eX-skeptic

What happens when a brilliant researcher, once convinced God was nothing more than a cultural artifact, decides to take a second look? In this episode of eX-skeptic, Dr. Lee Holcombe shares his remarkable journey from faith in childhood, through skepticism and intellectual dismissal of Christianity, to a surprising return to Christ. With a career spanning electrical engineering, education policy, and high-level research, Lee applied his analytical skills to life’s biggest questions. His pursuit of truth took him from Alaska to Morocco, Harvard to Texas, and ultimately to unexpected encounters with God through both reason and experience. In this conversation, we explore: How childhood faith gave way to skepticism and intellectual rejection of God The role of the Peace Corps, education, and tragedy in shaping his worldview Why near-death experiences, philosophy, and cosmology opened him to the possibility of God Powerful dreams that challenged his materialism and drew him to Christ How God is now using his expertise in education and data-driven strategy in global missions If you’ve ever wondered whether faith can hold up under the weight of tough questions—or whether God still meets skeptics on the path of truth—Lee’s story will encourage and challenge you. Visit exskeptic.org for curated playlists on science, suffering, meaning, and God’s reality, along with resources from past guests. Guest Bio: Dr. Lee Holcombe is a researcher, educator, and missionary whose career spans engineering, education policy, and international missions. After earning his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Rice University, he worked on advanced defense technology before serving in the Peace Corps in Morocco. He went on to earn a doctorate in education from Harvard and served in leadership and research roles at the University of Texas and Texas Higher Education Agency, bridging the worlds of research and policy. Resources Mentioned: America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): https://americaschristiancu.com/Jana/ Gary Habermas – Minimal Facts Argument for the Resurrection C.S. Lewis Institute – cslewisinstitute.org Research on near-death experiences (University of Virginia Division of Perceptual Studies) Lee’s recommended resources: • William Lane Craig on the Kalam Cosmological Argument • Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected]

What if faith isn’t blind, but freeing? For much of her life, Megan Carroll believed she didn’t need God. A self-reliant achiever who valued reason and control, she dismissed Christianity as something to accept “without evidence.” But when life unraveled—through illness, heartbreak, and uncertainty—Megan found herself face-to-face with questions she couldn’t ignore. From a childhood encounter she couldn’t explain, to experimenting with spiritualism in college, to finally crying out to God in desperation—Megan’s story traces the slow undoing of self-sufficiency and the surprising discovery that real strength is found in surrender. Guest Bio: For the first 30 years of her life, Megan lived without faith, denying God every chance she could, and chasing her own path. But everything changed when the person she thought would be in her life forever walked away. That’s when she encountered the love of Jesus. Now, about 18 months into her walk with Christ, Megan is on fire for the Lord. She is deeply studying the Bible, growing in truth, and learning to seek God in every area of her life. Pre-Jesus, Megan lived for herself. Today, she lives to glorify Him. Resources Mentioned: America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): AmericasChristianCU.com/Jana Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story by Angie Smith The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected]

What if belief in God isn’t opposed to reason, but demanded by it? Olivier Bonnassies, co-author of God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution, was once convinced that Christianity was irrational and that science explained everything, but he began to question his assumptions about reality, truth, and the origins of the universe. Through years of study in both science and theology, Olivier discovered that the evidence, from cosmology, philosophy, morality, and even history, points unmistakably toward a transcendent Creator. Together, Jana and Olivier explore: How growing up in secular France shaped his skepticism The role of scientific discovery in revealing purpose and design Why the Big Bang, fine-tuning, and morality point beyond materialism How evidence led to faith, and ultimately, to joy and transformation Guest Bio: Olivier Bonnassies is a French engineer, entrepreneur, and author with a background in both science and theology. Educated at the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris, he spent years building successful companies before turning his attention to life’s deepest questions. Once an agnostic, convinced that belief in God was irrational, Olivier embarked on a personal investigation that led him to faith in Christ. He is co-author, with Michel-Yves Bolloré, of God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution, a bestselling book in Europe (over 400,000 copies sold) now launching in the U.S. Through his research and writing, Olivier argues that the convergence of science, philosophy, and history reveals a compelling case for God’s existence. Resources Mentioned: America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): AmericasChristianCU.com/Jana God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution by Olivier Bonnassies & Michel-Yves Bolloré Website: www.godthesciencetheevidence.com The Catholic Institute of Paris École Polytechnique C.S. Lewis Institute — for deeper learning and apologetics resources eXskeptic.org — curated playlists including “Can I Believe in Science and God?” Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected]

Where do we find real love, the kind that fills our souls and heals our brokenness? Is it through politics, psychology, or self-help? Or is it found in a Person? British journalist Heather Tomlinson shares her remarkable journey from a secular liberal worldview to a life transformed by Jesus Christ. Once convinced that human progress and political reform could heal the world, Heather found those paths empty. Her search for meaning led her through science, psychology, and even spirituality in Buddhism and Wicca—until she encountered the love of Christ through the Gospels. Heather’s story reveals that faith in Jesus doesn’t just inform ideas—it reorders life itself: how we see people, how we approach suffering, and how we understand love. Guest Bio: Heather Tomlinson is a British journalist and writer who spent the early part of her career working for national newspapers in the UK, including The Guardian. Trained in molecular biology, she began her career reporting on industry and finance before moving into psychology and mental health. A one-time secular liberal, Heather’s pursuit of truth led her through science, politics, and spirituality until she found the love and reality of Jesus Christ. Today, she writes for Christian publications and serves in pastoral care, helping others discover faith and healing through God’s love. Resources Mentioned: America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): AmericasChristianCU.com/Jana Heather’s Resources: • Substack: https://heathertomlinson.substack.com/ Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis Battelle Christian Rehab (UK ministry) The C.S. Lewis Institute Podcast Network Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected]

Few questions weigh heavier on the human heart than death. Is there anything beyond this life? How do we face death without fear? Dr. Stephen Iacoboni has wrestled with these questions every day for more than forty years as a medical oncologist. Once a committed scientific atheist, he sought answers in medicine, science, and humanism—only to find them insufficient in the face of mortality. Through the witness of his patients and the growing cracks in naturalistic explanations, Dr. Iacoboni came to embrace faith in God, discovering a hope that transforms both life and death. In this conversation, he shares his journey from childhood faith to scientific atheism, through years of treating patients at death’s door, to finally returning to belief in Jesus Christ. Along the way, he examines the failures of naturalism, the role of science, and the undeniable human longing for meaning that points to something greater. Guest Bio: Dr. Stephen J. Iacoboni is a veteran oncologist, author, and speaker whose medical career spans more than forty years. Trained during an era dominated by scientific materialism, he once embraced an atheistic worldview. But through decades of walking with cancer patients in their deepest suffering, he rediscovered the reality of the human soul and the hope of faith. He is the author of The Undying Soul: A Cancer Doctor’s Discovery and Telos: The Scientific Basis for a Life of Purpose, where he shares both his personal journey from atheism to faith and his case for meaning and design in life. Today, Dr. Iacoboni continues to write and speak on the intersection of science, medicine, and spirituality, encouraging both doctors and skeptics to see beyond a purely mechanistic view of life. Resources Mentioned: America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): AmericasChristianCU.com/Jana Stephen’s Resources: • Book: The Undying Soul • Book: Telos- The Scientific Basis for a Life of Purpose Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected]