Distortionists in the real world corrupt the beautiful, good, and true.[1. Photo by Bree Anne on Unsplash.] Some individuals who fall into such a dark side might make themselves beyond repentance—that is, reprobate. We might call them “ghouls.” … And such were some of you. We wanted to talk about monsters today, and we’ll start next week. First, let’s turn from the darkness and into the light, keeping our eyes open for hazards as we head into an exciting, messy, promising season of … spiritual revival and renewal for the souls of men and women?

Bethel McGrew has a doctorate in math and is a widely published freelance writer. Her work has appeared in First Things, National Review, The Spectator, and many other national and international outlets. Her Substack, Further Up, is one of the top paid newsletters in “Faith & Spirituality” on the platform. She has also contributed to two essay anthologies on Jordan Peterson. When not writing social criticism, she enjoys writing about literature, film, music, and history.

“The salvation of a single soul is more important than the production or preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world.”

—C. S. Lewis, “Christianity and Literature,” in Christian Reflections, page 10

Listen to our episode 136 about keeping politics in their rightful place.

I met Charlie [Kirk] on multiple occasions and listened to his daily show religiously. I have never met a more humble, gracious, generous person who consistently sought to elevate those around him.

The first time we met was in 2020 when my wife and I flew down to Phx from Fargo in order to attend the Protect the Count rally the week of the election. After the rally, we were able to tour the headquarters and met him there. We prayed with him, then he invited us to stay, bought us dinner and let us sit in the studio to watch the livestream. While we were there, we also met his pastor Rob McCoy who was coming on the show to speak.

Charlie and TPUSA so impressed us, we became supporting members and unofficial ambassadors. We attended every event we could. Anytime he saw us in the audience, he would call us out by name! I once corrected him on some Bible fact, and he was gracious, saying, “A wise man loves correction.”

Three weeks before the assassination, we saw him at event in South Carolina. We were invited into the green room backstage at the theater. He jumped up to welcome us, fondly introduced us to the host of the event as his “superfans,” complimented me on the email feedback that had sent him. Then, he put me on the spot. “What’s on your mind, today, Caleb?” I asked a question about how Christians should Biblically view the current physical nation of Israel. So, he suggested that myself and the hosting pastor, who was wearing an Israel/America flag pin, have a quick debate while he himself moderated. He supplied clarifying Bible verses and facts about the current Israeli state. He was very kind to elevate me rather than himself in that situation. He gave me a great compliment, “When Caleb speaks, I listen.”

How often does this happen? You’re a plain, ordinary, gorgeous heroine, who’s suddenly abducted by aliens and taken to Planet Gladiator Violence VI. There you encounter a bull-headed man with piercings in all his massive muscles, and events ensue, and if we kept up this description the grown-ups would not let you listen to this podcast. And that’s probably the tamest version of what’s now called “romantasy.” These kinds of monster stories are winning legions of female fans. What manner of perversity is this?

Since the late 2000s, children and grownups have been getting drawn into their mobile devices and tablets. Before then, some were also hooked on TV and video games. Yet how could anyone create those devices without training their imaginations on great works of art? Carolyn Leiloglou, author of The Restorationists fantasy series, returns to help us recall the biblical purpose of art and stories, and how we help children learn to love them.

Carolyn Leiloglou

Carolyn Leiloglou (lay-LAW-glue) is the author of the middle grade fantasy novels Beneath the Swirling Sky and Between Flowers and Bones as well as the picture book Library’s Most Wanted. Carolyn is the granddaughter of art collectors, daughter of an art teacher, and homeschooling mom to four wildly creative kids. She’s an award-winning author whose poems and short stories have appeared in children’s magazines around the world, including Clubhouse Jr. Carolyn also reviews her favorite children’s books on her platform, House full of Bookworms. Her newest book, middle-grade fantasy Beyond the Far Horizon, released this month.

Listen here to our first episode with Carolyn Leiloglou.

Distortionists in the real world corrupt the beautiful, good, and true. Some individuals who fall into such a dark side might make themselves beyond repentance—that is, reprobate. We might call them “ghouls.” Ultimately that is God’s decision, not ours. Yet we discern their actions and beliefs that are ghoulish. Nonfiction tells us this. Great stories, however, have a different purpose: to show this truth. Bethel McGrew returns to explore with us how Christian creatives can best combat the worldview ghouls among us.

Last week, an assassin’s bullet ended the earthly life of Christian brother, husband, father, and popular political activist Charlie Kirk. Thousands were watching on the campus of Utah Valley University in the early afternoon of Sept. 10, 2025. Millions more prayed for an hour that Kirk would somehow survive. And then we mourned his death. Lorehaven is not a political group. But we do join in this public lamentation. And we look to fantastical stories of great villains and greater heroes to explore the bigger and pre-political questions beneath this tragedy: how we must fight evil in the world.

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Screenshot from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Since the late 2000s, children and grownups have been getting drawn into their mobile devices and tablets. Before then, some were also hooked on TV and video games. Yet how could anyone create those devices without training their imaginations on great works of art? Carolyn Leiloglou, author of The Restorationists fantasy series, returns to help us recall the biblical purpose of art and stories, and how we help children learn to love them.

To become a hero following your God-given destiny, you’d best stay out of jail.[1. Photo by Saad Chaudhry on Unsplash.] Yet some Christian heroes do get caught in bad habits that keep them pacing in their tiny cells rather than practicing wise discipline as they go on adventures. How do Christian creators, in particular, fall into the traps of “cage stages”?

My friend Michael Horton often comments on the phenomenon of “cage-stage Calvinism,” that strange malady that seems to afflict so many people who have just seen the truth of the Reformed doctrines of grace. We’ve all known one of these “cage-stage Calvinists.” Many of us were even one of them when we were first convinced of God’s sovereignty in salvation.

Cage-stage Calvinists are identifiable by their insistence on turning every discussion into an argument for limited atonement or for making it their personal mission to ensure everyone they know hears—often quite loudly—the truths of divine election. Now, having a zeal for the truth is always commendable. But a zeal for the truth that manifests itself in obnoxiousness won’t convince anyone of the biblical truth of Reformed theology. As many of us can attest from personal experience, it will actually push them away.[1. R. C. Sproul, “Escaping the ‘Cage Stage’,” Ligonier Ministries, Nov. 24, 2013.]

Since the late 2000s, children and grownups have been getting drawn into their mobile devices and tablets. Before then, some were also hooked on TV and video games. Yet how could anyone create those devices without training their imaginations on great works of art? Carolyn Leiloglou, author of The Restorationists fantasy series, returns to help us recall the biblical purpose of art and stories, and how we help children learn to love them.

Here in the U.S., we just had Labor Day, meant to mark the actions of hard-working Americans. And right now many Christian families honor the work of Christian heroes who are now at rest, such as pastor John MacArthur and Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. Many fantastical stories wouldn’t be here without faithful Christians. When they pass on, and people discuss and debate their legacies, how can we best honor their labors?

Naiveté is not a trait to be cultivated in our children. Prudishness is foolish immaturity. It leaves our children gullible and vulnerable. The naïve are the easiest targets for the seductive wiles of temptation. Throughout the book of Proverbs, the naïve (“simple” in many translations) are held up as negative examples. It is a grave mistake to think of our children as little angels who need to be handled delicately so they don’t get corrupted. Rather, they are corrupt little sinners who need to be led to righteousness.

“Treating the Symptoms, Not the Sin,” John MacArthur sermon dated May 8, 2015

It began as an experiment. In 1986 Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family wanted to produce a high-quality drama series for the radio. He hoped that it would appeal to Christians looking for alternatives to Saturday morning cartoons or simply families in search of wholesome entertainment. Steve Harris and Phil Lollar, the show’s creators, brainstormed what the series could be. They decided that it should be set in a small town (called Odyssey) somewhere in the Midwest and hearken to the golden age of radio without sounding dated.

In 1987, a 13-week test series was aired on the Focus on the Family broadcast. It was called Family Portraits and chronicled the lives and times of Odyssey residents — including John Whittaker and a special “soda shop and discovery emporium” called Whit’s End.

Audience response was so favorable that Focus went one step further and created the weekly radio program that would eventually be called Adventures in Odyssey.

“The History of Adventures in Odyssey,” WhitsEnd.org, undated article now archived

Heroes are born (in God’s view!) yet also built (in man’s view!). To become a hero following your God-given destiny, you’d best stay out of jail. Yet some Christian heroes do get caught in bad habits that keep them pacing in their tiny cells rather than practicing wise discipline as they go on adventures. How do Christian creators, in particular, fall into the traps of “cage stages”?

So many books, so little time, space, and money. Many fans love collecting physical copies of their favorite stories, often so much that they run out of bookshelf space. (Stephen and Zack are in this situation!) Now that we have audiobook and digital copies, isn’t book collection a waste of resources?

Zackary Russell’s central bookshelf, as of August 2025

Real rainbows in nature have lovely, soft, delicate colors. The rainbow flag looks tacky by comparison.

Here in the U.S., we’re about to have Labor Day, meant to mark the actions of hard-working Americans. And right now many Christian families honor the work of Christian heroes who are now at rest, such as pastor John MacArthur and Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson. Many fantastical stories wouldn’t be here without leaders like this. When they pass on, and people discuss and debate their ministries, how can we best honor their labors?

Over summer and school seasons alike, many Christian parents want books for their kids that don’t have things like “Agenda” or “Wokeness.”[1. Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash.] But in our zeal to keep bad, poisonous content out of books, might we miss our children’s more important need to enjoy good, nutritious content in our fantastical fiction?

So many books, so little time, space, and money. Many fans love collect physical copies of their favorite stories, often so much that they run out of bookshelf space. (Stephen and Zack are in this situation!)  With the availability of audiobook and digital copies, isn’t book collection a waste of resources?

We’ve just seen the end of this year’s summer blockbuster movie season, such as it was. Most of the drama was about the movies rather than in the movies. Fans debate whether stories should be lighter, focusing on “fun” with simple virtues, as opposed to heavier stories with “serious” ideas. Right now it seems Team Light Stories is winning over Team Heavy Stories—and yet nobody is really winning at the box office. How can Christian fans engage stories that are light versus heavy?

Over summer and school seasons alike, many Christian parents want books for their kids that don’t have things like “Agenda” or “Wokeness.” But in our zeal to keep bad, poisonous content out of books, might we miss our children’s more important need to enjoy good, nutritious content in our fantastical fiction?

Last month at the Realm Makers Expo, we met many skilled Christian creators who are making amazing stories in books, games, and the visual arts. Yet some people believe all this stuff is pointless or outdated and will soon be replaced by so-called “AI art.” Are they right? Will computer-generated content outpace art made by humans? And is such a belief even biblically defensible?

“When you meet anything that’s going to be human and isn’t yet, or used to be human once and isn’t now, or ought to be human and isn’t, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet.”

“Ginny! … Haven’t I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain?”

… Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.

“Oh, I’m real. Real enough to defeat you! And I did it without your precious gifts, your oh-so-special powers. I’ll give them heroics. I’ll give them the most spectacular heroics anyone’s ever seen! And when I’m old and I’ve had my fun, I’ll sell my inventions so that everyone can be superheroes. Everyone can be super! And when everyone’s super (evil laugh) no one will be.”

We’ve just seen the end of this year’s summer blockbuster movie season, such as it was. Most of the drama was about the movies rather than in the movies. Fans debate whether stories should focus on “fun” stories with simple virtues as opposed to “serious” stories based on “aura” and myth. Right now it seems Team Fun is winning over Team Serious, but also, nobody is really winning the box office. How can Christian fans engage stories that are fun versus serious?

As we’ve often heard, some modern films may feel difficult to enjoy! Yet today we celebrate famed animated tales of yore, including the artists behind classic characters like Cogsworth, Iago, Pumbaa, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Kronk … and now, coming this fall, the greatest Hero of all. Famed animators and twin brothers Tony and Tom Bancroft bring their magic to our studio in advance of their next feature film in cinemas, the traditionally animated Light of the World.

Tony Bancroft is a 2D animator with a passion for animating, directing, storytelling, creating, and teaching the next generation.

With over 30 years in the animation industry, Tony Bancroft has been creatively involved in almost every position making an animated film, video, commercial, or short film. His animation and directing skills have been sharpened and honed while working at Walt Disney Feature Animation, Sony Pictures, his own animation company, Toonacious Family Entertainment, and currently, as an independent contractor working with Disney, Warner Brothers, and many more.

Tom Bancroft has over 30 years of experience in the animation industry, much of which was for Walt Disney Feature animation where he was an animator on 4 animated shorts and 8 feature films of which “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” “Aladdin”, “Pocahontas”, “Mulan”, and “Brother Bear” were part of the list. He has been nominated for Annie and Rueben division awards, spoken at the Kennedy Center and awarded an entry into the Chicago Children’s Film Festival.

Bancroft left Disney in 2000 to follow his heart and help Big Idea Productions, creators of the popular “VeggieTales” animated series, create their first feature film, “Jonah: A Veggietales Movie”.  While there he also Directed/ co-created the popular 2D animated video series “Larryboy Adventures”.

This month at the Realm Makers Expo, we met many skilled Christian creators who are making amazing stories in books, games, and the visual arts. Yet some people believe all this stuff is outdated and will be replaced by so-called “AI art.” Are they right? Will computer-generated fictional content outpace art made by humans? And is such a belief even biblically defensible?