I spent the weekend in a cult frame of mind. Saturday morning, I watched Karyn Kusama’s great new film, The Invitation, and spent much of Sunday afternoon obsessing over the terrific new Hulu series, The Path. Both have, whether their characters admit to it or not, cults at the center of their narratives. But the film and series are about much more than that as they also provide windows into much broader discussions about faith and the variety of ways we believe... Read more
Tony Jones and Ryan Parker turn their attention to the new Hulu series, The Path, and discuss the first two episodes and what the series says about faith in general, how we belong and behave in religious communities, and how communities of faith interact with the “outside world.” Read on for a book recommendation to go along with the series and take a listen to the episode. (more…) Read more
A single, deaf-mute woman living alone in a cabin in the woods. The horror/thriller Hush (Blumhouse and Intrepid Pictures) almost writes itself. As such, it offers little in the way of narrative surprises, but its fresh use of sound–given its heroine’s disabilities–adds something intriguing to the mix. (more…) Read more
Tony Jones and Ryan Parker discuss the finale of American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson and the stellar cast, the role of prophet vs. preacher, and justice in the judicial system. Listen in after the jump. (more…) Read more
Two new series kick off today that are worth checking out…and are somewhat loosely related…Marvel’s latest installment of Black Panther and Image Comics’ The Fix. Black Panther boasts a new writer to the medium who writes extensively on issues of race and power, while The Fix is is a funny, and frequently disturbing, take on police corruption and abuses of power. Read on for more. (more…) Read more
As big of a fan as I am of the post-apocalyptic genre (films, TV series, and novels), beautiful isn’t the first word I’d use to describe many of these texts. But it’s the first word I mumbled to myself as I finished Emily St. John Mandel‘s novel, Station Eleven. (more…) Read more
With Tony Jones on vacation this week, Ryan Parker and John Bucher discuss this week’s episode of American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson, how Mark Fuhrman functions as a nation’s scapegoat, how the actors stack up against each other (Courtney B. Vance to the top!), and just who our protagonist is. Listen after the jump! (more…) Read more
With The Vegetarian, readers have found in Han Kang a writer of immense talent. From the basis of one character’s small, private decision, she wove a haunting narrative that is as beautiful as it is frightening and as political as it is personal. For Human Acts, her next book available in English (and as with The Vegetarian, also translated by Deborah Smith), Kang starts with a monumental, national event (though one likely unfamiliar to most Western readers), the Gwangju Uprising. Here, Kang... Read more
PopTheology contributor Benjamin Griffin gives your ears a workout with some of the warmest and most fertile tunes for spring. New Songs for Springtime by Benjamin Griffin These first few months of 2016 have been an embarrassment of riches when it comes to tunes. I want to write an individual review for all of them but, in the interest of time and space, I’d like to instead offer a little sampling for your springtime listening pleasure. Without further ado, here’s... Read more
After a lengthy absence, Netflix’s critically-acclaimed series, Daredevil, returned for its second season last week. It sustains the gritty–yet beautiful–look of the first season and expands on its moral and religious themes. Where Matt Murdock/Daredevil’s internal struggle took center stage in the first season, this second season considers the dignity of the human person, even the most heinous criminals. (more…) Read more
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