Podcast
The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast
Hosted by J. Warner Wallace · EN
The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast is hosted by J. Warner Wallace. J. Warner is a Dateline featured cold-case homicide detective, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University and a faculty member at Summit Ministries.
The Cold-Case Christianity podcast explores the evidence for God's existence, the reliability of the Bible and the truth of the Christian worldview. Please visit our website at www.ColdCaseChristianity.com.
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
If the Gospel Is So Powerful, Why Bother Persuading Anyone?
Yesterday01:10:28Tap to summarizeMany Christians say, "Just preach the gospel—God will do the rest." But Scripture paints a richer picture: the gospel is the power of God for salvation, and God still calls us to reason, explain, and persuade. In this episode, J. Warner Wallace walks through key passages—from Romans and Proverbs to the book of Acts—to show how Jesus' first followers actually shared the message. You'll see why Peter, Paul, and the other apostles worked so hard to contextualize the same unchanging gospel for very different audiences, from devout Jews to skeptical philosophers and hostile officials. J. Warner then turns to our modern, post‑Christian culture and makes the case that wise persuasion and careful "translation" are not optional add‑ons, but part of biblical evangelism. You'll learn why trusting the Spirit and the power of the message should actually motivate you to think harder about your words, your tone, and your starting point in every conversation. If this episode challenges or helps you, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast—your feedback helps more people discover this content and strengthens our growing community of Christian case makers.
Transcribe →
Deconstruction vs. Truth: A Detective Looks at the New Doubt Movement
1w ago01:21:37Tap to summarizeIn this conversation, J. Warner Wallace joins Janelle Wood from Finding Something Real to examine the case for Christianity through the lens of a cold-case detective. Together they explore evidence, doubt, and the reliability of the Gospels, offering practical help for anyone wrestling with whether Christianity is really true. Watch more from Finding Something Real with Janelle Wood on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FindingSomethingReal Learn more in Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels: https://amzn.to/42XtJhu Please subscribe and leave a review of this podcast on whatever platform you're using—it really helps others discover the show.
Transcribe →
Does God Exist? A Cold‑Case Detective Reacts to TikTok Atheists
2w ago01:01:37Tap to summarizeIn this episode, J. Warner Wallace — cold-case detective, Christian apologist, and author of God's Crime Scene — reacts to the most viral atheist claims circulating on TikTok right now and runs them through the same forensic framework he used to solve decades-old murders. The central question: Can you account for all the evidence in the universe by staying inside the universe? Whether you're a skeptic, a deconstructing believer, or a Christian who's been rattled by what you've seen on social media, this episode is your call-out bag for the most common objections you'll face. 📖 Get the book this episode is based on: God's Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe by J. Warner Wallace 👉 http://amzn.to/2kAroVD If this episode helped you or challenged you, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Reviews help more people find the evidence. Thank you for being part of the investigation.
Transcribe →
Jesus on Trial: Investigating 5 Difficult Verses in the Gospels
3w ago01:14:41Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I put five of Jesus' hardest sayings under the investigative spotlight. As a cold-case homicide detective, I've spent my career testing witness statements, examining context, and following the evidence wherever it leads. In this "case file," I apply that same approach to some of the most troubling verses in the Gospels. Along the way, I'll walk through investigative tools you can use on any tough passage: Examining the historical and literary context Comparing parallel gospel accounts Understanding ancient language and idiom Testing skeptical vs. Christian explanations to see which best fits the facts If you've ever wondered whether these verses disqualify Jesus as a trustworthy source of truth, this episode is for you. Want to go deeper and learn how to think like a detective about your faith? Check out my book Forensic Faith for an in‑depth look at building a case for Christianity and living it out with confidence. 👉 If this podcast helps you: Please subscribe so you don't miss future "case files" Leave a rating and review in your podcast app—it really helps others discover the show Share this episode with someone who struggles with Jesus' difficult teachings
Transcribe →
The Most Dangerous Kind of Faith in the Church Today
4w ago01:06:09Tap to summarizeFaith is not supposed to be blind, reckless, or detached from reality. In this episode, J. Warner Wallace (cold-case detective and Christian apologist) takes a hard look at the way many Christians think about "faith" and shows why some popular versions of faith are not just weak—they're dangerous to the church. He explains the difference between unreasonable faith, blind faith, and reasonable (forensic) faith, and why only one of these is actually biblical. Drawing on years of courtroom experience, Jim unpacks how juries reach verdicts "beyond a reasonable doubt" and why that same standard makes sense for the Christian worldview. He addresses why so many churches avoid apologetics, how "just have faith" can become a license for intellectual laziness, and why that's leaving our kids vulnerable to every counterfeit worldview that comes along. He also tackles commonly misused passages like Hebrews 11 and the story of "Doubting Thomas" to show that Scripture consistently presents a thoughtful, evidential faith—one that welcomes investigation rather than fleeing from it. If you've ever felt like the only person in your church who cares about evidence, or you've struggled with the idea that faith means shutting off your brain, this episode will help you reframe biblical faith as a reasoned trust grounded in what God has already revealed in history. If this conversation is helpful, please remember to subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend—your reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the major platforms really do help more people discover the show and join us in making the case for the Christian worldview.
Transcribe →
What If Jesus Is Just One More Myth? Inside a Homicide Detective's Spiritual Crime Scene
Apr 2900:46:08Tap to summarizeIn this episode, cold-case homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace walks through the "spiritual crime scene" of his own journey from skeptical naturalist to follower of Jesus. Drawing on decades of investigative experience, he explains why the usual reasons people give for being Christians ("I was raised this way" or "I had an experience") are not uniquely Christian, and why the real question is whether the Gospels record what actually happened in the first century. You'll hear how eyewitness variation in the Gospel accounts first caught his attention, how the standard jury instructions for testing witnesses can be applied to the New Testament, and why abductive reasoning from four key facts about Jesus points most reasonably to the resurrection. J. Warner also unpacks his memorable distinction between "belief that" and "belief in," using a bulletproof vest story from an officer-involved shooting to show what genuine, evidence-based trust in Christ looks like when the stakes are life and death. Along the way, he addresses miracles in other world religions, the rising generational question "Is Christianity good and worth caring about?", and the power of God-honoring content to reshape our culture. If this conversation helped you think more clearly about Jesus, take a moment to subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you'd be willing to leave a rating and review in your podcast app, it really helps more people discover the show and join the conversation about the case for Christianity.
Transcribe →
My Most Requested Case Ever: Investigating the Shroud of Turin
Apr 2201:39:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode, cold-case homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace finally turns his investigative lens on one of the most talked-about religious artifacts in history: the Shroud of Turin. Is it a medieval forgery created for profit, or a powerful piece of physical evidence that points to the crucifixion of Jesus? J. Warner walks through the chain of custody, the historical record, the scientific testing, and the forensic details, while also exposing the limits of what any single piece of evidence can truly prove. Drawing on decades of experience presenting cases to juries, he explains how a detective evaluates artifacts, weighs competing explanations, and navigates the space between "possible" and "reasonable" doubt. He also shows why—even if the Shroud were authentic—it could never replace the historical case for the resurrection grounded in early eyewitness testimony. If you've ever wondered whether Christians should use the Shroud of Turin when making a case for Christianity, or avoid it altogether, this episode will help you think it through carefully. If this conversation is helpful to you, please subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity podcast and take a moment to leave a rating and review in your podcast app. Your feedback helps more people discover the show and join the conversation about the evidence for the Christian worldview.
Transcribe →
The Trinity Is NOT a Problem… It's the Solution
Apr 1501:02:50Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity podcast, J. Warner Wallace tackles one of the most controversial and misunderstood doctrines in the Christian worldview: the Trinity. Drawing on his experience as a cold-case homicide detective, J. Warner treats the identity of God like a crime scene, building a suspect profile from Scripture and then asking: Who actually fits the evidence? J. Warner explains why the word "Trinity" doesn't need to appear in the Bible for the doctrine to be thoroughly biblical, how the classic attributes of God (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, eternality, immutability, Creator and Sustainer, and the sole object of worship) apply not only to the Father, but also to the Son and the Holy Spirit, and why this forces us to a triune understanding of God if we're going to be honest with the text. He also explores why groups like members of the LDS Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Oneness Pentecostals—who may claim to believe in Jesus—still fall outside historic, orthodox Christianity when they deny the triune nature of God. Along the way, J. Warner offers a clear, working definition of the Trinity ("one what and three whos"), warns about common heresies like modalism and Arianism, and shows how the earliest creeds and confessions weren't inventing new ideas but summarizing the best inference from biblical data. This episode will help you clarify your own thinking, disciple your kids and students, and confidently engage missionaries and friends who say, "We're Christians too," while rejecting the Trinity. If this episode is helpful to you, please subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to rate and review it. Your subscription and review really do help more people discover the case for the Christian worldview.
Transcribe →
Cops, Christians, and a Culture on Edge
Apr 801:05:26Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity podcast, J. Warner Wallace takes you inside the current crisis of confidence in American law enforcement—from the perspective of someone who actually wore the badge. Drawing on decades of experience as a gang officer, undercover cop, SWAT operator, and cold-case homicide detective, Jim helps Christians think more clearly and biblically about the role of police in our culture. Are all officers the same? Is there a difference between local cops and federal agents like ICE? How should thoughtful followers of Jesus respond to viral videos, headlines, and public outrage? If you've ever struggled to reconcile your Christian worldview with what you see on the news about policing, this episode will help you rethink assumptions, make careful distinctions, and respond with both truth and compassion. If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity podcast and take a moment to rate and review the show in your podcast app. Your subscription, rating, and review really do help more people discover this content and think more carefully about the Christian worldview.
Transcribe →
Jesus Is NOT God – Or Is He?
Apr 101:04:47Tap to summarizeJesus is NOT God…or is He? In this episode, I walk through the claim that "Jesus is NOT God" and treat it like a case file—testing it against Scripture, the beliefs of the earliest Christians, and the logical consequences if this claim were actually true. We'll look at key passages often used to deny Jesus' deity, examine what the first followers of Jesus really believed about Him, and ask what happens to the gospel, salvation, and worship if Jesus is only a good teacher and not God in the flesh. If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review—it really helps more people discover this content and think more carefully about what they believe and why.
Transcribe →