The Christian Skeptic

What Do You Do When God Goes Silent? | Prince Caspian

C.S. Lewis set Prince Caspian 1,300 years after the golden age of Narnia — long enough that Aslan has become a legend, the talking trees have gone silent, and the people who rule the land insist none of it was ever real. So, what do you do when the God you used to see has gone quiet, and the culture around you has decided He was never there? In part four of our series through the Chronicles of Narnia, we dig into the most generous portrait of an honest skeptic Lewis ever wrote (Trumpkin), whether there’s room for doubt inside the church, why Lewis thought certainty could be its own kind of unbelief, and the famous scene where Lucy is told she should have followed what she saw—even when no one else could see it. Let’s get to it. In this episode: (00:00) Intro (00:53) Why Prince Caspian is the most skeptical book in the series (02:07) Chronological snobbery: does “old” mean false? (03:24) 1,300 years later: a world that forgot Aslan (05:00) Trumpkin, the honest skeptic (07:18) Three kinds of faith: Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, and Trumpkin (11:54) Why honest skeptics are taking Christianity seriously again (13:01) The place for questions (and answers) (16:34) How should Christians hold their certainty? (18:38) When truth is forgotten, the culture decays (21:13) Why did Aslan disappear? Where is God now? (26:01) Faith means believing without sight (27:14) Lucy, and faith as perception (31:38) The marriage of faith and reason (34:53) Are myths “half-glimpses” of truth? (37:30) Reepicheep’s tail and generational faithfulness (40:33) Determinism and responsibility Links * C.S. Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis] * The Chronicles of Narnia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia] * Joe Rogan: https://www.joerogan.com/ [https://www.joerogan.com/] * Jordan Peterson: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/ [https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/] * Martin Luther: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther] * William Tyndale: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyndale [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tyndale] * John Wycliffe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wycliffe [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wycliffe] * Jim Jones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones] * Doug Wilson: https://dougwils.com/ [https://dougwils.com/] Connect with Adam * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avclark [https://www.instagram.com/avclark] Connect with Aaron * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown [https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown] Subscribe and stay in touch * Website: https://thechristiansekptic.org [https://thechristiansekptic.org] * Instagram: https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod [https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod] * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9 [https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9] * YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic] Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org [https://www.thechristianskeptic.org]. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic].

Is God Really In Control? | The Horse and His Boy

The Horse and His Boy is the Narnia book most people skip—and the one with one of the most difficult question at its center: if God is behind every event of your life, including the painful ones, is that the most comforting idea imaginable or the most unsettling? This week we sit inside Aslan’s “I was the lion” speech and ask what it would mean if it were true. We also dig into the difference between God’s sovereignty and his providence, where C.S. Lewis actually landed on free will and divine control, why providence is something you can usually only recognize looking backward, and why, in the end, we both walk away from this strange, intimate little book feeling more comforted than unsettled. In this episode: * (00:00) Intro * (01:03) Real decisions, or God’s plan? * (02:00) The best Narnia book nobody reads * (07:00) From slavery to royalty: Shasta’s story * (13:30) “I was the lion” — comforting or terrifying? * (15:33) Sovereignty vs. providence * (19:45) Was C.S. Lewis a Molinist? * (24:11) Where we land: free will, control & the invisible hand * (29:10) Holding the mystery without weaponizing it * (37:14) Why Aslan won’t explain Aravis’s wounds * (40:22) The comfort of being seen in the dark Links * C.S. Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis] * The Chronicles of Narnia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia] * Al Mohler: https://albertmohler.com/ [https://albertmohler.com/] * John Piper: https://www.desiringgod.org/ [https://www.desiringgod.org/] * William Lane Craig: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lane_Craig [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lane_Craig] * Ravi Zacharias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Zacharias [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Zacharias] * Providence by John Piper: https://www.desiringgod.org/books/providence [https://www.desiringgod.org/books/providence] * Charles Spurgeon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Spurgeon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Spurgeon] * Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis: https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926 [https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926] * Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton: https://www.amazon.com/Orthodoxy-G-K-Chesterton-G-K/dp/1657592197 [https://www.amazon.com/Orthodoxy-G-K-Chesterton-G-K/dp/1657592197] * The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God by John Piper: https://www.desiringgod.org/books/the-misery-of-job-and-the-mercy-of-god [https://www.desiringgod.org/books/the-misery-of-job-and-the-mercy-of-god] Connect with Adam * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avclark [https://www.instagram.com/avclark] Connect with Aaron * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown [https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown] Subscribe and stay in touch * Website: https://thechristiansekptic.org [https://thechristiansekptic.org] * Instagram: https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod [https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod] * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9 [https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9] * YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic] Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org [https://www.thechristianskeptic.org]. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic].

Have We Tamed Jesus? | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

There's a moment in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where one of the kids learns that Aslan is a lion, gets nervous and asks if he's safe. And the answer, as Lewis writes it, is of course he isn't safe, but he's good. Most Christians can quote that line. It's one of the most famous lines in the entire series. We put it on coffee mugs, we hang it on our walls. But here's the question Lewis was actually asking—why does the Jesus most people know look so tame, so manageable, so agreeable? The Jesus we find most often in the American church is safe. He's predictable. He votes a certain way, he blesses certain things and disapproves of others. He shows up where he's invited and doesn't surprise anyone. That's what we're diving into today on The Christian Skeptic in part two of our series through The Chronicles of Narnia. Let's get to it. In this episode: * (00:00) Intro * (01:49) Was Lewis arguing for a specific atonement theory? * (04:53) The four atonement theories * (11:35) Would this convince anyone who didn't already believe? * (14:33) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe recap * (20:38) Lucy and faith as perception * (29:04) The deep magic and Edmund as the human representative * (33:02) The Stone Table and the law * (34:48) Has the church tamed Jesus? * (37:11) What does a "not-safe" Jesus look like? Links  * C.S. Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis]  * The Chronicles of Narnia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia]  * J.R.R. Tolkien: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien]  * Mere Christianity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Christianity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Christianity]  * Steve Brown: https://www.keylife.org [https://www.keylife.org]  * Three Free Sins: https://www.keylife.org/articles/three-free-sins [https://www.keylife.org/articles/three-free-sins]  * The Snow Queen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Queen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Queen] * Hans Christian Anderson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen]  Connect with Adam * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avclark [https://www.instagram.com/avclark] Connect with Aaron * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown [https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown]  Subscribe and stay in touch * Website: https://thechristiansekptic.org [https://thechristiansekptic.org]  * Instagram: https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod [https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod]  * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349]  * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9 [https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9]  * YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic]  Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org [https://www.thechristianskeptic.org].  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic].

C.S. Lewis Wrote Himself Into Narnia | The Magician’s Nephew

C.S. Lewis was nine years old when his mother died of cancer. He prayed for her healing. She died anyway. Lewis became an atheist for most of his adult life — and then, decades later, wrote The Magician's Nephew, a children's book about a boy in his exact situation. This week, we kick off a seven-part deep dive into The Chronicles of Narnia, starting with the most autobiographical book in the series. We explore whether Lewis was retelling Genesis, why evil already exists in this world before humans even get there, what the "deplorable word" and Hiroshima might have in common, and whether Uncle Andrew is a fair portrait of the skeptical scientist or just a caricature. Along the way: Aslan singing creation into being, Digory's reverse of the Fall, the cabby who becomes a king, and the scene at the heart of the book — where Aslan weeps over a dying mother. In this episode: * 00:00  Intro * 01:03  Why a Narnia series * 06:30  Past the "religious dragons" * 08:10  Publication order vs. chronological * 10:35  Lewis wrote himself into the story * 11:26  Is this a retelling of Genesis? * 13:47  Why evil predates humans in Narnia * 20:09  Uncle Andrew and the skeptical scientist * 23:10  Aslan weeps with Digory * 27:01  Threads of redemption: the cabby, the apple, the lampstand * 29:55  A wild lion, not a tame one * 31:35  The reverse fall Links  * C.S. Lewis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis]  * The Chronicles of Narnia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia]  * The Pilgrim's Progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim%27s_Progress [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim%27s_Progress]  * John Bunyan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bunyan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bunyan]  * Charles Spurgeon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Spurgeon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Spurgeon]  * J.R.R. Tolkien: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien]  * Out of the Silent Planet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_the_Silent_Planet [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_the_Silent_Planet]  * Perelandra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perelandra [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perelandra]  * That Hideous Strength: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Hideous_Strength [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Hideous_Strength]  * Mere Christianity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Christianity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Christianity]  * The Screwtape Letters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwtape_Letters [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwtape_Letters]  * Doug Wilson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Wilson_(theologian) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Wilson_(theologian)]  Connect with Adam * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avclark [https://www.instagram.com/avclark] Connect with Aaron * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown [https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown]  Subscribe and stay in touch * Website: https://thechristiansekptic.org [https://thechristiansekptic.org]  * Instagram: https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod [https://instagram.com/christianskepticpod]  * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christian-skeptic/id1761285349]  * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9 [https://open.spotify.com/show/4HlSAPHewfbLESl61D3XH9]  * YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic]  Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org [https://www.thechristianskeptic.org].  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic].

A Short History of Christmas (and Why It Matters)

Where did Christmas really come from—and should Christians celebrate it? This week, we explore the historical roots of Christmas, common objections about pagan origins and commercialization, and the role of Santa, imagination, and gift-giving. Along the way, we argue that the church’s call isn’t to retreat from culture but to redeem it. Ultimately, Christmas matters because the incarnation matters: God took on flesh, entered our darkness, and brought hope at just the right time. When understood rightly, even the most familiar Christmas traditions can point us back to Jesus.  In this episode: * (00:00) Intro * (01:15) Why Christians question Christmas * (02:45) Pagan origins, Sol Invictus, and Saturnalia * (06:10) Did Christians borrow Christmas? * (09:15) The church’s call: withdraw from culture or redeem it? * (15:30) Puritans vs. separatists: two ways of engaging the world * (17:55) Lights, gifts, and redeeming Christmas traditions * (19:45) Is Santa real? Imagination, myth, and meaning * (23:10) Why stories teach truth better than arguments * (25:10) Gift-giving, generosity, and reflecting God’s heart * (28:45) Why the incarnation actually matters Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org [https://www.thechristianskeptic.org].  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic [https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic].