Why I converted as an adult vs why I lost faith - Shaun Stevenson & Joshua Sijuwade

What happens when a philosopher loses faith in God — and then unexpectedly finds it again? In this deeply personal and philosophical episode of Unbelievable?, host John Nelson sits down with philosophers Dr Shaun Stevenson and Dr Joshua Sijuwade to explore belief, doubt, suffering and the search for meaning. Shaun shares how he moved from Christianity into atheism after wrestling with judgmental church experiences, the problem of evil, and the terrifying possibility that loved ones might be eternally separated from God. Years later, however, he found himself drawn back toward Christianity through fatherhood, suffering, philosophy and a renewed understanding of grace. Joshua tells his own powerful story of dramatic Christian conversion after a profound spiritual experience at age 19, before explaining why philosophy still provides intellectual grounds for belief in God despite the reality of suffering. 00:00 Why philosophers lose faith 02:30 Secretly reading the Bible as a child 09:20 Can Christianity push people away 13:40 Becoming an atheist philosopher 16:30 “I didn’t want heaven without my family” 19:25 Returning to Christianity after years away 26:00 Can God justify suffering? 35:00 Does theodicy dehumanise pain? 40:00 Why God suffers with us 46:40 Does Christianity make suffering meaningful? 51:00 The “vampire God” objection 55:00 Has Christianity made the world better? 1:01:30 Hell and the fate of loved ones 1:06:00 The Orthodox view of hell explained For Shaun Stevenson https://www.mmu.ac.uk/staff/profile/dr-shaun-stevenson For Joshua Sijuwade https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/philosophy/joshua-sijuwade Subscribe & Support 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 🎧 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast at  www.premier.plus/unbelievable 🎙️ 🔗 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 📢 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE