An Australian theologian/apologist says a fresh wave of openness to Christianity is building across the West, with commentators, politicians and celebrities publicly reconsidering faith on some of the world's biggest podcast platforms.
Founder of Questioning Christianity, Dan Paterson, likens Western culture to the Prodigal Son story - having squandared the inheritance of the Christian covenant on 'secular shores', many people are now hungry for hope and meaning. He discusses how much a person needs to understand before trusting God, and how negative encounters with Christians means more than bad publicity - it can harden hearts against faith. Dan Paterson spoke to Andrew Curtis ahead of the Good News for Aotearoa Forum in Auckland. (https://www.wilberforce.org.nz/events/good-news-aotearoa-2026)
Chapters
0:09 A new openness to Christianity
1:09 Wes Huff on Joe Rogan
1:34 The West as the Prodigal Son
3:30 Knowing the Christian story
5:13 When bad experiences shape belief
6:01 Living out the faith
8:42 About the forum
#Christianity #Faith #Apologetics #Evangelism #NewZealand
------------------------------------------------
| SOCIALS |
Follow us on INSTAGRAM!
- https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsandcommentsnz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thebrightsidenz/
- https://www.instagram.com/rhemadriveshow/
Visit our WEBSITE! https://www.rhema.co.nz/home
Join our FACEBOOK Page to engage with us! https://www.facebook.com/nzrhema
Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema
Would you like to pray for others or have a prayer request? 🙏
- Our Prayer Wall: https://www.rhema.co.nz/faith/prayerwall
To contact the studio
- Email: studio@rhema.co.nz
- Phone: 0508 474362
- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA
What Is Your Tribe? | Thoughts on Politics EP1
Who do you think you are, and does it decide how you vote?
Andrew Urquhart explores identity and politics with policy analysts, theologians, practitioners and everyday New Zealanders. He asks which groups we belong to, from iwi and hapū to whānau, culture and church, and whether those groups shape the way we vote.
Contributors weigh up the history of tribal voting in New Zealand, from class-based loyalties under first past the post to the more fragmented MMP era. One analyst argues voters are now less loyal to parties but more tribal about ideology, and warns of a growing habit of treating opponents as evil rather than simply wrong. Others question single-issue voting, unpack the compromises Christians face when no party matches all their values, and reflect on why every vote carries the same mana.
Episode 1 of 5, asking what's broken in Aotearoa New Zealand, whether politics can fix it and who's fit for the job ahead of Election 2026.
Chapters
3:10 Talking politics & religion
4:24 Who's your tribe?
5:49 Iwi, whānau & belonging
6:37 Voting like your family
7:39 Tribal voting then & now
14:33 The single-issue trap
18:45 Every vote, equal mana
21:53 Faith & common ground
24:33 Can government fix it?
25:31 Should there be a Christian party?
28:47 Closing thoughts
#Election2026 #NZPolitics #Identity #TribalVoting
Check out our socials:
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shinetv.nz/
▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shinetv.nz
▶ Website: https://www.shinetv.co.nz/
Contact Shine TV: https://info.shinetv.co.nz/shinetv/contactus/
Support Shine TV: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=shine
Sign up for free Shine TV on-demand: https://www.shinetv.co.nz/checkout/subscribe/signup
📺 How to watch Shine TV: https://info.shinetv.co.nz/shinetv/howtowatch/
➡ Like and subscribe to support the channel!
Andrew Urquhart explores identity and politics with policy analysts, theologians, practitioners and everyday New Zealanders. He asks which groups we belong to, from iwi and hapū to whānau, culture and church, and whether those groups shape the way we vote.
Contributors weigh up the history of tribal voting in New Zealand, from class-based loyalties under first past the post to the more fragmented MMP era. One analyst argues voters are now less loyal to parties but more tribal about ideology, and warns of a growing habit of treating opponents as evil rather than simply wrong. Others question single-issue voting, unpack the compromises Christians face when no party matches all their values, and reflect on why every vote carries the same mana.
Episode 1 of 5, asking what's broken in Aotearoa New Zealand, whether politics can fix it and who's fit for the job ahead of Election 2026.
Chapters
3:10 Talking politics & religion
4:24 Who's your tribe?
5:49 Iwi, whānau & belonging
6:37 Voting like your family
7:39 Tribal voting then & now
14:33 The single-issue trap
18:45 Every vote, equal mana
21:53 Faith & common ground
24:33 Can government fix it?
25:31 Should there be a Christian party?
28:47 Closing thoughts
#Election2026 #NZPolitics #Identity #TribalVoting
Check out our socials:
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shinetv.nz/
▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shinetv.nz
▶ Website: https://www.shinetv.co.nz/
Contact Shine TV: https://info.shinetv.co.nz/shinetv/contactus/
Support Shine TV: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=shine
Sign up for free Shine TV on-demand: https://www.shinetv.co.nz/checkout/subscribe/signup
📺 How to watch Shine TV: https://info.shinetv.co.nz/shinetv/howtowatch/
➡ Like and subscribe to support the channel!
Recent videos
26 10 08 T+C Dr Geoffrey Miller
Dr Geoffrey Miller, who wrote his PhD on New Zealand's relations with the Gulf States, reflects on how the world has changed since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023.
Dr Miller compares the day to 9/11 and warns against conflating Hamas with Palestinians, as the Gaza death toll climbs past 74,000. He unpacks the stalemate since last year's deal: Hamas refuses to disarm while Israel still occupies two thirds of Gaza, and strikes continue most days. He argues Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline response was driven by an intelligence failure and political survival, weighs up how polarised the debate has become here in New Zealand, and insists there are no military solutions, only diplomatic ones. He also highlights Yemen, where a 2022 truce has collapsed and full-scale war is returning.
Chapters
0:00 Reflecting on October 7
1:57 Who were the victims?
2:50 Hamas vs Palestinians
3:35 Gaza's stalemate
4:30 Can the world mediate?
5:27 Netanyahu as "Mr Security"
6:41 A culture war in New Zealand?
7:37 No military solutions
8:59 Did Israel's response backfire?
9:39 The Gulf States & Yemen
#Israel #Gaza #MiddleEast #October7 #NewZealand
------------------------------------------------
| SOCIALS |
Follow us on INSTAGRAM!
- https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsandcommentsnz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thebrightsidenz/
- https://www.instagram.com/rhemadriveshow/
Visit our WEBSITE! https://www.rhema.co.nz/home
Join our FACEBOOK Page to engage with us! https://www.facebook.com/nzrhema
Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema
Would you like to pray for others or have a prayer request? 🙏
- Our Prayer Wall: https://www.rhema.co.nz/faith/prayerwall
To contact the studio
- Email: studio@rhema.co.nz
- Phone: 0508 474362
- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA
Click HereDr Miller compares the day to 9/11 and warns against conflating Hamas with Palestinians, as the Gaza death toll climbs past 74,000. He unpacks the stalemate since last year's deal: Hamas refuses to disarm while Israel still occupies two thirds of Gaza, and strikes continue most days. He argues Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline response was driven by an intelligence failure and political survival, weighs up how polarised the debate has become here in New Zealand, and insists there are no military solutions, only diplomatic ones. He also highlights Yemen, where a 2022 truce has collapsed and full-scale war is returning.
Chapters
0:00 Reflecting on October 7
1:57 Who were the victims?
2:50 Hamas vs Palestinians
3:35 Gaza's stalemate
4:30 Can the world mediate?
5:27 Netanyahu as "Mr Security"
6:41 A culture war in New Zealand?
7:37 No military solutions
8:59 Did Israel's response backfire?
9:39 The Gulf States & Yemen
#Israel #Gaza #MiddleEast #October7 #NewZealand
------------------------------------------------
| SOCIALS |
Follow us on INSTAGRAM!
- https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsandcommentsnz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thebrightsidenz/
- https://www.instagram.com/rhemadriveshow/
Visit our WEBSITE! https://www.rhema.co.nz/home
Join our FACEBOOK Page to engage with us! https://www.facebook.com/nzrhema
Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema
Would you like to pray for others or have a prayer request? 🙏
- Our Prayer Wall: https://www.rhema.co.nz/faith/prayerwall
To contact the studio
- Email: studio@rhema.co.nz
- Phone: 0508 474362
- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA
After November 7: Who Really Shapes Your Community?
Nathan Seiuli of PILLAR @PILLAR_NZ reviews the opening weeks of New Zealand's 2026 election campaign, from sparsely attended launches and signwritten buses to a fresh wave of hoarding vandalism.
Nathan argues that damaging election signs is not political expression but vandalism of privately funded property, and warns that rising identity politics is pushing public debate towards emotion and tribalism. He makes the case for parties campaigning everywhere, even in neighbourhoods they are unlikely to win, and highlights the principle of subsidiarity: whoever wins on November 7, the greatest influence on people's lives and communities remains themselves.
He also reflects on serving at a volunteer-run community kitchen in Ōtara.
Chapters
0:00 Sparse crowds at campaign launches
1:39 The return of the campaign bus
2:51 Hoarding vandalism: not free speech
5:11 Where's the creativity?
7:10 Rising tribalism & praying for leaders
8:20 Identity politics & subsidiarity
10:12 Serving at an Ōtara community kitchen
#NZElection2026 #NZPolitics #Election2026 #CommunityService
------------------------------------------------
| SOCIALS |
Follow us on INSTAGRAM!
- https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsandcommentsnz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thebrightsidenz/
- https://www.instagram.com/rhemadriveshow/
Visit our WEBSITE! https://www.rhema.co.nz/home
Join our FACEBOOK Page to engage with us! https://www.facebook.com/nzrhema
Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema
Would you like to pray for others or have a prayer request? 🙏
- Our Prayer Wall: https://www.rhema.co.nz/faith/prayerwall
To contact the studio
- Email: studio@rhema.co.nz
- Phone: 0508 474362
- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA
Click HereNathan argues that damaging election signs is not political expression but vandalism of privately funded property, and warns that rising identity politics is pushing public debate towards emotion and tribalism. He makes the case for parties campaigning everywhere, even in neighbourhoods they are unlikely to win, and highlights the principle of subsidiarity: whoever wins on November 7, the greatest influence on people's lives and communities remains themselves.
He also reflects on serving at a volunteer-run community kitchen in Ōtara.
Chapters
0:00 Sparse crowds at campaign launches
1:39 The return of the campaign bus
2:51 Hoarding vandalism: not free speech
5:11 Where's the creativity?
7:10 Rising tribalism & praying for leaders
8:20 Identity politics & subsidiarity
10:12 Serving at an Ōtara community kitchen
#NZElection2026 #NZPolitics #Election2026 #CommunityService
------------------------------------------------
| SOCIALS |
Follow us on INSTAGRAM!
- https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsandcommentsnz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thebrightsidenz/
- https://www.instagram.com/rhemadriveshow/
Visit our WEBSITE! https://www.rhema.co.nz/home
Join our FACEBOOK Page to engage with us! https://www.facebook.com/nzrhema
Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema
Would you like to pray for others or have a prayer request? 🙏
- Our Prayer Wall: https://www.rhema.co.nz/faith/prayerwall
To contact the studio
- Email: studio@rhema.co.nz
- Phone: 0508 474362
- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA