About this episode

William Lane Craig and Alex O’Connor engage in a debate about the existence of God, cosmology, and the problem of suffering.

Recorded at London’s Royal Institution in May 2026, this Unbelievable? x Panpsycast x Theora co-production brought William Lane Craig face-to-face with Alex O’Connor for a gripping conversation on God, cosmology and suffering. Dr. Craig made the case for Christian theism, drawing on the Kalam cosmological argument, fine-tuning, moral values and the resurrection of Jesus. O’Connor pushed back on whether the universe really had a beginning, pressing Dr. Craig on infinity, time, causation and the Big Bang. The discussion then turned to animal suffering. Could a loving God allow millions of years of predation, pain and death?

People in this episode

Host: William Lane Craig

Guest: Alex O’Connor

Topics covered

• God's existence
• cosmology
• suffering
• Christian theism
• Kalam cosmological argument
• animal suffering

Keywords

• God
• cosmology
• suffering
• Christian theism
• Kalam argument
• Big Bang
• animal suffering
• infinity
• moral values
• resurrection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Royal Institution

Books & works: Unbelievable?, Panpsycast, Theora

Places: London

More episodes of In the Arena: The Debates and Lectures of William Lane Craig

• Response + Q&A of William Lane Craig's Systematic Philosophical Theology, Vol. 1 · July 17, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Something From Nothing · June 19, 2026 · 42 min

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