This is a review of two older episodes (4/02/23 and 4/07/23) featuring an interview with Dale Allison about the resurrection. I am hesitant to give a podcast a low rating because of a disingenuous or misleading guest because I know a host cannot really keep a guest from blowing smoke and blurring the line between facts and beliefs. At the same time, a host can ask tough questions and ask a guest to provide evidence for their claims. The host of this podcast did neither in the two-part interview with Dale Allison. Allison misrepresented the ‘evidence’ for the resurrection. Allison is not a fundamentalist or an apologist, but he employed the same sleight of hand used by many fundamentalists and apologists by equating Christian claims about the resurrection with objective evidence for the historical truth of the the resurrection. The New Testament is a record of early Christian claims about the resurrection; it is NOT evidence that the resurrection actually took place. The NT is full of claims which Allison freely rejects as historical, and there are other claims he believes are true. The problem is he does not offer any objective criteria for determining what he thinks is true and what he thinks is false. How does he sort the true claims in the NT from the false claims in the NT without engaging in circular reasoning or appealing to other parts of the NT? He is conspicuously silent on this matter, and the host doesn’t seem interested in asking Allison to justify his claims with objective evidence. There is no verifiable proof that any of the events surrounding Jesus’ death happened as described in the gospels or that they even happened at all. The four gospel accounts are wildly contradictory and the later three are hard at work correcting the errors they found in earlier accounts. We know early Christians made up all kinds of claims about Jesus. Both the canonical and non-canonical gospels are stuffed with fictional and legendary material. Allison admits this freely, but he still thinks he can isolate a few bits of historically reliable information in the four canonical gospels (and maybe the Gospel of Thomas). However, he seems unwilling to entertain the idea that the very earliest followers of Jesus could have made up all the details related to his death, burial, and subsequent missing body (empty tomb). We cannot know for certain they did not invent such claims since we know they invented other claims. There is no reliable, objective way to determine what’s fiction and what’s historical. Allison leans heavily on Paul’s writing about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. But what if Paul is simply repeating earlier claims about the death, burial, and resurrection? Paul’s repetition of oral tradition and hearsay does not establish the veracity of the claims. Paul wrote before the composition of the gospels, so he’s not corroborating their stories. And if the gospel stories are simply narrative expositions of the death, burial, and resurrection based on the same legends that Paul knows about, we are no closer to determining what really happened. Dale Allison seems unwilling to acknowledge this. There is no evidence that Jesus made post-mortem appearances to anyone. All we have are claims that he did. Paul’s account in 1 Corinthians leaves out some of the most famous post-mortem appearances found in the contradictory gospel accounts. Paul doesn’t mention any appearance to Jesus’ female followers or to doubting Thomas or to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Paul says Jesus appeared to the twelve, but this doesn’t make sense since the disciples were down to eleven after Judas’ suicide. The appearance to 500 people at once is just hearsay. We don’t know when it happened, where it happened, or who was there. There is no independent, eyewitness testimony from any of these 500 people regarding what they saw. All we have is second/third/fourth-hand hearsay that Jesus appeared to this large group. We have no way of knowing anything about Jesus’ alleged post-mortem appearances to Paul. All we have are Paul’s claims. Acts repeats these claims without any evidence of fact-checking. Acts states other people were with Paul when Jesus appeared to him (although Acts gives multiple, contradictory versions of this event), but we don’t know who these people were nor do we have shred of testimony from them. It’s simply impossible to objectively verify any of the Bible’s claims regarding the life and death of Jesus - much less what may have happened to his body after he died. Dale Allison seems unable to state this plainly and succinctly. Instead he tries to stake out a middle ground between the apologists and the skeptics in order to appear reasonable and open-minded. This is perhaps his most dishonest tactic because legitimate historians only go so far as the evidence allows. They do not conflate religiously motivated claims with multiply-attested, independent historical data. Skepticism regarding the resurrection is not the opposite of the positions taken by fundamentalist Christians like William Craig and liberal Christians like Dale Allison. Rather, it is the only objective and logical stance to take with respect to miraculous events lacking evidential support beyond the claims of religious believers who have staked their very lives and careers on the truth of these claims. And the host simply sat there, never bothering to ask any tough questions to ask for objective evidence regarding anything Allison said. I appreciate what the host is trying to do with the overall thrust of his podcast, but I think he’d better serve his listeners by taking a more no-nonsense approach to his guests.

This is an intelligent and thought provoking podcast that keeps expanding my heart and my horizons! The God I know is so much bigger than the box that most churches try to stuff Him into…and this podcast of love stretches me each time! I appreciate the 2 part podcasts…allows for the discussions to not be rushed and I am able to be thoughtfully more engaged.

So glad I found this podcast a few months ago. I’m working my way through the older episodes and listening to the new ones as they drop as well. I’ve been on this journey for so long and am exponentially comforted to find community to learn and grow with.

Don’t be deterred by long episodes! This is an excellent podcast! Intelligent and thoughtful hosts, interesting and articulate guests, helpful and thought-provoking content.

Don’t waste your time 👎🏻

I would challenge everyone to go read your Bibles if you want to know what Truth is!!!! It’s enough!!!! Hold man’s words up against it always. If you faithfully do this, you will see that men like this are NOT teaching/putting forth the one true Gospel.

Thankful for this content

Around 2017 I started realizing that I disagree with every preacher, pulpit pounder (that I hear), and everyone in my community regarding biblical values. I was ostracized from my ministry, of which I was the founder, and regretted naming the ministry after Jesus because of the hateful people that name attracted. This happened because I dared to apply critical thinking to my belief structure and seriously examine the basis of my faith. I had no idea others went through the same process until I discovered this podcast a few months ago. Thank you so much for this content. I might not have a church that’s safe for me, nor people to hang out with that share my faith, but I know I’m not alone. It’s funny how this process brought me closer to those of other beliefs systems. Thank you from the depths of my heart.

You don’t have to agree with these guys or their guests to benefit from this show. If there is any question of that go back to the early episode about depression. They deal with topics in a sensitive and vulnerable way, but with so much thoughtfulness and research that I learn something from every episode. And always finish it feeling better. Such a great listen!

Don’t try to take over the Christian church system. Establish a new system with your own god

Perhaps the jesus of conservative evangelicals would be threatened, but these conversations are beautiful. The Jesus of the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John would be pleased that you are providing spaces for sinners to encounter God. Thank you.

I’m incredibly frustrated to hear these men bastardize the gospel of Christ and lead others astray. “It is better to have a millstone tied to your neck and tossed into the sea than to lead others astray”. Jesus didn’t mince his words when He said that. He loves us enough to warn us. Please repent of your own understanding and lean in on the Word which is Christ. Grace is freely given to him who asks. Trust me I know.

Just listened to episodes 121 & 122. Jersak and Young talked about God and the Christ in such beautiful ways. Filled my heart. Awesome.

All I can say is thank you! You’ve brought such peace to this soul, while at the same time challenging my thoughts and beliefs. Thank you!

I lovd this podcast. Great guests and music.

This is what it sounds like when “what I think/feel”and experienced trumps Scripture. It’s pride. When we strip Scripture of its authority because we think we know better, we can get away with whatever we want, right?

Just found this and can’t be more excited! The content in fantastic and these guys are very easy to listen to. Eager to dive deeper!

It is refreshing to see a conversation that recognizes the deconstruction process introduced by Chirst on the doctrine of the Pharisees and Saducees. As well as that introduced by Martin Luther on the catholic doctrines. To those reading the low star reviews, please remember that the large churchs of each day were agressive and hateful to anyone that questioned their interpretation. This can be seen in many historical accounts as well as scripture. Those who criticize this podcast do so because it underminds their personal view of the Bible and their practice of cherry picking scripture to support their doctrine and dogmas. Thank you for endeavoring to spread this inspite of the obvious opposition of much of the religious community.

I have listened for a few years and realized I’ve never done a review. What a great podcast!! Quality guests, good questions, and great conversations! As I have been on my own journey of deconstruction and reconstruction, John and Adam have been two wonderful guides along the way. I appreciate and value their passion, enthusiasm, and authenticity.

I haven’t listened to an episode yet, but just by reading all the spicy one and two star reviews by angry evangelicals I can tell this will be an uplifting and healing podcast for me. Here we go!

While I can appreciate the intent of John and Adam to remove the fluff of false paradigms many of us grew up believing, the content they put forth is simply not Biblical. I want to adjust any non-Biblical lenses I’m seeing the world through to be more aligned with the Bible, not less. These guys are influenced by Richard Rohr, who’s a big-time false teacher.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭4:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This podcast it’s so full of heretical doctrine and lies. You will not find the gospel here. To all Christians who discover this, know the truth of scripture itself and test the words of these wolves against the scriptures. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

the podcast is full of blatant heresy. Two stars because it’s interesting to hear what theological liberals are saying these days. You definitely won’t find the gospel of Jesus on this podcast.

Guys!! So late in discovering this podcast But I’m so thrilled. I refuse to jump ahead and so I’m listening each day and look forward to catching up with 2020 episodes. I’m only in July of 2016. What a phenomenal space indeed! Thank you!! Each guest is above and beyond WOW! Annette WPB, Fl

This podcast is blatant heresy and has no foundation whatsoever in the Bible.

My daughter introduced me to this podcast several years ago and I have listened to every episode at least once. Amazing guests you have had on the show and I look forward to more. I do miss the repartee between John and Adam, but appreciate that life moves on. Blessings!

I was incredibly and pleasantly surprised at how deep the conversations are on this show. I’ve gained new perspective and have read amazing books as a result.

Would not suggest this podcast ever. It is not biblical and does not stand on the Bible. If you claim to be a Christian who follows Jesus Christ and believes in His words in the Bible then please stop listening.

Keep up the great work guys, I haven’t listened to every single episode but I’m working on it, haven’t heard one I haven’t gotten something from. It’s a relief and comfort to hear someone else say what I’ve been feeling and thinking and wrestling with for so long, many thanks.

You guys have been there for me since near the beginning of my own deconstruction journey. You’ve introduced me to dynamic teachers, specifically, Alexander John Shaia. THANK YOU!! Please, keep up the good work. You are more than just show hosts and thought leaders, you are fellow pilgrims on the journey.

What a wonderful podcast! Always look forward to your next guest and enjoy returning ones. It is so refreshing to hear new ways of looking at scripture and growing in my faith. I am definitely deconstructing and your podcast has been so refreshing in a world where too many churches and faiths claim to have all the answers. The Bible is not “abundantly clear” on many issues. I am grateful many of us can struggle and grow together! Thank you!

Dope name. Tried to listen but can’t seem to continue through. The lingering thought I have is “do they read the Bible?!” If you are still listening to them or are considering to, there are other biblical podcasts better than this. For those who are listening, test everything they say through scripture and then leave this.

I listen to Adam & Freaking John while I'm cleaning my house. My house has never been cleaner because I can't stop listening! I just listend to Jared Byas & Dr. Timothy Mackie The Bible Pt 1 & 2 back to back and I had long finished cleaning the kitchen, polishing, vacuuming, and I decided to keep going and clean both bathrooms so I could finish listening to it. But seriously...the Bible and Christianity is complex. I've struggled with it my entire life for all the reasons they speak of and it's so refreshing to hear the humor, the snark, the depth, the intelligence, the doubt, the questioning and the obvous faith too. PS - found this through a 6 degrees of separation that started with Rob Bell to Pete Enns/Jared to The Deconstructionists. And asking for a friend (ahem) - would love to hear a podcast dedicated to how to talk in real time with your fundamentalist family/people you disagree with (if you haven't already). Thank you!

Great help for both deconstruction and reconstruction. Keep bringing Uncle Alexander back again and again...

I am 70 years old have been experience God since I was eight years old. I was raised Catholic tried Buddhism went through Pentecostal movement fundamentalist, evangelicalism and now just enjoy the Lord There are two quotes that I like to end emails with “ Our theology should be written in pencil with an eraser so that it can change as we grow” Marvin R Willson “ spiritual maturity is moving from confident arrogance to thought more uncertainty” Randall Arthur One time Moses struck the rock the next time he was told to speak to the rock God does not do anything the same way twice so that we will not make a form out of it. Keep growing and don’t care what others think

I began deconstructing about seven years ago, in secret, because no one else in my circle is in the deconstructing place. Since then, my youngest son has found his way secretly to the same path, and in the last year he and I have discovered that we share a lot of the same deconstruction thoughts. Before I found this podcast, I didn’t even know what to call the journey I was on! I reconnected with Rob Bell this year (of course I had to disconnect from him years ago when he became a heretic because my church told me to... insert dry, cynical laugh here) and have been researching frantically anything he talks about. Finding your podcast has broadened my horizons, given me words and definitions for what I’m thinking and feeling, and helped me tremendously to feel like there is a place for me to fit in! An enormous thanks to you both for everything you’re doing for those of us joining you in this journey. Sincerely appreciate you and need this podcast!

This podcast has been a breath of fresh air for me. Love it. Highly recommend!!

A great podcast to wrestle with God, Scripture, and the Church. I have been on my deconstruction and reconstruction path for about 4 years now and I wish I would’ve known about this podcast sooner!

This podcast is like fuel for my mind and heart. I have learned so much from the guests and the positive and challenging conversation are an antidote to the sound bites and negativity surrounding us in so many forms of media. Thank you for including more female voices of late and for providing a space for enthusiastic analysis of faith.

Fresh and interesting! Love this podcast!

Dammm... (no <n>)!!! I mean , how do I express gratitude. These guys host so many interesting, intelligent guests. So I’m listening to Seth Price (Can I Say This at Church), and Pete Enns/Jared Byas (The Bible for Normal People) and researching who else have these conversations, and lo, Adam and John, The Deconstructionists 😀

John, Adam, and their wide variety of knowledgeable guests have done an excellent job at building a platform on which everyone is equally entitled to their own take on spirituality and religious culture. If you’re looking for a place to learn and grow intellectually without judgement then you’ve come to the right place. Thanks for putting out such a superb show guys - keep up the great work!

Good topics but hosts are arrogant and as soon as the mic turns on they seem to forget how to speak or follow their notes (if they even have them). They think they’re hilarious (but they’re not) and they think they have everything figured out and are just trying to explain it to the rest of us. Annoying and not worth the listen.

I love listening to this podcast! These guys have crazy nerdy passion for what they do and for asking great questions! They are hilarious and I never get bored listening. They have incredible guests and each episode allows me to search and fill in a little piece of the puzzle in my deconstructionist/ reconstruction journey. Thank you guys for all you do; for all the research, time, and energy you have put into this! You’re really making a difference.

I was checking out the reviews for this podcast (not sure why but I was). I guess I stumbled on them when I was looking at the episodes. Anyway, the first reviews I saw were several 2 star reviews in a row all saying the same thing. The main thing being criticized was the enthusiasm of the hosts Adam and John. I was surprised that that was the issue at hand. I will agree that Adam and John get excited about the various topics they cover with their guests, but I have to say that their enthusiasm is one of my favorite things about the podcast. How often do you see people getting excited like that about these topics? The excitement is refreshing because the church has not done a great job getting me (and I’m sure plenty of others as well) excited about hardly anything. I think it’s a great disposition to have for deconstructing long held beliefs because it can get heavy and messy and hard. And obviously it’s not the only demeanor that’s on the show. It should be noted that the podcast gets serious and goes deep. Adam and John have hosted some amazing guests on their show and they’ve done a really good job maintaining a balance between enthusiasm and maturity. They ask good questions and the guests always seem to enjoy their time on the show. It’s unfortunate that some people would give a low rating to a podcast just because it wasn’t their style. You gotta give legitimate reasons for criticism and write a review based off that. If it’s not what you're into, that’s ok. There’s really no need to bash this show because of how it’s crafted. It’s designed to be lighthearted and safe and at the same time it provides content that we as listeners can grapple with. I’m looking forward to future episodes with these guys! There’s not a lot of people out there doing what they’re doing. Keep it up fellas!

I really appreciate what John and Adam offer with their podcast. I’ve been listening for quite a while. As many others have noted in their reviews, the hosts are excitable and make no efforts to pretend they are not. At first I did find it distracting, but as I continued to listen I came to understand that if Adam and John stopped being who they were in an effort to cater to the expectations of others, then they would betray a goal of the podcast itself- to help people understand be comfortable with who they are and what they believe. When I let go of some of my expectations for what “proper” hosting is, I found I was better able to engage with what I was hearing. The guests are fantastic and I’ve discovered some new music as well. Thanks for expanding my world, Adam and John!

I tend to come back to this podcast every once in awhile because of my interest in the subject matter. I began my deconstruction when I started my religious studies degree back in 2014/2015. Its been a long road for me, but I really appreciate how you approach the subject from different perspectives and entertain both theologically conservative and liberal points of view on the podcast (as well as other religious perspectives). It provides a necessary balance that gives birth to a much greater understanding for all of us listening. I was wondering if you’d been interested in asking Dr. Jordan Peterson, the clinical psychologist from the University of Toronto, to join you for an interview. He’s currently wrapped up in a bit of a political battle of sorts, which unfortunately draws a lot of attention away from his first book, Maps of Meaning. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it focuses in on the biblical text (and other religious perspectives) through a psychological lens. From the interviews and talks I’ve seen where he discusses that portion of his work, I’ve been very impressed. He’s definitely provided the world with a valuable contribution of scholarship in the field of psychology of religion. I’d love to hear you guys interview him because you tend to ask engaging questions that draw out the best in your interviewees. Thanks again for the great content guys. I wish you continued success!

I would love to see you guys divert from the “Christian” back drop. You have sprinkled in several religions here and there but would love to hear you dive into some atheist or agnostic guests. Several of us are deconstructing but may not necessarily be looking to reconstruct in the confines of another ‘version’ of Christianity. Would love to see some other thought streams presented if you are so inclined.

At exactly the perfect time in my life, when a perfect storm of events caused me to finally start questioning everything I've believed for my entire life, there you are!! This is a good path and I'm so excited about where God is leading me. And I have YEARS of podcasts to binge on!