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…
Author: matthewbrake84
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…
Titans and the Beautiful Terror of Divine Community
By Danny Anderson The DC Universe series Titans is set to drop its second season on September 6th. The show, a very adult rendition of DC’s popular Teen Titans combo, conspicuously drops the “Teen” from its title. This dark move has been the main focus of the conversation about the show, with many viewers making the claim…
Marie Kondo: Tidying Up and Spirituality
By Kim Anderson Okay, I admit it. This is an unpopular opinion. But I have a love-hate relationship with the KonMari Method. Marie Kondo has become the guru of home organization in the last couple of years, even gaining her own Netflix series, Tidying Up: with Marie Kondo. Now that’s notoriety. For those of you not…
Spider-Man: Far From Home – Truth, Perception, and the Need to Believe
By Stephanie Pacheco I am a sucker for the Marvel universe. If I am a piano, it can play me all day long. Spider-Man: Far from Home hits all the right notes of emotions for fans after Avengers: Endgame, as well as major cultural and philosophical points, especially perceptions and truth. Its success points to a…
Pop Culture and Theology 