By John Tuttle 2019 was a year in which the cinemas were full of tales of superheroes and supervillains, one of which was our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Tom Holland reprised his famous role in Spider-Man: Far from Home, the second installment in Holland’s series of films. In it, he attends a high school field trip,…
Author: matthewbrake84
Rime Regnant: Arendelle’s Sisters as Church and State in Frozen 2
By Raymond Lam [SPOILERS for Frozen 2 below!!] Ever since Disney captured lightning in a bottle with Frozen (2013), its protagonists Elsa and Anna have been interpreted as a sisterly Yin and Yang, as opposites of one kind or another. What warms the hearts of children and adults alike is how different Anna and Elsa seem, yet…
The Exilic Community and a Better Way in the Mandalorian
By Jake Doberenz The first live-action Star Wars show, The Mandalorian, debuted on Disney+ last November and has mostly received positive reviews. The show follows a Mandalorian, who is nicknamed “Mando” at first, in his bounty hunter endeavors and then in his journey to protect The Child, a cute 50-year-old baby alien dubbed by the…
Doomsday Clock and the Triumph of Hope
By Matthew Brake [Beware Spoilers!] In 2016, DC Comics, particularly writer Geoff Johns, made a bold move and tamped with one of the most sacred cows in comic book fandom—Watchmen. After the initial success of the New 52 reboot, which saw DC Comics do away with years of complicated backstory in order to draw in…
Evil and the Bat: Part Two: Free Will’s Confrontation with Time and Destiny
By Raymond Lam (Read Part One of this blog series here) In my first entry, I attempted to explain how the theology of the DC Universe came to be (over a decade between 2008 and 2018) defined by the metaphysical conflict between Batman, DC’s ultimate human archetype or ideal, and Darkseid, who serves as not…
EXTENDED Call for Papers: Theology and Spider-Man
Call for Papers: Theology and Spider-Man Volume Editor: George Tsakiridis, PhD Abstract and CV Due: December 30, 2019 Final Paper Due: May 1, 2020 He’s the classic superhero of the Marvel age: Spider-Man. Marvel comics wouldn’t be the titan of content it is without him. He’s been portrayed in multiple comic books, television series, and…
Call for Papers: The Theological World of Harry Potter
Call for Papers: The Theological World of Harry Potter Editors: Taylor J. Ott (Fordham University) and Shaun Brown (Villa Maria College) Theology and Pop Culture is currently seeking contributions for an edited volume from Rowman and Littlefield on the intersection of theology and Harry Potter. Essays should prioritize the books but may include or concentrate…
Good, Evil, and Boredom in Good Omens
By John MacDonald This article examines the theology/literary sources of the TV show Good Omens from the point of view of the theological/existential/cultural problem of boredom, especially as developed by Ecclesiastes, Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche. Starting around 18:38 of Good Omens Season 1, Episode 6, Beelzebub says to Adam Young, “When it’s over, you’re going to…
Monsters and Saints: Stranger Things Meets Daniel 7
Our friend, Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade over at EcoPreacher has written a piece on Stranger Things I thought was worth sharing here: “Monsters are mythical creatures symbolizing that which terrifies and terrorizes us. Whether it’s the Demogorgon of Stranger Things, or Grendel in the medieval story of Beowulf, or the beast with ten horns…
Lady Gaga, Blood Mary, and Mary Magdalene
By Princess O’Nika Auguste Lady Gaga’s second full-length studio album, Born this Way is a true gospel album. From the album’s title track focused around the message that we are all created by God as we are (regardless of race, sexuality or gender) to songs with titles like “Black Jesus+Amen”, Born this Way is replete…
Pop Culture and Theology 