Think Christian: A Faith and Pop Culture Podcast ReFrame Ministries
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- Religion & Spirituality
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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.
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Does Vampire Weekend’s ‘Only God Was Above Us’ Preach Resignation or Rest?
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 -
Creation Care Through the Lens of Hayao Miyazaki (TC Movie Club)
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 -
Avatar: The Last Airbender and Common Spiritual Ground
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” - https://thinkchristian.net/avatar-the-last-airbender-and-spiritual-gifts
TC podcast on Netflix’s One Piece - https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/one-piece-come-follow-me
Sara Kyoungah White on “One Piece and ‘Straw Hat Christians’” - https://thinkchristian.net/one-piece-and-straw-hat-christians
Josh’s video essay on “What Miyazaki and Christianity Have in Common” - https://thinkchristian.net/what-miyazaki-and-christianity-have-in-common
Roslyn’s Chasing Justice podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chasing-justice/id1511600139
Roslyn’s FYI on Youth Ministry podcast - https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/podcast
Claude’s Substack newsletter - https://claudeatcho.substack.com/ -
Oscars 2024
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 Our Reason for Being’ - https://thinkchristian.net/barbie-and-our-reason-for-being
Previous podcast on The Holdovers as an Advent movie - https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/five-films-for-advent
Robert Hubbard on ‘False Apostles and Deceitful Workers in Killers of the Flower Moon’ - https://thinkchristian.net/false-apostles-and-deceitful-workers-in-killers-of-the-flower-moon
D. Marquel on ‘Oppenheimer and Our Appetite for Destruction’ - https://thinkchristian.net/oppenheimer-and-our-appetite-for-destruction
Zachary Lee on ‘Presence and Absence in Past Lives’ - https://thinkchristian.net/presence-and-absence-in-past-lives
Join the TC Movie Club - https://www.thinkchristian.net/movieclub
Sarah’s Seeing & Believing newsletter - https://seeingandbelieving.substack.com/ -
Sin, Debt, and Forgiveness in Fargo Season 5
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=U3knjwTTNIvpxid9
Abby on ‘Five Films for Lent' - https://thinkchristian.net/five-films-to-help-you-observe-lent-at-home
JR.’s Substack newsletter - https://substack.com/@jrforasteros -
Best Movies of 2023
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 movies, according to Think Christian contributors, listeners, and readers - https://thinkchristian.net/best-movies-of-2023
Isabel Bishop on “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Listening for God’s Still Small Voice” - https://thinkchristian.net/are-you-there-god-its-me-margaret-listening-for-gods-still-small-voice
Join the TC Movie Club - https://www.thinkchristian.net/movieclub
Claude’s “Good Things” newsletter - https://claudeatcho.substack.com/
Roslyn’s forthcoming website - https://roslynhernandez.com/
Customer Reviews
Equip and Encourage
I love the variety of the topics and recommendations. The contributors have wonderful insights and I want to be friends with all of them. The episodes equip and encourage me to have deeper conversations with the things most people are talking about anyway.
True Christianity
I discovered the podcast through emails. They cut to the quick. Using contemporary culture, they show how Jesus is found in our real world. Loving, caring, for everyone. Honesty. Humor. Love. Freedom. Thank you!
Great content and helps me get out of the box
So I love this podcast- pushes me to consider new things on pop culture- and gives me some good talking points with my college age kids and their friends- I I love their music playlists too! Thanks Josh and team!