Know Why Podcast

A weekly podcast for young adults seeking to go deeper on life’s biggest questions

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Episodes

6 days ago


Chances are you know someone who has deconstructed their faith or is in that process. Maybe that person is you. Wherever you are in your faith journey, you'll appreciate this interview with Ian Harber, who has experienced deconstruction of faith first hand.
Ian shares his own story, including what led to his crisis of faith and how he managed to rebuild belief in God's goodness after his lowest moment.
He also discusses his "brutally honest, defiantly hopeful" book: Walking Through Deconstruction: How to Be a Companion in a Crisis of Faith. It tackles common misconceptions about deconstruction, provides tips for supporting loved ones through a spiritual crisis, and offers hope and advice for reconstructing a healthy faith.
More Resources:
Walking Through Deconstruction by Ian Harber
Confessions by St. Augustine of Hippo

Wednesday Mar 19, 2025

There are more voices competing for our attention than ever before, and they all have a different interpretation of reality. Is there such a thing as absolute truth, and if so, how can we find it? 
Joining the Know Why Podcast to discuss this important question is Andrea Crum, the leader of Genuine Family Ministries. Andrea helps us understand why there is a crisis of truth, how we can identify and understand different worldviews, and why the existence of truth points to God’s goodness. 
More Resources: 
Andreacrum.com 
Christ Over Culture: Raising Christian Kids to Stand in a Postmodern World by Andrea Crum
Dr. Frank Turek (crossexamined.org/dr-frank-turek)
THE BEAT by Allen Parr (youtube.com/@thebeatagp)

Wednesday Mar 12, 2025

At a time when many church-raised millennials and Gen Zers are deconstructing, Know Why Podcast host Liberty McArtor is still a Christian. Why?
In this episode, Liberty shares her journey with faith and how two things kept her from completely abandoning God during a season of struggle.
She also discusses the difference between education and propaganda and why knowing the difference could strengthen one's faith.
More Resources:
Education, Indoctrination and Propaganda

Wednesday Mar 05, 2025

So far, our quest to know why God is good has led us to biblical stories of God himself. But why should we accept biblical accounts as evidence for God's goodness if we aren't even sure the Bible is true?
Josh Barnes, pastor and host of the popular YouTube channel The Bible Explained, talks us through three categories historians use to judge a historical text's reliability: authenticity, accuracy, and transmission.
Hear the case for the Bible's authenticity, accuracy, and reliable transmission in this 30-minute interview—and hear why Josh thinks evidence-based faith is better than blind faith.
 
More Resources:
Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig
Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life Changing Truth for a Skeptical World by Josh an Sean McDowell
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona

Wednesday Feb 26, 2025

Newly confirmed HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims that America is in a "spiritual crisis." Is this true? In this 20-minute episode, Liberty examines religious trends and sociological research to evaluate the truth of RFK's claim and shares her opinion on why it matters. 
More Resources:
https://news.gallup.com/poll/358364/religious-americans.aspx
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2024/07/religion-happiness-faith-loneliness-spirituality-atheism/678945/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/21/leaving-christianity-religion-church-community/
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/breaking-faith/517785/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/opinion/religion-faith-america.html?showTranscript=1
https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/
 

Wednesday Feb 19, 2025

Safe. That definition may change from person to person, but there's no denying that today's generation seeks to feel and promote physical and emotional safety. Our world is anything but safe. How do we cope with this?
Dr. Tanita Maddox is a Gen Z expert and veteran Young Life leader. In this conversation, she shares why this is an important question, how we can align our definition of safety to God's, and how we can access peace even when it feels like the world is going up in flames. She also offers loving encouragement that every Gen Zer needs to hear.
More Resources:
https://www.ivpress.com/what-gen-z-really-wants-to-know-about-god

Wednesday Feb 12, 2025

Does God actually care about the marginalized? If so, why does he seem so harsh in the Old Testament? Why do Christians seem like hypocrites today? In this episode, returning Know Why favorite Dr. Sandra Glahn tackles these hard questions. Dr. Glahn is an author, professor, and sought-after expert in issues relating to Jesus, Scripture, women and gender, and more.
More resources:
https://sandraglahn.com/
https://www.marydemuth.com/books/90-day-bible-reading-challenge/
https://sandraglahn.com/latte-with-luke

Best of 2024

Tuesday Dec 17, 2024

Tuesday Dec 17, 2024

It's our second annual "Best Of" episode! We looked at our most-downloaded episodes of 2024 and compiled the highlights here. Listen for excerpts from five of listeners’ favorite episodes of the year, with selections from our "Know About Jesus" series, our "Know About Political Engagement" series, and more!
In this episode, you’ll hear snippets of the following interviews (click to listen to the full interviews or read more):
Did Jesus Prescribe Gender Roles? Know About Jesus: Interview With Dr. Sandra Glahn (Part 2)Is My Anger Righteous? Know About Jesus: Interview With Brant Hansen (Part 1)How Can I Talk About Controversial Politics With Family This Thanksgiving? Interview With Peyton Luke
Why Should I Advocate for Religious Freedom? Know About Political Engagement: Interview With Nathan Shackelford
 
Can Localism Ease Partisanship (And Even Anxiety)? Know About Political Engagement: Interview With Dr. Mark T. Mitchell
 

Wednesday Dec 11, 2024

Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus? Is it merely cultural tradition...or something more significant? 
In this repost of one of last year's most popular episodes, Joshua Barnes of The Bible Explained demonstrates why Jesus' birth is unique compared to the origin stories of mythical gods. Josh also highlights intriguing prophecies that predicted details of Jesus' birth hundreds of years before it happened. 
More Resources:
Romans 5:12
Daniel 9
Isaiah 7
Isaiah 9
Isaiah 60

Wednesday Dec 04, 2024

In honor of the holiday season, we're bringing back two of our most popular episodes from 2023! In the first Christmas-themed interview, Joshua Barnes, host of popular YouTube channel The Bible Explained, answers questions like:
Does Christmas have pagan origins?
Does the date December 25th come from ancient holidays like Saturnalia or the Winter Solstice?
Are traditions like caroling and decorating trees borrowed from other religions?
Should Christians celebrate Christmas?
For a deeper dive, check out these resources:
Was Christmas Pagan?
Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?
Why the Puritans Cracked Down on Celebrating Christmas
Is Christmas PAGAN? In Defense of Christmas (Video)
A history of Christmas in the early Church (from New Advent)

Why Know Why?

Maybe you were raised in church and want to know if there is a reason behind the things you were taught to believe. Maybe you aren’t religious at all, but you’re interested in different perspectives on morality.

No matter where you’re coming from, it’s not enough to know what people say about life’s most important questions. You also want to know why.

Each week, Know Why tackles tough questions on topics ranging from spirituality to current events, with special attention to the issues facing millennials and members of Gen Z.

While we approach these issues from a Christian perspective, we discuss diverse opinions and ultimately dive into what the research says.

The conversations on Know Why are frank and friendly, featuring brief but thorough interviews with a variety of subject-matter experts and interesting people. We hope you find these conversations enjoyable, informative, and relevant to your life.

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