On Media
Vengeance is mine
Django Unchained is an irreverent, profound and problematic exploration of America's original sin—and the power of a revenge fantasy.
Longing for home
When Peter Jackson plays up the theme of home, it's a loving riff on Tolkien. But why must he make war the driving engine of the The Hobbit?
Low-tech Bond
Viewers don’t look to James Bond movies for profundity. Mostly they go to see buxom babes (now brainier and badder) and gravity-defying vehicle chases. But the most recent Bond installment offers some pertinent comments on technology.
Faith in 2-D
It's the golden era of TV, and many shows explore moral and psychological issues with great nuance. Why not take religion as seriously?
Emerging as adults
Our culture tells young adults to resist adulthood with all their might. New Girl portrays characters who want something more.
The zombie war
Whatever else zombies are, they're a parody of Christian hope for the resurrection of the body.
The lure of Mormon romance
Twilight and Big Love explore something most romantic dramas have forgotten: the pleasures of moral struggle for the sake of spiritual growth.
Pinterest and porn
The temptation of Pinterest is in the part of it that is trite, banal and predictable. But that's not all there is to the site's appeal.
Rev.
I feared that Rev. would reprise the saccharine sweetness of The Vicar of Dibley. Episode one set me straight.
Breaking Bad
Each time Walter White gets away with something, I can't help cheering him on—while also shuddering at his depravity and my own complicity.
Once Upon a Time; Mirror, Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman
Several current tales of Snow White nod at feminist critique—while leaving the old paradigms for female power and beauty intact.
Sherlock
Theologians have long posited an omniscient God. The British TV show Sherlock delights us with an omniscient human being.
Game of Thrones
It seems like all anyone wants to talk about is power. And the best show on television about power is Game of Thrones.
MI-5
Why did I spend three and a half days of my life watching all 87 episodes of a soapy spy serial? For Jesus, of course. Also because it's a provocative and relevant series.
Downton Abbey
“I’ve been telling everyone who’ll listen how great Downton Abbey is,” I said in a sermon that was technically about evangelism. I was illustrating St. Augustine’s point that when people love, say, a great actor they tell others about him—and so how much more should we tell others about the gospel. A week later I learned how (un)successful that point had been. “I’ve watched every episode,” a parishioner said. “Now what was it you were trying to say about that show?”