Hulk Not-so-secret alias: Bruce Banner Played by: Edward Norton, Mark Ruffalo Starred in: The Incredible Hulk Appeared in: The Avengers; Avengers: Age of Ultron; Thor: Ragnarok Special abilities: Growing big; turning green; getting super-duper strong; almost always keeping his pants on. So, let me admit this right up front: The Hulk is not, as far as I know, a Christ figure. He’s not a great example of a sinning sinner trying to follow a higher calling. Crazy, right? If you’re... Read more
This is the first of a series of blogs I’m posting in advance of Avengers: Infinity War. The posts are my attempt to unpack what I see as the spiritual significance of some of the biggest heroes in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Naturally, we’re beginning with Iron Man, the guy who kicked the MCU into being—a guy whose story arc seems to follow many a Christian testimony. Iron Man Not-so-secret alias: Tony Stark Played by: Robert Downey Jr. Starred in: Iron... Read more
Inspirational football movies are old hat now. Great basketball stories are as common as upsets during March Madness. We’ve even had multiple Christian versions of both. But an inspirational volleyball story on the big screen? Now that’s something a little different. And, as it turns out, makes for a pretty good movie, too. The Miracle Season, in theaters this Friday, chronicles the story of the Iowa City West High School’s 2011 volleyball team. Fresh off a state championship, the Lady... Read more
Twenty-four days. That’s when Disney and Marvel will officially release Avengers: Infinity War—a movie boasting more superheroes than the Death Star has Stormtroopers. Everyone from Ant-Man to the White Wolf will be there, all (presumably) taking on the evil Thanos and his collection of Infinity Stones. I can’t wait. Nothing gets my geek adrenaline flowing like a gigantic all-star superhero mashup. If Hugh Jackman showed up as Wolverine, I could die a happy man. In preparation for the big day,... Read more
You gotta hand it to Steven Spielberg: He can make a pretty fun movie when he wants to. Ready Player One is a delightful visual thrill ride—a two-hour trip on Space Mountain if you replaced all the stars and planets with nods to ‘80s pop culture. I’m a little surprised that, given how much of that pop culture director Spielberg was responsible for, he resisted the urge to throw in references to Jaws and E.T.—or, at the very least, keep... Read more
It’s nearly Easter, and when you’re in my curious line of work, that can mean just one thing (professionally speaking): It’s Christian movie season. Secular theaters are awash in spiritual fare, from Samson to Paul, Apostle of Christ, from I Can Only Imagine to, as of next week, God’s Not Dead – A Light in the Darkness. And no wonder. The success of I Can Only Imagine shocked the film industry, again showing that faith-based pictures have an audience willing... Read more
We’re in the midst of Holy Week now, a time when Christians commemorate Jesus’ final mortal days on earth. From Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to his crucifixion on Good Friday to his resurrection on Easter, the week encompasses both deep solemnity and great joy. As Christians, we tend to engage with the Gospel—literally, the “good news”—and our faith more deeply during this sacred time of year. But none of us have probably engaged quite as deeply... Read more
We’re afraid of people who are different. It’s not a knock. It’s in our nature. When we meet someone who doesn’t look or sound or act like us, we hesitate. We don’t know how to engage. That’s especially true if someone has a mental challenge or disability. We want to connect, but the feeling of being faced with something other puts walls in our way. We tend to draw back, frightened. Jean Vanier, the Catholic philosopher, theologian and humanitarian, knows... Read more
No secret here: I like me some Mister Rogers. The television pioneer, who would’ve turned 90 today, has become something of a hero of mine. And I’m looking forward to watching the buzzy upcoming documentary based on his career, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?. The doc’s official trailer just dropped this morning, and it points to Fred Rogers’ gentle activism: His shows on death and divorce, his ability to gracefully integrate his neighborhood in an era of racial strife, his... Read more
I love March Madness, sometimes called the NCAA Basketball Tournament. I love the buzzer beaters. The upsets. The great stories we hear about. I even love my busted bracket. You’d need a heart of iron to lament the UMBC Golden Retrievers’ historic upset of Virginia. (Unless, of course, you live in Virginia.) But this year, I think I love Sister Jean most of all. Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt, to my knowledge, doesn’t play basketball. The 98-year-old nun has been pretty much... Read more
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