By Katherine Billotte-Kelaidis It is a little bit awkward for me to sit down to write about “pop culture and Advent,” because a) I am from a tradition in which Advent as such does not exist (and I promise to explain below) and b) it seems to me that popular culture has, over the past…
Tag: Christmas
The Code of the Elves: A Primer for Joy
By Jake Doberenz In the 2003 Christmas classic Elf (I think I can call it a classic now), the elves have about perfected a recipe for joy. Elf, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell and Zoey Deschanel, depicts the elf-raised human Buddy as he ventures into the wild world of New York City. Buddy, raised…
Waiting for the Endgame, or “What the Heck is Advent?”
By Dieter Stach ‘Tis the season, as they say, and the Christmas spirit is in the air! Lights are going up all over the neighborhoods, Santas are appearing in malls, parents are leaving hair-trails as they tear it all out trying to find the perfect gifts for their children—you know, the most wonderful time of…
“HAPPY!” CHRISTMAS: POSSIBLY THE WEIRDEST ADVENT BLOG EVER
I (Matt) recently had a chance to contribute a piece to our friends over at Sacred & Sequential on the SyFy series Happy! It’s Christmas themes and overall message make it a perfect if bizarre Advent tale. “As I said, Happy! is an odd little story, but it is a Christmas story, and it captures…
Tom Waits’ “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis,” or How to Sing a True Christmas Song
Dr. Daniel Anderson I was shopping with my daughter and the irritating, happy version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” began playing through the store speakers. I reacted with an apocalyptic eye roll and my daughter asked why. I had to explain how the original version of the song, written for the Judy Garland…
The Lyrical Faith of Sufjan Stevens
By Carina Julig Though he is not a ‘Christian musician,’ indie singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has built a cult following among Christian listeners, and his haunting music has a deeply religious quality. Stevens’ ethereal songs frequently convey musings about faith, while at other times, he is directly talking to God. Religious imagery is especially prominent in…
The Children Everyone Was Waiting For
By Roberto Mussinatto There are a few days left before Christmas, and we can already feel in the air this soft joy and sense of waiting which make Christmas different from any other celebration in the year. We feel like something we were looking for is ready to come; it seems like nature feels it, too….
Pop Culture and Theology 