This Top of the Country series blogs through the Country hits of the year, focusing this week on “Brunette” by Tucker Wetmore. I’ll admit I’d never heard of Tucker Wetmore before his song hit number one. And it’s definitely an interesting one! The music video has all the hallmarks of a classic Country song–it’s even set in the old West! And yet, the song also breaks a number of conventions. Country music is heavily Southern (the imagery of this video... Read more
Owen Among the Theologians by Kelly Kapic and Ty Kieser is an interesting exercise in systematic theology. Each chapter takes a topic and puts John Owen in conversation with other theologians from history on that topic. So for example, how should our eschatology shape our social action? That question is answered by putting Owen in conversation with Lemuel Haynes. Or what should our view of Christ look like? That question we can explore through setting Owen next to Karl Barth. I’ve... Read more
This Top of the Country series blogs through the Country hits of the year, focusing this week on “The Fall” by Cody Johnson. Cody Johnson’s “The Fall” is a simple, straightforward, and classic Country song that deserved its week at the top of the Country charts. Sometimes Country music gets super specific, and tells a story that is timeless because of how exact the narrative is. And sometimes it gives us a broad and loose mood that bounces from point... Read more
… but I don’t know that Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey will be it. That said, all we have at this point is the trailer, a handful of stills, and a couple of interviews. So let’s hold off on judgment and exercise some cautious optimism. After all, Nolan is the guy who gave us Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception, and Memento (the last of which I’ve not seen, but which I am assured is excellent). Of course he also gave us Insomnia, The Prestige, and The Dark Knight Rises.... Read more
On May 21, 2026, The Late Show came to an end after over three decades of broadcasting. I do not claim any special insight into the combination of politics and economics that brought about the show’s end. (Though as a Christian having an openly Roman Catholic late night host created an interesting dynamic–Colbert himself has commented regularly on his faith.) I do claim, however, that you should watch the final episode (available on Youtube for free) to see an example of... Read more
This post reviews 2026’s Mortal Kombat 2 and asks whether video game movies can save us by leading to a revival in great film In the 1960s and 70s, American film had fallen on hard times. Movies were gritty and dark. Heroes were really anti-heroes (at best). And the vision of the nation was grim. Perhaps the movie that best typifies the era was Dirty Harry, in which justice is done, but it takes a “dirty” cop to do it. The American people... Read more
Unless a new album or song breaks into the number 1 spot on the Billboard charts this week, this review of With Heaven on Top by Zach Bryan will be the last of the top of the country reviews. I suppose I could review the number 2 song or album, we’ll have to see. Until this, this is definitely an interesting album to have landed at the top of the charts, even if only (well, “only”) for a week. If you give... Read more
What is “the Wisdom of God”? That’s a question Matthew Harmon sets out to answer in his new book The Wisdom of God: Revealed, Reviled, and Reverberated. A part of Crossway’s excellent series “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” (many of which are reviewed on this blog). So what is it? Harmon says: “we can define wisdom as the ability to discern good from evil and apply knowledge, skill, and experience in order to live in right relationship with God and others within... Read more
Top of the Country: Dandelion (Album) This week’s review in the “top of the Country” series is Ella Langley’s new album Dandelion. This is very much the year of Ella Langley–even if she drops off the charts tomorrow (and that does not look likely), she will have spent all of January- the first week of May, 2026 in the Number 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles. That her album hit Number 1 as well means this is a very good... Read more
It’s been sitting on my shelf for two years now (sorry Penguin!), but I’ve finally got around to reading Heather Cox Richardson’s book on democracy and authoritarianism, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America. It is well-written and not good. As for well-written, I’m sure we’ve all seen her writings floating around the internet space (at least on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, and a couple of others–but I’m not on everything so take that with a grain of salt). She is... Read more
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