Think Christian: A Faith and Pop Culture Podcast
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.
Episodes
May 9, 2024 • 26 mins
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-j...
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April 30, 2024 • 25 mins
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....
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March 26, 2024 • 52 mins
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://...
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March 13, 2024 • 35 mins
What can Christians take from a series that is rooted in Eastern spirituality? Josh, Claude, and Roslyn find a lot in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, from the way wisdom is shared across generations to the contrasting of fear with love to an appreciation for the “thin places” where the spiritual realm breaks into ours.
SHOW NOTES
Sarah Welch-Larson on “Avatar: The Last Airbender and Spiritual Gifts...
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February 28, 2024 • 48 mins
Josh, Kathryn, and Sarah each bring a Best Picture nominee to the table, resulting in conversations about biblical justice in the context of Oppenheimer and personal conviction as it relates to The Zone of Interest. They also spend way more time than they anticipated singing the praises of Lorraine, a supporting character in American Fiction who quietly mirrors the gracious love of God.
SHOW NOTES
Roslyn Hernández on ‘Barbie and ...
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February 14, 2024 • 44 mins
Can JR. and Abby bring Josh around on Fargo Season 5? They discuss the Coen brothers-inspired series — including the theology-soaked season finale.
SHOW NOTES
Josh Pease on Fargo Season 2 - https://thinkchristian.net/fargos-faith-in-little-green-men
David Kern on Fargo Season 3 - https://thinkchristian.net/fargo-seeking-harmony-in-the-face-of-discord
Josh’s video essay on 1996’s Fargo - https://youtu.be/qaRRXpfTyfU?si=U3knjwTTN...
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January 24, 2024 • 44 mins
How do we sense God’s presence? Through voice, touch, mystery? Josh, Claude, and Roslyn each bring a favorite 2023 film for discussion, only to realize their picks all circle around this question in some way. They cover Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, The Boy and the Heron, and All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt - while listener choices bring a handful of other titles to the table.
SHOW NOTES
A complete list of our favorite 2023 ...
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January 10, 2024 • 45 mins
As described by Sarah on this episode, our picks for the best TV shows of 2023 all happened to feature “reluctant justice-doers.” Listen to her, Josh, JR., and Joe discuss Jury Duty, Poker Face, Trigun Stampede, and more. Plus, listener picks too!
SHOW NOTES
Kate Meyrick on ‘The Crown’s Half-Hearted Confessions’ - https://thinkchristian.net/the-crowns-half-hearted-confessions
Julia York on ‘Poker Face and the Power of the Unrema...
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January 4, 2024 • 33 mins
According to Josh, Kathryn, Abby, and Aarik, the best music of the year echoed our anxieties, while also offering eschatologically tinged consolation. They discuss The National, Sufjan Stevens, Cleo Sol, and more.
SHOW NOTES:
Master list of our favorite 2023 music - https://thinkchristian.net/best-music-of-2023
Joel Mayward on “Sufjan Stevens’ Piercing Javelin” - https://thinkchristian.net/sufjan-stevens-piercing-javelin
Aarik’...
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December 7, 2023 • 37 mins
Think of it as an Advent wreath, but with movies on it instead of candles. Josh, Roslyn, and Abby discuss a handful of films that will help you mark the Christmas season, including the recent release The Holdovers, the 2019 documentary For Sama, and the Satoshi Kon anime Tokyo Godfathers.
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November 21, 2023 • 30 mins
Josh is clinging onto his MCU fandom with The Marvels, thanks to the chemistry of its three leads and the way it evokes the biblical notion of spiritual gifts. Are Kathryn and Joe on board as well, or have they bailed on the franchise?
SHOW NOTES
TC landing page: ‘God in the MCU’ - https://thinkchristian.net/god-in-the-mcu
Joe on ‘Loki Season 2 and the God of Sacrifice’ - https://thinkchristian.net/loki-and-the-god-of-sacrifice
...
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November 8, 2023 • 31 mins
Wilco’s latest album makes ample space for sadness, while also encouraging a beautiful belief in something more. Josh, Aarik, and Sarah discuss the eschatological echoes of the band’s music, delving deeply into tracks like “Pittsburgh,” “Sunlight Ends,” and “Infinite Surprise.”
SHOW NOTES
Aarik’s TC post on Wilco’s Ode to Joy - https://thinkchristian.net/considering-wilcos-joy
John J. Thompson’s TC post on Wilco’s “All Lives You...
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October 26, 2023 • 55 mins
Listen in as TC’s Josh Larsen and Fuller Theological Seminary’s Kutter Callaway lead a TC Movie Club conversation considering “Horror — What Is it Good for?” They and club members talk biblical fear, horror subgenres, and the particular brand of scares offered by Jordan Peele. (To join the club, sign up at https://www.thinkchristian.net/movieclub)
SHOW NOTES
Kutter’s limited series podcast, Be Afraid - https://www.christianityto...
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October 11, 2023 • 45 mins
As touching and hilarious as it often was, the Hulu series Reservation Dogs was also clear-eyed about the awful, historical realities indigenous people faced (and still contend with) in North America - including a complicated relationship with Christianity. Josh, JR., and Roslyn consider this in light of the series’ finale, while also sharing which of the four teens at the show’s center they’ll continue to think about in the years ...
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September 28, 2023 • 31 mins
Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the popular anime series offers a mismatched batch of outcasts who are united by a warm, encouraging leader and directed toward a singular purpose. Sound familiar? Aside from those New Testament echoes, the show also delivers pirates, sea creatures, and snail phones. Josh Larsen and Abby Olcese are joined by One Piece expert Claude Atcho to discuss.
SHOW NOTES
Sara Kyoungah White on ‘One Piece...
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September 14, 2023 • 24 mins
Karen Swallow Prior - TC’s Greta Gerwig correspondent - joins Josh to discuss the hilarity, profundity, and theological resonance of Gerwig’s summer blockbuster, Barbie, which is now available via video on demand.
SHOW NOTES
Karen’s book, The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis - http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/the-evangelical-imagination/412270
Roslyn Hernández on ‘B...
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August 31, 2023 • 33 mins
Does King Triton have a point? Or is Ariel’s rebellion a leading of the Spirit? Josh, Kathryn, and Sarah discuss Disney live-action remakes and how 2023’s The Little Mermaid compares and contrasts with a Christian understanding of obedience.
SHOW NOTES
Sign up to join the TC Movie Club - https://thinkchristian.net/movieclub
Josh’s book, Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror Movies - https://bit.ly/3YZGPJF
Sarah’s podcast...
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August 15, 2023 • 39 mins
The streaming series about a high-end chef struggling to revive his family’s Chicago beef joint turns out to be the perfect opportunity for Josh, JR., and Joe to discuss the difference between perfection and excellence, ways of welcoming all to the table, and the persistent gift of grace. Plus, JR. shares a pastor’s perspective on how The Beef’s journey toward becoming The Bear mirrors the challenge and promise of the contemporary ...
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July 27, 2023 • 60 mins
Listen in as TC’s Josh Larsen and Julia York lead a conversation with Movie Club members about Asteroid City and Anderson’s other films, placing them within the Christian context of creation-fall-redemption-restoration.
SHOW NOTES
Join the TC Movie Club - https://www.thinkchristian.net/movieclub
Asteroid City's Preaching Tip - https://thinkchristian.net/asteroid-citys-preaching-tip
Rushmore: Heaven and Hell and Heaven Again - h...
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July 13, 2023 • 36 mins
“I’ve come to believe it’s not so much about what you believe, it’s how hard you believe it.” In his farewell outing, Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones offers this testimony after a lifetime of adventures and supernatural experiences. Is his statement a profound revelation, a cop-out, or just bad theology? Josh, Aarik, and Abby discuss this and more, as they consider Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
SHOW NOTES
Josh’s Dial of De...
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