By Brandon R. Grafius Every prophet in the Hebrew Bible has a call narrative, a story where God speaks to them directly and commissions them to be a prophet. Think of Moses at the burning bush, the young Samuel being woken by a voice in the middle of the night, or Jeremiah being touched on…
Tag: Theology
Contemplatives in Conversation: The Theology of Cinema, Part 2
By Arthur Aghajanian ***Before continuing, read Part One here… AA: In the context of theology, we might note that film has a special ability to represent things that other art forms can’t. The hypnotic affects achieved through temporal dislocation, the camera’s ability to concentrate attention while being everywhere at once, and the use of montage…
Contemplatives in Conversation: The Theology of Cinema, Part 1
By Arthur Aghajanian Going to the movies may not seem like religious action, but it’s one of the most common ways we experience spiritual insight. Film impacts how we interpret life, and its mechanical apparatus is uniquely suited to provide glimpses of the divine in the signs and symbols of the everyday. Like religion, film…
Theology and Horror: Answering the Concerns of the Critics
Guest post by John W. Morehead As a co-editor with Brandon Grafius of the new volume Theology and Horror: Explorations of the Dark Religious Imagination, I was asked to submit a post to help bring attention to our new work. I will use the opportunity to respond to tendencies that at times see a disconnect between…
Blade Runner, Ex Machina, and the Moral Circle
By Haruo Gomes To put it simply, the moral circle is the people we care about. Our understanding of it is usually based on William Lecky’s History of European Morals from Augustus to Charlemagne. William observes that “at one time the benevolent affections embrace merely the family, soon the circle expanding includes first a class,…
Review for Theology and the Marvel Universe from the Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture Network
I’m happy to let everyone know that they can read a glowing review of the Theology and the Marvel Universe book over on the Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture Network as part of their online publication, The TRPC Review. There’s also a really great article by Dr. Justin Martin on Batman and Theology that you…
Separate Streams, Same River
By Brandon Basse I remember hearing Pedro the Lion’s “Almost There” in the front seat of my buddy’s mid-nineties Toyota Corolla. We were talking about bands he wanted to introduce me to when suddenly he shushed me, turned the volume up, and intently stared at the cassette deck as he earnestly lip synced the bittersweet…
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…
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…
ΘeoCon: Call for Submissions 2019
Hello All Theology (and Religion in general) and Pop Culture Lovers! There is no doubt that pop culture mediums have challenged and inspired us in the best of ways. ΘeoCon welcomes you to the place where theology and morality meet pop culture and where faith meets fiction. In a comic-con style venue, ΘeoCon will offer…
Pop Culture and Theology 