On Praise and Worship Music: An Essay to its Cultured Despisers
“Praise and worship” music is one of the most oft-evoked and heavily contested markers of evangelical Protestantism in the United States. Its most vocal advocates herald praise and worship and its meteoric rise since the 1960s as nothing less than the rebirth of Western Christianity, citing its unique ability to attract an entire generation of “lost sheep” into the fold. On the other hand, its most virulent critics condemn praise and worship as dangerous or blatantly... Read More
The (Real) Royal Wedding
Contrary to what you might think, this is not a picture of princess-to-be Kate Middleton trying on her wedding dress before her upcoming nuptials on Friday. Despite its verisimilitude, this is the work of Alison Jackson (check out her website), an artist whose work explores the cult of celebrity in a unique way. By staging photos (and videos) such as this one using lookalikes, she... Read More
The Adjustment Bureau Adjusts Free-Will
George Nolfi’s recently released film (March 2011), The Adjustment Bureau, has brought the philosophical-theological question of free-will to the big screen in an engaging way. Based on the short story, Adjustment Team (by Philip K. Dick), The Adjustment Bureau tells the story of David Norris (Matt Damon) and Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) – two driven individuals who seem destined to be together. Curiously, however, a mysterious group of well-dressed men in fedoras... Read More
Mini-Mediation: Wild Sheen
Actor Charlie Sheen has made headlines this week with his no-longer-exclusive ABC interview on 20/20 in which his extremely odd behavior was sort of funny, mostly pathetic, slightly frightening. Sheen appeared with his two “goddesses” (girlfriends) and spoke about a variety of self-involved topics, such as “winning” and being on a drug called “Charliesheen.” Awesome–literally, “so impressive or overwhelming as to inspire a strong... Read More
The Ecstasy of the Black Swan: Eroticism & Transformation
In 1991, the Academy Award for Best Picture went to the disturbing psycho thriller, The Silence of the Lambs. Movie-goers were left wondering what meaning lies behind awarding such an horrific, grotesque, and arguably evil tale about serial killers with cinema’s highest honor, the Oscar. In the volleying commentary between art and culture, what does it mean that cannibalism is featured in the year’s Best Picture? The Oscar nominees for 2011 were recently made public by the... Read More
Jon Stewart, Media’s Corruption, & Evangelical Responsibility
On September 29th, 2010 Fresh Air host, Terry Gross interviewed The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.i Though September 29th, 2010 seems ages ago (in media time), some of the content from that interview has lasting significance and relevance concerning our perspective on media and (in parallel) on the Church. About halfway through the interview, Gross inquired as to whether or not Stewart felt more politically engaged due to his involvement with... Read More
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