Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations

Hank Hanegraaff

Have You Joined the Conversation on Hank Unplugged? – Hank Unplugged is a podcast brought to you by the Christian Research Institute where Hank Hanegraaff takes you out of the studio and into his study to engage in free-flowing, essential Christian...

  • 1 minute 44 seconds
    Because Truth Matters, Reality Matters–Hank Hanegraaff on A Commitment to Reality
    Hank Hanegraaff brings an important announcement about a brand-new initiative at the Christian Research Institute: a new podcast titled A Commitment to Reality, hosted by his son, Dave Hanegraaff. 

    This podcast is not only timely but extraordinarily relevant. Why? Because we live in an era of “reality rot.” To paraphrase Blaise Pascal, we live in an age in which truth is so obscure and falsehood so established that, apart from “a commitment to reality,” you simply cannot know it.  

    Our new podcast is a powerful complement to CRI’s other podcasts and publications, extending our ministry and mission to a whole new generation of change agents.  

    Please subscribe to A Commitment to Reality on YouTube for full episodes and clips, and follow wherever you get your podcasts. You can also help spread the word by rating, reviewing, and telling others about A Commitment to Reality.  

    And remember: Because truth matters, reality matters. That’s why we must remain committed to reality.      
    24 February 2026, 2:34 pm
  • 4 minutes 59 seconds
    Why Commitment to Shared Reality Matters
    Frederica Mathewes-Green and Dave Hanegraaff unpack why the most important word in A Commitment to Reality is commitment—because reality doesn’t disappear when we deny it. This clip gets at why a commitment to shared reality matters.

    We are living through one of the most disorienting periods in human history—leaving many to wonder: What is reality? As artificial intelligence accelerates and institutional trust erodes, our shared sense of what is real continues to crumble.

    A commitment to reality is a dedication to discerning what is true and developing the discipline to live in alignment with that truth—with reality. This podcast is an apologetic for reality—each episode serving as an intentional act of grounding our existence together as we commit to what is beautiful, good, and true.  You can help spread the word about this new podcast by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on and telling others!

    Subscribe to A Commitment to Reality on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ACommitmenttoReality for the full episodes + clips, as well as Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-commitment-to-reality/id1876254826 , Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/378rR6Oz8YkbTOIqSfhlV3 and follow wherever you get podcasts.  You can help spread the word about this new podcast by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on and telling others!
    20 February 2026, 6:00 am
  • 3 minutes 8 seconds
    When a Culture Can’t Name Reality–What Happens Next?
    What happens to a culture that can no longer name what it sees?

    In this clip from A Commitment to Reality, Jay Richards argues that when a society rejects basic realities—biological, moral, and metaphysical—it begins to unravel in ways that don’t stay theoretical. Dave and Jay talk about what “commitment to reality” actually means, and why denying reality has civilizational consequences. 

    We are living through one of the most disorienting periods in human history—leaving many to wonder: What is reality? As artificial intelligence accelerates and institutional trust erodes, our shared sense of what is real continues to crumble.

    A commitment to reality is a dedication to discerning what is true and developing the discipline to live in alignment with that truth—with reality. This podcast is an apologetic for reality—each episode serving as an intentional act of grounding our existence together as we commit to what is beautiful, good, and true.

    Subscribe to A Commitment to Reality on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ACommitmenttoReality for the full episodes + clips, as well as Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-commitment-to-reality/id1876254826 , Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/378rR6Oz8YkbTOIqSfhlV3 and follow wherever you get podcasts.  You can help spread the word about this new podcast by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on and telling others!
    18 February 2026, 6:00 am
  • 1 minute 42 seconds
    They Want You Angry–TV and the Internet–Architects of Anger
    Frederica Mathewes-Green explains how TV and the internet are engineered for outrage—training us to argue instead of understand.

    This clip comes from A Commitment to Reality.

    We are living through one of the most disorienting periods in human history—leaving many to wonder: What is reality? As artificial intelligence accelerates and institutional trust erodes, our shared sense of what is real continues to crumble.A commitment to reality is a dedication to discerning what is true and developing the discipline to live in alignment with that truth—with reality. This podcast is an apologetic for reality—each episode serving as an intentional act of grounding our existence together as we commit to what is beautiful, good, and true.

    You can help spread the word about this new podcast by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on and telling others!

    Subscribe to A Commitment to Reality on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ACommitmenttoReality for the full episodes + clips, as well as Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-commitment-to-reality/id1876254826 , Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/378rR6Oz8YkbTOIqSfhlV3 and follow wherever you get podcasts.  You can help spread the word about this new podcast by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on and telling others!
    16 February 2026, 6:00 am
  • 2 minutes 31 seconds
    I Used to Hate You–What Changed My Mind
    Dave Hanegraaff tells Jay Richards: “I used to hate you.” What changed? He listened.

    In this clip from A Commitment to Reality, Dave and Jay talk about how we caricature people we disagree with, why actually listening to people matters, and how misconceptions can block us from thinking clearly. 

    We are living through one of the most disorienting periods in human history—leaving many to wonder: What is reality? As artificial intelligence accelerates and institutional trust erodes, our shared sense of what is real continues to crumble.

    A commitment to reality is a dedication to discerning what is true and developing the discipline to live in alignment with that truth—with reality. This podcast is an apologetic for reality—each episode serving as an intentional act of grounding our existence together as we commit to what is beautiful, good, and true. 

    Subscribe to A Commitment to Reality on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ACommitmenttoReality for the full episodes + clips, as well as Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-commitment-to-reality/id1876254826 , Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/378rR6Oz8YkbTOIqSfhlV3 and follow wherever you get podcasts.  You can help spread the word about this new podcast by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on and telling others!
    12 February 2026, 6:00 am
  • 3 minutes 18 seconds
    Why Reality Matters
    A Commitment to Reality is a podcast for a post-truth—and increasingly post-reality—age.

    We are living through one of the most disorienting periods in human history—leaving many to wonder: What is reality? As artificial intelligence accelerates and institutional trust erodes, our shared sense of what is real continues to crumble.

    A commitment to reality is a dedication to discerning what is true and developing the discipline to live in alignment with that truth—with reality. This podcast is an apologetic for reality—each episode serving as an intentional act of grounding our existence together as we commit to what is beautiful, good, and true. 

    Subscribe to A Commitment to Reality on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ACommitmenttoReality for the full episodes + clips, as well as Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-commitment-to-reality/id1876254826 , Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/378rR6Oz8YkbTOIqSfhlV3 and follow wherever you get podcasts.  You can help spread the word about this new podcast by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on and telling others!
    10 February 2026, 6:00 am
  • 1 hour 47 minutes
    Fake ID: How AI and Identity Ideology Are Collapsing Reality―and What to Do About It with Abdu Murray
    AI and identity ideology are not issues that we are able to ignore. And yet, they are dramatically altering the way that the world perceives reality. As Christians, it is critical for us to respond with clarity amidst the confusion.Abdu Murray joins Hank Hanegraaff to discuss the disrupting forces of AI and identity ideology and how we—as Christians—can approach these disorienting developments with discernment.For more information on how to receive Fake ID: How AI and Identity Ideology Are Collapsing Reality―and What to Do About It for your partnering gift please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-fake-id-how-ai-and-identity-ideology-are-collapsing-reality%e2%80%95and-what-to-do-about-it/


    • Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.
    • Archived episodes are  on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.
    • You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.
    3 February 2026, 6:40 am
  • 15 minutes 24 seconds
    The Forgotten Discipline We Must Recover– A Message from Hank Hanegraaff
    Time is flying by so fast—it’s hard to believe. “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” As Hank reflects on another year, a phrase has been echoing through his mind: “You will be the same person next year as you are right now except for two things—the people you meet and the books you read.” Hank would add a third: the things you memorize.Some of the greatest breakthroughs Hank has ever experienced have come directly from reading.Both in America and abroad, reading is in decline across the board. That’s the bad news. The good news? You can get hooked on reading today. We live in a moment when truth is being assaulted from every side. And if ever there was a time to double down on the discipline of reading, it is now.Are you ready for a breakthrough? Read.

    Click here to read Hank’s full message. https://www.equip.org/letter-from-hank/


    Click here to partner with us for Calendar Year End Giving. https://www.equip.org/product/year-end-gift-2025-toa/



    • Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.
    • Archived episodes are  on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.
    • You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.
    30 December 2025, 6:10 am
  • 9 minutes 43 seconds
    Christ is Born—Glorify Him! A Message from Hank Hanegraaff
    We wish you a Merry Christmas—and a reminder of the proverbial reason for the season. Our prayer is that, amid the noise surrounding modern-day Christmas celebrations, we may as yet hear the faint echo of Isaiah's earth-shattering pronouncement: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel." And, "he will save his people from their sins."Merry Christmas from Hank Hanegraaff and the rest of the Christian Research Institute family. Behold a strange, most glorious mystery:Heaven—The Cave;The Cherubic Throne—The Virgin;The Manger—The Place Where Christ Lay;The Uncontainable God, Whom we Magnify! 
    24 December 2025, 6:45 am
  • 19 minutes 2 seconds
    Is Annihilationism Biblical?
    Annihilationism is the view that no one suffers for eternity in hell--because according to annihilationism there is no hell. Rather, those who persist until death in their rejection of God’s gracious gift of salvation are snuffed out of existence entirely. Just as universalism is the rage in liberal Christianity, so too annihilationism has gained momentum in conservative Christian circles, with the concept once again entering into the cultural consciousness due to comments made by Kirk Cameron. Hank saw those comments and decided to weigh in on the matter in order to address whether or not annihilationism has any Biblical basis.    For further study: Afterlife: What You Need to Know about Heaven, the Hereafter & Near-Death Experiences https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-afterlife/
    16 December 2025, 6:30 am
  • 26 minutes 11 seconds
    Has Christ Returned as a Female? The Dangerous Cult Making This Claim with Hank Hanegraaff
    Has Christ returned as a female in China? Believe it or not, this is the shameless assertion of the Church of the Almighty God, also known as Eastern Lightning. Unfortunately, this is not a fringe group of fanatics, but a cult that is growing globally with millions of devotees and deep pockets. This edition of Hank Unplugged is dedicated to discussing the dangers of Eastern Lightning, what CRI is doing to combat the cults and how you can help make a difference.For further study: CRI Resource: The Eastern Lighting Cult: Christ Returns to Earth as a Female? https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-special-print-issue-48-02-03-the-eastern-lighting-cult-christ-returns-to-earth-as-a-female-hup1225/

    As a preview of the extensive and new primary research done on this topic, please see Hank’s From the President column from this issue, “Christ Returns to Earth as a Female — An Exposé of the Eastern Lightning Cult “ https://www.equip.org/articles/christ-returns-to-earth-as-a-female-an-expose-of-the-eastern-lightning-cult/  and also one of the feature articles by Hank, “Contrasting Eastern Lightning Deception and Essential Christian D-O-C-T-R-I-N-E”.https://www.equip.org/articles/contrasting-eastern-lightning-deception-and-essential-christian-d-o-c-t-r-i-n-e/
    3 December 2025, 3:15 pm
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