By Danny Anderson Who is the protagonist of Todd Phillips’ Joker? Much of the controversy surrounding the film hinges on this question. Many of its detractors accuse the film of casting the maniacal arch villain as hero in a Batman-less world. Their criticism is often grounded in a fear the film will inspire desperate members…
Author: matthewbrake84
Call for Papers: Moral Theology and the World of Walt Disney
Editor: Jeremy E. Scarbrough (scarbrj@phsc.edu) Theology and Pop Culture is seeking contributions for a potential edited volume on Moral Theology and the Musical World of Walt Disney, to be published by Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, an imprint of Rowman and Littlefield. The significant contributions of Walt Disney Studios in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries—to our overall…
“I want to tell you a different story”: Hope Parallels in The Walking Dead and The Resurrection
By Justin Martin *Warning: minor spoilers for Seasons 2, 4, 5, and 9. “Why is he up there addressing the people like that?” This was one of my first thoughts when I saw Siddiq on stage addressing the people of the kingdom (Season 9, Episode 15), arguably the most devastating loss among The Walking Dead…
Vision: Batman V Superman – Dawn of Justice
By Stephen Garner ***A version of this article previously appeared in Stimulus: The New Zealand Journal of Christian Thought and Practice,23, no. 2 (2016): 43-45., and is used here with permission from the author and the journal. If you like superheroes, then it doesn’t get much better than current cinema and television. Not only are…
Evil and The Bat: Time and Destiny From Final Crisis to Dark Nights Metal, 2008-2018
By Raymond Lam Evil is at once profound and overused, haunting and trite. Thanks to its deep roots in Western theology and philosophy, it has been the “go-to” theme for so many for our entertainment mediums. Yet we are not always sure how we can tell a story about it in a way that gives…
Returning to Yourself and to God in Walt Whitman
By Samuel Bennett According to David L. Weddle, religion rests on two pillars: miracle stories and practices of sacrifice.[1] The miracle story announces good news: the mundane plane upon which we typically live and have our being is not the whole story; and the divine side of reality occasionally crosses over to ours. Energized by the…
Call for Papers: Theology and Spider-Man
Call for Papers: Theology and Spider-Man Volume Editor: George Tsakiridis, PhD Abstract and CV Due: November 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…
EXTENDED Call for Papers: Theology and the DC Universe
Over the last several years, scholars have demonstrated the salience of popular culture as a site for the academic study of religion, in areas including video games, science fiction, film, and comics. The study of religion and comics is flourishing with several monographs, edited volumes, and articles having come out in the last several years….
Matthew Brake on TheoFantastique
This has been the week for podcasts with friends! I (Matt) had the opportunity at the beginning of the week to record an episode for the TheoFantastique blog podcast with John Morehead. John is actually co-editing an upcoming book on Theology and Horror. It was a pleasure to sit down and talk to him. One particular joy…
Matthew Brake on Theology Shorts
This week, I (Matt) had an opportunity to sit down with a friend of the blog and co-editor of the forthcoming Theology and Star Trek volume Shaun Brown, host of Theology Shorts to discuss the blog, the Theology and Pop Culture series, and the Religion and Comics series. Check out the episode as well as the rest of Shaun’s…
Pop Culture and Theology 