Is wokeness just politics — or is it actually a religion? And what does Christianity have to say about DEI, critical race theory, and social justice?

In this episode of Theological, host Shabbos Kestenbaum sits down with Neil Shenvi — PhD in theoretical chemistry from UC Berkeley, Christian apologist, and co-author of Critical Dilemma — for one of the most intellectually rigorous conversations the show has ever had.

Neil isn't a politician or a pundit. He's a scientist who homeschools his kids and has spent years studying the theological and philosophical roots of critical theory, woke ideology, and the social justice movement. And his conclusion is clear: critical theory and Christianity are fundamentally incompatible.

PragerU

Why did Apostate Prophet leave Islam—and why did he eventually become Christian?

In this episode of Theological, Shabbos Kestenbaum sits down with Ridvan Aydemir, known online as Apostate Prophet, for a direct conversation about Islam, the Quran, Muhammad, Jesus, Judaism, Christianity, antisemitism, terrorism, and Ridvan’s personal journey from Islam to atheism to Christianity.

Ridvan explains why reading the Quran in a language he understood became a turning point in his life. He argues that the Quran makes claims about the natural world, Judaism, Christianity, Jesus, and Muhammad that he no longer believes can be reconciled with truth. Shabbos presses him on whether Islam still teaches valuable practices like prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage—and Ridvan responds by distinguishing useful religious practices from what he sees as false theological claims.

Theological

What Does the Quran Actually Say? A Former Muslim Tells the Truth

Did the Bible predict artificial intelligence — and are we creating a digital god?

In this episode of Theological, Shabbos Kestenbaum sits down with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, dean of the Meaningful Life Center and author of Toward a Meaningful Life, for a conversation about AI, the soul, human agency, the Tower of Babel, Shabbat, jobs, spiritual purpose, and what makes human beings different from machines.

Did the Bible Predict AI? Rabbi Simon Jacobson Answers

Is DEI Compatible with Christianity? Neil Shenvi Answers

What happens when someone who was on their way to becoming a Catholic priest walks away from God entirely?

In this episode of Theological, host Shabbos Kestenbaum sits down with Cade Bradley — a self-proclaimed atheist, former devout Catholic, and one-time aspiring seminary student — for one of the most honest, nuanced, and thought-provoking conversations the show has ever had.

He left the church. He left the seminary. He left God behind. But is that story really over?

Can You Be Good Without God?

Did the Exodus really happen? Can religion be pick-and-choose? And is Conservative Judaism dying?

In this episode of Theological, Shabbos Kestenbaum sits down with Rabbi David Wolpe, rabbi emeritus of Sinai Temple and Shabbos’s former professor at Harvard Divinity School, for a serious and respectful debate about faith, history, Torah, sin, prayer, and the future of American Judaism.

Should Religion Evolve with Times? Rabbi Wolpe Explains

As America prepares to celebrate 250 years since its founding, Shabbos Kestenbaum sits down with bestselling author and historian Bill Federer to ask one of the biggest questions in American history: Was the hand of God involved in the founding of the United States? And does He still bless this nation after 250 years?

Federer, co-author of Miracles in American History, explores the role of divine providence in the American Revolution, the survival of George Washington, the winter at Valley Forge, the faith of the Founding Fathers, religious freedom in early America, and the biblical ideas that shaped the nation’s founding.

The Miracles That Made America | Bill Federer on Divine Providence

Host Shabbos Kestenbaum interviews Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a Catholic priest, psychologist, and exorcist, about exorcism, demonic possession, and what the Church says is happening when people “open doors” through the occult.

Are Demons Real? Exorcist Stephen Rosetti Explains

Why do innocent people suffer? Where was God during the Holocaust? And how does faith sustain us in a world full of evil?

In this episode of Theological, host Shabbos Kestenbaum sits down with Michael Jones from @InspiringPhilosophy–one of the most influential Christian apologists on YouTube — for a deep, honest, and at times challenging conversation on theodicy: the problem of evil and suffering.

This is one of the most ancient questions in human history, and two thoughtful believers from different traditions take it on together — with intellectual rigor, personal honesty, and genuine respect.

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Is modern science pointing toward God—or away from Him?
In this episode of Theological, Shabbos Kestenbaum interviews Dr. Stephen Meyer (Cambridge PhD; Discovery Institute) on intelligent design, fine-tuning, Darwin’s limits, the Big Bang, and why even top scientists wrestle with the universe’s beginning. They also discuss Dr. Meyer’s documentary The Story of Everything, in theaters now.

Can Science Prove God Exists?

Did Jesus visit the Americas after the Resurrection? In this episode of Theological, host Shabbos Kestenbaum sits down with Santa Clarita stake president Michael Stanley of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to discuss the Book of Mormon’s most surprising claims—and answers the biggest misconceptions about Mormonism.

What Do Mormons Believe?

Heaven, hell, purgatory—what does the Bible actually say about the afterlife? Michael Knowles and Shabbos Kestenbaum go deep on judgment, salvation, and why the Hebrew Bible speaks differently about “the next world.”

In this thought-provoking clip, they explore:

The “harrowing of hell” and what Christians mean by Christ descending “into hell”

Why the Torah and Prophets don’t spell out the afterlife as explicitly

Olam Haba vs Olam Hazeh (the next world vs this world)

Catholic teaching on final judgment, grace, works, and purgatory

“Keys of the Kingdom,” St. Peter, and what it means for spiritual authority

If you’ve ever wondered whether faith is about this life, the next life, or both—this conversation is for you.

What Happened Between Good Friday and the Resurrection? | Easter Special with Michael Knowles

In this episode of Theological, Rabbi Jason Weiner—Senior Rabbi at Cedars-Sinai—explains how Judaism approaches life, death, and medical ethics. From euthanasia to the deathbed, is it “our body, our choice?” What do people say on their deathbeds? And can we ever understand why God allows the innocent to suffer?

Where is God When Life Ends

Why have Christian Zionism and Replacement Theology become the most controversial topics in modern theology? Pastor David Blease joins Shabbos Kestenbaum to examine what the Old and New Testaments actually say about Israel, the Church, and God’s covenant.

Who Are God’s Chosen People

What makes a messiah and does Jesus meet the criteria? Join Shabbos Kestenbaum and Christian theologian and apologist Sean McDowell as they examine together one of the most consequential theological questions in history.

What Makes a Messiah?

What does the Bible say about war between nations? Is armed conflict ever justified—or must it always be avoided? Shabbos sits down with Christian combat veteran Josiah O’Neil to examine what Scripture teaches about the moral and spiritual realities of human conflict.

Menu