Monthly Archives: June 2012

“For Christians, careful consumption of news is also a way to continue their tradition of being ‘people of the book'”

Japan’s Mono brings the post-apocalyptic noise; Brother Sun, Sister Moon wraps you in nostalgia; and Damien Jurado’s trademark folk gets a shot of psychedelia.

“These historical complications do not on their own invalidate Olasky and Piper’s position. They do, however, call into question the stories these men are telling about their positions.”

“Instead of living life for the joy of living it, we set up moments that we can broadcast, making life more like a production to execute to an audience rather than a life to live to the full.”

“The memes that fascinate us reveal much about our passions and our values, what we as a culture love and allow—sort of our cultural heart.”

“They aren’t afraid of making music that exists entirely outside the context of Sunday mornings—even music that has appealed to non-Christian music fans.”

Four Christ and Pop Culture writers look at the way George R.R. Martin portrays sex in his epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and how Christians can think about it.

“My hope is for the American church to look deep into their traditions and subsequently into the rich traditions of other church cultures, and then collaborate.”

“What makes Brave satisfying is that it ultimately supports Merida’s quest for individuation, while also warning against desire for the kind of freedom which would promote self over others.”

I don’t know what kind of redemption is possible for any of the players in these stories here and now, but I hold on to the hope that there is something more, something better, beyond the traumas of today.

“Sometimes we have to read hard, ugly, offensive, depressing things to understand our world, and thereby love our neighbor. “

If you’ve grown tired of ‘typical’ anime fare, then Haibane Renmei might just represent a breath of fresh air.

“Romney’s stance on immigration sounds nice in theory—probably because it’s unclear on the logistics of precisely how he plans to implement his policies.”

“Piper cannot go into the voting booth and pull the lever for them, and he shouldn’t, even if someone might let him.”

“We have long known what the advertising machine would churn out: images of uber-perfection to create an impossible reality from which we measure our happiness.”

“Even if I know the history of a cultural practice—if I correctly classify a problem as ‘propriety’ rather than ‘chastity’—my decisions about how to look and what to wear don’t suddenly get easier.”