30 episodes

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.

Think Christian: A Faith and Pop Culture Podcast ReFrame Ministries

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 4.8 • 101 Ratings

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.

    Creation Care Through the Lens of Hayao Miyazaki (TC Movie Club)

    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

    • 52 min
    Avatar: The Last Airbender and Common Spiritual Ground

    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/

    • 35 min
    Oscars 2024

    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/

    • 48 min
    Sin, Debt, and Forgiveness in Fargo Season 5

    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

    • 44 min
    Best Movies of 2023

    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/

    • 44 min
    Best TV of 2023

    Best TV of 2023

    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 Unremarkable Woman’ - https://thinkchristian.net/poker-face-and-power-of-the-unremarkable-woman

    TC podcast on Netflix’s One Piece - https://thinkchristian.net/podcast/one-piece-come-follow-me

    Rachel Syens on Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS - https://thinkchristian.net/olivia-rodrigo-spills-her-guts-and-we-should-too

    Daniel Jung on ‘Beef and Belief’ - https://thinkchristian.net/beef-and-belief

    Daniel on ‘The Scariest Thing About The Last of Us’ - https://thinkchristian.net/the-scariest-thing-about-the-last-of-us

    Daniel on ‘Succession and Sins of the Father’ https://thinkchristian.net/succession-and-sins-of-the-father

    • 45 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
101 Ratings

101 Ratings

langsta' ,

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.

Austen to Star Wars ,

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!

FykeeeFyKi Ma ,

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!

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