This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Anne Kennedy about her online-exclusive article, “Take Joy: Santa, St. Nicholas, and Jesus”. https://www.equip.org/articles/take-joy-santa-st-nicholas-and-jesus/

Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.

1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.

2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

For more information and to subscribe please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/online-early-access-subscription-options/

Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

Some other articles and podcasts featuring this author

Hank Unplugged:

Gaslighting, BLM, Cancel Culture and More with Anne Kennedy

Postmodern Realities

Episode 313 Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?

Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?

Episode 308 A More Unconditional Love: Modern Iterations of Platonic Marriage

Episode 299: I’m the Head and Not the Tail: A Christian Decides to Skip the Daily Affirmation

I’m the Head and Not the Tail: A Christian Decides to Skip the Daily Affirmation

Episode 286 Trusting Jesus in a Universe that Doesn’t Have Your Back: A Christian Looks at Manifesting

Trusting Jesus in a Universe that Doesn’t Have Your Back: A Christian Looks at Manifesting

Episode 279: Haven’t We All Sacrificed Enough: A Christian Tries to Observe Lent

Haven’t We All Sacrificed Enough: A Christian Tries to Observe Lent

Episode 273: Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021

Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021

Episode 268 I’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s Resolution

I’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s Resolution-Special limited preview

Episode 255 For Our Lamps Are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social Media

For Our Lamps are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social Media

Episode 224 You Only Die Once: Why It’s Okay Not to Live in the Present

Why Do I Call Myself Good? A Look at Virtue Signaling

Episode 211: There Is No Health in Us: Wellness and Self-Care in the Age of COVID-19

There Is No Health in Us: Wellness and Self-Care in the Age of COVID-19

Episode 204: The Road Back to Where? A Look at Self Discovery Using the Enneagram

The Road Back to Where? A Look at Self Discovery Using the Enneagram

Episode 198 Cancel Culture and the Gospel: Where Can You Go When The Whole World Is Against You?

Cancel Culture and the Gospel: Where Can You Go When The Whole World Is Against You?

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Anne Kennedy about her online-exclusive article, “Take Joy: Santa, St. Nicholas, and Jesus”. https://www.equip.org/articles/take-joy-santa-st-nicholas-and-jesus/

Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.

1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.

2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

For more information and to subscribe please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/online-early-access-subscription-options/

Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

Some other articles and podcasts featuring this author

Hank Unplugged:

Gaslighting, BLM, Cancel Culture and More with Anne Kennedy

Postmodern Realities

Episode 313 Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?

Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?

Episode 308 A More Unconditional Love: Modern Iterations of Platonic Marriage

Episode 299: I’m the Head and Not the Tail: A Christian Decides to Skip the Daily Affirmation

I’m the Head and Not the Tail: A Christian Decides to Skip the Daily Affirmation

Episode 286 Trusting Jesus in a Universe that Doesn’t Have Your Back: A Christian Looks at Manifesting

Trusting Jesus in a Universe that Doesn’t Have Your Back: A Christian Looks at Manifesting

Episode 279: Haven’t We All Sacrificed Enough: A Christian Tries to Observe Lent

Haven’t We All Sacrificed Enough: A Christian Tries to Observe Lent

Episode 273: Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021

Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021

Episode 268 I’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s Resolution

I’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s Resolution-Special limited preview

Episode 255 For Our Lamps Are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social Media

For Our Lamps are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social Media

Episode 224 You Only Die Once: Why It’s Okay Not to Live in the Present

Why Do I Call Myself Good? A Look at Virtue Signaling

Episode 211: There Is No Health in Us: Wellness and Self-Care in the Age of COVID-19

There Is No Health in Us: Wellness and Self-Care in the Age of COVID-19

Episode 204: The Road Back to...

Netflix’s Ozark while dealing with the very dark themes of drug trafficking and murder, is a show that can help the Christian apologist intersect with its depiction of culture and family and use those themes as a springboard to contrast it with the truth of Christianity.

***Warning Ozark Season One and Two (SE E2) contain nudity, sexual situations, graphic violence, and language. All seasons (1-4) contain graphic violence and language.***

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Joshua Ferris about the series Ozark. **Note: This podcast contains spoilers for the Series Ozark (2017-2022).*

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

In November of 2017, Amazon secured the rights for The Lord of the Rings from the Tolkien estate, promising to resurrect the dormant series and adhere even more faithfully to Tolkien’s source material, even bringing in Tolkien’s grandson, Simon, during the development process. The culmination of Amazon’s acquisition of the prestigious property arrived in September 2022 as the first episodes of a proposed five season television series titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a prequel to Tolkien’s trilogy and Jackson’s subsequent film adaptations, though the series stands alone and separate from the continuity of Jackson’s films.

While The Rings of Power takes certain liberties with Tolkien’s timeline, the themes at play throughout the series—from the conflict between good and evil, to the attempts made to maintain the longevity of life—would seem to walk in lockstep with Tolkien’s analysis of his own work.

What sets Tolkien’s fantasy apart from so many others today is its clear sense of right and wrong, of good and evil firmly rooted in a well-developed Christian imagination that was capable of wrestling with difficult subjects, such as death, without compromise.


This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Cole Burgett about his online-exclusive article, “Tolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”. **Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.** https://www.equip.org/articles/tolkien-reimagined-a-series-review-of-the-lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power/

Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.

1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.

2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

For more information and to subscribe please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/online-early-access-subscription-options/

Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:

Episode 309 The Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of Evil

The Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of Evil

Episode 303 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned Way

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned Way

Episode 298: The Essex Serpent: By Tongue of Brute

The Essex Serpent: By Tongue of Brute

Episode 297 Why are we down here still working in the dark? (A Web TV Series Review of Severance)

Why are we down here still working in the dark? (A Web TV Series Review of Severance)

Episode 295 Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Freedom of Forgiveness (A Series Review of Obi-Wan Kenobi)

Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Freedom of Forgiveness (A Series Review of Obi Wan Kenobi)

Wesley Hill in his book, Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian, poses the following question, “Perhaps celibate gay and lesbian Christians, precisely in and out of their celibacy, are called to express, rather than simply renounce and deny, same-sex love. And perhaps this is where, for all the potential trials and temptations that come with this way of thinking, same-sex friendship represents one way for gay Christians who wish to be celibate to say: “I am embracing a positive calling. I am, along with every other Christian, called to love and be loved.” As Anne Kennedy notes in her article, “This is the central, pressing concern of the Spiritual Friendship movement. How same-sex attracted Christians order their relationships increasingly touches on today’s fluid assumptions about identity, acceptance, and belonging. The issues underscored by Hill deserve to be studied and understood. Their answers carry immense spiritual and practical implications for Christian doctrine, worship, and community life. While I am sorely sympathetic to the desires of same-sex attracted Christians and their need for family and belonging, I believe that the proponents of modern-day spiritual friendship disorder the precious mystery of friendship. In collapsing the good desire for home and belonging with the wrong one for familial and even romantic intimacy with the same sex, the Spiritual Friendship movement, relying as it does on categories derived from the Sexual Revolution and postmodernism, devalues the institution of marriage and wanders into self-defeating contradiction.”

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Anne Kennedy about her online-exclusive article, “Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?” and the above questions and issues. https://www.equip.org/articles/spiritual-friendship-temptation-or-belonging/

Starting in February 2021, online-exclusive articles, have been locked and are only available for Journal subscribers as noted below; however, given the time sensitive nature and global importance of this subject, our editorial board decided to make this available to the public as soon as possible. Also consider this a free preview of the quality and in-depth research that goes into our online-exclusives. To learn more about subscribing and gaining early access to future online-exclusive articles, please see our FAQ section on Early Access to Online-Exclusive Articles by clicking here https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/ and subscribing by clicking here. https://www.equip.org/product/online-early-access-subscription-options/

Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.

1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.

2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

For more information and to subscribe please click here.

Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

Other articles and podcasts featuring this author

Episode 273: Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021

Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021

Episode 308 A More Unconditional Love: Modern Iterations of Platonic Marriage

Millennials and Gen Z increasingly reject biblical sexuality, and they aren’t shy about saying why. For American evangelical millennials (ages 26 to 41), specifically, the shift happened at least in part with ‘90s purity culture, which shouldn’t be a shock. Many were blindsided by tyrannical youth pastors wielding half-eaten lollipops, chewed gum, flowers without petals — symbolic, they said, of budding sexuality gone awry. These metaphors devaluing the human body while seemingly idolizing virginity were originally intended to exemplify our need for the redemptive work of Christ, but too often overly-zealous church leaders made them their primary focus. Girls had their developing bodies reduced to stumbling blocks and traps, waiting to ensnare their brothers in Christ hopelessly enslaved to their hormones. The fallout has deeply affected evangelical Gen Z’s perception of sex and the church. They have parents who are just now shedding the weight of shame placed upon their teenage shoulders. Parents who refused to make their own children walk through the same sexual minefield. As a result, they have largely kept silent. They believed that their children wouldn’t listen to their beliefs about sex, let alone wish to discuss it. Within progressive sexuality, purity rings have been exchanged for how-to classes on bondage. Condoms, not Christ, protect the heart. Teens, who not long ago would have had to sneak into the darkened back room of a video store to glimpse an adult film, can access the darkest pornography with a few clicks on their smartphone. If they aren’t watching porn, celebrities encourage them to make it. Why wouldn’t they? They are sexual beings after all, and sex, not some patriarchal religion, is the path to empowerment, liberation, even the American dream. Without biblical morality, design, and truth, our bodies lose all value. It isn’t until children encounter the biblical worldview that they see themselves and sexuality for what they truly are, precious creations worthy of protection. Our children have to feel welcome to discussing sex and their sexuality with us, even if they choose not to sometimes. If our children have the maturity to ask the question, we have the God-ordained responsibility to give them an answer, no flinching allowed.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Amy Davison about her article, “Youth are Walking Away from Biblical Sexuality: What Parents Can Do About It” in the forthcoming 45:2-3 (Fall 2022) edition of the Christian Research Journal.

To subscribe and make sure you get this issue when released, please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/crj-subscription/

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

Understanding how tarot works can help us see why it might be attractive to some for divination and self-awareness. To see the cards is to see yourself. Tarot decks are made up of seventy-eight cards divided into two sections, the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. Arcana is Latin for “secrets” or “mysteries.” Think of the tarot as unlocking the mysteries of life. The Major Arcana is comprised of twenty-two cards that represent life’s biggest events. For instance, the Fool card indicates a beginning, and Death card an end. The Wheel of Fortune card alludes to change while the Lovers Card points to potential partnerships. Each of the twenty-two cards in the Major Arcana is important, and when one appears in a tarot reading, great attention is usually given to it. As for readings, it all begins with the shuffle. During the shuffle, the person being read is supposed to concentrate on what they want to know, the wisdom they are seeking. Indeed, tarot cards do contain some Christian images, from crucifixes to angels to even the Devil himself. But tarot is more than art. It is art designed with divination in mind. Alongside Christian imagery is occultic imagery, including pentacles, wands, and astrological signs. Despite some Christian tarot card readers' desire to cleanse the deck with Christian meanings, it’s still an occultic tool. However, just as a Christian shouldn’t use an Ouija board to hear from the Lord or go to a psychic as a means to prophecy from God, Christians should avoid using tarot to enhance their prayer lives. There are Christian cards and Christian readers. Yet, something is amiss. Sorcery and magic are against God’s Word. Spiritual forces of the world are not the spiritual forces of God. Tarot will not send you on a path toward righteousness but on one toward destruction. Find restoration for your soul in God’s Word, not in a deck of cards created by man for his own pleasure and self-knowledge.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Lindsey Medenwaldt about her online-exclusive article, “Divination and Contemplation-Tarot’s Impact on Culture and Christianity”. https://www.equip.org/articles/divination-and-contemplation-tarots-impact-on-culture-and-christianity/

Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.

1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.

2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

For more information and to subscribe please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/online-early-access-subscription-options/

Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

In some parts of the world, demonology has been overemphasized; however, the Western world seems to be dealing with the opposite end of the spectrum. Naturalistic materialism has brought with it the notion that passages in Scripture describing demonic activity —especially in the Gospels— ought to be understood as a primitive society reacting to cases of mental illness, unknown to them at the time. However, Scripture teaches that demons are spiritual in nature, like angels, having special powers as demonstrated by their titles. One of these powers is the ability to affect human bodies and minds. There are many testimonies in Scripture of spiritual beings directly or indirectly affecting human health.
This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author J. Alberto Paredes about the topic of   “Demons, Disease, and Deity: Why We Need A Biblical Worldview To Respond To The Problem of Evil”. https://www.equip.org/articles/demons-disease-and-deity-why-we-need-a-biblical-worldview-to-respond-to-the-problem-of-evil/

Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.

1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.

2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

For more information and to subscribe please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/online-early-access-subscription-options/

Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

One of the best-reviewed shows currently streaming features a seminary student who takes hallucinogens to receive visions from God (I must have missed that class during my own seminary stint) and a succubus demon that wears a retainer. This kind of absurd, off-beat humor has come to define Robert and Michelle King’s CBS supernatural procedural Evil, which only recently concluded its third season on Paramount Plus. With its creepy content, scares, and quirky humor, the show has managed to carve out a niche in popular culture, receiving acclaim for its writing, direction, cinematography, and acting. If that near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score is to be believed, Evil is actually quite good. But how well does the series handle its lofty subject matter? After all, Evil attempts nothing short of an exploration of the crisis of evil in the modern world. Each episode or “case” plays a bit like a parable, though the show trades the distinct moralism of that genre of storytelling for something more ambiguous. While the more obscure approach to the material will certainly frustrate viewers looking for a singular take on the supernatural, there is no denying that Evil has grown into one of the twenty-first century’s most unique series with a strong religious bend. Given the subject matter and graphic sexuality portrayed in seasons two and three, it is not recommended that any Christian watch the sexual deviancies portrayed. But whether even with fast-forwarding of certain scenes the series is worth the Christian’s time is another story—some will say “no,” others will say “yes.” I will say that Kristen and David are no Scully and Mulder. Go and watch The X-Files instead of Evil, as that classic series moves in similar directions with infinitely more depth and nuance.



This Postmodern Realities episode is a in-depth conversation with Journal author Cole Burgett about the themes of the series and his online-exclusive, “The Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of Evil”.***Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for Seasons One, Two and Three of the CBS/Paramount show Evil.*** https://www.equip.org/articles/the-devil-and-kristen-bouchard-a-series-review-of-evil/

Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.

1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.

2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.

For more information and to subscribe please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/online-early-access-subscription-options/

Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:

Episode 303 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned Way

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned Way

Episode 298: The Essex Serpent: By Tongue of Brute

The Essex Serpent: By Tongue of Brute

Episode 297 Why are we down here still working in the dark? (A Web TV Series Review of Severance)

Why are we down here still working in the dark? (A Web TV Series Review of Severance)

Episode 295 Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Freedom of Forgiveness (A Series Review of Obi-Wan Kenobi)

Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Freedom of Forgiveness (A Series Review of Obi Wan Kenobi)

Episode 283: When the Hurlyburly’s Done: A Review of Everything Everywhere All at Once

When the Hurlyburly’s Done: A Review of Everything Everywhere All at Once

Marriage has been around almost as long as the romantic kind, but it was recently rediscovered as a “radical,” even courageous choice in the post-Obergefell v. Hodges era when same-sex couples received the legal right to marry. Like other trending topics, it has its own hashtag leading to tweets like: “can we normalize platonic marriage pls i would love to spend the rest of my life with people that i just don’t feel any romantic attraction to.” (Officialtheo23 (@officialtheo23), Twitter, May 13, 2022, https://twitter.com/officialtheo23/status/1525132444340346880). The reason that sex belongs in marriage, temporized by the joy of friendship, is because of how all-consuming God’s love is for His people. It is such a great mystery, so strong a force, that we cannot comprehend it. St. Paul’s admonition that the wife has authority over the husband’s body, as well as he over hers (1 Cor. 7:4), that he is to love her as himself, however haltingly obeyed, ultimately produces marriage in which men are expected to be both friends and lovers with their wives. Marriage, that most ancient rite, serves three purposes: a remedy against sexual sin, the procreation of children, and the mutual companionship and love that makes the long road to eternal life more comfortable, if not absolutely satisfying in its own right. Yet even these three purposes do not explain its greatest good — the icon of union with Christ. The layers of biblical and sacramental images culminating in the holy city coming down out of heaven adorned as a bride (Rev. 21:2) defy common sense safety-ism. We are caught up, corporately, into a communion with a Savior who searched out a bride with an unquenchable and unconquerable love. “You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken,” cries Isaiah, anticipating the time when Christ will be all in all. “Your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married” (Isa. 62:3–4).

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Anne Kennedy about her article, “A More Unconditional Love: Modern Iterations of Platonic Marriage” in the forthcoming 45:2-3 (Fall 2022) edition of the Christian Research Journal.

To subscribe and make sure you get this issue when released, please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/crj-subscription/

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here https://www.equip.org/product/pmr-jnl-tip/

See also the related article "Marriage Is about the Gospel: Clarifying the Boundaries of Christian Orthodoxy" in this same issue and the podcast here. https://www.equip.org/postmodern-realities/episode-306-marriage-is-about-the-gospel-clarifying-the-boundaries-of-christian-orthodoxy/