JR. lives in Dallas, TX with his wife Amanda. In addition to exploring the wonders that are the Lone Star state, JR. is the teaching pastor at Catalyst Community Church, a writer and blogger. His book, Empathy for the Devil, is available from InterVarsity Press. He's haunted by the Batman, who is in turn haunted by the myth of redemptive violence.
Why are puppets so scary? The gang trace the history of dolls, puppets, and golems to uncover the thrill behind the new puppet horror film The Boy. What worked in this film? What didn’t? Listen in and let us know what you thought of The Boy.
After 14 years off air, The X-Files has returned to television with a 6-episode glimpse at where Mulder and Scully are. And don’t worry – the Truth is still out there. The new season (can we call it a season?) features two mythology episodes as bookends – last night’s “My Struggle” and episode 6, “My […]
Adam Estle of Evangelicals for Middle Eastern Understanding joins us to discuss the big question raised by Wheaton’s reaction to Professor Larycia Hawkins. Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? We ask if this is even the right question, and then answer it anyway.
How do we make faithful disciples? Heather, Tara and JR. investigate several models of discipleship and evaluate how approaches to making disciples have shifted in the last few decades. We share what discipleship looks like in our own contexts, and what we’re working on in the future.
What were the best horror films of 2015? JR. counts down his 10 favorites, along with some honorable mentions!
Bryne and JR. recap some of our favorite films of a very good year, then dive into a couple that signal a shift in how we are telling stories as a culture. The Big Short, Sicario and Netflix’ Making a Murderer demonstrate an important shift away from the traditional virtue narrative Americans like so much toward more complicated, complex and honest storytelling. We evaluate this shift, and why we are so excited for it.
The gang investigates the new horror film THE FOREST, set in the infamous Suicide Forest in Japan and starring Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer. Though all agree the film is average, they are split as to whether this makes the film worth watching. Listen up – first half is spoiler-free!
HBO’s President of Programming recently apologized for the failed second season of True Detective, In contrast, DC Comics editorial team have refused to acknowledge mistakenly identifying the language of Pakistan as “Pakistanian”. Comparing these two responses gives us valuable leadership insight.
For our first Christmas together, the gang investigates the granddaddy of all slasher flicks, the 1974 classic Black Christmas. They’re divided as to the film’s merits, and comparing it to the gory 2006 remake doesn’t help. Does this horror classic deserve the title? Is this the film that splits the gang apart once and for all?
2015 was a record breaking-year for the box office. What were the best films of the year? JR. counts down his top 15.