On the Possibility of Death in Advent
In death, we enter into the tomb on Friday with Jesus, and like the disciples on Saturday, all we can do is to wait in the darkness, hoping for the miracle we were promised on Sunday.
Zachary Thomas Settle
Zachary Thomas Settle is the editor-in-chief of The Other Journal. He holds a PhD in theological studies from Vanderbilt’s Graduate Department of Religion and has written for publications such as Modern Theology, Augustinian Studies, and the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. His first book, On the Nature, Limits, Mean- ing, and End of Work was published in Bloomsbury’s popular “Reading Augustine” series in 2022. He is currently preparing for ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee and drafting a book wherein he develops an Augustinian theology of economy.
Looper and NonViolence
“I don’t wanna talk about time travel ‘cause if we start talking about it then we’re gonna be here all day talkin’ about it and makin’ diagrams with straws.” –Old Joe Rian Johnson’s recent science fiction film Looper is not, first and foremost, a movie about time travel, as articulated clearly by older Joe (Bruce […]
Breaking Bad Roundtable: Series Finale
Zachary Thomas Settle: Ambivalence in the End: Breaking Bad Series Finale Breaking Bad did not end as a happy story. The show’s final episode did not serve to fully redeem Walt, and all was not made well in the end. In a strangely unique fashion, the final episode of Breaking Bad was far from affective; […]
BREAKING BAD ROUNDTABLE: SEASON 5, EPISODE 15
Zachary Thomas Settle: And Now He’s Alone: Season 5, Episode 15 Walter White is in decay, and he has been for some time now. Things seemed to take a turn for the worse, though, while Walt, or should I say Mr. Lambert, was in New Hampshire. While we remain uncertain of the situation with […]
BREAKING BAD ROUNDTABLE: SEASON 5, EPISODE 14
Zachary Thomas Settle: The End is Nigh: Season 5, Episode 13 I think last night’s episode of Breaking Bad was genius, and it has rejuvenated my hope for the ending. I’ve been convinced of Gilligan’s abilities to gracefully end this hellish ride for some time now, but the immanence of the end started setting in […]
Breaking Bad Roundtable: Season 5, Episode 13
Zachary Thomas Settle: Redemption’s Brief Encounter with Justice: Season 5, Episode 13 Last night’s episode of Breaking Bad caught me off guard. What’s impressive to me about last night’s episode is the way that all of the details and mechanics of the narrative came together so brilliantly. Each piece was meticulously placed in a moving form, […]
BREAKING BAD ROUNDTABLE: SEASON 5, EPISODE 12
Zachary Thomas Settle: Feeling for Justice: Season 5, Episode 12 Last night’s Breaking Bad episode, “Rabid Dog,” picks up right where the previous episode left off: with Jesse dousing Walt’s house in gasoline. This episode, though, begins with Walt’s perspective, and we watch in eager anticipation as he frantically searches for Jesse. The most interesting […]
Breaking Bad Roundtable: Season 5, Episode 11
Zachary Thomas Settle: Faithful to the End: Season 5, Episode 11 Lauren wrote last week on the idea of sin, as its represented in the last few episodes of Breaking Bad, as a sort of commitment, a commitment that one has to honor. I think Lauren is right. Walt, is a man of utter faithfulness; […]
Breaking Bad Roundtable: Episode 10
Zachary Thomas Settle: All the Way Down the Rabbit Hole: Season 5, Episode 10 One of the most interesting things about the public’s reception of Breaking Bad is its overwhelming dislike of Skyler White; no other character has motivated such harsh critiques. I have to say, though, that Skyler has been one of my favorite […]