ICMDA Recordings

Recorded on 7 May 2026 for ICMDA Webinars.
Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr Andy Bannister
During the early twenty-first century, New Atheism was busy producing best-selling books and plastering adverts on the sides of buses. Its loud scepticism is not as popular these days, but many of its arguments live on.
Yet, what if some of its common claims like "science has buried God" and "religion is the cause of most wars" are not just incorrect, but demonstrably wrong? What if Richard Dawkins and the other New Atheists were not merely barking up the wrong tree, but were in the wrong forest entirely?
Andy is the Director of Solas and is an evangelist, speaker, writer, and broadcaster. From universities to churches, cafes to pubs, schools to workplaces, Andy regularly addresses audiences of both Christians and those of all faiths and none on issues relating to faith, culture, politics and society. He was co-editor and a contributing writer for Have You Ever Wondered? and authored How To Talk About Jesus Without Looking Like An Idiot, Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? and The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
For more from Andy visit https://www.andybannister.net/

Recorded on 30 April 2026 for ICMDA Webinars.
Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Tim Dieppe
Tim is passionate about reading and encouraging Christians to see the importance of reading. For several years now, Tim has aimed to read over 100 books per year. He has achieved this six times and is currently on target to get there again this year! Tim also runs an online book club with some friends to discuss a book they read and agree what to read next.
In this talk Tim will discuss:
Why you should read?
How you should read?
What you should read?
When you should read?
The aim is to get you motivated to read more intentionally, to read more skilfully, and to make the most of your reading.

Tim Dieppe is the Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern where he has worked for ten years.
Tim regularly appears in the media and writes articles on current moral and political issues of interest to Christians. He also often teaches in churches and at various conferences and events.
Tim is the author of The Challenge of Islam. This book discusses the increasing influence of Islam in the UK and how we can respond. Tim also co-authored the book Questions to Ask Your Muslim Friends with his friend and expert on Islamics Beth Peltola. Additionally, Tim has written a commentary on the book of Daniel subtitled: Lessons for living in a post-Christian culture, set to be published by Wipf and Stock this year.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recorded on 23 April 2026 for ICMDA Webinars.
Philippa Taylor chairs a webinar with Paul Coleman
We see a rise of censorship across the world. Entire social media platforms are being threatened with bans in Western democracies, people face criminal charges for quoting the bible, stating biological facts, or expressing an opinion on matters of public interest.
Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, free speech expert and author of Censored, will explore why censorship is on the rise globally and what can be done about it.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
For more from ADF International visit https://adfinternational.org/

Recorded on 20 April 2026 for ICMDA Webinars.
Dr Jay Smith is interviewed by Peter Saunders, CEO of ICMDA, about new developments in Islamic apologetics and polemics.
They unpack the growing questions surrounding the historical, textual, and ideological foundations of Islam. From emerging research on the Qur’an—including intriguing new findings coming out of Russia—to ongoing debates about Mecca, Muhammad and early Islamic origins.
In the world of online Islamic apologetics and polemics, discover what’s working and what isn’t. The conversation will also touch on the internal divisions between Sunni and Shia traditions and the wider geopolitical dynamics shaping the Middle East today.
Jay Smith has worked with Muslims since 1983. He has two masters’ degrees and completed his PhD in Islamics, in the areas of Apologetics and Polemics in 2017. Jay is one of Christianity’s principal public evangelists and debaters to the Muslim world. He travels extensively teaching Apologetics for those exploring ministry to Muslims and engages the movers and thinkers of Islam on a weekly basis. He is the founding member of the ‘Hyde Park Christian Fellowship’, a weekly evangelism ministry to Muslims in London’s public places, as well as a co-founder for the Pfander Centre for Apologetics.In partnership with the Forum of Christian Leaders (FOCL) https://foclonline.org/webinarsFor information on future ICMDA webinars visit https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/For more from Dr Jay Smith visit https://www.youtube.com/@pfanderfilms

Recorded on 16 April 2026 for ICMDA Webinars.
Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr Sharon Dirckx
Modern research is uncovering more and more detail of what our brain is and how it works. We are living, thinking creatures who carry around with us an amazing organic supercomputer in our heads.
But what is the relationship between our brains and our minds-and ultimately our sense of identity as a person? Are we more than machines? Is free-will an illusion? Do we have a soul?
Brain scientist Sharon Dirckx lays out the current understanding of who we are from biologists, philosophers, theologians and psychologists, and points towards a bigger picture, that suggests answers to the fundamental questions of our existence. Not just "What am I?", but "Who am I?" - and "Why am I?"
Sharon Dirckx is a speaker and author whose work focuses on responding to the spiritual and faith-related questions that people ask today.
She is motivated to show how and why the person of Jesus Christ remains as relevant as ever to the pertinent questions of our time, and to do so in an engaging way.
Originally from a scientific background, she has a PhD in brain imaging from the University of Cambridge. Sharon is invited to speak and lecture across the UK and internationally, in workplaces, universities, schools, churches and conferences.

For more from Sharon, visit ⁠https://www.dirckx.org/
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠