If you believe the stories you’re reading in newspapers about the Gospel of Judas, let me buy you a subscription to The Weekly World News. GetReligion joins the parade of bloggers pointing out the obvious for the masses who seem determined to flaunt their gullibility. Here’s where the fun starts: Before I criticize the ridiculous ignorance of the media in covering this very old story, let me offer a critique of the church. If Christians knew anything about their history,... Read more
One of my worst film-adaptation nightmares looks like it’s about ready to come true. Charlotte’s Web, one of my favorite children’s books, was made into a fine animated film decades ago. But with the success of Babe, it became inevitable that the book would be turned into a live-action talking-animal movie. I hoped and hoped they would do the job with dignity. But alas, I’ve just seen a preview, and my worst fears are realized: The trailer prominently displays a... Read more
A statement of the painfully obvious: Every day brings us a little closer to the new Radiohead album. But you don’t hear an update from Thom Yorke himself every day. So, for those fans who would rather fill the waiting time with cryptic comments rather than maddening silence, here you go. Read more
A happy Saturday to you all. It’s a happy Saturday here as I watch and wait for T Bone Burnett tickets to go on sale. If any of you hear about the Seattle show’s ticket information, please let me know! MATTINGLY ON T-BONE BURNETT AND FAITH It turns out that GetReligion’s Terry Mattingly is a Burnett fan. He’s just posted an interesting remembrance of how he introduced Burnett’s music to a certain musician who became disillusioned with “Christian music”… THEOLOGIANS... Read more
… and yet, my local newscast jumped on the hype bandwagon tonight, heralding it as “the discovery that is rocking the Christian world.” Right. Rocking so quietly as to be almost imperceptible. Rocking so ineffectively that most of the Christian blogs addressing the subject today found the whole affair somewhere between amusing, ludicrous, and sad. Rocking us to sleep with its dull drone of inanity. Folks, it’s not shaking up any Christians with brains in their heads. Here’s Mark Shea... Read more
The latest letters at CT Movies are very interesting: I saw V for Vendetta, and I am appalled that the cruelty shown toward the Natalie Portman character has been overlooked in practically every movie review I’ve read. … Why is no one noticing this? This is a film about a rape, not a revolt. You know what? I completely agree. I haven’t officially reviewed the film yet, but I was very disturbed by the way they ended up showing the... Read more
I’ve got two copies of Don Peris’s new solo album: Go When the Morning Shineth And I want you to have one of them. So here’s the deal: It’s tough to describe something as fragile and beautiful as The Innocence Mission‘s music. So I’m asking for help. Go listen to some of the music that Don and Karen Peris have recorded. Write down what it is that makes their music so enchanting. Just a paragraph… that’s all. Email your description... Read more
Monday specials: (more…) Read more
Newsweek earns some integrity points by noticing T-Bone Burnett’s new album, and even doing an interview. Perhaps surprisingly, Burnett is also going out on tour. “I want to write songs and play them for people—live,” he says. “Because in this age of mechanical reproduction, where we’re able to copy and distribute music on a moment’s notice, the less valuable the copy becomes, and the more valuable the live thing becomes. I’ve really begun to appreciate the extraordinary value of the... Read more
(This is not an April Fool’s joke. It’s a greatly expanded version of the article published earlier this week at Christianity Today Movies.) Last week, I had the tremendous privilege of interviewing Wim Wenders, the director of my favorite film: Wings of Desire. (more…) Read more
Looking Closer
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In