M. Leary

Protecting Innocents, Longing for Innocence: An Emerging Theme from 2012 Cinema

(ed. note): This is a guest post from Nicholas Olson, whose bio has now been added to our list of contributors. Looking forward to much more from Nick.) Last year’s big theme at the cinema was nostalgia, or apocalypse, or both depending on who you ask. It struck me recently that several of my favorite […]

Tripp York

Hutterites vs Montana (not the Hannah kind)

Hutterites may call it religious persecution, others call it the law of the land, but our theological cousins (“Aw mom, do we really have to claim THEM?!“) are now required to offer workers compensation. Pretty tough thing to do on a communitarian-based salary. [Read article here.] What I find most interesting about the article is […]

J. Edward Hackett

Questioning Simmon’s Postmodern Kataphaticism

Last summer, J. Aaron Simmons, one of our regular contributors, wrote about the possibility of a Postmodern Kataphaticism, questioning ground and future of religion within a postmodern context.  This post is from a guest contributor, responding the possibility and promise of such a project. Questioning Simmon’s Postmodern Kataphaticism: A Jamesian Pragmatic Rejoinder by J. Edward […]

Tripp York

Remaining Resolute in my Anti-Resolution Revolution

In the 5th grade I decided that resolutions were a ‘crutch for the weak’. I think I’d heard someone misquoting Marx or something (the silly kind of Marx, not the Harpo kind). I just remember thinking, ‘Why do adults always need a catalyst for changing their rotten habits?” I doubt I used the word catalyst, […]

M. Leary

Favorite Films of 2012

This was an interesting year. Through some quirks of distribution, I was not able to see Petzold’s Barbara, which is the film I was looking forward to the most. I also didn’t get a chance to see Tabu or This is Not a Film. From what I gather, all three of these are challenging films that fit neatly in […]

Tripp York

Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt

For my ‘skyping while drinking whiskey book club’, we’re reading Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt. This is posing a major problem for me. For, you see, whiskey makes me happy. It makes me all huggie, dance-y, and, ‘life is wonderful-ly’ (and, also, a bit sentimental . . . so, no watching The Little Drummer […]

Hollis Phelps

On The (Gritty) Birth of Christ

This essay argues against sentimentalized images of the nativity for a more realistic rendering of the birth of Jesus.

M. Leary

The Passion of Joan of Arc (Conversations about the S&S Top Ten Greatest Films)

(Join Jeffrey Overstreet and Michael Leary as they discuss the Top Ten films from the recent Sight & Sound Greatest Films poll. Visit the “Sight & Sounds Greatest Films Conversation” tag for previous installments.) ML: I have watched The Passion of Joan of Arc many times over the years, but since it has been a while I […]