Faith Lab
Faith Lab takes serious biblical scholarship out of academic conferences and dense books and makes it accessible to everyday listeners. Hosted by Nate and Shelby Hanson, the show features conversations with historians, biblical scholars, and experts who study the origins of Christianity, the New Testament, and the world of the Bible. Nate and Shelby serve as curious guides, asking honest questions and pressing guests to explain their research clearly. After 10 years of deconstruction, Nate’s journey through pastoral ministry and work alongside Francis Chan led him back to Christian faith through serious engagement with biblical scholarship.
Episodes
February 4, 2026 • 35 mins
Biblical scholar Tim Mackie of the Bible Project breaks down what it really means to read the Bible. This episode reframes Scripture not as a rulebook or textbook, but as a story shaped by repetition, pattern, and intentional design.
We explore why many people struggle with the Bible when they treat it like a modern instruction manual, and how ancient readers would have understood the text through repeated patterns, echoed languag...
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January 21, 2026 • 57 mins
Rebecca McLaughlin joins Faith Lab to confront Christianity’s hardest objections and ask whether Christian faith can actually stand up to serious scrutiny.
In this conversation, Nate and Shelby talk with Rebecca about the historical reliability of the Gospels, eyewitness testimony, women in the early Christian movement, moral critiques of Christianity, and the problem of suffering. Rather than treating faith as a blind leap, Rebec...
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January 7, 2026 • 75 mins
For most people, faith means believing without evidence. A leap. A feeling. Something you are told to accept rather than question.
But what if that is not what faith meant at all?
In this conversation, Nate and Shelby sit down with Shane Rosenthal to explore why the New Testament idea of faith was rooted in trust, eyewitness testimony, and public events rather than blind belief. They unpack how faith slowly became detached from e...
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December 30, 2025 • 19 mins
Nate Hanson reflects on his journey with the podcast Almost Heretical, discussing the process of deconstruction and how it led him to a deeper understanding of Christianity. He shares his experiences of doubt, the search for evidence, and the transition to a new show called Faith Lab, which aims to explore the historical and philosophical foundations of the Christian faith.
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July 16, 2025 • 63 mins
Could one ancient cloth change how we see the resurrection? Dr. Jeremiah Johnston joins us to unpack the Shroud of Turin, its baffling science, strange history, and the image that no one can explain.
Does this relic prove Jesus physically rose from the dead, or is it just a misunderstood artifact? We explore what happens when modern science collides with first-century faith.
Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@alm...
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July 2, 2025 • 28 mins
Shelby and Nate explore the intriguing question of why Jesus did not write anything down during his lifetime. They discuss the implications of this question on our understanding of faith and scripture, emphasizing the oral tradition of the time and the significance of Jesus' teachings in a present-tense context. The conversation also touches on the historical perspective of Jesus as a local rabbi and the lack of immediate written r...
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May 28, 2025 • 40 mins
What if the stories at the end of Genesis weren’t just family drama—but political storytelling?
In this episode, Nate and Shelby revisit six key moments from Genesis 27 to 50—including Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing, Dinah and Shechem, Judah and Tamar, and Joseph’s rise in Egypt—to explore how these stories may have been written to explain Israel’s political identity, tribal dynamics, and national origin.
We talk about:
Why ...
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May 7, 2025 • 50 mins
→ Download the Practice Christianity Without Paul reflection booklet here (https://www.patreon.com/posts/jesus-faith-and-128319083)
→ Access the Paul-Free Church Statement of Faith (https://www.patreon.com/posts/church-statement-128321301)
What does it mean to be a Christian without Paul? In this series finale, we walk through five alternate paths the Jesus movement could have taken—and still can—without relying on Paul’s theolog...
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April 9, 2025 • 60 mins
Bonus ep 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-what-is-123011688
Bonus ep 2 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-did-paul-125106095
Why does Paul’s voice dominate the New Testament? How did his letters become so central to Christian theology, and what happens when we begin to question that authority? Are all the Pauline epistles actually written by Paul? What if the Paul we know today is a constructed figure—reshaped by the chu...
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March 26, 2025 • 45 mins
What if Paul’s vision of Christ reshaped Christianity in ways Jesus’ own brother, James, never intended? In this episode, we explore the intense clash between Paul’s Christ movement and the Jesus movement, led by James in Jerusalem, as they battled over the faith’s direction. Paul’s independent gospel, born from a divine encounter, drove him to spread his message to Gentile cities like Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome, outpacing the Jewi...
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March 12, 2025 • 45 mins
(Part 1 here) Who should guide your faith—James, Jesus’ brother, or Paul, the visionary apostle? We dive into early Christianity history to explore a battle of beliefs. James rooted his leadership in the Jewish roots of Christianity, blending faith with works. Paul preached faith alone, shaping a global faith. We uncover their clash—faith and works: Paul vs James—through the Didache and the Ebionites’ rejection of Paul. Tune in to ...
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February 26, 2025 • 42 mins
Paul contradicts Jesus, with the Apostles’ Creed skipping Jesus’ life... mirroring Paul’s letters that ignore his teachings and miracles. They share personal struggles with Paul’s towering influence on Christian theology and leadership, kicking off a must-hear series on Christianity’s origins.
Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.com
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February 12, 2025 • 45 mins
Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the Bible’s most infamous stories, but was its destruction really about homosexuality? What does the Bible actually say about the sin of Sodom? And why did Abraham nearly sacrifice Isaac—was child sacrifice common in his time? Plus, what’s the real meaning behind Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt? We unpack these troubling Genesis stories, explore their ancient context, and reveal how Jewish inte...
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February 5, 2025 • 68 mins
Listen to the after show with Dr. Perrin
In this engaging conversation, Dr. Andrew Perrin, an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls, discusses the significance of these ancient texts and their impact on our understanding of the Bible. The dialogue explores the human element behind the texts, the intersection of faith and academia, and the importance of critical thinking in religious education. The conversation also touches on conspiracy t...
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January 29, 2025 • 38 mins
Listen to the Full Episode! Abraham’s story is packed with unexpected twists, but two figures often get overlooked—Melchizedek and Hagar. Who was Melchizedek, and why did New Testament authors care so much about him? What do the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal about his strange biblical role? And why does Hagar, an Egyptian slave woman, end up being the only person in the Bible to name God?
Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email cont...
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November 27, 2024 • 33 mins
➡︎ Listen to the after show
Tony Jones opens up about his journey from the pulpit to the wilderness, sharing how personal struggles led him to rediscover spirituality in nature. He challenges the ethics of modern meat consumption, advocates for mindful hunting, and critiques the church’s failure to support struggling pastors.
Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.com
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1. Bonus e...
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November 25, 2024 • 70 mins
Listen to the after show
Marianne Williamson joins us to discuss the transformative power of love, her unique spiritual insights, and her take on political division in America. From her groundbreaking ideas in A Course in Miracles to being kept off the debate stage by the DNC, Marianne offers a thought-provoking conversation on faith, unity, and the path forward.
Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email contact@almostheretical.c...
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November 20, 2024 • 36 mins
Listen to the after show
Marianne Williamson opens up about her experiences running for president in 2020 and 2024, including how the DNC and media outlets like CNN silenced alternative voices, blocking fair competition for candidates like herself and RFK Jr. We also explore her perspective on choosing love over division in an era of political polarization, and the spiritual transformation needed to heal our fractured society. This...
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November 14, 2024 • 59 mins
Listen to the after show for our conversation with Liz Charlotte Grant as we explore deep questions around faith, gender, and scripture.
Liz challenges traditional views, examining God beyond a masculine lens and delving into the complexities of divine inspiration. Together, we discuss the struggles of women in ministry, the tension between tradition and spiritual independence, and the transformative power of therapy. Join us as we...
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November 13, 2024 • 38 mins
Listen to the after show: Is Jesus Just One Way?
Part 1 of 2: Marianne Williamson joins us to discuss her journey with A Course in Miracles and why its teachings are so relevant today. We dive into her reimagined view of Jesus, the meaning of salvation, and the role of love in shifting our mindsets. Marianne also challenges traditional views on heaven and hell, offering a perspective that’s both mystical and transformative. Find mo...
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