading

As a feature to our notes, we are adding the book or books that we’ve browsed related to this episode…enjoy!

Scott Christensen—
What about Free Will? Reconciling Our Choices with God's Sovereignty

R C Sproul—
Willing to Believe: The Controversy over Free Will

Edited by David and Randall Basinger—
Predestination and Free Will – Four Views of Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom

Send your questions or thoughts to: theologyforthecurious@gmail.com

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Click here to text us your thoughts and questions!

What do we do with a world that feels so full of beauty… and yet so marked by brokenness? In this episode of the Curious team sit down with Dr. James Anderson to explore one of the deepest and most personal questions we face: why does evil exist at all? Together, we gently unpack what we even mean by “evil,” where it might come from, and how it fits, or doesn’t seem to fit, with a God who is good, sovereign, and unchanging.

Along the way, we touch on big ideas in simple ways… free will, suffering, purpose, and whether evil is something God merely allows or somehow weaves into a greater story. But this isn’t just philosophy. It’s about the questions that surface in real life, in grief, in injustice, in the quiet moments when things don’t make sense.
We’re not offering neat answers or quick fixes. But if you’ve ever wondered whether the presence of evil means the absence of God… or whether there might be a deeper, redemptive thread running through it all… this conversation might open a door you didn’t expect.

Further Reading
Here’s a bit of homework for you….we’ve included a couple of articles that compliment this episode….

The Problem of Evil - TheGospelCoalition.org

The Problem of Evil - CSLewisInstitute.org

The Problem of Evil - WhyChristianity.org.au

What we’re reading?
As a feature to our notes, we are adding the book or books that we’ve browsed related to this episode…enjoy!

C. S. Lewis — The Problem of pain

Alvin Plantinga — God, Freedom and Evil

Ed David and Jonathan Gibson — Ruined Sinners to Reclaim

Send your questions or thoughts to: theologyforthecurious@gmail.com

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