Think Christian: A Faith and Pop Culture Podcast

Get thee behind me, Satan? That’s been difficult as of late — at least at the movies. From the recent Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A to other 2024 titles like Late Night with the Devil, Longlegs, and The Deliverance, satanic cinema has been growing in popularity. What might explain the trend? Josh, Joe, and Roslyn share their theories, as well as thoughts on Apartment 7A, starring Julia Garner.

SHOW NOTES

Josh’s book, Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror Movies - https://wipfandstock.com/9781666738520/fear-not/

Joe on Twitter/X - https://x.com/joewriteswords

Roslyn’s podcast, Bible Tea - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9sapTJagvFP9c2cG85_L3g

Joshua Stevens on ‘Immaculate and Conceiving Our Own Jesus’ - https://thinkchristian.net/immaculate-and-conceiving-our-own-jesus

Angelica Jade Bastién’s Substack - https://angelicabastien.substack.com/

The familiar threats of the Alien franchise — namely xenomorphs and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation — take on new forms in Alien: Romulus. Josh, JR., and Sarah discuss how this installment fits with the other films, as well as what it might have to say about sin — both original and chosen. Oh, and JR. defends THAT choice involving a “new” synthetic.

SHOW NOTES

TC on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/thinkchristian_/

Josh on ‘Playing God in Alien: Covenant’ - https://thinkchristian.net/playing-god-in-alien-covenant

Sarah’s book, Becoming Alien - https://wipfandstock.com/9781725283008/becoming-alien/

Josh and Sarah discussing Becoming Alien on the TC podcast - https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/biblical-beasts-godzilla-vs-kong-becoming-alien

JR.’s book, Empathy for the Devil - https://www.amazon.com/Empathy-Devil-Finding-Ourselves-Villains/dp/0830845143

Josh’s book, Fear Not! - https://wipfandstock.com/9781666738520/fear-not/

Cat Bohannon’s book, Eve - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/227568/eve-by-cat-bohannon/

Sarah’s newsletter - https://seeingandbelieving.substack.com/

JR.’s newsletter - https://jrforasteros.substack.com/

“Winning isn’t for everyone.” So declares a prominent Nike ad that ran during the 2024 Olympics, suggesting deception and selfishness are qualities required to capture the gold. If that’s true, how should Christians think about athletic competition? With the Olympics as the backdrop, Josh, Aarik, and Kathryn discuss what it means to win as a follower of Christ. They also share some of their own triumphant/humbling sports memories.

SHOW NOTES

TC podcast on “Winning” — https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/winning-netflixs-the-losers-nba-playoffs

Jeff Munroe on “Learning from the Olympics” — https://thinkchristian.net/learning-from-the-olympics

Joshua Coldagelli on “The Imperfect Grace of Olympic Gymnasts” — https://thinkchristian.net/the-imperfect-grace-of-olympic-gymnasts

Aarik on Twitter/X — https://x.com/aarikdanielsen

Kathryn on Twitter/X — https://x.com/KathrynAnnette

Kathryn’s Substack — https://www.kathrynafreeman.com/newsletter

In the Star Wars streaming series The Acolyte, the Force is wielded by self-righteous Jedi, a coven of space witches, and a dark, mysterious stranger. Do any of them do so with honor? And what of the twin sisters, played by Amandla Stenberg, caught in the middle? Josh, Joe, and Abby consider what the series has to say about sin and confession, abusive church practices, and a Christian understanding of obedience.

SHOW NOTES

A Theology of Star Wars ebook - https://thinkchristian.net/starwars

Abby’s forthcoming book, Films for All Seasons - https://www.ivpress.com/films-for-all-seasons

Joe on Twitter/X - https://x.com/joewriteswords

With a handful of fresh tracks on the eve of a promised mixtape, what is the State of Chance? Josh and Claude consider the trajectory of the artist’s career thus far, as well as the “language of redemption” that can be heard in his new music.

SHOW NOTES

Xavier Ramey on ‘Coloring Book: A Chance Encounter with Joy’ - https://thinkchristian.net/coloring-book-a-chance-encounter-with-joy

Claude on ‘Chance the Rapper’s Wedding Invitation’ - https://thinkchristian.net/chance-the-rappers-wedding-invitation

Josh and Kathryn Freeman discussing The Big Day on the TC podcast - https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/covenant-chance-the-rappers-big-day-beyonc%C3%A9s-lion-king-album

Josh on ‘Chance the Rapper’s Beautiful F Word’ - https://thinkchristian.net/chance-the-rappers-beautiful-f-word

Branson Parler on ‘The Biblical Hope of Chance the Rapper’ - https://thinkchristian.net/the-biblical-hope-of-chance-the-rapper

Claude’s Substack - https://claudeatcho.substack.com/

Listen in as Josh Larsen and Amber Noel lead a TC Movie Club conversation that centers on the audacious ending of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Do the movie’s final moments — which are rife with religious imagery — leave us in a place of revenge? Redemption? Somewhere in between?

SHOW NOTES

Amber on ‘Survival, Seeds, and Salvation in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ - https://thinkchristian.net/new-entry-1

Josh’s video essay on ‘The Christian Witness of Mad Max: Fury Road’ - https://youtu.be/NNfR1LC2fKc?si=SWpezm29E2DcXXlN

Did you catch the references to Noah, Melchizedek, and the Aramaic roots of a character’s name in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? JR. and Roslyn have you covered as they join Josh to talk about the latest Apes installment, set a few generations after the time of Caesar the chimpanzee, who is now regarded as something of a religious figure.

SHOW NOTES

Josh on ‘Planet of the Apes and the Reason Monkey Movies Fascinate’ - https://thinkchristian.net/planet-of-the-apes-and-the-reason-monkey-movies-fascinate

Josh on ‘Imago Dei, Eden, and War for the Planet of the Apes’ - https://thinkchristian.net/imago-dei-eden-and-war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes

Join the TC Movie Club to discuss the Mad Max saga on June 19 - https://www.thinkchristian.net/movieclub

Josh’s video essay on ‘The Christian Witness of Mad Max: Fury Road’ - https://youtu.be/NNfR1LC2fKc?si=Xr9OLzuu4On9hO_j

JR. on ‘Wonder Woman vs. Biblical Womanhood’ - https://sojo.net/articles/wonder-woman-vs-biblical-womanhood

Roslyn on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/roslynmhernandez/

Left without their teacher, can the mutant superheroes of X-Men ’97 find their purpose? Josh, Joe, and Sarah discuss the ways the animated series might — and might not — echo the dynamics of the disciples leading up to Pentecost. But first they have to decide which one of them gets to play Nightcrawler.

SHOW NOTES

TC podcast on Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men comics - https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/do-justice-netflixs-unbelievable-jonathan-hickmans-x-men

Joe on 10 Must-Read Comics for X-Men ’97 Fans - https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g60660297/x-men-97-season-1-comics/

Joe on X-Men adaptations failing to do right by Storm - https://wealthofgeeks.com/x-men-97-marvel-best-mutants/

Joe on why Magneto was right - https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/x-men-97-just-proved-why-magneto-was-right/

Sarah’s Seeing & Believing newsletter - https://seeingandbelieving.substack.com/

Josh, Aarik, and Abby discuss whether any spiritual comfort can be found amidst the sonic agitation of Vampire Weekend’s fifth album, Only God Was Above Us.

SHOW NOTES

TC podcast on Vampire Weekend’s Father of the Bride - https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/resurrection-hope-avengers-endgame-vampire-weekends-father-of-the-bride

Joel Mayward on Father of the Bride - https://thinkchristian.net/father-of-the-bride-of-christ

John J. Thompson on Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City - https://thinkchristian.net/vampire-weekend-can-the-undead-have-spiritual-journeys

Roslyn Hernández on ‘Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER as Liturgy’ - https://thinkchristian.net/cowboy-carter-as-liturgy

Kate Meyrick on ‘Lizzy McAlpine and Questioning our Worth’ - https://thinkchristian.net/lizzy-mcalpine-and-questioning-our-worth

Serena Wang on ‘Good News for Taylor Swift (and Other Tortured Poets)’ - https://thinkchristian.net/good-news-for-taylor-swift-and-other-tortured-poets

Listen in as TC’s Josh Larsen and Fuller Seminary’s Elijah Davidson lead a conversation with Movie Club members about the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki.

SHOW NOTES

Join the TC Movie Club - https://www.thinkchristian.net/movieclub

Elijah’s book, Hayao Miyazaki: Lifted - https://elijahdavidson.com/books/icons-of-cinema/hayao-miyazaki-lifted-ebook/

Josh’s video essay on ‘What Miyazaki and Christianity Have in Common’ - https://thinkchristian.net/what-miyazaki-and-christianity-have-in-common

Josh on ‘Ponyo and the Challenges of Multiculturalism’ - https://thinkchristian.net/ponyo-and-the-challenges-of-multiculturalism

Ben Lashar on ‘My Neighbor Totoro and Becoming Like Little Children’ - https://thinkchristian.net/my-neighbor-totoro-and-becoming-like-little-children

Victoria Grace Howell on ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’s Cultural Mandate’ - https://thinkchristian.net/nausicaas-cultural-mandate