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154. What If You Had to Fake Being Genetically Modified? | Enhanced with Candace Kade
Fantastical Truth Podcast, Mar 21, 2023

Exile
Reviews, Mar 17, 2023

153. When Can Deconstructionism Threaten Christian Fiction? | with Michael Young aka ‘Wokal Distance’
Fantastical Truth Podcast, Mar 14, 2023

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Enhanced, Candace Kade
Bear Knight, James R. Hannibal
The Wayward, Tabitha Caplinger
Fortified, V. Romas Burton
Canaan Sleeps, Daniel Camomile
Silver Bounty, Victoria McCombs
A Sword for the Immerland King, F. W. Faller
Calor, J. J. Fisher
Once Upon A Ren Faire, A. C. Castillo
The Genesis 6 Project, Michael Ferguson
Exile, Loren G. Warnemuende
Aberration, Cathy McCrumb
The Truth Beyond the Lies, Kathleen Bird
Frost, Winter's Lonely Guardian, E. E. Rawls
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154. What If You Had to Fake Being Genetically Modified? | Enhanced with Candace Kade
Fantastical Truth, Mar 21, 2023

153. When Can Deconstructionism Threaten Christian Fiction? | with Michael Young aka ‘Wokal Distance’
Fantastical Truth, Mar 14, 2023

152. How Can Christian Fantasy Fans Heal from Church Trauma? | with Marian Jacobs and L. G. McCary
Fantastical Truth, Mar 7, 2023

151. How Can Fantastical Satire Sharpen Our Theology? | The Pilgrim’s Progress Reloaded with David Umstattd
Fantastical Truth, Feb 28, 2023

150. Is the U.S. Government Covering Up Spy Balloons or Alien Spaceships? | with James R. Hannibal
Fantastical Truth, Feb 21, 2023

149. Why Do Christian Fiction Fans Love So Much Romance?
Fantastical Truth, Feb 14, 2023

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War in Heaven
Book Quests, March 2023

Rose Petals and Snowflakes
Book Quests, February 2023

Prince Caspian
Book Quests, January 2023

Dream of Kings
Book Quests, December 2022

Reviews

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Exile
“This gentle fantasy from Loren G. Warnemuende shows little magic or strange creatures, focusing on complex emotions and relationships.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 17, 2023

Illusion
“Frank Peretti’s last novel creates a romantic world with sci-fi flourishes where likeable heroes, villain twists, and familiar places sell a dramatic performance.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 10, 2023

War in Heaven
“Charles Williams’s classic supernatural thriller pairs a deeply spiritual worldview with perceptive examinations of human nature.”
—Lorehaven on Mar 3, 2023

Bear Knight
“Bear Knight’s quest pacing starts slow but quickens as two plots merge into one, exploring the Christian’s spiritual walk with adventurous aplomb.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 24, 2023

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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73. Does the Pentagon’s UFO Report Expose Unidentified Aerial Phenomena? | with Colin Samul

Colin Samul joins us to explore the Pentagon’s June report, which could not explain over 140 aerial encounters with strange objects.
Fantastical Truth on Aug 3, 2021 · Series: Armies of the Aliens · No comments

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Earlier this summer, the U. S. Director of National Intelligence released a nine-page report that chronicled 144 encounters between military pilots with unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP. Many of these extraordinary objects defy scientific explanation. What are the fantastical possibilities for UAP? Have pilgrims from other planets, or other dimensions, ventured to our own? And how do we as Christians apply a biblical worldview to these possibilities?

Introducing guest Colin Samul

Reverend Samul has been the pastor of Great Basin Reformed Presbyterian Church since April of 2019. He is originally from the Detroit area, where he was converted in 2005. Soon after his conversion, he felt the call to ministry and began to pursue his education for the ministry. He graduated from Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, MI in 2009 and subsequently moved to Sacramento, CA, where he attended City Seminary. After receiving his M.Div. in 2016, he served as pulpit supply in the RCUS. In 2018 he assisted the core group of GBRPC in petitioning the RPCNA for a Church plant in the Reno Area, while working with the Pacific Coast Presbytery to establish the work until he received the call to Pastor the congregation in early 2019. He is husband to Shanna, and the proud father of their four children; Mele, Evangeline, Leland, and Lilyanna.

  • Colin has appeared on other podcasts to talk about UFOs’ spiritual implications.
  • Zack and Colin join forces on “UFO Twitter” to represent a Christian perspective.
  • No matter their explanations, UFOs (or UAP) represents a challenge to biblical faith.
  • Read Zackary Russell’s July 1 article: New Intelligence Report Exposes Shocking Alien Phenomena: Human Humility.

1: What says the Pentagon report about unidentified aerial phenomena?

  • The Pentagon created a task force specific to UAP.
  • They examined 144 military UAP encounters since 2004.
  • Of these, 143 have no explanation. Eighty involved multiple military sensors.
  • Eighteen of these UAP encounters are firmly classified as Other.
  • This means unusual movement patterns and acceleration abilities.
  • This also refers to “signature management,” that is, cloaking or stealth.
  • These eighteen objects were truly extraordinary.
  • They defied our best sensors and our best scientific theories.
  • We need better equipment and better science to identify these objects.

Questions we discuss:

  • What is clear in this report and what is vague?
  • How does this report stand apart from previous governmental communications about UFOs?
  • Why is the Pentagon even interested in this?

2. How might we explain these phenomena?

  • Prosaic: these are human or natural occurrences
  • Mental: these are neurological, psychosocial, or remotely induced incidents
  • Physical: these are extraterrestrial or “cryptoterrestrial” appearances
  • Extradimensional: these are non-physical, perhaps spiritual, causes or beings
  • Other: we can’t even classify these events under the first four categories

3: How can Christians start sorting these issues by the Scriptures?

Previous Fantastical Truth episodes in this series:

  • 22. How Do Christians Discern UFO Accounts in Light of Scripture?
  • 47. Why Do Some People Long for Escape to a Galactic Community?
  • 63. Did God Create Aliens and Would Jesus Need to Save Them?

Fictional works we reference:

  • The Facade, by Dr. Michael Heiser
  • “The Illustrated Man,” by Ray Bradbury
  • The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell

Questions we explore:

  • If aliens are real, do humans alone reflect the image of God?
  • If UFOs are supernatural, what does this imply for us?
  • How could aliens factor into God’s plan?
  • Would Jesus visit alien planets?
  • Should Christians send missionaries to alien civilizations?

Articles we discuss:

  • Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program
  • Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
  • Project Launched to Look for Extraterrestrial Visitors to Our Solar System
  • Intelligent Life Really Can’t Exist Anywhere Else

Recent Navy UAP encounters:

  • Infrared footage
  • Radar footage

Fantastical flowchart of possibilities:

Credit to Berlinghoff Rasmussen

Fantastic fans

Stephen S. replied to episode 13:

After listening to this podcast I was wondering about talking animals or even nature itself talking after the creation is redeemed. I think of the talking serpent in the garden, Balaam’s talking donkey, and Jesus said the rocks would cry out in praise if others didn’t. Will there be talking animals after our resurrection? A part of me hopes so.

  • See Randy Alcorn’s article “Might Some Animals Talk on the New Earth?“

Next on Fantastical Truth

Last month the Ark Encounter attraction, by Answers in Genesis near Cincinnati, announced they would build the Tower of Babel! Not a replica, of course (we already have too much cultural confusion), but an exhibit. I’m looking forward to this. After all, they’ve already built a version of Noah’s ark itself, and in our next episode, we’ll talk to Tim Chaffey, who’s not only a biblical apologetics expert but one of the creative architects of Ark Encounter.

The Paris Betrayal, James R. HannibalSponsor: James R. Hannibal’s The Paris Betrayal from Revell Books

After an intelligence operation in Rome goes sideways, Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world turned upside down. A hit man ambushes him at his flat. French SWAT tries to hem him in. This is a severance. The Director has kicked him out into the cold. But why?

To find answers, Ben must seek the sniper who tried to kill him, the spymaster who trained him, the doctor who once saved his life, and the teammate who killed the woman he loved. And in the midst of this search, scouring Europe for his contacts, he must still try to stop a world-altering attack.

“Hannibal once again displays his dazzling prose and ability to keep even the more experienced readers guessing. Another gripping, high-octane book from one of the best thriller writers in the business.”

—Simon Gervais, bestselling author of Hunt Them Down

  • James R. Hannibal: The Paris Betrayal
  • James R. Hannibal’s episode of Fantastical Truth
Fantastical Truth
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    In the Fantastical Truth podcast from Lorehaven, hosts E. Stephen Burnett and Zackary Russell explore fantastical stories for God's glory and apply their wonders to the real world Jesus calls us to serve.
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    Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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