When I originally saw Sweeney Todd at the theatres in December 2007 my first thought was, “I need to preach a sermon on this.” So in this season leading up to Halloween I thought I’d relive some of those original thoughts and share them with you. Also, if you are looking for a good movie to watch this October, I’d highly recommend Sweeney Todd (although it’s not for everyone!) Back Story At the outset of...
I say kind of because I’m very inconsistent. On the one hand I enjoy movies about famous wars or war heroes (Gladiator, The Patriot, We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan), I like some violent video games (Halo, Call of Duty), and I have complete respect for those who are willing to support their country and subject themselves to the terrors of war. Yet, I can’t help but feel like the ethics of Jesus are incompatible with...
On October 5th, the world has begun to mourn the loss of one of its most creative innovators, tenacious entrepreneurs, and iconic figureheads in the passing of Steve Jobs. From the petri-dish of creativity that was a silicon valley garage, Jobs constructed a company that competes with Exxon-Mobil for the largest market capitalization. Obama has spoken for many in reminding us that we have lost a visionary, and perhaps one of the most successful exemplifications...
Kyle Strobel uses the eroticism of the Puritans to critique Mark Driscoll’s ongoing narrative about effeminate worship leaders. Elizabeth Antus analyzes compulsive eating from a Christian theological perspective. Matt Jenson discusses Anselm on the fitting nature of divine justice. According to Virginia Postrel, Harvard’s new “Kindness Pledge” is deleterious to serious learning. As a purely historical point, Denny Burk says that the Apostle Paul was a widower. Carl Trueman says that Al Mohler’s argument for a...
“They sing” wrote Pliny the Younger. When describing the life and the rituals of this most bizarre new “religion” that was springing up throughout the 1st Century Roman world, depicting the phenomenon and germination of a new people called “Christians.” This profound quote was brought to my attention by Cherith Fee Nordling, in her penetrating article on the impact of Psalms, Hymns ,and Songs of the Spirit on Christian transformation. She notes that in his...
Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, posted an article last week on his website entitled, “What Makes Evangelicalism Evangelical? A New Book Joins the Argument.” The article was adapted from an essay he wrote for a new collaborative book on the spectrum of evangelicalism. The article gives a brief history of evangelicalism as a movement, helping us to understand what the term means and how it’s been used throughout history. As...
When it comes to super-heroes I am a Batman guy all the way. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Oscar-worthy Christopher Nolan is the mastermind behind the resurgence of Batman’s popularity and Joel Schumacher’s grubby paws are nowhere near the franchise (although he did apologize). Yet, even before Nolan I preferred Batman to others, especially Superman (It also goes without saying that I prefer DC to Marvel). The perennial question, ‘Who would win in a...
I made “Jesus Walks” so [I’m] never going to hell. –Kanye West, “Otis” Nothing says “fresh” like analyzing a subject of pop culture seven years after its release. But unfortunately, I didn’t have a blog seven years ago, and since Kanye West delivered the line above in a song from his new collaboration album with Jay-Z, I’m taking this as an opportunity to discuss the theology of “Jesus Walks.” At the time of its release, the...
Some links worth checking out: (By the way, if you’ve read (or written) a particularly fascinating or infuriating post during any given week, don’t hesitate to wing it over to us. We may include it here. Email: mattwilcoxen at gmail dot com) Ben Witherington III interviews N.T. Wright on Wright’s forthcoming translation of the New Testament. Kim Riddlebarger says the dichotomy of optimism vs. pessimism is not helpful for analyzing eschatologies. Dane Ortlund critiques pastors...
I watched The Help this past weekend. It was a wonderful film and I think it has to be the early favorite for best picture. In fact, I find it nearly unfathomable that another movie would be able to beat it. If you have not already seen it, you should drop whatever you’re doing and head to the local cinema. It’s that good. Unlike my hipster friends, I really enjoy a film with a happy ending....
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