2026-08-27 12:00:00 · 0

It's Worse Than You Think.

Episode Notes

What if the story we tell ourselves about progress and civilisation is only half the story? What if our greatest advances in medicine, technology, law, education, and comfort are not just signs of human triumph, but also clues that something has gone wrong?We are beginning to hear, even from within modern atheist philosophy itself, a growing unease with the story civilisation tells about itself. What if the assumption that history is simply moving upward—toward greater freedom, knowledge, comfort, and control—is no longer as convincing as it once seemed? Could it be that our sophistication has come at the cost of rootedness, our efficiency at the cost of wisdom, our connectivity at the cost of presence, and our autonomy at the cost of belonging? What if civilisation has not merely solved problems, but has also produced new forms of alienation, fragility, restlessness, and loss? And if that is true, have we gained the world of modern progress while misplacing something more core to what it means to be human?In this episode we ask, are we building wisely as creatures under God, or are we repeating Babel in modern form, trying to reach heaven by our own technique, power, and ambition? Is true progress found in humanity climbing higher, or in grace bringing us back to the living God?Against The Machine - On the Unmaking of Humanity - Paul KingsnorthThe Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future - David Wallace-Wells Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive – Jared DiamondOne Blood: 200 Years of Aboriginal Encounter with ChristianityThe Weirdest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous : Henrich, Joseph: Amazon.com.au: BooksDominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World - Book by Tom Holland

Meet The Presenters

Dr Matt Jacoby

Matt is the senior pastor at his church in Victoria, Australia, lecturer at the Melbourne School of Theology, an author, a songwriter and, a musician leading the Psalms project band Sons of Korah.

Matt has a doctorate in philosophy and theology from the University of Melbourne, and is the author of the daily Bible reading guide Thrive launched in 2005. Matt's most recent work as an author is his book Deeper Places (Baker Books USA 2013) with an expanded edition released in 2019. In Deeper Places, Matt shares a rich portrait of authentic spirituality. A gifted teacher and Bible scholar, Matthew is invited to speak at conferences and churches where he brings a fresh but foundational perspective to Scripture.

“I do a lot of teaching these days in my various roles but I always see myself more as a learner. I love learning. I enjoy academic learning and because of that I am a perpetual student of many disciplines. But most of all I love learning to live life the way God made me to live it.” MJ

Conal McClure

Stu Duncan

Stuart is the owner and director of 5ive, a publisher of Christian music and resources, distributed globally.

Coming from a church pastoral background, and with a Christian faith of many decades, Stuart brings a very practical, application focussed approach to the Thrive Today PodCasts.

“I love seeing God’s word come alive for people as they realise the depth and impact it can have on their lives. My own experience of decades tells me that when I remain engaged in God’s word on a regular – daily – basis, my faith is not just an ‘add-on’ to my life, but the very essence of it, setting the purpose and values around who I am.” Stu

Got a question?

Submit to Matt & Stu for the next podcast.

Ask here $

Sponsor a prison subscription

Subscribe with us.

Learn more $

Subscribe to the Thrive Bible Reading Guide

Learn More $

Learn about the Church Standing Order Program

Learn More $