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…
Author: matthewbrake84
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…
Wealth, Status, and Privilege in Aladdin
By Corey Patterson The long awaited live film adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin hit theaters last month and fans have not been shy about voicing their opinions. Some disgruntled moviegoers claim Will Smith’s CGI Genie doesn’t compare to Robin Williams’ rendition, while others bemoan the vast number of scenes from the original script. Personally, I found the film…
Call for Papers: Jinn and Comics
Volume Editors: Matthew Brake and A. David Lewis This book will be the first in the Claremont Press Religion and Comics series and will bring a wider understanding of Jinn and their representation in comics and graphic novels to a broader audience. The Jinn may be perhaps the most popular Westernized version of (pre-)Islamic cosmology, although many…
X-Men: Dark Phoenix – Everything You Need To Know
This week sees Dark Phoenix landing in cinemas. The movie is so highly anticipated that you’d need Colossus to handle the weight of expectation. It may look like just another comic book flick to the outside world, but fans know the significance of this particular entry, and its impact on Marvel’s big screen exploits in…
Ariana Grande and a Female God
By Elijah Keay “Blasphemy!” is what many Christians are saying concerning Ariana Grande’s song, “God is a Woman.” What makes this worse for some, is that the song and video are infused with images and lyrics that promote feminist messages to its listeners. It’s a song that promotes female empowerment and a disregard for the…
Good Omens and Transformational Eating
By Dr. Meredith J.C. Warren When Good Omens premiered on Amazon Prime at the end of May, the religion and Bible academic twittersphere was delighted. I got a couple of messages from friends and colleagues urging me to watch the first episode — not that I needed much prompting. The early scene depicting the Fall…
15 Million Merits and Human Flourishing
By Elijah Keay Black Mirror When I watched the first episode of Black Mirror, I thought I’d never watch another. I was so disgusted by the gruesomeness of the plot that I missed the point of what the creators of the show were trying to convey. Now, after a few months and a few more…
Faith, Hope, and Love in Daredevil: Born Again
By John Markle In September of 1986, American comic book writer Frank Miller published arguably one of the most well-composed comic books of all time, Daredevil: Born Again. In Daredevil: Born Again, a continuation of Miller’s earlier Daredevil issues, Matthew Murdock, known by few as the heroic Daredevil of Hell’s Kitchen, goes through a spiritual…
Pop Culture and Theology 