Was Boba Fett listening to Dawn FM in the Sarlacc pit? That’s Abby’s theory. She joins Josh to talk about second chances - and spiritual self-reflection - on The Weeknd’s latest album, while JR. and Josh consider the latest Star Wars series, The Book of Boba Fett.

Think Christian: A Faith and Pop Culture Podcast

Second Chances (The Book of Boba Fett, The Weeknd’s Dawn FM)

The entire podcast team gathers to celebrate our favorite movies, TV, and music of 2021, from Reservation Dogs to Japanese Breakfast to The Power of the Dog, and more.

Best of 2021

It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th St., blah, blah, blah. Never mind the obvious Christmas classics. Josh, Joe, and Michelle share listeners’ picks for movies that are missing all the holiday trimmings, yet still carry Advent themes. Then they talk in depth about two of the best examples: Die Hard and Children of Men.

Unconventional Christmas Movies (Die Hard, Children of Men)

Listen in as TC’s Josh Larsen, Abby Olcese, and Zachary Lee lead an online discussion with Movie Club members about O Brother, Where Art Thou?

TC Movie Club Discussion: O Brother, Where Art Thou?

The trope of the “white savior” is central to Dune, a new adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel. In another page-to-screen project - Passing, based on the Nella Larsen novella - presenting as white is seen as a path to a better life. How should we think about the positioning of “whiteness” in such salvific terms? What does such color-coding say about both the identity of Jesus and the makeup of his church? Josh, Kathryn, and Claude discuss.

White Saviors (Dune, Passing)

Listen in as TC’s Josh Larsen and Zachary Lee lead an online discussion with Movie Club members about Fargo, the 1996 Oscar winner from brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. It’s the first installment in our four-part Movie Club series, “O Brothers, Where Art Thou?” (To join the club, sign up at thinkchristian.net/movieclub.)

TC Movie Club Discussion: Fargo

Our annual Halloween show applies a theological lens to horror both new (James Wan’s Malignant) and old (1931’s Frankenstein). Josh, JR., and Sarah discuss what Christians might appreciate about movies designed to scare us.

A Christian Defense of Horror Part III (Malignant, 1931’s Frankenstein)

Love thy neighbor? The four narcissistic New Yorkers on Seinfeld, coming soon to Netflix, weren’t exactly known for looking out for others. What about Tammy Faye Bakker, whose television ministry with husband Jim Bakker began with good intentions but ended in scandal, as dramatized in the new movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye? Josh, Aarik, and Abby consider the show and film in light of the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Bad Samaritans (Seinfeld, The Eyes of Tammy Faye)

“Wellness” has both spiritual and physical connotations — connotations explored in the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers and the new album from Lorde. What is Christianity’s place in a world of smoothies, meditation, and sun salutations?

Wellness (Nine Perfect Strangers, Lorde’s Solar Power)

For the first edition of the TC Movie Club, we’ll discuss where four Coen brothers films fall within an Old Testament-New Testament framework: Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit. We’re eyeing the evening of Oct. 22 as the date of our first virtual gathering. You can join the club at thinkchristian.net/movieclub.

You’re Invited to the TC Movie Club

Josh, Claude, and Joe consider biblical heroism in the light (or shadow) of two new antihero movies: The Suicide Squad and The Green Knight.

Heroes of Faith (The Suicide Squad, The Green Knight)

In Loki, events are erased from the “sacred timeline.” In the music documentary Summer of Soul, discarded history comes to light. What are Christians called to remember across the ages, and why?

History Lessons (Loki, Summer of Soul)

Nostalgia - fondly remembering the way things were - can trap us in the past, but sometimes it can point toward the future. Josh, Abby, and Aarik discuss the nostalgia at work in In the Heights and Lucy Dacus’ Home Video, considering how both compare to a Christian understanding of reminiscence.

Nostalgia (In the Heights, Lucy Dacus’ Home Video)

What part can solitude and silence play in the devotional life of the Christian? How might signature moments in A Quiet Place Part II and The Underground Railroad exemplify the spiritual value of stillness? Kathryn and Sarah join Josh to discuss.

Solitude and Silence (A Quiet Place Part II, The Underground Railroad)

Michelle joins Josh to discuss the multicultural animated adventure Raya and the Last Dragon in the context of her new book - Becoming All Things: How Small Changes Can Lead to Lasting Connections Across Cultures.

Multicultural Christianity (Raya and the Last Dragon, Becoming All Things)

How might your pop culture fandom resonate with your faith? Josh Larsen, editor of Think Christian, talks with TC writers about the latest in TV, movies, music, and more, exploring the ways popular culture and its cultivators interact with God’s story.