The Scandal of Reading 33 | S. D. Smith on Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Claude Atcho interviews S.D. Smith, who shares his perspective on Paton’s work having firsthand experience of life in South Africa.

The Scandal of Reading 32 | Lit Pulpit 2 on The Search

The search — what is it and why does it matter? Claude and Austin tackle this important theme from Walker Percy’s The Moviegoer.

Chasing God: The Divine Quest of Eugene Exman

The open-minded liberal Protestantism of publisher Eugene Exman blinded him to significant aspects of the human experience.

Barbie as Portal Fantasy—and What That Means for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Adaptation

C.S. Lewis’s adored classic now shares space with Barbie as part of the subgenre of portal fantasy.

The Scandal of Reading 30 | Grace Hamman on Revelations of Divine Love

This week’s Fruit of the Spirit is Love with medievalist, Grace Hamman discussing “Revelations of Divine Love” by Julian of Norwich.

The Scandal of Reading 29 | Philip Yancey on John Donne

Philip Yancey discusses the devotionals of John Donne with Jessica Hooten Wilson and how they relate to the spiritual fruit of patience.

How Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot Becomes a Christ-Haunted Genius

Branagh’s Poirot is not just a detective solving crimes but a pilgrim navigating the labyrinth of the soul’s darker questions.

The Scandal of Reading 28 | Shemaiah Gonzalez on Joy: 100 Poems

Shemiah Gonzales talks with Jessica about Christian Wiman’s Joy: 100 Poems and the constant debate on how to define “joy.”

Time Is on Our Side: Watching Cosmic Time and the Cosmological Presumption

The way so many of our best-known films are set up, the reminder of time passing is almost unfailingly ominous.

Alyosha Karamazov and Janner Igiby: Answering the Call to Faith and Sacrifice

Andrew Peterson introduces The Wingfeather Saga’s Janner Igiby as another ordinary protagonist.

“A Wonder of the Age”: Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

Now 250 years old, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral shows off Phillis Wheatley’s skill as a writer as well as her Christian faith.

The Irenic Wiseman: James Hilton’s Unforgettable Mr. Chips on Peace and War

The classic novel Goodbye, Mr. Chips addresses age-old questions about the proper human response to the martial savagery surrounding us.

The Founders Trilogy Celebrates the Power of Human Empathy. But Should It?

Empathy fails as a means of salvation because it presumes that understanding alone is enough to compel virtuous behavior.

Kaitlyn Schiess’s The Ballot and the Bible Reveals the Complex History of Biblical Interpretation and American Politics

There’s no doubt that we live in a politically divisive era, and sadly, much of that division is driven by biblical interpretation.

Cormac McCarthy’s Unbaptized Masterpiece

Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is a supreme artistic achievement that is resolutely pagan.

The Scandal of Reading 27 | Lit Pulpit 5 – Go Tell It on the Mountain, Part 5

Claude and Austin explore the concept and practice of forgiveness and how Gabriel’s domineering and toxic character is influenced by it.