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.
29episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
21 Clues Everyone Misses About Jesus' Deity in John's Gospel
2w ago01:48:00Tap to summarizeIs Jesus really God, or did the church just make that up later? In this episode of Cold-Case Christianity, homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace works through the Gospel of John like a case file, pulling one key piece of evidence from each chapter (John 2–21) to test the viral claim, "Jesus never even said He was God." You'll see how titles, reactions, and "hidden in plain sight" details in John quietly build a powerful cumulative case that Jesus is more than a great teacher—He is God in the flesh. If this episode helps you, please subscribe and rate the podcast on your favorite podcast platform so more people can discover this content.
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How Should Christians Respond When The World Is On Fire?
3w ago00:54:22Tap to summarizeIn this episode, J. Warner Wallace joins The Bill Arnold Show to discuss how followers of Jesus can thoughtfully respond to the recent events in Minneapolis. Drawing on his background as a cold-case detective and Christian apologist, J. Warner explores how to separate facts from headlines, think biblically about justice, authority, and race, and model truth and hope in a culturally divided moment. Listen in as we examine how to apply a forensic faith framework to breaking news, avoid outrage-driven narratives, and live out a distinctly Christian response in times of crisis. Check out The Bill Arnold Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theBillArnoldshow Learn more in J. Warner's book "The Truth in True Crime": https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496472592 If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on whatever podcast platform you're using—it really helps others discover the show.
Transcribe →What 1,300 Years of SILENCE Says About the Shroud of Turin
Jun 1701:25:49Tap to summarizeIs the Shroud of Turin a genuine relic of Jesus, a medieval hoax, or something else entirely? In this second episode on the Shroud of Turin, cold-case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace examines the shroud the way he would any piece of evidence in a homicide trial, focusing on chain of custody, historical silence, and what the earliest Christians actually relied on to make the case for the resurrection. For more on how to investigate the claims of Christianity like a detective, check out the book Cold-Case Christianity: https://amzn.to/42XtJhu Visit our website for articles, videos, and resources: https://www.coldcasechristianity.com If you find this podcast helpful, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform—it really helps us reach more people with the case for Christianity.
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Did We Make Up God… or Superheroes? A Cold-Case Detective Investigates
Jun 1001:07:46Tap to summarizeAre our favorite superheroes just modern myths—or are they clues that we were made for something more? In this episode, cold-case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace takes you on a deep dive into the "theology of superheroes." Drawing from Marvel, DC, and other comic-book universes, J. Warner explores how the attributes we assign to our heroes—unlimited power, knowledge, justice, mercy, sacrificial love, and even "friendly neighborhood" presence—mirror the classic attributes of God described in Christian scripture and theology. Why do we long for an all-powerful but good savior? Why do stories about incorruptible heroes, just vigilantes, and self-sacrificing champions move us so deeply? And what if our obsession with superheroes isn't an escape from reality, but evidence of a deeper, God-shaped longing we can't shake? Along the way, J. Warner connects specific heroes and scenes—from street-level protectors to godlike cosmic beings—to the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, just, loving, and present God of the Bible, and builds a cumulative case that our stories are echoing a much older, truer Story. If you find this episode helpful, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Your reviews help more people discover the show and think clearly about faith, culture, and the evidence for Christianity.
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If the Gospel Is So Powerful, Why Bother Persuading Anyone?
Jun 301:10:28Tap 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.
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Deconstruction vs. Truth: A Detective Looks at the New Doubt Movement
May 2701:21:37Tap 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.
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Does God Exist? A Cold‑Case Detective Reacts to TikTok Atheists
May 2001:01:37Tap 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.
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Jesus on Trial: Investigating 5 Difficult Verses in the Gospels
May 1301:14:41Tap 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
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The Most Dangerous Kind of Faith in the Church Today
May 601:06:09Tap 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.
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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.
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