(REVIEW) N.T. Wright, a leading Bible scholar and senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, has written “The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God.” If this volume inspires you to read more of his work, be warned: You will have 79 or so additional books to go.
Read More(REVIEW) When a wild night ends in handcuffs and a campus police escort, two best friends (named Grayson and Tyler are slapped with 120 hours of community service due in two weeks — or they’re expelled. Their genius plan? Pose as counselors at a local Christian youth camp.
Read More(REVIEW) “Elijah Peel” follows a world-famous rock musician whose life of success and addiction comes crashing down after suffering a life-threatening heart attack. But the film still wears the inspirational Christian movie formula like a straitjacket, instead of using it as a sturdy foundation.
Read More(REVIEW) There’s something about priests solving murders in small towns that people love. A long-running series in this genre that’s just ended is “Grantchester.” The series follows young, good-looking vicars in the fictional sleepy British town who partner with a local lawman to solve murder cases.
Read More(REVIEW) Are humans really all that different than primates? Harvard primatologist Christine Webb blends science, philosophy and legal developments to challenge humanity’s presumed supremacy over nature. Drawing on evolution, animal cognition research and Indigenous worldviews, she argues that consciousness extends beyond humans.
Read More(REVIEW) Nick is on an adventure to secure an original manuscript of the famous poem. Unfortunately, the film’s engagement with the “Divine Comedy’s” ideas and themes turns out to be depressingly trivial.
Read More(ESSAY) Cozy eateries and hole-in-the-wall cafes serve up flavorful stew alongside legendary potato-and-meat casseroles every Thursday night. The long lines are a testament to the delicious dish’s well-deserved reputation. Its history stretches back centuries and the dish has become a sabbath ritual.
Read More“The Odyssey” reflects a distinctly Western “post-atheism” approach to religion. It is a faith-based film, but only using gods nobody believes in anymore. Because of that, these gods can be a metaphor for any divinely ordained pro-social tradition you happen to believe in.
Read More(REVIEW) At a time when religious differences are frequently portrayed as sources of division, a new book — featuring a collection of pieces from various authors — provides a thoughtful and hopeful alternative grounded in education, justice and, more importantly, mutual respect.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, faith-based filmmakers have pushed out multiple patriotic and history-themed films. This summer has seen a mix of historical dramas, war epics and documentaries — all of which are widely available for Christians (and non-Christians) to watch this Fourth of July weekend.
Read More(REVIEW) To understand post-Christian Western culture, watch “Hazbin Hotel.” As America continues to secularize and divide along religious and political lines, our culture is rewriting how we think about human nature and redemption. With its second season, the series encapsulates our evolving post-Christian imagination — and the ways we’re worse off for it.
Read More(REVIEW) Steven Spielberg’s latest film “Disclosure Day” asks how people of faith would deal with finding out aliens are real. Sadly, one gets the distinct impression that Spielberg didn’t talk to any religious people when deciding his answer. Spielberg is responsible for some of the most iconic movies about aliens and faith ever made.
Read More(REVIEW) While the show’s theological justification is surprisingly in line with the pope’s new AI principles, the execution proves that — as always — the devil is in the details.
Read MoreA low-budget movie, cheesy horror that is literally just “The Exorcist” meets “Speed” and whose theology is as thin as a communion wafer. In theory, this can be an opportunity for an actually really fun campy horror experience. Unfortunately, it’s far more interested in stale religious deconstruction than it is in classic scares.
Read More(REVIEW) “Is God Is” follows twin sisters on a quest to kill their father, who disfigured them as children. Unfortunately, the movie does more than simply offer fictional frontier-style justice to typically underrepresented audiences. It goes so far as to renounce the virtue of forgiveness altogether.
Read More(REVIEW) A “Romeo and Juliet” style love story, “Cast Aside The Clouds” that protests how religious intolerance — such as the kind regularly levied against the Baháʼí people in Iran — threatens love by targeting innocent people for oppression.
Read More(REVIEW) A new biography explores David Bowie’s spiritual life beneath his flamboyant personas, especially Ziggy Stardust. Drawing on interviews and songs, it portrays a restless seeker shaped by diverse religious influences, whose music reflected an ongoing quest to understand God, faith and existence beyond organized religion.
Read More(REVIEW) Murdock is a real believing Catholic. It’s something the series takes seriously. This is particularly easy to see in the attention to detail toward Catholic teaching.
Read MoreIn the book “Glimmerings: Letters on Faith Between a Poet and a Theologian,” two friends engage in a conversation about God as they approach the twilight of their lives. It’s an easy-to-follow real-life discussion about suffering, God and how to cope when times get hard.
Read More(REVIEW) “Hulk Hogan: Real American” succeeds not because it answers questions, but because it refuses to. It presents Hogan as a deeply contradictory figure: A man who inspired millions while struggling to live up to his own ideals, a public hero whose private life was often marked by pain and failure and a Christian who spent much of his life in and out of the ring.
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