The Freethinking Podcast

The Freethinking Podcast is a weekly show primarily featuring the work of Christian apologist and theologian Tim Stratton. Each episode, Tim and cohost Scott Olson will tackle a topic related to Christian apologetics & theology for the purpose of equipping the church to engage the culture.

Ep. 69 Evan Minton & Tim Stratton Talk the Freethinking Argument 06/12/2019

Ep. 69 Evan Minton & Tim Stratton Talk the Freethinking Argument We're back with a (somewhat) new episode for you guys. This one is actually going to be a series of 3 episodes for you from the Cerebral Faith podcast with Evan Minton. This was a conversation that he and Tim had on the Freethinking Argument. I know we've already covered this topic on the podcast, but this conversation brought up several new objections that Tim and I didn't have the chance to interact with. So enjoy! Relevant Links: http://cerebralfaith.blogspot.com/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10136517

Ep. 68 Should Christians Own Guns? 06/04/2019

Ep. 68 Should Christians Own Guns? We had so much fun talking about violence these past couple weeks, we decided to do an episode talking about Christianity and guns. But, we needed some backup to do this episode, so we invited on Tim Hsiao, who is a philosophy professor at Grantham University who has written academically on this topic. It was an incredibly fun conversation that we know you'll enjoy. Relevant links: Tim Hsiao's website: http://timhsiao.org/ Tim's Gun Articles: https://www.academia.edu/36582923/The_Moral_Case_for_ Gun_Ownership https://www.academia.edu/37193542/The_Moral_Case_for_Concealed_Carry_on_Campus https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2018/10/42765/ https://commons.pacificu.edu/eip/vol16/iss2/3/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/think/article/how-to-think-about-the-gun-control-debate/A07796E72D0F6150574171347357FB80? https://freethinkingministries.com/let-the-one-who-has-no-sword-buy-one-the-christian-case-for-carrying-firearms/ Tim Stratton's Gun Article: https://freethinkingministries.com/love-thy-neighbor-pack-thy-heat/ Tim's Gun Control Debate with Jonathan Herington: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw_he4q9j18 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10036343

Ep. 67 Which Movies Shouldn't Christians Watch? 05/22/2019

Ep. 67 Which Movies Shouldn't Christians Watch? Should Christians watch violent movies? Tim and I tackle this controversial topic in a really fun conversation. No matter where you fall on this subject, I hope you enjoy what we had to say, while also hearing us talk about some pretty awesome movies. Relevant Links: https://freethinkingministries.com/love-thy-neighbor-pack-thy-heat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iKBEJp92CA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR28SnDSKeM3jEaVpsoKaPZ4rZtfhRwghadEQDF0VnTT9LVnZZT1gs-0jYs https://freethinkingministries.com/let-the-one-who-has-no-sword-buy-one-the-christian-case-for-carrying-firearms/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9874589

Ep. 66 On Violent Movies 05/22/2019

Ep. 66 On Violent Movies Should Christians watch violent movies? Tim and I tackle this controversial topic in a really fun conversation. No matter where you fall on this subject, I hope you enjoy what we had to say, while also hearing us talk about some pretty awesome movies. Relevant Links: https://freethinkingministries.com/love-thy-neighbor-pack-thy-heat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iKBEJp92CA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR28SnDSKeM3jEaVpsoKaPZ4rZtfhRwghadEQDF0VnTT9LVnZZT1gs-0jYs https://freethinkingministries.com/let-the-one-who-has-no-sword-buy-one-the-christian-case-for-carrying-firearms/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9874577

Ep. 65 More Avengers Endgame 05/07/2019

Ep. 65 More Avengers Endgame We had so much fun talking about Avengers Endgame last week, that we'd thought we'd take a couple of episodes to dive in a little deeper. It turns out, there's a lot of theological, philosophical, and apologetic related stuff to talk about in this movie. Also, we're pretty sure Biola University wrote most of this movie. Obvious disclaimer, there are lots of spoilers in this conversation, so go see the movie if you don't want it ruined for you. If you don't care, then by all means have at it. Relevant Links: https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/26/18518923/avengers-endgame-time-travel-loki-alive-captain-america-old?_gl=1*18crbvw* https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-endgame-middle-knowledge-the-destruction-of-the-problem-of-evil/ https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-infinity-war-possible-worlds/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9693833

Ep. 64 Talking Avengers Endgame 05/07/2019

Ep. 64 Talking Avengers Endgame We had so much fun talking about Avengers Endgame last week, that we'd thought we'd take a couple of episodes to dive in a little deeper. It turns out, there's a lot of theological, philosophical, and apologetic related stuff to talk about in this movie. Obvious disclaimer, there are lots of spoilers in this conversation, so go see the movie if you don't want it ruined for you. If you don't care, then by all means have at it. Relevant Links: https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/26/18518923/avengers-endgame-time-travel-loki-alive-captain-america-old?_gl=1*18crbvw* https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-endgame-middle-knowledge-the-destruction-of-the-problem-of-evil/ https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-infinity-war-possible-worlds/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9693818

Ep. 63 Molinism: Endgame 04/30/2019

Ep. 63 Molinism: Endgame This week, we’re going to be talking about one of Tim’s papers that he presented at ETS. We’ll look at Tim’s argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to better utilize the Fine-Tuning argument, and why other views do not. We also discuss a little Avengers (no spoilers, don't worry). Enjoy! Relevant links: https://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-endgame-middle-knowledge-the-destruction-of-the-problem-of-evil/ https://freethinkingministries.com/molinism-is-biblical/ https://freethinkingministries.com/an-introduction-to-the-fine-tuning-argument/ Relevant episodes: 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 58, 59, 60, 61 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9597086

Ep. 62 Molinism & the Moral Argument 04/25/2019

Ep. 62 Molinism & the Moral Argument This week, we’re going to be talking about one of Tim’s papers that he presented at ETS. We’ll look at Tim’s argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to better utilize the Moral Argument, and why other views, particularly exhaustively deterministic ones, do not. Enjoy! Relevant links: https://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ https://freethinkingministries.com/human-freedom-the-self-imposed-limits-of-god/ Relevant episodes: 8, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 58, 59, 60, 61 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9523058

Ep. 61 Molinism & the Kalam 04/17/2019

Ep. 61 Molinism & the Kalam This week, we’re going to be talking about one of Tim’s papers that he presented at ETS. We’ll look at Tim’s argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to better utilize the Kalam Cosmological Argument, and why other views, particularly exhaustively deterministic ones, do not. Enjoy! Relevant links: https://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ https://freethinkingministries.com/a-god-problem-in-the-new-york-times/ Relevant episodes: 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 39, 40, 41, 58, 59, 60 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9425573

Ep. 60 Molinism & the FAAN 04/03/2019

Ep. 60 Molinism & the FAAN This week, we're going to be talking about one of Tim's papers that he presented at ETS. We'll look at Tim's argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to better utilize the Freethinking Argument Against Naturalism, and why other views, particularly exhaustively deterministic ones, do not. Enjoy! Relevant links: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ Relevant episodes: 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 39, 40, 41, 58, 59 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9261470

Ep. 59 Molinism & the Problem of Natural Evil 04/03/2019

Ep. 59 Molinism & the Problem of Natural Evil This week, we're going to be talking about one of Tim's papers that he presented at ETS. We'll look at Tim's argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to adequately answer the problem of natural evil, and why other views, particularly deterministic ones, do not. It's a pretty fun conversation, so you should give it a listen. Relevant links: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ Relevant episodes: 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 39, 40, 41, 58 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9261413

Ep. 58 Molinism & the Problem of Moral Evil 03/26/2019

Ep. 58 Molinism & the Problem of Moral Evil This week, we're going to be talking about one of Tim's papers that he presented at ETS. We'll look at Tim's argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to adequately answer the problem of moral evil, and why other views, particularly deterministic ones, do not. It's pretty awesome and you should listen. I know I did. Relevant links: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ Relevant episodes: 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 39, 40, 41 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9153752

Ep. 57 We're Back! Talking About ETS 03/17/2019

Ep. 57 We're Back! Talking About ETS Finally, a new episode where Tim and I can actually talk to each other! Tim just got back from the ETS conference in New Orleans where he presented two papers related to Molinism and middle knowledge. We talk about both of those papers and the reaction he received from those in the audience. Like we mention in the episode, we should be a little more regular with our content from here on out. We've got a lot of fun stuff planned, so keep listening and sharing the show! Relevant links: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ http://freethinkingministries.com/squadcast /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9036305

Ep. 56 Tim Talks to Twin Cities Apologetics (Part 2) 03/03/2019

Ep. 56 Tim Talks to Twin Cities Apologetics (Part 2) In this episode, Tim sits down with Twin Cities Apologetics and talks about free will and other related topics. It makes for some really good conversation, so we're glad to be able to bring it to you guys. Enjoy the second part of this conversation! /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8858081

Ep. 55 Tim Talks to Twin Cities Apologetics (Part 1) 03/03/2019

Ep. 55 Tim Talks to Twin Cities Apologetics (Part 1) In this episode, Tim sits down with Twin Cities Apologetics and talks about free will and other related topics. It makes for some really good conversation, so we're glad to be able to bring it to you guys. Enjoy the first part of this conversation! /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8858069

Ep. 54 Tim's Interview with Jake Sullivan (Part 2) 02/21/2019

Ep. 54 Tim's Interview with Jake Sullivan (Part 2) It's the second part of Tim's interview where he demonstrates his wealth of knowledge regarding Christian apologetics and theology. Is there anything this guy can't do? I mean, besides find a time to record some new episodes for you guys with his cohost, but I digress. Enjoy the episode! /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8724722

Ep. 53 Tim's Interview with Jake Sullivan (Part 1) 02/21/2019

Ep. 53 Tim's Interview with Jake Sullivan (Part 1) We're still trying to find some time to record some more episodes together, so this week you'll be hearing an interview Tim did where he answers some common questions you'll hear regarding Christian apologetics and theology. It's a fun interview, so have fun listening to Tim be awesome and know everything. /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8724704

Ep. 52 Talking about Abortion with Clinton Wilcox 02/12/2019

Ep. 52 Talking about Abortion with Clinton Wilcox We've got Clinton Wilcox on the podcast this week to talk about abortion. It's a fairly timely conversation, as abortion has been quite the topic in the news as of late. Unfortunately, Tim wasn't able to join us, but the conversation was still really good. We talked about how we as Christians should talk about abortion, as well as some more practical problems that might come up in discussions you might have. Relevant Links blog.secularprolife.org www.prolifetraining.com Clinton's Twitter: @Clinton_Wilcox /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8610314

Ep. 51 In Defense of William Lane Craig (Part 2) 01/22/2019

Ep. 51 In Defense of William Lane Craig (Part 2) In the second part of our two-part series on Tony Lee Ross’s article defending William Lane Craig, we primarily discuss Dr. Craig’s Christological model for how Christ can be both divine and man. We haven’t ever talked about this topic before on the podcast, so it makes for some interesting listening. Relevant Links: Original Blog - https://sinnersinthehandsofanangryblog.com/in-defense-of-william-lane-craig?fbclid=IwAR3wB1vnYa_1pj9Y7mVb-NjuKxtGwWl4LmqVv0MGT4YOr9ncdxAeB3ipIxk /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8357459

Ep. 50 In Defense of William Lane Craig (Part 1) 01/22/2019

Ep. 50 In Defense of William Lane Craig (Part 1) In this episode, Tim and I talk about an article written by Tony Lee Ross that talks about what he believes to be unfair criticisms of Dr. William Lane Craig. This article gave us a chance to discuss some issues we haven’t had a chance to discuss before on the podcast, such as young-earth creationism and presuppositional apologetics. Stay tuned for part two! Relevant Links: http://freethinkingministries.com/should-christians-oppose-evolution/ http://freethinkingministries.com/if-evolution-is-true-atheism-is-false/ http://freethinkingministries.com/presuppositions-vs-logical-reasoning-a-debate-on-the-best-apologetic-method/ Original Blog - https://sinnersinthehandsofanangryblog.com/in-defense-of-william-lane-craig?fbclid=IwAR3wB1vnYa_1pj9Y7mVb-NjuKxtGwWl4LmqVv0MGT4YOr9ncdxAeB3ipIxk /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8357441

Ep. 49 Politicians, Oaths of Office, & The Holy Bible 01/22/2019

Ep. 49 Politicians, Oaths of Office, & The Holy Bible Sorry for the long delay in getting you all a new episode, but it’s been a hectic couple of weeks! We should be in for a more consistent schedule from here on out. In this episode, Tim and I talk about our views on politicians putting their hands on the Bible (or not) when they are sworn in. I think we have some different points of view on this issue than you might be used to hearing, so tune in and listen. Relevant Links: http://freethinkingministries.com/a-biblical-argument-for-gay-rights/ http://freethinkingministries.com/atheism-is-un-american/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8357432

Ep. 48 The Final (for now) Adam Coleman Episode 12/19/2018

Ep. 48 The Final (for now) Adam Coleman Episode Here's the last of 3 episodes that we'll be releasing from Tim's appearance on the Tru-Id podcast, of which Adam Coleman is the host. Adam also is a contributor for Freethinking Ministries, so be sure to check out some of his blogging content. Here's the link to the Tru-Id podcast website http://www.truidpodcast.com/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7983728

Ep. 47 More Adam Coleman! 12/19/2018

Ep. 47 More Adam Coleman! Here's the second of 3 episodes that we'll be releasing from Tim's appearance on the Tru-Id podcast, of which Adam Coleman is the host. Adam also is a contributor for Freethinking Ministries, so be sure to check out some of his blogging content. Here's the link to the Tru-Id podcast website http://www.truidpodcast.com/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7983704

Ep. 46 A Conversation with Adam Coleman 12/14/2018

Ep. 46 A Conversation with Adam Coleman Sorry for the late episode, but it'll be worth it. This is the first of 3 episodes that we'll be releasing from Tim's appearance on the Tru-Id podcast, of which Adam Coleman is the host. Adam also is a contributor for Freethinking Ministries, so be sure to check out some of his blogging content. Here's the link to the Tru-Id podcast website http://www.truidpodcast.com/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7914524

Ep. 45 More Questions From the Private Facebook Group 12/06/2018

Ep. 45 More Questions From the Private Facebook Group We’ve got the second part of our two-part series answering questions from the private Facebook group. Thanks so much to everyone who asked questions. We’ll be sure to do it again soon. http://freethinkingministries.com/molinism-identity-worlds/ http://freethinkingministries.com/molinism-is-biblical/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7820093

Ep. 44 Questions from the Private Facebook Group 11/28/2018

Ep. 44 Questions from the Private Facebook Group You’ve got questions, we’ve got the answers (hopefully). Today on the podcast, Tim and I answer questions from the Freethinking Podcast Facebook group. These are some awesome questions that we tackle, so be sure to listen the whole way through. We really love getting to interact with you guys both on the podcast and on the Facebook group, so I encourage you all to take advantage by going to freethinkingministries.com/facebook to join in on all of the fun! Links to things mentioned: http://freethinkingministries.com/qa-could-adam-avoid-the-apple/ http://freethinkingministries.com/human-freedom-the-self-imposed-limits-of-god/ Freethinking Ministries Donations https://www.givewhereyoulive.net/freethinking /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7723271

Ep. 43 What Happened At EPS? 11/22/2018

Ep. 43 What Happened At EPS? We're back, and we're talking about EPS! For those of you who do not know, EPS is the Evangelical Philosophical Society, which holds a conference each year where all of the smart people in evangelical thought come together and present their ideas. So as you might imagine, Tim had a lot to say. In this episode, Tim talks to me about who he met at EPS, what he presented, and all of the other great things that happened. He also tells a really cool story about one of his interactions with Dr. Craig. Thanks for listening, and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you nerds! Freethinking Ministries Donations https://www.givewhereyoulive.net/freethinking /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7642310

Ep. 42 Apologetics for the Local Church 11/14/2018

Ep. 42 Apologetics for the Local Church It finally happened. We missed an episode of the podcast. And for that, Tim is incredibly sorry (I’m going to go ahead and blame him for this). But, hopefully this episode can help make up for that. This episode is actually a podcast that I recorded for the Christian Formation podcast, which is the podcast that my local church puts out. I talk about an article I wrote that outlines why all Christians need to be doing apologetics. If you’ve struggled with bringing apologetics into your own local church, I highly encourage you to give it a listen. Here’s a link to the article I wrote that we reference throughout the show: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-importance-of-apologetics/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7552151

Ep. 41 Greg Koukl, Free Will, and True Love (Part 3) 10/13/2018

Ep. 41 Greg Koukl, Free Will, and True Love (Part 3) In case we don’t clarify it enough in this episode, both Tim and I think Greg Koukl is awesome! We’ve both benefitted immensely from his work, and so the corrections we’re offering in these episodes are done in hopes that Koukl’s positions will be made even stronger, helping him to be an even more effective apologist. In these episodes, we lay out Koukl’s view on libertarian free will and why he doesn’t believe it is a necessary condition for there to be true love. Naturally, Tim and I don’t believe this to be true! These episodes are great ones to listen to in order to see how one can have a respectful disagreement with someone. It can be a very difficult line to walk, so take some notes on how Tim does it! /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7173995

Ep. 40 Greg Koukl, Free Will, and True Love (Part 2) 10/13/2018

Ep. 40 Greg Koukl, Free Will, and True Love (Part 2) In case we don’t clarify it enough in this episode, both Tim and I think Greg Koukl is awesome! We’ve both benefitted immensely from his work, and so the corrections we’re offering in these episodes are done in hopes that Koukl’s positions will be made even stronger, helping him to be an even more effective apologist. In these episodes, we lay out Koukl’s view on libertarian free will and why he doesn’t believe it is a necessary condition for there to be true love. Naturally, Tim and I don’t believe this to be true! These episodes are great ones to listen to in order to see how one can have a respectful disagreement with someone. It can be a very difficult line to walk, so take some notes on how Tim does it! /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/7173992

The Freethinking Podcast

TOPICS