Postmodern Realities Podcast

In 1999, the world was in a different place. Y2K loomed, personal computerized technology was still coming into its own, and September 11 was just another day. And into this world the Wachowskis came running and gunning with their runaway Academy Award-winning hit, The Matrix, changing the landscape of what brainy, science-fiction, action-adventure movies could be, seemingly overnight. Now, more than two decades later, that original film still holds up as one of cinema’s most innovative and breathtakingly imaginative achievements. Now Neo and Trinity and the Matrix are back in this new film The Matrix Resurrections. One of the highlights of Resurrections is its overt self-awareness. In the age of Marvel and the quippy, breezy, ironic, self-referential blockbuster Resurrections takes the self-awareness to a whole new level, and then kicks it up a few more notches to make a point. In other words, all the pop philosophy that rattled the cage in the original has been exchanged for irony and self-aware storytelling — which itself is ironic considering the age of the blockbuster in which we currently live. Whether or not Resurrections scratches your mind-bending sci-fi itch, there is a certain brazen boldness to making a modern sequel in a way that calls attention to (and critiques) how modern sequels are made using the same techniques modern filmmakers use in the making of said sequels. But it would be a grave mistake to characterize Resurrections singularly as a “meta” movie. The film does interact with the current cultural climate in the way the original film interacted with the culture surrounding emerging technologies. Beyond the critique of modern blockbusters, Resurrections takes the messianic overtones the previous trilogy employed and brings Neo’s character arc more closely in line with the Christ narrative of Scripture. Make no mistake, Resurrections is a sequel, not a reboot — the story continues with Neo’s resurrection. This is in an in-depth conversation with JOURNAL author Cole Burgett about the new film The Matrix Resurrections.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Cole Burgett about his online-exclusive article, “The Matrix Resurrections: Self-Awareness and Romance in the Digital Age.” **Editor’s Note: This article and podcast contains spoilers for The Matrix Resurrections. https://www.equip.org/article/the-matrix-resurrections-self-awareness-and-romance-in-the-digital-age/

Starting in February 2021, all online-exclusive articles, have had a early access window for Journal subscribers only before being made public. 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 and subscribing by clicking here. https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/ and 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/

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts:

Our previous article on the original Matrix Trilogy.

The Matrix: Unloaded Revelations

Other articles and podcasts with Cole Burgett:

Episode 263: Free Will, the Power of Choice, and Skin in Eternals

Episode 261 Dune and the Future of the Science Fiction Epic

Dune and the Future of the Science Fiction Epic

Episode 259: All the Time in the World: No Time to Die and the End of an Era

All the Time in the World: No Time to Die and the End of an Era

Episode 251 Growing Up and Letting Go in CODA

Growing Up and Letting Go in CODA

Episode 242: Friendship and Fatherhood in Pixar’s Luca

Friendship and Fatherhood in Pixar’s Luca

Episode 239: No Us Without Him: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Zack Snyder’s Justice League

No Us Without Him: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Episode 234: Star Wars Happy and Glorious in The High Republic

Happy and Glorious in The High Republic: A Review of The High Republic Era beginning with Star Wars: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule

Episode 227 Catharsis and the Power of Release in WandaVison

Catharsis and the Power of Release in Wandavison

Episode 222 Deconstructionism and the Gospel of Hope in Logan

Deconstructionism and the Gospel of Hope in Logan

Episode 218: Wonder Woman 1984: The Truth Is Enough.

Wonder Woman 1984: The Truth Is Enough.

Episode 214 Star Trek’s Christopher Pike: An Old Fashioned Hero For Our Cynical Times

Star Trek’s Christopher Pike: An Old- Fashioned Hero for Our Cynical Time

Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

Should Christians make New Year’s resolutions? And if so, what kind? Are there any guiding biblical principles that might inform and shape such a task?

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Anne Kennedy about her article in the 44:4 issue of the Journal, entitled, “I’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s Resolution.” For a special limited preview of this print article please click here! https://www.equip.org/article/ill-start-my-diet-tomorrow-a-christian-makes-a-new-years-resolution-special-limited-preview/ Check back here and at our article archive page. To read the article in it’s entirety please subscribe to the print subscription 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/

Other articles and podcasts featuring this author

Hank Unplugged:

Gaslighting, BLM, Cancel Culture and More with Anne Kennedy

Postmodern Realities and Articles:

Episode 264: The Windswept Plains of the Heart: A Review of Wholehearted Faith and What is God Like

The Windswept Plains of the Heart: A Review of Wholehearted Faith and What is God Like

Episode 258: African Traditional Religion

African Traditional Religion, Black Lives Matter, and Prosperity Gospel

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 252 Meditation Upon the Death of a Pet

Meditation Upon the Death of a Pet

Episode 245: Glimpsing the Grave: A Critical Review of The Book of Longings

Glimpsing the Grave: A Critical Review of The Book of Longings: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd

Episode 240: Be Free! The Making of Biblical Womanhood A Summary Critique review of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr

Be Free! The Making of Biblical Womanhood A summary critique review of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr

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

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

Episode 216 Why Do I Call Myself Good? A Look at Virtue Signaling

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 209 She Who Has Eyes, Let Her See: A look at Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis

She Who Has Eyes, Let Her See: A look at Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis

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?

Episode 193 Catching UP with Rachel Hollis, Glennon Doyle & Jen Hatmaker

Episode 191 Gods, Gold, and Cheetahs: The Theological Vision of Untamed

Gods, Gold, and Cheetahs: The Theological Vision of Untamed

Episode 181 But What If It Is Me? The Work and Worldview of Brené Brown

But What If It Is Me? The Work and Worldview of Brené Brown

Episode 178 Worshipping Together

Episode 160-Naming Names: Why It’s OK (and Necessary) to Call Out False Teachers and Fugitives from Church Justice by Name

Naming Names: Why It’s OK (and Necessary) to Call Out False Teachers and Fugitives from Church Justice by Name

Episode 151 Am I a Bad Christian for Watching Hallmark Christmas Movies?

Am I a Bad Christian for Watching Hallmark Christmas Movies?

Episode 147 Book Review of Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage and An Evaluation of 2019 Evolving Faith Conference

A Helper Like Me: A Review of Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage by David and Constantino Khalaf

Losing Faith: A Look at the 2019 Evolving Faith Conference

Episode 140 The Theological “Mess” in the “Moxie” of Jen Hatmaker

The Unhindered Leadership of Jen Hatmaker

The Theological “Mess” in the “Moxie” of Jen Hatmaker

Episode 136 Have You Considered Trying Harder: The Theology of Rachel Hollis

Have You Considered Trying Harder: The Theology of Rachel Hollis

Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

For more than four decades, organizations like Exodus International, Courage, and Homosexuals Anonymous have provided counsel and support to people who realized they were attracted to the same sex, considered homosexuality a sin, and wanted help dealing with their desires. These groups and the people they served made up what’s often called the “Ex-Gay Movement,” a phenomenon which has always gotten its share of supporters and critics.

Its critics have tended to be pro-gay, some producing books and documentaries hoping to persuade others that their accusations against the ex-gay movement validated their gay-affirming position.

But Greg Johnson’s book Still Time To Care (Zondervan) is a unique addition to these criticisms, because unlike others, he writes from the position of a traditionalist who views homosexual behavior as sin. His objections to the movement he decries are not, therefore, over its theological stance, but the way it practiced and promoted that stance.


This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Joe Dallas about his online-exclusive article, “Is it Time To Change Ministry to LGBTQ People? Book Review Still Time to Care by Greg Johnson (Zondervan, 2021)”. https://www.equip.org/article/is-it-time-to-change-ministry-to-lgbtq-people-book-review-still-time-to-care-by-greg-johnson-zondervan-2021/

Starting in February 2021, all online-exclusive articles, have had a early access window for Journal subscribers only before being made public. 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 and subscribing by clicking here.

We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, 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/

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author
Episode 101 Homosexuality and Modern Ministry: Part One

Part one of this two-part series: Homosexuality and Modern Ministry: Examining Old Approaches and Assessing New Ones Part One: A History of Missions and Missteps

Episode 103 Homosexuality and Modern Ministry: Part Two

Part Two: Identity, Terminology, and the Revoice Conference

Whoever Said You Can “Pray the Gay Away”? A Film Review of Netflix’s Pray Away

Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

Nearly thirty years after his death, Isaac Asimov’s acclaimed Foundation series—long deemed unfilmable—has been adapted for the screen. Co-created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman for Apple TV+, season one of Foundation recently concluded with its tenth episode, and seven more seasons have been proposed (season two is already confirmed). The production itself is an impressive feat; Asimov’s mythology is remarkably expansive, encompassing an entire galaxy over the course of a millennium and including a host of characters and locations. Another challenge for the writers is that while Asimov was a brilliant science fiction world-builder, his plotlines—though at times riveting—do not achieve the humane depth required for inspiring significant admiration, empathy, or repulsion towards any of the characters. Ultimately, what Goyer, Friedman, and their team have produced is not a faithful adaptation of the source material; the broad strokes of the story remain, but it has essentially been reinvented with engaging human complexities, intriguing subplots and backstories, and diversification of the characters. Throughout the premiere season of this thorough revamping (dare I say, enhancement?) of the Foundation saga, several interesting philosophical themes are explored. These include intergenerational justice (specifically, our moral obligation to people of the very distant future), the existence and nature of the soul, and our longing for a grand narrative that gives life significance and makes sense of the human condition. Like all good science fiction, Foundation goes far deeper than exciting, futuristic story settings and flashy starship battles; it offers thoughtful viewers plenty of big ideas to ponder. The few discussed here—intergenerational justice, the nature of the soul, the human need for a grand narrative of existence, and the power of myth—fit beautifully within the worldview of Christian theism, but they’re deeply problematic for a materialist paradigm.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Melissa Cain Travis about her spoiler filled online-exclusive article, “Religious Robots and Other Curiosities: Exploring Philosophical Themes in Apple TV’s Foundation Series.”https://www.equip.org/article/religious-robots-and-other-curiosities-exploring-philosophical-themes-in-apple-tvs-foundation-series/

Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, 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/

We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, 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/

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author

Episode 238: Scientific Materialist Manifesto: The Pursuit of Meaning in a Godless Universe

Scientific Materialist Manifesto: The Pursuit of Meaning in a Godless Universe

Episode 138-Using NBC’s The Good Place in Conversational Apologetics

Using NBC’s The Good Place in Conversational Apologetics

Episode 132: The Artistic Pro-Life Theme in Netflix’s I Am Mother

The Artistic Pro-Life Theme in Netflix’s I Am Mother

Episode 095 Virtue, Human Nature, and the Quest for Happiness

Virtue, Human Nature and the Quest for Happiness

Episode 062: How the Structure and Comprehensibility of the Universe Reveal a Mindful Maker

A Grand Cosmic Resonance: How the Structure and Comprehensibility of the Universe Reveal a Mindful Maker

Episode 002: Motherhood and the Life of the Mind

Motherhood and the Life of the Mind

Squid Game (Netflix, 2021–) is a Netflix mega hit, as Kevin Schut writes “within the first month of its release, Netflix subscribers had logged more than one billion hours watching Squid Game and it quickly became the number one series Netflix had ever released.” It’s “another entry in the gory, dystopian genre of forced human death games, like Guns Akimbo (2019), The Hunger Games (2012), The Running Man (1987), The Most Dangerous Game (2020–), all the way back to the ancient Roman arenas, at least.” It’s content is “full of graphically depicted violence and is occasionally sexually explicit.” Should Christians engage and watch this type of content as a way to engage the good and bad of popular culture with friends and family for the sake of Christian witness and the gospel?

Find out in this spoiler-filled Postmodern Realities episode where Journal author Kevin Schut discusses his online-exclusive article, “Searching for God’s Grace in Squid Game’s Bloody Violence”. https://www.equip.org/article/searching-for-gods-grace-in-squid-games-bloody-violence/

Starting in February 2021, all online-exclusive articles, have had a early access window for Journal subscribers only before being made public. 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 and subscribing by clicking here. https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/

We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, 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/

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author

Episode 128 Summer Vacation, Kids, and Video Games: Better Alternatives to Fortnite

Summer Vacation, Kids, and Video Games: Better Alternatives to Fortnite

Episode 077: Video Gaming, Kids & Addiction

Episode 022: Can God Fit in This Machine? Video Games and Christians

Can God Fit in This Machine? Video Games and Christians

Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

“In any case,” writes Rachel Held Evans in the middle of her posthumously published work, Wholehearted Faith, “I wonder sometimes whether we’re playing at death and calling it life.” In characteristic and prescient candor, at the time of her death, Held Evans was in the act of asking the peculiar and essential questions that strike to the heart of what it means to be a creature created by God. She was circling around the most elemental issues of Christianity, of death and life, of love and truth. In her last words, we find a legacy of doubt, the grief of a person who was putting her finger on the central point without yet acknowledging the Verity Himself—Jesus—standing before her. Along with the beautifully illustrated children’s book, What Is God Like, Wholehearted Faith gives us a picture of what sort of god Held Evans was sketching out—not the God of the Bible, not of Jesus who makes that God known to us in the fullness of his astonishing and glorious mercy, but the god of ourselves.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Anne Kennedy about her online-exclusive article, “The Windswept Plains of the Heart: A Review of Wholehearted Faith and What is God Like.”https://www.equip.org/article/the-windswept-plains-of-the-heart-a-review-of-wholehearted-faith-and-what-is-god-like/

Starting in February 2021, all online-exclusive articles, have had a early access window for Journal subscribers only before being made public. 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 and subscribing by clicking here. https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/

We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, 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/

Other articles and podcasts featuring this author:

Hank Unplugged:

Gaslighting, BLM, Cancel Culture and More with Anne Kennedy

Postmodern Realities and Articles:

Episode 258: African Traditional Religion

African Traditional Religion, Black Lives Matter, and Prosperity Gospel

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 252 Meditation Upon the Death of a Pet

Meditation Upon the Death of a Pet

Episode 245: Glimpsing the Grave: A Critical Review of The Book of Longings

Glimpsing the Grave: A Critical Review of The Book of Longings: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd

Episode 240: Be Free! The Making of Biblical Womanhood A Summary Critique review of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr

Be Free! The Making of Biblical Womanhood A summary critique review of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr

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

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

Episode 216 Why Do I Call Myself Good? A Look at Virtue Signaling

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 209 She Who Has Eyes, Let Her See: A look at Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis

She Who Has Eyes, Let Her See: A look at Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis

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?

Episode 193 Catching UP with Rachel Hollis, Glennon Doyle & Jen Hatmaker

Episode 191 Gods, Gold, and Cheetahs: The Theological Vision of Untamed

Gods, Gold, and Cheetahs: The Theological Vision of Untamed

Episode 181 But What If It Is Me? The Work and Worldview of Brené Brown

But What If It Is Me? The Work and Worldview of Brené Brown

Episode 178 Worshipping Together

Episode 160-Naming Names: Why It’s OK (and Necessary) to Call Out False Teachers and Fugitives from Church Justice by Name

Naming Names: Why It’s OK (and Necessary) to Call Out False Teachers and Fugitives from Church Justice by Name

Episode 151 Am I a Bad Christian for Watching Hallmark Christmas Movies?

Am I a Bad Christian for Watching Hallmark Christmas Movies?

Episode 147 Book Review of Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage and An Evaluation of 2019 Evolving Faith Conference

A Helper Like Me: A Review of Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage by David and Constantino Khalaf

Losing Faith: A Look at the 2019 Evolving Faith Conference

Episode 140 The Theological “Mess” in the “Moxie” of Jen Hatmaker

The Unhindered Leadership of Jen Hatmaker

The Theological “Mess” in the “Moxie” of Jen Hatmaker

Episode 136 Have You Considered Trying Harder: The Theology of Rachel Hollis

Have You Considered Trying Harder: The Theology of Rachel Hollis

Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

The back half of 2021 ushered in a new wave of subversive blockbusters in the aftermath of COVID-19. No Time to Die made a series of unprecedented choices with the character of James Bond, while Dune began a quiet, methodical deconstruction of the science fiction epic. Now, along comes Eternals to stand apart from the Marvel Studios catalog as the most interesting and solemn film of Marvel’s cinematic universe. Watching this film—and, apparently, the critics agree—feels a lot like watching Man of Steel (2013), Zack Snyder’s infamous subversion of the Superman mythos. If that nebulous Rotten Tomatoes score is to be trusted, it seems critics are split right down the middle regarding whether Eternals is worth your time.

One thing is abundantly clear when it comes to Eternals: everything you think you know about how Marvel movies operate, just like everything you think you know about Superman before watching Man of Steel, should be checked at the door, and failure to do so will likely result in disappointment. And if you think it unwise to draw parallels between these two films from these wildly different and rival comic book companies, consider the fact that Chloé Zhao, director of Eternals, cited Snyder’s film as a direct inspiration for her approach to the character of Ikaris (Richard Madden), by far the most nuanced and intriguing tragic superhero Marvel has ever put to screen. How interesting that Snyder’s powerful and seditious take on the most iconic superhero of them all proves, in hindsight, to be weirdly prescient in anticipating the future of the genre.

Episode 263 of the Postmodern Realities podcast is a spoiler-filled conversation with Journal author Cole Burgett.

Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, 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/

We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, 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/

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author

Episode 261 Dune and the Future of the Science Fiction Epic

Dune and the Future of the Science Fiction Epic

Episode 259: All the Time in the World: No Time to Die and the End of an Era

All the Time in the World: No Time to Die and the End of an Era

Episode 251 Growing Up and Letting Go in CODA

Growing Up and Letting Go in CODA

Episode 242: Friendship and Fatherhood in Pixar’s Luca

Friendship and Fatherhood in Pixar’s Luca

Episode 239: No Us Without Him: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Zack Snyder’s Justice League

No Us Without Him: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Episode 234: Star Wars Happy and Glorious in The High Republic

Happy and Glorious in The High Republic: A Review of The High Republic Era beginning with Star Wars: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule

Episode 227 Catharsis and the Power of Release in WandaVison

Catharsis and the Power of Release in Wandavison

Episode 222 Deconstructionism and the Gospel of Hope in Logan

Deconstructionism and the Gospel of Hope in Logan

Episode 218: Wonder Woman 1984: The Truth Is Enough.

Wonder Woman 1984: The Truth Is Enough.

Episode 214 Star Trek’s Christopher Pike: An Old Fashioned Hero For Our Cynical Times

Star Trek’s Christopher Pike: An Old- Fashioned Hero for Our Cynical Time

Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

God calls individuals into His family in Christ and privileges them to share the good news. When seeking to help people whose lives have been emotionally fractured, followers of Christ must tenderly handle the reality that families existing in a fallen world can break. God’s family is composed of imperfect people, but there will be a day when His people together emerge “holy and blameless” (Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:22; 1 John 3:2).1 These truths not only strengthen a believer’s compassion but can serve as an evangelistic structure for presenting the gospel.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Chara Donahue about her article in the current (October 2021) issue of the Journal, entitled, “Sharing the Gospel with People from Broken Homes.”https://www.equip.org/article/sharing-the-gospel-with-people-from-broken-homes/

Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, 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/

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Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

For science fiction readers, the very mention of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel Dune evokes a flurry of emotions. Some love it, some hate it. Some consider it the best science fiction novel ever written, others consider it the genre’s antithesis. Regardless, no history of science fiction worth its salt can go without at least mentioning the book, and the indelible influence it’s had on numerous genre classics that followed it, from Star Wars (1977) to Pitch Black (2000).

Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film adaptation of Herbert’s novel plants its flag firmly in the ground of the epic science fiction genre. This is not the operatic adventure of Star Wars, though Luke Skywalker and Paul Atreides slot neatly into the same mythological archetype. Villeneuve’s Dune is much closer to Ronald D. Moore’s brilliant reimagining of the television series Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) in terms of tone and accessibility. The result is an adaptation that sacrifices Herbert’s nuance and intricacies to remain faithful to the original novel in terms of size and scope and—most importantly—to the character arc of main character Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a messiah like figure who is the heir of the House Atreides, an aristocratic family that rules the ocean planet Caladan. The House of Atreides is sent by the Emperor to replace the House of Harkonnen and rule the desert planet Arrakis (Dune) where its people are subjugated and its valuable resource of the life-extending spice is mined.

The ideas Herbert plays with throughout the Dune series are obviously provocative. Villeneuve was keenly aware of the kind of controversy Dune would spark. In the months before the film was released, he made his intentions clear when pressed about the story’s “white savior” overtones. Herbert was not interested in merely critiquing the “white” savior motif. He was interested in critiquing the notion of a savior, period. There are books upon books to be written from a Christian perspective interacting with the ideas central to Dune. How should a Christian respond to Frank Herbert’s criticisms of savior narratives? We should approach Dune unsentimentally and with clear-eyed sanguinity. Christianity is most definitely a messianic religion, but in the two thousand years since Christ, his followers have made more than their fair share of mistakes—Herbert was right in this regard. When the savior’s work is taken up by mortals, things go awry. Dune looks less like a critique of the New Testament’s Jesus and more like an Old Testament messianic expectation. We witness Paul Atreides’s rise and fall much in the same way we read about Samson’s, or David’s. Herbert would likely contend that we should get comfortable here, enlighten ourselves, and accept that savior narratives point to the flaws of saviors themselves.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a spoiler-filled conversation with Journal author Cole Burgett about his online-exclusive, Dune and the Future of the Science Fiction Epic.https://www.equip.org/article/dune-and-the-future-of-the-science-fiction-epic/

Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, 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/

We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, 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.

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Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author

Episode 259: All the Time in the World: No Time to Die and the End of an Era

All the Time in the World: No Time to Die and the End of an Era

Episode 251 Growing Up and Letting Go in CODA

Growing Up and Letting Go in CODA

Episode 242: Friendship and Fatherhood in Pixar’s Luca

Friendship and Fatherhood in Pixar’s Luca

Episode 239: No Us Without Him: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Zack Snyder’s Justice League

No Us Without Him: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Episode 234: Star Wars Happy and Glorious in The High Republic

Happy and Glorious in The High Republic: A Review of The High Republic Era beginning with Star Wars: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule

Episode 227 Catharsis and the Power of Release in WandaVison

Catharsis and the Power of Release in Wandavison

Episode 222 Deconstructionism and the Gospel of Hope in Logan

Deconstructionism and the Gospel of Hope in Logan

Episode 218: Wonder Woman 1984: The Truth Is Enough.

Wonder Woman 1984: The Truth Is Enough.

Episode 214 Star Trek’s Christopher Pike: An Old Fashioned Hero For Our Cynical Times

Star Trek’s Christopher Pike: An Old- Fashioned Hero for Our Cynical Time


Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content

The classical Christian consensus that only men should be set apart in Holy Orders to preach and celebrate the sacraments has been the target of withering critique at least since the sexual revolution that began in the 1960s. Many Christian communions have succumbed to the pressure to ordain women and to give them authority over congregations, dioceses, and denominations, accepting new and revised interpretations of biblical passages that for centuries undergirded the traditional practice. Alongside this development and wholly entwined with it stands the broad rejection of gender differentiated marriage roles. The once ubiquitous notion within the church that a husband should lead his wife and family and that a wife should help him in this task and even submit to his leadership is met with increasing disdain. Among the many casualties resulting from this departure has been the elimination or, at the very least, the de-centering of one of the grand “types” or portraits revealed in the Bible that once imbued both marriage and the pastoral vocation with transcendent importance and beauty. When God made the first man from the dust of the earth, forming from his body the first woman and then joining the two together as one, He was doing more than creating a companionable pair for the propagation of the species. He was painting the portrait of Christ and His church, His own Son and the people who would become both His body and His bride. That theme, running from Genesis to Revelation, was to be embodied in every marriage and reflected in the ministry of every pastor.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Matthew Kennedy on his article in the 44:3 issue of the Journal entitled, “Christ and His Bride: Why Your Pastor’s Gender Matters.” https://www.equip.org/article/christ-and-his-bride-why-your-pastors-gender-matters/

Please note this article will be fully accessible by the public in the future, to get early access to read it now, 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/

We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, 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/

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author

Episode 235: Does the Bible Dictate Clothing Style by Gender? Cross Dressing and the Gender Binary

Does the Bible Dictate Clothing Style by Gender? Cross Dressing and the Gender Binary

Episode 212 Why Do The Parents of Gay Children Change Their Theological Minds?

“Why Do The Parents of Gay Children Change Their Theological Minds?”

Episode 156 The Prayers Rose Like Incense: Anglican Worship and the Normative Principle

The Prayers Rose Like Incense: Anglican Worship and the Normative Principle

Don’t miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.