“To learn a foreign language, and to make consistent efforts to communicate with those who speak that language natively, cultivates godly maturity.”

If God designed human life, then His Word reveals the right way to live—in terms of biological health, mental well-being, and societal health—which requires a submitting of the whole self to His authority.

Lauren Gross reviews Brittany Fichter’s “Before Beauty”: “[She] may not have set out to write an allegory, yet the gospel is woven so deeply into the fabric of this tale that it preached to me.”

Can dance music be more than just escape? Could it also be a place of radical embodiment and prayerful presence? Can Christ speak, through DJs, to the cavernous heart that’s hungry for something greater?

One year has passed since #Andor ended. @opus.ing wrote about the series’ condemnation of moral complacency in the face of evil, as evidenced by one particularly haunting scene from the finale.

The two “Avatar” franchises present very different perspectives on violence and retribution. And for Christians, only one of them rings true.

Movies and TV series love to play with quantum physics as a way to explore fantastical concepts like the multiverse. But quantum physics also gives Christians a way to carefully think about God’s transcendence and his interactions with creation.

@stephenwilsonjr01.bsky.social’s songs return again and again to questions of inheritance—of family, place, and past—and the unsettling realization that much of who we are lies outside our choice.

Though not a “Christian” film, #ProjectHailMary nevertheless embodies distinctly Christian versions of love and sacrifice that hearken back to the sacramental theology of the early Church.

my first published article in over two years! really loved doing the research for this one.

In her latest book, @courtneyellis.bsky.social uses #birding and nature to explore the beauty that can emerge from the pain of change and transition. Read @ginadalfonzo.bsky.social’s review:

One of 2025’s most critically acclaimed games, @supergiantgames.bsky.social’s “Hades II” serves as fertile ground on which to engage with the concept of the imago Dei—a central doctrine of the Christian faith that is too often loosely defined and historically misunderstood.

We’ve all felt the impulse to celebrate when a public figure we dislike dies. After all, they’re *finally* getting their ultimate comeuppance. But where does that impulse come from, and what does it really say about us? My latest for @christandpopculture.com.

New from @opus.ing: Left-leaning folks celebrated the death of a conservative actor even as they criticized the president for celebrating the death of a political opponent, and this very same president previously condemned those who demonize their political opponents. Talk about a mess!

In a culture obsessed with youth (and terrified of aging), it’s tempting to reclaim relevance by embracing a caricature: we can’t be young and charming forever, so let’s be old and cantankerous. But what if we aimed instead for something truly countercultural, and thoroughly biblical?

Pixar’s #InsideOut serves as a reminder that sadness is not the enemy of faithfulness, and the impulse to suppress it may do more harm than the grief itself. christandpopculture.com/when-church-...

We believe that writing is best when it comes straight from the *human* heart, mind, and soul without any intervening artificial intelligence. To that end, we are enacting a strict no AI-generated article policy from this point moving forward.

Paul Kingsnorth’s latest book, “Against the Machine,” is not just a complaint about technological fetishism and overreach. The Machine is also within us.

Our desire for intimacy is just one expression of a deeper human truth, writes @Pieter Valk. We are creatures who yearn. Our desire reminds us that we are not self-sufficient and that we are made for worship, for mission, and for connection.

We don’t have to strive towards the AI-generated perfection represented by AI “actresses” like Tilly Norwood. Instead, Jesus’s incarnation means we can glory in our flawed, unfiltered selves.

God called humanity to govern nature, but Pixar’s #Hoppers reminds us that it’s challenging to govern that which we do not love.

“True inspiration, it turns out, must be free because it must be an act of love and not coercion… We must receive a visit from the muse, not kidnap her.” Mike Schramm discusses a memorable episode of Netflix’s #TheSandman.

Fiction—whether in novel, TV, or movie form—is filled with unexpected, almost scandalous, Christ figures. Like a giant ape.

“KPop Demon Hunters” has become a global sensation since its release last summer, and its catchy songs and vibrant animation resound with echoes of eternal truth.

The biggest game of 2025 delivers a haunting treatise on death and mortality. Chandler Moore delves into #ClairObscur.

70 years ago today, “Forbidden Planet” arrived in theaters. Geoffrey Reiter wrote this thoughtful piece for the sci-fi classic’s 60th anniversary: “The film’s warnings about the consequences of elevating innovation over humanity are anything but dated.”

In their respective TV series, Ted Lasso and James Garfield take the hard road of gentleness in a world that assumes the soft touch is synonymous with failure.

“The most frustrating part of human existence isn’t that our glory evaporates, but rather, that it becomes misdirected and warped by our fallen nature.”

As Chris Fogle reflects on the tumultuous events and pop culture moments of 1985 and 2025, he reminds us that hope is found in our past, present, and future.

I wanted to think more about the curious place of MARTY SUPREME's anachronistic soundtrack, so I dug into it at CAPC

Timothée Chalamet gives his biggest performance yet in Josh Safdie’s film about a table tennis phenom willing to sacrifice everything for success. Read @micahrickard.bsky.social’s review of #MartySupreme:

Christopher Ruocchio’s sci-fi series proves surprisingly theological, and might even help us better understand one of the most controversial parts of the Old Testament.

Even after a quarter-century, the Coen Brothers still lead us to laugh, question, and believe with 2000’s “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

I had fun writing about Pope Leo XIV memes for this 2025 recap at @christandpopculture.com!

Our favorite books and memes from 2025 included an affair on the Jumbotron, papal memes, a history of punk rock, Venetian protests, and more.

I had fun writing about Natalie Bergman, @mikecosper.bsky.social’s “Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” Fine China, and Denison Witmer for @christandpopculture.com’s 2025 music/podcast recap.

Our favorite music and podcasts from 2025 included an exploration of the Satanic Panic, a hang out with friends, atmospheric post-punk, the return of folk heroes, and of course, Tay Tay.

I contributed reviews of #Andor, @dropout.tv, and #TheResidence to this.

For 2025, our favorite TV included a sci-fi thriller, a late night talk show, a rom-com, a return to Lumon Industries, and more.

I have a short piece in here about #WakeUpDeadMan.

Our favorite films from 2025 include the latest from Iran’s greatest living director, a meditative look at one man’s life, a priestly murder mystery, and something about K-Pop and demon hunters.

Both the Western and #StarWars imagine a world where character must be forged and not assumed, where goodness is real, but never cheap. The frontier they describe is sometimes a place on a map, sometimes the contested ground inside a person’s own heart.

Psst… we’ll be posting recaps of our favorite movies, TV series, etc., from 2025 starting next Monday, 1/26.

Clint Bentley’s #TrainDreams is a call to meditate on space and time, on life and death, on the great mystery of all things. Read @micahrickard.bsky.social’s review:

When we analyze these movies using the Bible, we are reminded of the ancient rebellion we have been warned about. God gives us instructions and examples throughout the Bible for what to do when we come across demons.

I’ve written a lot for @christandpopculture.com over the years, but I might be proudest of this 2024 piece. As #AI slop becomes more prevalent and takes advantage of controversies like ICE’s ongoing activities, it’s only going to get harder to understand, determine, and agree upon what is real.

Although #TheLongWalk was published nearly 50 years ago, last year’s adaptation proves that its harrowing story of vulnerable people forced to sacrifice everything to survive is all too relevant to our current age.

Pleased to see that I have a couple of articles on this list.

We covered a pretty wide array of subject matter in 2025, including #StarWars, @brucespringsteen.net, “The Odyssey,” Kendrick Lamar, Amazon’s #HouseOfDavid, and much, much more.

The series finale vindicated my take on Hopper here, which I’m quite pleased about.