Everyday Liminality

Beauty is often talked about as a subjective quality. But for Catholics, this simply cannot be the case. There must be an objective sense of beauty, and an objective way to evaluate art.

Some songs have a very simple and direct: they tell you exactly what the song is about, no interpretation needed. And while that might be nice at times, the best songs are those that engage the listener and force them to bring their own reality to the words. 

As we've talked about on the show before, death can be a powerful plot point in stories. But what comes after it, especially if it's in the form of rebirth, can be life-changing. Brs. Casey and Tito look at the many types of rebirth in stories, and how we can find meaning in our own baptisms.

Using God in entertainment is quite common, even in non-religious works. And while it's great, in one sense, to have religious themes inserted into popular culture, the theology is often so bad (or completely nonsensical) that all is does is confuse people.

It seems like the only thing Hollywood knows how to do is remake an old classic or reboot a franchise. Why does the industry do this, and might we learn something from this?

Ferris Bueller, Mel Brooks, Deadpool, Shakespeare. What do they all have in common? Their characters speak directly to the audience. And we think that's awesome.

The Simpsons is known for its quick wit and cultural commentary. It's also known for its use of stereotypes, of which some have caused controversy in recent years. What do we make of the use of stereotypes and what might we do about them?

May the Force be with you! For years, Christians have found parallels between the sci-fi world of Star Wars and our Christian reality, but the most recent movies offer some new developments. Br. Tito and Br. Casey take a deep dive into a galaxy far far away to see what we might learn from the galactic drama series. 

While God's grace might be freely given and unmerited, that doesn't mean that there is no cost to discipleship. In this episode, Br. Tito and Br. Casey discuss the theme of forgiveness in entertainment and how sometimes it just doesn't feel "earned."

While most commercials are simply an annoyance, marking breaks between what we want to watch, some of them can actually be quite entertaining and even influential. Brs. Tito and Casey discuss the power, and danger, of such a medium.