To celebrate Abby’s new book, Films for All Seasons, she, Josh, and Claude have a conversation about one of the lesser-observed dates on the church calendar—All Souls Day—and one of the movies that captures its spirit: Pixar’s Coco.SHOW NOTESAbby’s book, Films for All Seasons — https://www.ivpress.com/films-for-all-seasonsClaude’s book, Reading Bla…

Get thee behind me, Satan? That’s been difficult as of late — at least at the movies. From the recent Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A to other 2024 titles like Late Night with the Devil, Longlegs, and The Deliverance, satanic cinema has been growing in popularity. What might explain the trend? Josh, Joe, and Roslyn share their theories, as wel…

The familiar threats of the Alien franchise — namely xenomorphs and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation — take on new forms in Alien: Romulus. Josh, JR., and Sarah discuss how this installment fits with the other films, as well as what it might have to say about sin — both original and chosen. Oh, and JR. defends THAT choice involving a “new” synthetic.…

“Winning isn’t for everyone.” So declares a prominent Nike ad that ran during the 2024 Olympics, suggesting deception and selfishness are qualities required to capture the gold. If that’s true, how should Christians think about athletic competition? With the Olympics as the backdrop, Josh, Aarik, and Kathryn discuss what it means to win as a follow…

In the Star Wars streaming series The Acolyte, the Force is wielded by self-righteous Jedi, a coven of space witches, and a dark, mysterious stranger. Do any of them do so with honor? And what of the twin sisters, played by Amandla Stenberg, caught in the middle? Josh, Joe, and Abby consider what the series has to say about sin and confession, abus…

With a handful of fresh tracks on the eve of a promised mixtape, what is the State of Chance? Josh and Claude consider the trajectory of the artist’s career thus far, as well as the “language of redemption” that can be heard in his new music.SHOW NOTESXavier Ramey on ‘Coloring Book: A Chance Encounter with Joy’ - https://thinkchristian.net/coloring…

Listen in as Josh Larsen and Amber Noel lead a TC Movie Club conversation that centers on the audacious ending of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Do the movie’s final moments — which are rife with religious imagery — leave us in a place of revenge? Redemption? Somewhere in between?SHOW NOTESAmber on ‘Survival, Seeds, and Salvation in Furiosa: A Mad Max Sa…

Did you catch the references to Noah, Melchizedek, and the Aramaic roots of a character’s name in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? JR. and Roslyn have you covered as they join Josh to talk about the latest Apes installment, set a few generations after the time of Caesar the chimpanzee, who is now regarded as something of a religious figure.SHOW N…

Left without their teacher, can the mutant superheroes of X-Men ’97 find their purpose? Josh, Joe, and Sarah discuss the ways the animated series might — and might not — echo the dynamics of the disciples leading up to Pentecost. But first they have to decide which one of them gets to play Nightcrawler.SHOW NOTESTC podcast on Jonathan Hickman’s X-M…

Josh, Aarik, and Abby discuss whether any spiritual comfort can be found amidst the sonic agitation of Vampire Weekend’s fifth album, Only God Was Above Us.SHOW NOTESTC podcast on Vampire Weekend’s Father of the Bride - https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/resurrection-hope-avengers-endgame-vampire-weekends-father-of-the-brideJoel Mayward on Father o…

Listen in as TC’s Josh Larsen and Fuller Seminary’s Elijah Davidson lead a conversation with Movie Club members about the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki.SHOW NOTESJoin the TC Movie Club - https://www.thinkchristian.net/movieclubElijah’s book, Hayao Miyazaki: Lifted - https://elijahdavidson.com/books/icons-of-cinema/hayao-miyazaki-lifted-ebook/Jos…

What can Christians take from a series that is rooted in Eastern spirituality? Josh, Claude, and Roslyn find a lot in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, from the way wisdom is shared across generations to the contrasting of fear with love to an appreciation for the “thin places” where the spiritual realm breaks into our…

Josh, Kathryn, and Sarah each bring a Best Picture nominee to the table, resulting in conversations about biblical justice in the context of Oppenheimer and personal conviction as it relates to The Zone of Interest. They also spend way more time than they anticipated singing the praises of Lorraine, a supporting character in American Fiction who qu…

Can JR. and Abby bring Josh around on Fargo Season 5? They discuss the Coen brothers-inspired series — including the theology-soaked season finale.SHOW NOTESJosh Pease on Fargo Season 2 - https://thinkchristian.net/fargos-faith-in-little-green-menDavid Kern on Fargo Season 3 - https://thinkchristian.net/fargo-seeking-harmony-in-the-face-of-discordJ…

How do we sense God’s presence? Through voice, touch, mystery? Josh, Claude, and Roslyn each bring a favorite 2023 film for discussion, only to realize their picks all circle around this question in some way. They cover Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, The Boy and the Heron, and All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt - while listener choices bring a han…

As described by Sarah on this episode, our picks for the best TV shows of 2023 all happened to feature “reluctant justice-doers.” Listen to her, Josh, JR., and Joe discuss Jury Duty, Poker Face, Trigun Stampede, and more. Plus, listener picks too!SHOW NOTESKate Meyrick on ‘The Crown’s Half-Hearted Confessions’ - https://thinkchristian.net/the-crown…

According to Josh, Kathryn, Abby, and Aarik, the best music of the year echoed our anxieties, while also offering eschatologically tinged consolation. They discuss The National, Sufjan Stevens, Cleo Sol, and more.SHOW NOTES:Master list of our favorite 2023 music - https://thinkchristian.net/best-music-of-2023Joel Mayward on “Sufjan Stevens’ Piercin…