Episode 40: Black Panther

On this week’s Technicolor Jesus, Matt and Adam welcome friend of the show Charles Howard, university chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk about reconstruction, ancestors, and the power of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. In our first segment, Justification by Faith, the group talks about how Black Panther tries to reconstruct the center to make room for marginalized experience. Specifically, the conversation wrestles with the figure of Erik Killmonger and the tragedy of his story. In the second segment, Preaching to the Choir, the group discusses the intersection of Black Panther and the lectionary passages for the fourth Sunday in Lent, Year B. Intrigued by the serpent in the wilderness, the group discusses the power and dangers of symbols. Additionally, the conversation turns to John’s exegesis and the lessons of reading old texts. Finally, in the last segment, Postludes, Matt retcons early Marvel canon and Adam learns about the magic of role-playing games.

SHOW NOTES: 

Charles Howard is the University Chaplain at University of Pennsylvania and the author of a wide-ranging number of materials including Pond River Ocean Rain, a contemplative meditation on how we find God. He is also Technicolor Jesus' super-special superhero correspondent. 

Brittney Cooper, “How Michelle Obama subverted respectability politics with a ponytail.”