The Peter S. Williams Podcast

With permission, I'm re-hosing this episode of the Persuasive Evangelism Podcast from March 25th 2026:

Research indicates that many people will first consider whether Christianity is something good, before they consider whether or not it is true. But for both these questions, the discipline of philosophy informs how we think about them. Can a stuffy old academic discipline really help much with modern spiritual questions? Steve Osmond and Simon Wenham learn more about what philosophy and apologetics brings to evangelism.

Our Guest

Peter S Williams is a Christian philosopher and apologist based in Southampton, England, He is an “Adjunct Professor in Communication and Worldviews” at NLA University College, in Kristiansand, Norway. Peter’s books include: Stepping Stones to Christianity: Reflections on Intelligent Design, Natural Theology, and the Historical Jesus (Wipf and Stock, 2025), A Faithful Guide to Philosophy: A Christian Introduction to the Love of Wisdom (Wipf & Stock, 2019), and A Sceptic’s Guide to Atheism (Paternoster, 2009).

Talk given on the NLA University College UK Study Tour, at English L'Abri Fellowship, in September 2025.

Lecture on apologetics given to participants on the NLA University College UK Study Tour, at L'Abri English Fellowship, Sept 2025.

While there's some overlap between this and my five part podcast/video series on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty (see http://podcast.peterswilliams.com/?s=Introducing%20Truth%2C%20Goodness%2C%20and%20Beauty & https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQhh3qcwVEWgKmNMPUP-dv2HF6rFsfx0p), there's also some new material here, defending the objectivity of these transcendentals against arguments to the contrary. I've added this to the podcast series tag listed above as a supplemental "appendix"!

Audio from my input to an online teaching session for NLA University College, Norway, September 11th 2025.

Part one of a five part video series introducing the transcendental values of truth, goodness and beauty. Created for NLA University College, Norway, in September 2025. See my YouTube Playlist, "Introducing the Transcendentals: Exploring Truth, Goodness, and Beauty." https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQhh3qcwVEWgKmNMPUP-dv2HF6rFsfx0p

Part two of a five part video series introducing the transcendental values of truth, goodness and beauty. Created for NLA University College, Norway, in September 2025. See my YouTube Playlist, "Introducing the Transcendentals: Exploring Truth, Goodness, and Beauty." https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQhh3qcwVEWgKmNMPUP-dv2HF6rFsfx0p

Part three of a five part video series introducing the transcendental values of truth, goodness and beauty. Created for NLA University College, Norway, in September 2025. See my YouTube Playlist, "Introducing the Transcendentals: Exploring Truth, Goodness, and Beauty." https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQhh3qcwVEWgKmNMPUP-dv2HF6rFsfx0p

Part four of a five part video series introducing the transcendental values of truth, goodness and beauty. Created for NLA University College, Norway, in September 2025. See my YouTube Playlist, "Introducing the Transcendentals: Exploring Truth, Goodness, and Beauty." https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQhh3qcwVEWgKmNMPUP-dv2HF6rFsfx0p

Part five of a five part video series introducing the transcendental values of truth, goodness and beauty. Created for NLA University College, Norway, in September 2025. See my YouTube Playlist, "Introducing the Transcendentals: Exploring Truth, Goodness, and Beauty." https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQhh3qcwVEWgKmNMPUP-dv2HF6rFsfx0p

Audio from a video I made in August 2025 as introductory material for the NLA University College UK Study Tour.

The video is available on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60M2vl4Z6xc&t=1s

Audio from a video I made in August 2025 as introductory material for the NLA University College UK Study Tour.

The video is available on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkiqxw3xOhk&t=1s

Audio from a video I made in August 2025 as introductory material for the NLA University College UK Study Tour.

The video is available on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd-F0KyaAI0&t=19s

As Douglas says in this promo - there are actually a lot of things we can know about reality. Astrid agrees. And she says the question of God is for absolutely everybody. Thomas from Sweden likes to tease Douglas, and Hiromi from Japan came into the discussion group as an agnostic. Did the study-group change her thinking? Sophie Minerva, the likeable philosophy professor, keeps the coffee shop discussions going with grace and elegance.

The Question of God Podcast is a fictional, 12-episode podcast featuring students with different views discussing philosophy, science and belief in God. Podcasts hosted by Sophie Minerva, Professor of Philosophy at NLA University College in Norway. All voices performed by A.I. The podcast-series is made by Peter S. Williams and Børge Elliot Bentsen and is adapted from parts of Peter’s book Outgrowing God? A Beginner’s Guide to Richard Dawkins and the God Debate (Cascade 2020). The series is produced and published by BioCosmos in cooperation with Damaris Norge. All rights reserved.

Here is a pdf of recommended resources for each episode

The music composed for the series by Peter S. Williams is available on YouTube & on Soundcloud

This podcast series is about "The Question of God - Has Our Civilization Outgrown God?" The title refers to British atheist Richard Dawkins’ 2019 book Outgrowing God. The title suggests the book's main message, namely that our modern world has outgrown belief in God. Is it true? Four students are discussing the book together with philosophy professor Sophie Minerva in a coffee shop. This first episode is about vocabulary and definitions when talking about God.

The Question of God Podcast is a fictional, 12-episode podcast featuring students with different views discussing philosophy, science and belief in God. Podcasts hosted by Sophie Minerva, Professor of Philosophy at NLA University College in Norway. All voices performed by A.I. The podcast-series is made by Peter S. Williams and Børge Elliot Bentsen and is adapted from parts of Peter’s book Outgrowing God? A Beginner’s Guide to Richard Dawkins and the God Debate (Cascade 2020). The series is produced and published by BioCosmos in cooperation with Damaris Norge. All rights reserved.

Here is a pdf of recommended resources for each episode

The music composed for the series by Peter S. Williams is available on YouTube & on Soundcloud

Socrates said that every meaningful discussion begins with the definition of words. In this episode the students will discuss more about words and belief positions on the question of God. There are really only three possible basic positions to take, and the students represent all three of them. Thomas is shocked to hear Douglas' blatant dismissal of deeper meaning in life, even if he is an atheist himself. 

The Question of God Podcast is a fictional, 12-episode podcast featuring students with different views discussing philosophy, science and belief in God. Podcasts hosted by Sophie Minerva, Professor of Philosophy at NLA University College in Norway. All voices performed by A.I. The podcast-series is made by Peter S. Williams and Børge Elliot Bentsen and is adapted from parts of Peter’s book Outgrowing God? A Beginner’s Guide to Richard Dawkins and the God Debate (Cascade 2020). The series is produced and published by BioCosmos in cooperation with Damaris Norge. All rights reserved.

Here is a pdf of recommended resources for each episode

The music composed for the series by Peter S. Williams is available on YouTube & on Soundcloud

Dawkins says we should think carefully about how we understand reality. Instead of blindly believing what we have inherited or heard from our family or culture, we should think for ourselves. Thomas totally agrees with this. Hiromi agrees but points out that Dawkins in his book is not following his own rule very well.

The Question of God Podcast is a fictional, 12-episode podcast featuring students with different views discussing philosophy, science and belief in God. Podcasts hosted by Sophie Minerva, Professor of Philosophy at NLA University College in Norway. All voices performed by A.I. The podcast-series is made by Peter S. Williams and Børge Elliot Bentsen and is adapted from parts of Peter’s book Outgrowing God? A Beginner’s Guide to Richard Dawkins and the God Debate (Cascade 2020). The series is produced and published by BioCosmos in cooperation with Damaris Norge. All rights reserved.

Here is a pdf of recommended resources for each episode

The music composed for the series by Peter S. Williams is available on YouTube & on Soundcloud

This time the students are discussing the topic called epistemology, the study of knowledge. How can we gain knowledge about something? Is true knowledge even possible? Douglas points out that Dawkins is promoting a specific philosophical view called scientism. Hiromi agrees, but Thomas thinks Douglas is too harsh. Astrid mentions several things people need to believe in order to reason at all - things that cannot be proven scientifically. Knowledge and beliefs seem to be intertwined.

The Question of God Podcast is a fictional, 12-episode podcast featuring students with different views discussing philosophy, science and belief in God. Podcasts hosted by Sophie Minerva, Professor of Philosophy at NLA University College in Norway. All voices performed by A.I. The podcast-series is made by Peter S. Williams and Børge Elliot Bentsen and is adapted from parts of Peter’s book Outgrowing God? A Beginner’s Guide to Richard Dawkins and the God Debate (Cascade 2020). The series is produced and published by BioCosmos in cooperation with Damaris Norge. All rights reserved.

Here is a pdf of recommended resources for each episode

The music composed for the series by Peter S. Williams is available on YouTube & on Soundcloud

What exactly are faith and belief? Are they the opposite of knowledge? What is meant by the terms "basic faith", "blind faith" or "enlightened faith"? Dawkins makes a distinction between blind faith and evidence-based faith or beliefs. Thomas likes that. But then Astrid asks about the faith in logic and reason, is that a blind faith? It seems there's a lot of beliefs we cannot do without. Hiromi also need to believe in true love. Thomas notices that.

The Question of God Podcast is a fictional, 12-episode podcast featuring students with different views discussing philosophy, science and belief in God. Podcasts hosted by Sophie Minerva, Professor of Philosophy at NLA University College in Norway. All voices performed by A.I. The podcast-series is made by Peter S. Williams and Børge Elliot Bentsen and is adapted from parts of Peter’s book Outgrowing God? A Beginner’s Guide to Richard Dawkins and the God Debate (Cascade 2020). The series is produced and published by BioCosmos in cooperation with Damaris Norge. All rights reserved.

Here is a pdf of recommended resources for each episode

The music composed for the series by Peter S. Williams is available on YouTube & on Soundcloud