Call for Papers: Theology, Religion and Taylor Swift Edited by: Alexis Bradford and Chris Swann Taylor Swift is a cultural icon. As such, she is often used as a case study and her success has been carefully examined in fields such as business, economics, anthropology, media studies, and even philosophy, but theology and religious studies…
Tag: Music
Call for Papers: Theology, Religion, and Taylor Swift
Call for Papers: Theology, Religion and Taylor Swift Edited by: Alexis Bradford and Chris Swann Taylor Swift is a cultural icon. As such, she is often used as a case study and her success has been carefully examined in fields such as business, economics, anthropology, media studies, and even philosophy, but theology and religious studies…
Brandi Carlile’s Theology of Belonging
By Beth Alford “I want to be a musical preacher for the rest of my life.” This seemingly throwaway comment by singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile has proven to be prophetic, and sums up how the award-winning artist uses her art to loudly proclaim her truth…as real and vital as any that comes by way of religion….
St. Nektarios and Hagiography in Yelena Popovic’s “Man of God”
By Katherine Kelaidis As I wrote last year, “Advent” as such really isn’t a thing in the Eastern Christian tradition. That being said, in my mind, and all through my life The Holiday Season ™ began on November 9th, with the feast of St. Nektarios of Aegina. In 2021, Serbian filmmaker Yelena Popovic wrote and…
On Why I Didn’t Deserve to Edit a Book on the Avett Brothers
By Alex Sosler Like most of life, I didn’t have the sense to know what decision I was making. I watched May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers a few years prior. It portrayed thoughtful, beautiful, compelling relationships. It displayed redemptive hopes and real fears, leaving and returning home. I thought because the…
Call for Papers: Theology and the Blues
Theology and the Blues Edited by Justin McLendon While all music genres incorporate religious imagery, the blues has its origin in the soil of the church. In its infancy, the blues was considered the “Devil’s Music,” often dismissed as undermining the church’s gospel songbook. The initial resistance, however, could not suppress the organic development of…
Call for Papers: Theology and the Avett Brothers
Editor: Dr. Alex Sosler Folk music has a long history of theological and redemptive themes, and the Avett Brothers receive and advance this rich heritage. The individuals of the Avett Brothers provide a broad spectrum of theological and spiritual concerns, and the concoction of religious influences leads to a unique theological viewpoint. Through their music,…
Call for Papers: Theology and Protest Music
Editors: Dr. Heidi M. Altman (haltman@georgiasouthern.edu) & Jonathan H. Harwell (jharwell@rollins.edu) Theology and Pop Culture is currently seeking contributions for a potential edited volume of essays on theology from various faiths connected with protest music of various popular genres. Essays should be written for academics, but avoid jargon in order to be accessible for the layperson. Women…
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…
Never Worn White
By Princess O’Nika Auguste On March 5th 2020, one of my favourite pop singers, Katy Perry, released her song Never Wore White in which she reveals her pregnancy and where she discusses her relationship with actor Orlando Bloom. It is a beautiful song, but I believe that song is very problematic. In the song, Katy…
Pop Culture and Theology 