Recent Writings / Spring-Summer 2019

A collection of my publications from recent months

5 Films About the Beauty of Resurrection (April 15, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

Five movies that capture resurrection in all of its miraculous, unsettling, hope-giving glory

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Aretha, Beyoncé, and the Shift in Musical Transcendence (April 27, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A comparison of two concert documentaries: Amazing Grace and Homecoming

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18 Paintings Christians Should See (May 4, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A curated list of masterpieces every Christian should see

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‘Tolkien’ and the Dying Art of Fellowship (May 9, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A review of the Tolkien biopic Tolkien

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Heresy Often Begins with Boredom (May 23, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

An essay on how five types of boredom in the Christian life can lead to heresy

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‘Saving Private Ryan,’ D-Day 75, and Liberation’s Cost (May 31, 2018, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

Reflections on Spielberg’s classic film, on the occasion of D-Day 75

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‘WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO WITNESS IS NOT MAGIC’: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S CINEMA OF IMMANENT WONDER (June 5, 2019, PERMANENT THINGS)

An essay on the films of Christopher Nolan for the new journal Permanent Things

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‘Emanuel’ Is a Must-See Documentary (June 12, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A review of the new documentary about the Charleston church massacre

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‘When They See Us’: When Justice Is Painfully Partisan (June 26, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A review of the Netflix miniseries about the Central Park Five case

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Should You Quit Netflix? (June 29, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

My reflections on the value and dangers of Netflix

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Quality Christian Music: 14 Artists to Watch (July 10, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A curated list of excellent under-the-radar Christian artists

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How to Avoid Anger Overload in the Digital Age (July 15, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

Reflections on how we can resist being sucked into the rage machine of social media

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‘White Lies’: The Temptation to Cancel Ugly History (July 17, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A review of the excellent new NPR podcast on an unsolved Civil Rights-era murder case

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You Can’t Repeat the Past (But Hollywood Tries) (July 24, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A review essay on Yesterday, Rocketman, and Bohemian Rhapsody

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Woodstock Was a Secular Worship Service (August 3, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

Reflections on Woodstock’s 50th anniversary

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‘Once Upon a Time’ and the ‘What If?’ Power of Movies (August 16, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A review of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood

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From Gay to Gospel: The Fascinating Story of Becket Cook (August 23, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

An interview with Becket Cook, author of the memoir A Change of Affection

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Nothing on Your Phone (Including TGC) Can Replace the Local Church (August 28, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

Reflections on the dangers of letting church-like things substitute for actual church

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‘Righteous Gemstones’ and Hollywood’s Christian Villains (August 31, 2019, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

A review of the HBO series Righteous Gemstones