The shock talk show has finally gotten religion.

“Faith Under Fire,” a new television show on the PAX network (WBGR-TV 13), begins airing at 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2.

Hosted by born-again Christian author and former journalist Lee Strobel, the show is an odd mix of the worst of Fox News and the best of public television.

“‘No topic is off-limits,'” says Strobel in a quote posted on the show’s Web site. ‘People feel strongly about these issues, and ‘Faith Under Fire’ will put various belief systems to the test. People can believe whatever they want, but can they defend it? We’re going to find out.'”

Strobel, author of “The Case for a Creator,” does make guests defend their positions, but viewers may question whether they have to do it so loudly. Often his experts shout at each other as they sit in studios at opposite ends of the country as if they were speaking over a bad cell phone connection.

Two rabbis who square off in a segment on the Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism that recently has drawn celebrity practitioners like Madonna, created a lot of heat but shed very little light on the practice. After the shouting was over, it was still unclear exactly what the Kabbalah is and why it is suddenly attracting attention.

The host, who is never impartial on this show, sometimes encouraged controversy when humor would have sufficed. A segment on whether Jesus was a vegan, that included the head of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, verged on the ludicrous because Strobel and his guests took themselves and their topic far too seriously. Why does what the man ate matter to his followers?

Some segments, including one titled “Hell: Fact or Fiction,” proved to be provocative and informative as Strobel politely pitted a theologian and an ethicist, both who lean toward a literal interpretation of Scripture, against each other. The discussion was heated, but also informative and respectful.

Strobel’s big coup apparently was in landing an interview with Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion for a discussion of his faith. Clad in his signature black silk pajamas and red robe, Hefner’s spiritual yet non-religious philosophy proved to be fascinating for Strobel and should do the same for viewers. In this one-on-one interview, he finally shows his chops as a journalist by respectfully probing, but never condemning, Hefner’s beliefs.

“Faith Under Fire” would be a far better show if Strobel approached all his subjects and treated all his guests the way he did Hefner. It would also be nice if he told his sound engineer to turn down the volume.

For information on the show, visit its Web site at www.faithunderfire.com.