By Jack Holloway I make a lot of “best of” playlists. Recently, I made a playlist of what I think are the 150 greatest 80s songs (find it here). I listened to hours and hours and hours and hours of 80s music, soaking it all in, and, like the Apostle Paul, “examining everything carefully, holding…
Uatu the Watcher and the Scandal of the Neo-Anabaptist Conscience
By Matthew William Brake My friend Jack Holloway wrote a blog not long ago on Anabaptist theology, critiquing it as an apolitical, “peace at all cost” theology that denies black experience and the need for participation in political systems by those who have been oppressed and are seeking systemic justice. Anabaptists commit so strongly to nonviolence…
God and the Neighbor in The Revenant
By Sam Bennett Traditionally, God is explanation’s resting point, since God and his cause are the same. However, God leads two lives: first as an object (as something real), then, more certainly, as an idea. Descartes observed, “I am a thinking thing, and possess an idea of God within me”, and from here he considered…
‘Anne with an E’ and Theology: Do we want our Art to be Prescriptive or Descriptive?
By Debbie Holloway Anne Shirley, the red-headed orphan created by LM Montgomery in her 1908 children’s novel Anne of Green Gables, has been a massively important figure for children growing up in North America (especially girls). She is an outcast at first: bookwormish, freckled (called “ugly” by some), no family, no friends, starting anew amidst…
Gods and the Gospel, Culture and Time
By Robert C. Thomas “Evangelization is a process of bringing the gospel to people where they are, not where you would like them to be.” (Donovan, xii) How can a religion survive outside the land of its birth, and what happens to a religion if it does survive being transplanted in this way? Whether it’s…
Fantasia 2000 and the Redemption of Creation
By Jack Holloway One of the most beautiful sequences in the history of animation comes from Fantasia 2000, the sequel to the 1940 Disney classic Fantasia, both consisting of animated features set to classical music. [This article contains spoilers. Do yourself a favor and go watch this on Netflix before you finish reading!] The finale of Fantasia…
The Gospel and the Limits of Secular Belief: Reflections on Linkin Park
By Andrew D. Thrasher When I heard the news late evening of July 20th of the death of lead singer Charles Bennington of Linkin Park, it wasn’t the first death I had heard of that day. A family that loved me into the kingdom had lost someone the night before, and as I sat with…
Glorified Platitude: The Political Theology of The Young Pope: Part II
By Joseph Trullinger (Read Part I here) Before further detailing how Agamben’s concepts help to explain this regressive isolationist autocracy, it helps to know that he is building upon the theory of Carl Schmitt, the foremost jurist of the Nazi party, who sets forth in his Political Theology of 1922 the claim that “All significant…
Glorified Platitude: The Political Theology of The Young Pope: Part I
By Joseph Trullinger In trying to describe Paolo Sorrentino’s The Young Pope to a few of my friends in philosophy, I told them to imagine that the spirit of Giorgio Agamben had possessed the body of Quentin Tarantino to make a TV show. What I was trying to convey was the show’s curious duality: it’s…
Wonder Woman: Facing the Darkness, Embracing Her Gifts
By Stephanie Pacheco Wonder Woman is a thematic knock out as Diana encounters the reality of evil and chooses to keep loving and place her gifts in the service of humanity. The Amazonian goddess is genuinely moved and affected by the suffering of war, experienced by both soldiers and civilians. From the paradise-like island of…
Left Alone: Luke Cage and the Post-Racial (Black) Hero
By Muoki Musau I admit off the jump that I don’t watch a lot of TV shows or movies. This isn’t to say that I don’t watch anything; rather, I do not prioritize finding things to watch. Luke Cage, however, caught my attention when it was released on Netflix, and, like many, I was intrigued…
A Haunted Immanence: Minus the Bear and Secular Re-Enchantment
By Andrew D. Thrasher A residue of transcendence in a lost immanence; raising vocals and samplings of complex perfections. Probably unknown to most people, the Indie Rock band, Minus the Bear has been producing music for the past 15 years ranging from a musical repertoire known for their clear beautiful vocals, guitar samples, synths, groovy…
Thor, the Problem of Evil, and Theodicy
By Armond Boudreaux Thor has been a mainstay of the Marvel comics universe since his creation by Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber, and Stan Lee in 1962. Even though he’s primarily known as a superhero, Marvel has never shied away from his status as a deity. In fully embracing his status as the God of Thunder,…
Bold, Joyful Black Faith: Chance the Rapper, James Cone, and How to Have Faith in a Secular Age
By Jack Holloway As a theology student, I often struggle with how to explain theological and biblical concepts to my friends who aren’t accustomed to care about such things. When people ask me “Why do you believe in God?” or “Why are you a Christian?” or even “What are you studying?” I am often at…
Children, Death, and the Journey: Luke 9:37-48 in Conversation with Logan
By Kyle Sears [WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!] In Logan, Hugh Jackman ends a seventeen year run as Wolverine, a mutant with advanced healing ability and member of the X-Men. With a skeleton protected by adamantium – and retractable claws to match – Wolverine ruthlessly channeled his rage by fighting against people who threatened the security of…
Man of Steel and a Theology of Hope
In Man of Steel, Zack Snyder’s 2013 Superman reboot, there is a scene where Superman and Lois Lane are in an interrogation room and discuss the emblem on his chest: Lois Lane: What’s the ‘S’ stand for? Superman: It’s not an ‘S.’ On my world it means ‘hope.’ I’ve always had a soft spot for heroes like…
Ents, Hobbits, and Salvation in the Shadow of Charlottesville: David Roberts on “The God Who Saves”
A great engagement by David Roberts with the work of David Congdon over at DET: What form, then, does a such informed church assume in our present situation? I can speak only as a person of privilege in this space. But, in light of Congdon’s proposal, a few suggestions: A practiced, visible presence in the…
Call for Papers: National Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association Conference: Coming to Indianapolis
I’m indebted to James McGrath for posting this CFP on his blog. Of particular note is the panel for Game Studies. Game Studies Area: 2018 PCA/ACA National Conference. deadline for submissions: October 1, 2017 full name / name of organization: Game Studies Area of PCA/ACA contact email: mwysocki@flagler.edu Read the rest of the CFP here.
Faith of Thrones
From the good people at Mockingbird. “I feel no compulsion to add to the already abundant list. But there was something that stuck out to me that is worth a little reflection. It’s something that has characterized the entirety of the series but of late, for me at least, has become more pronounced. The genre…
The Gospel According to Wonder Woman?
As we close out a week commemorating the release of Wonder Woman on DVD/Blu-Ray, here is a blog from Tripp Hudgins over at Ministry Matters. “When all our heroes are male, we need to stop and ask ourselves what we’re missing … what part of humanity is being silenced.” Read more here.
The Complicated Theology of Wonder Woman
This post is a link to a talk given by Dr. Elizabeth Coody of Iliff School of Theology in Denver Colorado. “Even before the new movie broke box office records and charmed the world this summer, Wonder Woman was an icon for feminism. She has a set of values in the film that closely approximates…
Wonder Woman and Transhumanism
To further commemorate the release of Wonder Woman this week on DVD/Blu-Ray, here is piece by Christopher Benek: “Wonder Woman is an enhanced being with superhuman, god-like powers compared to the other people she encounters. Accordingly, in the film, she is faced with a very real transhumanist dilemma. On one hand, she can become a supervillain…
Wonder Woman: A Divine Feminine Myth for our Time
In honor of Wonder Woman coming to DVD/Blu-Ray this week, check out this article by Dr. Christy Sim. “I explained how important it is to find, create, and celebrate divine images reflecting women’s experience alongside those considered more common to a masculine experience. I claimed the reason it is so crucial to include metaphors of the…
Wonder Woman: Facing the Darkness, Embracing Her Gifts
[Wonder Woman is being released on DVD/Blu-Ray tomorrow! To celebrate, we are presenting a week of related Wonder Woman blogs reflecting on this superhero movie milestone, starting with a previous post by Stephanie Pacheco] By Stephanie Pacheco Wonder Woman is a thematic knock out as Diana encounters the reality of evil and chooses to keep…
