On First Reformed, Narcissism, and Being a Beautiful Soul
After all, to turn inward, to turn away from the world, is that not also a type of violence?
Call for Pitches: Reaping Time
Write for our digital magazine! Submit a pitch by 10/3 for a feature article on the theme of Reaping Time.
Seeing and Believing 218 | James Gray’s Ad Astra and HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones
Wade and Kevin tackle two big spiritually themed projects: James Gray’s Ad Astra and HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones.
Singing a Better Song: CCM’s Incomplete Witness on Race
Race’s conspicuous exclusion from mainstream Christian music (CCM) communicated something implicit and insidious.
A Perfect Movie: The Enduring Legacy of The Princess Bride
When the grandfather reads the story to his grandson, he invites us all to sit at his knee and listen. He invites us to be children again.
Persuasion 171 | The Creative Life
Persuasion is back! Erin and Hannah kick off a new series of episodes called The Creative Process.
A Frankenstein Approach to Self-Definition
We tinker and work slavishly as Dr. Frankenstein did, assembling our online creations with the parts we gather from various sources.
Seeing and Believing 217 | The Goldfinch and Fall/Winter 2019 Movie Previews
Kevin is back with Wade to review The Goldfinch from director Donna Tartt. They then list their top 5 Fall/Winter movies for 2019.
Swipe Right: Tinder and the Quest for Perfection
In so doing, Tinder taps into the soul’s quest for perfection while inviting the user to advertise themselves for mass consumption.
Seeing and Believing 216 | IT Chapter 2 and The Dead Zone
Wade is joined by Blake Collier to review “It Chapter 2” and a retro review of “The Dead Zone”. It’s all things Stephen King on Episode 216.
The Very “Human” Second Season of Star Trek: Discovery
In season two of Star Trek: Discovery, both the virtues and the flaws of classic Trek’s humanism are on display.
Kim’s Convenience and Finding Solace in Imperfect Parenting
No matter the culture, parents will always be parents, and the fears that cling to us that we might be doing irreversible damage to our children—whom we love more than life itself—reflect back to us in the best stories about families with children.
Dancing with Milton’s Satan: The Joker and a Fascination with Evil
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, and John Milton’s Satan invite us to view them as the heroes of stories that were never intended to be about them.
Finding Reason and Goodness in the Longing for a Superhero
Our collective superhero fascination reveals a lot about how we define ourselves, Jesus, and our relationship to him.
Seeing and Believing 215 | Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Ready or Not and Joe Talbot’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Wade and special guest Sarah Welch-Larson review the horror comedy ‘Ready or Not” and Joe Talbot’s moving film, ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco.’
A Voice in the Dark: The Relation between Art and Suffering
It’s perpetually difficult for those who love their creativity to understand and to reconcile it with their dark sides.
