By Stephen Garner ***A version of this article previously appeared in Stimulus: The New Zealand Journal of Christian Thought and Practice, 25, 1 (18 July 2018), and is used here with permission from the author and the journal. “We aren’t meant to live forever. It corrupts even the best of us.” – Quellcrist Falconer, Altered Carbon (Season…
Author: matthewbrake84
Like Tears in Rain: Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner, and Being Fully Human
By Leah D. Schade In honor of Rutger Hauer, who played the Replicant Roy Batty in Blade Runner, our friend Rev. Dr. Leah Schade (an avid fan of the Blade Runner franchise) has written a piece in memory of Hauer: “What Hauer captured in this character was the full scope and depth of human emotion. From…
The Lion King, Re-imagining Righteousness, and Religious Pluralism
By Andrew D. Thrasher, ThM The Lion King, a film known for its powerful songs and story line, has had a major impact across generations since the original animated film was released in 1994. A few years ago, after beginning to teach world religions, I watched The Lion King and was struck by the theological pluralism…
“I’m Alright”: The Sovereign Expressivist Self in Lucifer Season Four
By Charles Hackney and Amanda MacInnis-Hackney In 2018, after three seasons, Fox Network announced the cancellation of the television show, Lucifer. Based on the work of Neil Gaiman, the show was about Lucifer living in Los Angeles, the owner of a nightclub, and living the playboy lifestyle. Lucifer became a consultant to the LAPD, working…
Rick and Jesus and Morty
By Sarey Martin Concepcíon A comedy sketch on the Inside Amy Schumer show presents two white women in their 20s discussing an epiphany over fro-yo. The redhead says to the brunette, “So I was texting while I was driving the other day, and I ended up making a wrong turn that took me directly past a…
The Horns and Wings of Maleficent
By Jamie Armstrong We have all heard the story of Sleeping Beauty, a story in which a young, beautiful princess named Aurora is cursed to die on her sixteenth birthday, by an evil fairy named Maleficent. Now, according to most theologians, evil isn’t really a thing of God. God is the only one who can…
Fleabag: An Unexpected Theological Text
By George Tsakiridis As some of you may know, I am currently writing a book for the Theology and Pop Culture Series entitled Theology and The Americans. Because of this, I’m binge watching the series (more than normal). After finishing the sixth season, I took a break from The Americans this week to catch up on…
Made In Our Image: A Comparison of Adaptations of Jesus Christ and Spider-Man
By Matt Griffin “Listen Jesus, do you care for your race?” –Jesus Christ Superstar In 2011, as Sony Pictures began planning its first reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise, they signed a licensing agreement with Marvel Entertainment about requirements for the new take on the character. These included many of Spider-Man’s signature traits: his real…
CFP: Theology and the DC Universe
Over the last several years, scholars have demonstrated the saliency 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….
CFP: Theology and Batman
Editors: Matthew William Brake and Rev. C. K. Robertson, Ph.D. In 2019, Batman turned 80 years old. First appearing in Detective Comics #27, that famous title hit #1000 back in March. Since his debut, Batman has been a cultural force across multiple medium, whether in the comics that spawned him, the 1960s campy television series, the…
Pop Culture and Theology 