Superman turns 75 this year, and in the latest cinematic retelling of his story, “Man of Steel,” Clark Kent is looking as youthful as ever. In fact, the coming Superman movie is one of a number of new superhero and sci-fi epics that demonstrate again our appetite for action flicks – and religious themes.
Social networks like Facebook are all the rage, with some claiming that online communities are deepening our interpersonal relationships while others worry that they are undermining them — and our spiritual lives. Pope Benedict XVI has weighed in on virtual friendships, while a new poll shows more churches are using Facebook.
This year’s Academy Awards ceremony on March 7 features a bumper crop of films, many that are built around spiritual, and sometimes overtly religious, themes. Are 2009′s movies really more spiritually focused than films of recent years? Has Hollywood found religion? Or are producers just recognizing that religion sells? Whatever the reason, there is a [...]
Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday is Jan. 8 and is evoking the kind of devotion often associated with “the King” — as well as with the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, whose death last year was accompanied by an almost worshipful outpouring. What explains this widespread cult of celebrity? Is it a religious phenomenon?
The Secret, the enormously popular book and film, tells people to focus their thoughts on their goals and desires and to withhold thought or attention from unwanted outcomes. The author, Rhonda Byrne, and the handful of self-described metaphysicians, philosophers, writers and New Age thinkers whose work she references, describe this “law of attraction” as ordering [...]
First hiphop permeated American culture; now it’s dancing its way through religious culture. Hiphop churches, religious recordings, concerts, festivals and ministries are drawing a robust multicultural mix of youth and young adults. The hiphop religious movement is dominated by evangelicals but increasingly speaks the language of other faiths, including Islam and Judaism. It includes DJing, [...]
Film has become an essential arena for theological discussion in today’s culture. Faith and its trials and triumphs make good stories, and Hollywood has always recognized a good story and told it creatively, from The Ten Commandments to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Economic factors also contribute to the [...]
From films and television to music and technology and more, pop culture has become an important forum for reflecting, questioning and debating religious beliefs and issues. ReligionLink offers an extensive source guide to experts around the country who specialize in studying different areas of religion and pop culture.
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