In the last few years, many Christians had said that all Christians need to be winsome at ALL times. Now, of course, Christians should always have the fruit of the Spirit in their lives and that absolutely must govern our conversations. But it is not that simple. Some Christian apologists are so nice and so accepting when talking with those who have rejected the truths of Christianity that the non-Christian they were talking to might not realize that their eternal destination is at stake. Also, believers need to be careful that winsome doesn’t become a cloak for cowardice. The word winsome is defined by Merriam-Webster as “1: generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence….: CHEERFUL, LIGHTHEARTED” (capitalization in original). The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “attractive and pleasing, with simple qualities, sometimes like those a child has.” Princeton Writes defines winsome as “pleasing or attractive in appearance, handsome, comely; of attractive nature or disposition, of winning character or manners.” Now Jesus may have evinced a “winning character or manners,” but “attractive in appearance, handsome, comely” perhaps isn’t true because we read in Isaiah, “he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (53:2). And did Jesus always come across with an “attractive nature or disposition”? There is a great difference between Jesus’ ministry and much Christian public discourse today. Namely, Jesus wasn’t concerned about scoring political gains, except indirectly as He changed the hearts of those in power. Since Jesus was not trying to win the Pharisees over, He was laying out plain truth for the audience’s sake. Jesus was letting the crowd know that the Pharisees were evil and that their counsel should be rejected. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Clay Jones about his online article, “Jesus Wasn’t Always Winsome“. When you support the Journal, you join the team of to help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here Other articles and podcasts featuring this author: Episode 333 A Question Mormons Can’t AnswerA Question Mormons Can’t AnswerEpisode 270 The Divine Hiddenness of GodFour Types of Divine Hiddenness of God. For a special limited preview of this print article please click here! To read the article in it’s entirety please please click here to purchase this issue. Postmodern Realities Episode 247: Is It True That There Are Good Non-Christians?Is It true That There Are Good Non-Christians?Postmodern Realities Episode 233 You Probably Aren’t Saved If…(This Is about Sex)You Probably Aren’t Saved If…(This Is about Sex)Postmodern Realities Episode 202 Symbolic Immortality Projects Can’t Save YouSymbolic Immortality Projects Can’t Save YouPostmodern Realities Episode 183 Immortal: How the Fear of Death Drives Us and What We Can Do About ItImmortal—Epicurus, Sam Harris, and Bart Ehrman Are Wrong: Death Is SomethingPostmodern Realities Episode 176 Our Fallen WorldHank Unplugged: Why God Permits Evil with Clay JonesPostmodern Realities: Episode 114 Why Did God Let that Child Die?Why Did God Let That Child Die?Postmodern Realities: Episode 068: Something Made: The Role of Form in ApologeticsSomething Made : The Role of Form in Apologetics Postmodern Realities: Episode 030: Evangelizing the Cultural Christian Evangelizing the Cultural ChristianKilling the Canaanites: A Response to the New Atheism’s “Divine Genocide” Claims

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Cole Burgett about his online article, "Finding Family Among The Last of Us." the discusses the video game and HBO Tv Series, The Last of Us. When you to subscribe to and support the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast..Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther recent Podcasts and articles featuring this author: Episode 335 Let Faith Oust Fact: A Review of The WhaleLet Faith Oust Fact: A Review of The WhaleEpisode 330 Finding Empathy in the Trenches: A Review of Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western FrontA Review of the Oscar Winning Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front-Finding Empathy in the TrenchesEpisode 324 The Way of Family in Avatar: the Way of WaterThe Way of Family in Avatar: the Way of WaterEpisode 318 An Occasion for Just War: A Review of AndorAn Occasion for Just War: A Review of AndorEpisode 314 Tolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerTolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerEpisode 309 The Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of EvilThe Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of EvilEpisode 303 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned WayStar Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned Way

​This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author John Ferrer about SatanCon 2023 held in Boston, MA on April 28th-30th, 2023 presented by The Satanic Temple.When you to support the Journal, you join the team of members who help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Please click here to support the ongoing work of the JOURNAL and for information on our Special Themed, Double Journal Issue on The Greatest Assault on Human Nature Ever Devised: Everything You Need To Know About the Cult of WokeismAnother way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther podcasts and articles by this author: Episode 327 A Christian Apologist Responds to Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s Satanic Grammy PerformanceA Christian Apologist Responds to Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s Satanic Grammy PerformanceEditor’s note: While nothing explicit is discussed in the article and related podcast above, the subject matter of the Unholy song lyrics and original music video is rated R. Episode 146 Recognizing and Responding to Occultism in Your Church and A Film review of Hail Satan?Satanic Lessons on Religious Freedom: A review of Hail Satan?Infiltrated: Recognizing and Responding to Occultism in Your ChurchEpisode 131 Sabrina The Teenage Anti-ChristSabrina The Teenage Anti-Christ

In discussions about modern infertility treatments, many articles concerning in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy, and even the ethics of using a third-party gamete donor, have been written. As an extension of the ethical conversation surrounding fertility treatments, the fertility industry itself must be examined. From lack of reasonable regulations, to targeting young gamete donors, to the problem of anonymous donors and non-transparent medical information, the fertility industry itself does not at present align with Christian moral values. In the United States, however, there is currently no federal law prohibiting doctors from swapping chosen donor sperm with their own, or any other sperm for that matter. The New York Times reports that since the popularization of commercial DNA testing in recent years, over fifty doctors have been accused of doing the same thing. This is the case even though only approximately twenty-one percent of Americans have taken a commercial DNA test. The number of offending doctors may be much higher. The fertility industry in America is largely anonymous. Anonymity leaves the door open for serial donors to run rampant, for sibling pods to grow to excessive numbers, and for significant mental distress to occur in donor-conceived individuals and recipient families. In America, there is currently no national donor registry, making it difficult to track serial donors across multiple clinics. Because American donors can remain anonymous, and each bank maintains its own records without necessarily communicating with other banks, this can lead to enormous sibling pods — some reaching over one hundred. With more couples than ever before opting to use fertility treatments to conceive, it is imperative for Christians to weigh the ethical issues of the fertility industry alongside the procedures themselves. From regulation issues to problematic practices, the industry at present poses many concerns that must be thoroughly considered, prayed about, and weighed by Christians who are struggling to conceive. There may be situations in which Christians believe they can ethically make the choice to use various types of fertility treatments, but this industry should not be opted into without significant care and concern, with full awareness about the procedures and the industry’s current practices.​This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Lisa Cooper about her online article, “Is Participating in the Fertility Industry Ethical?” When you to subscribe to and support the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther podcasts and articles by this author: Episode 276 Boba Fett’s Character Arc Actually Makes Sense ( A Review of The Book of Boba Fett)Boba Fett’s Character Arc Actually Makes Sense ( A Review of The Book of Boba Fett)Episode 197 Was God at Sandy Hook Elementary that Day?School Shootings and the Problem of Evil (Was God at Sandy Hook that day?)

“I am a woman trapped in a man’s body.” “Trans women are women.” “A woman is anyone who identifies as a woman.” Statements like these are now commonplace: they reveal that words, and the way we use them, change over time. That which used to go without saying is now being said in a way that implies its opposite. The words “woman” and “man” and the categories they denote, which used to be intuitive and axiomatic, are beginning to crack under the pressure of a culture determined to do away with nature’s limits, and to elevate freedom (underwritten by technology) as the highest good. On June 6, 2020, J.K. Rowling retweeted an op-ed piece whose title conspicuously replaced the word “woman” with a female bodily function. “‘People who menstruate,’” Rowling mused.” I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she wrote. Rowling is right: there used to be a word for those people, but it has been pressed into the service of a new purpose. Rowling’s tweet dropped like a hand grenade into Twitter, and the sheer volume of verbally profane pushback she received, loaded with sexually violent threats, is astounding. Many people, myself included, are concerned that the word “woman” is decaying with repeated twisting and misuse, and that natal females will suffer from the “slip slide and perish” of its broken meaning. The problem of universals — how it is that we can recognize categories like Woman, Tree, or Cat — has been a source of philosophical debate since Plato and Aristotle, through Boethius and Augustine, to Thomas Aquinas and William of Occam. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Alisa Ruddell about her online Viewpoint article, “What Happened To The Word “WOMAN”? When you to subscribe to and support the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther podcasts and articles featuring this author: Episode 321 Carl Jung and the Modern World’s WoundCarl Jung and the Modern World’s WoundEpisode 307 Raised by Wolves: The Temptation and Trauma of an Android EveRaised by Wolves: The Temptation and Trauma of an Android Eve

Athenagoras of Athens is one of three great Greek pagan philosophers who, during the second century AD, converted to Christianity on account of the wisdom of its teachings and the moral lives of its followers. Rather than abandon their former training, Aristides, Justin Martyr, and Athenagoras all used their pagan learning as a springboard for bearing witness to the gospel before the most powerful rulers of their day.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Lou Markos about his online article, “Athenagoras of Athens”. To learn more about receiving the book that this is adapted from, Ancient Voices: An Insider’s Look at the Early Church, for your partnering gift, please click here. When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther recent Podcasts and articles featuring this author: Hank Unplugged:How to Explain Hell with Louis MarkosHow Dante’s Inferno Can Help Explain Hell to Modern Seekers (article)Atheism on Trial with Dr. Louis MarkosPostmodern Realities podcastsEpisode 332 Exhortations to College-bound StudentsSeven or So Exhortations to College-Bound StudentsEpisode 319 The Martyrdom of PolycarpThe Martyrdom of PolycarpEpisode 290 Just So ScienceEpisode 221: Tennyson on Theodicy: How a Victorian Poet Can Help Modern Christians Deal with the Problem of PainTennyson on Theodicy: How a Victorian Poet Can Help Modern Christians Deal with the Problem of PainEpisode 171 Why Christians Should Read the Pagan ClassicsWhy Christians Should Read the Pagan ClassicsC. S. Lewis on HellThe Legacy of G.K. Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers

Buried beneath a mountain of make-up and prosthetics so that he is nigh unrecognizable, Brendan Fraser has earned no small amount of acclaim for his portrayal of Charlie. The Whale, filmed on a $3 million budget (pocket change by the standards of modern Hollywood), first began making waves when Fraser received a highly publicized six-minute standing ovation at the movie’s Venice Film Festival premiere. The role has since netted him “Best Actor” accolades from outlets as varied as the Toronto International Film Festival, the Hollywood Critics Association, and the Academy Awards. But for all the acclaim that The Whale has received, perhaps its most important aspects are those overlooked by the vast majority of critics. The focus on Charlie’s homosexuality and the flaws of the Christian missionary attempting to proselytize him overlook the haunting themes of sin and guilt, as well as Charlie’s terrible need for absolution, which permeate Aronofsky’s film from first frame to last. Though The Whale tackles issues of sin, faith, homosexuality, and the family unit, there is no sense in which it lands the plane on any particular runway. The film is most certainly not the all-out assault on the church that some critics seem to think it is, but at the same time, it is still a product of the modern Hollywood machine. Charlie does not find Jesus. Nevertheless, The Whale is a film that is interested in the complexities of faith in a modern context, and that makes it worth paying attention to. Material abounds here for the Christian apologist or evangelist to take hold of and step into conversations with people struggling with homosexuality and feelings of guilt and depression. It would be unwise to ignore a movie that really does seem to be interested in interacting with people of the Christian faith, especially when the broader culture is so uninterested in what Christians have to say.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Cole Burgett about his online article, "Let Faith Oust Fact: A Review of The Whale." **Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for The Whale.** When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther recent Podcasts and articles featuring this author: Episode 330 Finding Empathy in the Trenches: A Review of Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western FrontA Review of the Oscar Winning Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front-Finding Empathy in the TrenchesEpisode 324 The Way of Family in Avatar: the Way of WaterThe Way of Family in Avatar: the Way of WaterEpisode 318 An Occasion for Just War: A Review of AndorAn Occasion for Just War: A Review of AndorEpisode 314 Tolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerTolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerEpisode 309 The Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of EvilThe Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of EvilEpisode 303 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned WayStar Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned Way

​That those who do not believe might be converted to genuine faith has been the constant prayer of the church since the apostolic era. Every preacher hopes that God might use his preaching to bring this about. Within the context of this hope, the practice of the altar call has arisen. Most readers will be familiar with the altar call, but perhaps not all. So I will sketch out two of the most common methods. The first, popularized by Billy Graham, has antecedents stretching back to the 19th century and Charles Finney’s “anxious bench” (about which I will have more to say below). Billy Graham would typically preach a fiery sermon in which he spent a good deal of time calling his listeners to measure their own lives by the requirements of God’s law. Then, as his warnings of God’s judgment and hell reached their crescendo, he would tell of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and of the offer of salvation and forgiveness to all who believe. The first time I listened to a Billy Graham sermon after my conversion, I recognized much the same message I had heard from Dr. Sproul. But the crowning moment of Dr. Graham’s sermon was his invitation to come forward. The walk from your seat to the front of the stage (the figurative altar) was presented as the outward, visible sign of your inward decision to commit your life to Jesus Christ. Thousands of smaller local churches still use this method of the altar call in their regular Sunday lineup. A second method — perhaps more popular — still requires an active response on the part of the hearer but a less public display. The preacher proclaims the law and gospel, and after his sermon, presumably, he asks the entire congregation to bow their heads and close their eyes. Then he asks those who are willing to repent and turn to Jesus to raise their hands. Then the preacher leads them, usually still seated, in some version of the “sinner’s prayer.”3 The preacher sees those who raise their hands and, presumably, at some point the rest of the congregation will know, but for the immediate moment the act is between the preacher, those with raised hands, and God. Committing your life to Christ, in both forms of the altar call, involves some kind of more or less public act.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Matthew M. Kennedy about his online-exclusive viewpoint article, “Do Altar Calls Add To The Gospel?“. When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here

When the Mormons (also known as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) come to my door, you should always ask them the same question because it’s a question Mormons can’t answer. You should do this because this question is essential to their beliefs. The question to ask regards why Mormons believe Mormonism is true, which they believe to be true because they had a subjective personal inward witness of the truth of it. The book of Moroni encourages seeking this inward witness (what follows is on the first page of one of my copies of the Book of Mormon): “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things….that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:3–5). This is also known as the “burning in the bosom.” In their Doctrine and Covenants, which Mormons also consider to be inspired scripture, it says, “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right” (9:8). Now obviously if any person believes that they have received a personal revelation — directly from God — that something is true, then that can trump just about any other arguments about the truth of whatever they believe. Therefore, if a Christian chooses to argue with a Mormon about any other doctrine, it’s unlikely to change their minds because they have received what they believe is a subjective personal assurance directly from God that Mormonism is true. Therefore, the question concerns the trustworthiness of their subjective personal experience. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Clay Jones about his online-exclusive article, "A Question Mormons Can’t Answer." When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther articles podcasts featuring this author:Episode 270 The Divine Hiddenness of GodFour Types of Divine Hiddenness of God. For a special limited preview of this print article please click here! To read the article in it’s entirety please please click here to purchase this issue. Postmodern Realities Episode 247: Is It True That There Are Good Non-Christians?Is It true That There Are Good Non-Christians?Postmodern Realities Episode 233 You Probably Aren’t Saved If…(This Is about Sex)You Probably Aren’t Saved If…(This Is about Sex)Postmodern Realities Episode 202 Symbolic Immortality Projects Can’t Save YouSymbolic Immortality Projects Can’t Save YouPostmodern Realities Episode 183 Immortal: How the Fear of Death Drives Us and What We Can Do About ItImmortal—Epicurus, Sam Harris, and Bart Ehrman Are Wrong: Death Is SomethingPostmodern Realities Episode 176 Our Fallen WorldHank Unplugged: Why God Permits Evil with Clay JonesPostmodern Realities: Episode 114 Why Did God Let that Child Die?Why Did God Let That Child Die?Postmodern Realities: Episode 068: Something Made: The Role of Form in ApologeticsSomething Made : The Role of Form in Apologetics Postmodern Realities: Episode 030: Evangelizing the Cultural Christian Evangelizing the Cultural ChristianKilling the Canaanites: A Response to the New Atheism’s “Divine Genocide” Claims

Most universities today are swiftly accommodating themselves to an increasingly radicalized postmodern worldview. American colleges and universities— a disturbing number of which claim to be Christian —have abdicated their responsibility to train students in virtue and to measure what they teach against cultural standards of goodness, truth, and beauty. But it's not all doom and gloom—there is hope. Christian college-bound students need to keep their eyes fixed on their true and secure citizenship in the Kingdom of God and forearm themselves against the philosophical presuppositions and political agendas that undergird much of higher education today. The Christian students who keep their eyes fixed on the true wisdom that is from above can survive and do thrive in the university. This episode is a discussion of some of the dos and don’ts to forearm the college-bound student.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Louis Markos about his Viewpoint article, “Seven or So Exhortations to College-Bound Students” in the 45:2-3 (Fall 2022) edition of the Christian Research Journal. Normally their is an extended window on articles in print being available on our Website; however as student prepare for college acceptance letters to be arriving soon for Fall 2023, we made an exception in an effort to equip student and parents as they prepare for this next stage in their lives.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here. Other articles and podcasts featuring this author:Hank Unplugged:How to Explain Hell with Louis MarkosHow Dante’s Inferno Can Help Explain Hell to Modern Seekers (article)Atheism on Trial with Dr. Louis MarkosPostmodern Realities podcastsEpisode 319 The Martyrdom of PolycarpThe Martyrdom of PolycarpEpisode 290 Just So ScienceEpisode 221: Tennyson on Theodicy: How a Victorian Poet Can Help Modern Christians Deal with the Problem of PainTennyson on Theodicy: How a Victorian Poet Can Help Modern Christians Deal with the Problem of PainEpisode 171 Why Christians Should Read the Pagan ClassicsWhy Christians Should Read the Pagan ClassicsC. S. Lewis on HellThe Legacy of G.K. Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers

Brianna Wiest is lesser known self-help guru (author of The Mountain is You and 101 Ways to Change Your Thinking) but her voice is one to be reckoned with. Her unique, breezy, even comforting blend of psychological tips and spiritual advice is both nuanced and potent. Following her path will lead you to the front of the Temple, your face turned up to heaven, explaining how good you are. For, indeed, Wiest is more right than she knows—you are a mountain. But if God is merciful, not one to be summited, conquered by your own efforts, but rather laid low, cast to the earth while there is still time to get mercy from the very God who made you and knows you best. You can do all Wiest says and you will never ascend to the height of the most crucial mountain—the one where God dwells. “Who,” cries the psalmist, “shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?” (Psalm 24:3).This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Anne Kennedy about her online-exclusive article, “A Mountain Made Low—A Look at Brianna Wiest". Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.For more information and to subscribe please click here.Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther articles podcasts featuring this author:Hank Unplugged: Gaslighting, BLM, Cancel Culture and More with Anne KennedyPostmodern RealitiesEpisode 325 Life in the Church and the Liturgical Church CalendarGo to Church! How Living Through the Church Year Can Help You Get a Grip on Your Life, Your Faith, and Your FamilyEpisode 316 Take Joy: Santa, St. Nicholas, and JesusTake Joy: Santa, St. Nicholas, and JesusEpisode 313 Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?Episode 308 A More Unconditional Love: Modern Iterations of Platonic MarriageEpisode 299: I’m the Head and Not the Tail: A Christian Decides to Skip the Daily AffirmationI’m the Head and Not the Tail: A Christian Decides to Skip the Daily AffirmationEpisode 279: Haven’t We All Sacrificed Enough: A Christian Tries to Observe LentHaven’t We All Sacrificed Enough: A Christian Tries to Observe LentEpisode 273: Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021Episode 268 I’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s ResolutionI’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s Resolution-Special limited previewEpisode 255 For Our Lamps Are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social MediaFor Our Lamps are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social Media

Please see this encore presentation of Episode 283: When the Hurlyburly’s Done: A Review of Everything Everywhere All at Once that we did in April 2022. In March 2023, this film won the following Oscars. Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Cole Burgett about his online-exclusive article, “When the Hurlyburly’s Done: A Review of Everything Everywhere All at Once” Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for Everything, Everywhere All at Once For further information the multi-verse please see the discussion on Hank Unplugged with Stepehen Meyer on Return of the God Hypothesis: Evidence for the Existence of God. When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here

The term “war film” tends to conjure in the popular imagination one of two images: 1) that of the sober-faced “band of brothers” toughing it out together somewhere in Europe or in the Pacific isles during the Second World War (à la Saving Private Ryan [1998], Band of Brothers [2001], or The Pacific [2010]); or 2) that of the shellshocked soldier in green fatigues stumbling out of the Vietnamese jungle wearing a thousand-yard stare (à la Apocalypse Now [1979], Platoon [1986], or Full Metal Jacket [1987]). These images also reinforce the two different “approaches” or “tones” that films of the genre tend to take regarding the subject matter: either a kind of admiration for the unique sense of brotherhood among combatants found in times of war, or a critical look at the hopelessness and futility of war altogether. Thus, in recent years, the “epic war film” genre has been further subdivided into “war film” and “anti-war film” categories to accommodate these tonal nuances. Yet both images, the band of brothers and the shellshocked jungle warrior, reinforced in the collective conscience by wildly popular video games such as Call of Duty, are exclusively American images, and reflect a dichotomized look at the historical record.Can violence, with respect to the epic war film umbrella, ever be redemptive? Well, the answer seems to depend on which approach one takes. Set out to explore the dynamics between soldiers who forge a kind of surrogate family with their “brothers in arms,” then, yes, it can be redemptive — but only the context of echoing Jesus’s words that “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 KJV). However, if the goal is to show the cost of war, the futility of bloodshed, and the meaninglessness of human life thrown away, then no, violence is, ultimately, pointless and war is fundamentally nihilistic. Few major films have tried to cross the treacherous no man’s land between these two approaches, one notable exception being Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge (2016). And now Edward Berger’s 2022 reimagining of All Quiet on the Western Front (nominated for nine Oscar awards) marches flint-faced into the same territory. The end result is less than spectacular.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Cole Burgett about his online-exclusive article, “Finding Empathy in the Trenches: A Review of Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front“ Starting in February 2021, online-exclusive articles, have been locked and are only available for Journal subscribers as noted below; however, given the time sensitive nature and global importance of this subject, our editorial board decided to make this available to the public as soon as possible. Also consider this a free preview of the quality and in-depth research that goes into our online-exclusives. To learn more about subscribing and gaining early access to future online-exclusive articles, please see our FAQ section on Early Access to Online-Exclusive Articles by clicking here and subscribing by clicking here.Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.For more information and to subscribe please click here.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther articles featuring this author: Episode 324 The Way of Family in Avatar: the Way of WaterThe Way of Family in Avatar: the Way of WaterEpisode 318 An Occasion for Just War: A Review of AndorAn Occasion for Just War: A Review of AndorEpisode 314 Tolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerTolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerEpisode 309 The Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of EvilThe Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of EvilEpisode 303 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned WayStar Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned Way

Christian theology regards human beings as creatures standing both within and beyond nature, the material world. Although exceptions as old as Lucretius abound, this belief is also found outside the Christian faith. So far as we can tell, humans are the only creatures who distinguish themselves in this way. Mary Oliver, best known for her Pulitzer-prize-winning poetry collection American Primitive (Atlantic/Little, 1983), believes animals rejoice at being alive in this world but knows they do not question their place in it. Given this difference between us and the rest of the cosmos, it is reasonable to wonder if nature can tell us anything significant about our spiritual selves or lead us to God. Oliver’s poems — anchored by close, attentive descriptions of the natural world — reach beyond the physical to consider the nature of God and human beings, and the possibilities of life after death. Her works detail the beauty, fragility, cruelty, and kindness of the natural world. From it, she gleans hints about human life, attentiveness yielding wonders — both glorious and terrible — that would otherwise pass her by. Forming her to receive the world as a gift, attentiveness draws Oliver ever more deeply into the world’s always deepening depths. She is surprised by revelations, moved by beauty, solaced by a creature’s contentment with itself, instructed by its willing consent to be what it is given to be. If, however, nature were enough, Christ would be superfluous. St. Bonaventure claims, “we are so created that the material universe itself is a ladder by which we may ascend to God.” But he also insists, “we cannot rise above ourselves unless a superior power raise us,” a power he identifies as Christ in whom we have definitive hope for life in the face of death. Because He is truth both incarnate and transcendent, Christ overrules the norms of nature. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Stephen Mitchell about his online-exclusive article, “Christ or Lucretius: Nature and Nature’s God in the poems of Mary Olivere". Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.For more information and to subscribe please click here.Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther articles podcasts featuring this author:Episode 301: Moving by Staying Put: Christian Pilgrimage in Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead“Moving by Staying Put: Christian Pilgrimage in Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead” in the 45:2-3 (Fall 2022) edition of the Christian Research Journal.Episode 248 Myself Am Hell: Rebellion and Gratitude in Milton’s Paradise LostMyself Am Hell: Rebellion and Gratitude in Milton’s Paradise LostEpisode 201 Albert Camus and the Fight for LifeThe Sting of Death: Albert Camus and the Fight for LifeEpisode 189 Second-Rate Musician: Vocation and Performance in T. S. Eliot’s The Confidential Clerk“Second-Rate Musician: Vocation and Performance in T. S. Eliot’s The Confidential Clerk “.Episode 135-Questing for Divine Love-Cormac McCarthy’s The RoadQuesting for Divine Love-Cormac McCarthy’s The RoadEpisode 111 Humanity Crucified: Hemingway and the Human ConditionHumanity Crucified: Hemingway and the Human ConditionEpisode 092 Literary Apologetics: Flannery O’ConnorFlannery O’Connor and the Problem of FreedomEpisode 045: Alexander Solzhenitsyn Confronts the Grand InquisitorAlexander Solzhenitsyn Confronts the Grand Inquisitor

The recent occurrences of unidentified anomalous phenomenon (aka unidentified flying objects) over United States airspace has caused some renewed interest in extraterrestrials (ETs). Curiosity about the possibility of life beyond our planet is nothing new, and films and television shows have never shied away from the conversation. Ancient Aliens (History, 2009-) fuels the flames of speculation. The series, which is in its nineteenth season, continues to captivate viewers, so much so that it has spawned live events starring its ancient astronaut theorists. The series features episodes that ask viewers to consider questions about the Bible, humanity, and the potential of ET presence within the biblical narrative. For example, did Satan and other fallen angels set out to do good for humanity by revealing divine knowledge? What really happened to Moses on Mount Sinai? Was the Ark of the Covenant a toolkit full of ET power? As of today, humans have not discovered rational life anywhere else in the universe. There are good reasons to believe that we have not been visited by ETs. But with each claim of UFO belief by celebrities and politicians, speculation that we are not alone in the universe increases. In fact, according to Pew, more than fifty percent of Protestants and sixty-seven percent of Catholics believe in intelligent life on other planets. What would the discovery of intelligent ETs mean for the Christian faith?This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Lindsey Medenwaldt about her online-exclusive article, “Ancient Aliens and the Bible: What the Popular Television Series Says about Extraterrestrials in Scripture”. Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.For more information and to subscribe please click here.Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther recent articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:Episode 311 Divination and Contemplation-Tarot’s Impact on Culture and ChristianityDivination and Contemplation-Tarot’s Impact on Culture and ChristianityEpisode 305 #Witchtok — Sorcery at Your FingertipsWitchtok — Sorcery at Your Fingertips” in the 45:2-3 (Fall 2022) edition of the Christian Research Journal.Episode 287 Corey Goode: Time-Traveling Secret Space Program WhistleblowerCorey Goode: Time-Traveling Secret Space Program Whistleblower” in the 45: 1/2 edition of the Christian Research Journal.Episode 219: Humanity’s Ascension: Assessing the History Channel’s New Age, Time Travel Guru David Wilcock“Humanity’s Ascension: Assessing the History Channel’s New Age, Time Travel Guru David Wilcock.” Episode 168: Best Selling Author and Astrologer Chani Nicholas Brings New Age Teaching to the Social Media GenerationEpisode 166 Controversial Guru Teal Swan Brings New Age Teachings to the Social Media GenerationControversial Guru Teal Swan and Astrologer Chani Nicholas Bring New Age Teachings to the Social Media Generation​Episode 244: Falun Gong: How the West Was WonFalun Gong: How the West was Won

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author John Ferrer about his online-exclusive article, “A Christian Apologist Responds to Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s Satanic Grammy Performance” Editor’s note: While nothing explicit is discussed in the article and related podcast, the subject matter of the Unholy song lyrics and original music video is rated R. Starting in February 2021, online-exclusive articles, have been locked and are only available for Journal subscribers as noted below; however, given the time sensitive nature and global importance of this subject, our editorial board decided to make this available to the public as soon as possible. Also consider this a free preview of the quality and in-depth research that goes into our online-exclusives. To learn more about subscribing and gaining early access to future online-exclusive articles, please see our FAQ section on Early Access to Online-Exclusive Articles by clicking here and subscribing by clicking here.Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.For more information and to subscribe please click here.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther recent articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:Episode 146 Recognizing and Responding to Occultism in Your Church and A Film review of Hail Satan?Satanic Lessons on Religious Freedom: A review of Hail Satan?Infiltrated: Recognizing and Responding to Occultism in Your ChurchEpisode 131 Sabrina The Teenage Anti-ChristSabrina The Teenage Anti-Christ

On June 24, 2022, The Supreme Court of the United States released the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, ending Roe v Wade’s nearly 50-year legal hegemony over the issue of abortion throughout the U.S. Pro-life advocates, many who had been active fighting to overturn Roe their entire adult lives, celebrated hoping the tide had turned as our nation moved toward a future without abortion. Abortion rights advocates mourned the ruling as an attack on their rights and warned the American public of the coming of abortion deserts where women would be forced to travel across the barren wasteland of abortion-free states to find access to what they believe is essential healthcare. It would be premature to pass a verdict on the premonitions of either side. Nothing like the hopes or fears of the most passionate advocates materialized, but the landscape of abortion law changed. Both sides pushed advantages in states deemed politically friendly to their causes producing some surprising results. The pro-life community faced unexpected challenges as abortion rights advocates enjoyed multiple victories establishing constitutional rights to abortion in new states while turning back efforts to restrict abortion in others. Federal efforts by the Democrats to reestablish national laws through the U.S. Congress failed, and neither side is happy with their progress. At the same time, uncompromising voices are finding new strength. Abortion advocates expressed strong dissatisfaction with the foundations of the Roe decision and see this moment as an opportunity to reset the dialogue with language more fitting the absolute rights to autonomy they seek. Some anti-abortion advocates counter this by introducing Equal Protection legislation at the state level, pressing the moment to move our judicial system toward holding women who procure abortions accountable in the same manner we would any other individual who intentionally killed a human life. Abortion is murder, they reason, therefore those guilty of abortion ought to be treated in the same manner. The extreme representatives of both sides raise the stakes as a population divided and less certain of their position on abortion seeks to sort out a new legal approach to an issue recently assumed to be settled law.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Jay Watts about his online-exclusive article, "Life After Roe: A Follow Up". Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.For more information and to subscribe please click here.Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther recent articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:Episode 288 The Leaked Draft: Is this the Fall of Roe v. Wade?The Leaked Draft: Is this the Fall of Roe v. Wade?Episode 296 The End of Roe V. WadeThe End of Roe and the Beginning of a New FightEpisode 284 What Attorney Mary Ziegler Gets Wrong About Pro-Life TacticsWhat Attorney Mary Ziegler Gets Wrong About Pro-Life Tactics Episode 274 Filipovic’s Confused Claim that the Pro-Life Community Must Champion ContraceptionFilipovic’s Confused Claim that the Pro-Life Community Must Champion ContraceptionEpisode 249: Do Abortion Politics Hurt Women Enduring Miscarriage?Do Abortion Politics Hurt Women Enduring Miscarriage?Episode 230: Is it Ethical for Pro-Life Christians to Receive Covid-19 Vaccines?Assessing the Confession of Norma McCorvey in AKA Jane RoeEpisode 134 Are Laws Restricting Abortion Forced Organ Donation? A Review of Beyond RoeAre Laws Restricting Abortion Forced Organ Donation? A Review of Beyond RoeEpisode 117-Unplanned: An Imperfect but Brave Film Unplanned: An Imperfect but Brave Film

“So teach us to number our days,” prayed the great prophet Moses in Psalm 90, “that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90: 12).1 The request lies at the center of his meditation on the impermanence of the creature compared with the everlasting power of God. Our days end “like a sigh” (Psalm 90:9), they are “soon gone and we fly away” (Psalm 90: 10). For modern people striving to separate themselves from any sign of death, it might seem morbid to ask God to show you how short your life will be. Worse, for many people — the young mother cooking yet another meal, those suffering chronic health conditions, the increasing number of people enduring mental and emotional anguish — the effort of “numbering” days might feel cruel. I get up and do the same set of tasks over and over — bathing, eating, working — only to do it all again tomorrow. I kick against these cyclically monotonous goads. I should be going somewhere, accomplishing something, or — that most elusive hope — flourishing. Is there a way out of the drudgery? The simple answer is yes — by considering the day of your inevitable death. But how can you do that? By following the church year in the company of other believers. In other words, by going to church. The heart of the church year is the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. The work of celebrating His life — from the time you are born until the time you die — is the spiritual backdrop, the practical meditation on that difficult line from Moses’ psalm: “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past” (Psalm 90: 4). A spiritual community of people toiling through the church year is going to do a lot of worshiping and working together. They are going to want to be reverent, but also “at home” in the space they weekly gather. The whole church together is the Bride that Christ purchases for Himself on the cross. There is, therefore, enough room for the whole mystical body of his faithful people — toddlers, tweeners, snowbirds, able, infirm, functional, dysfunctional, confused. The rhythm of their lives is determined by the inclinations and habits of the worshiping community. That community won’t be people they pick for themselves among their favorite TikTok followers. Rather, they will be people God places as burdens on their weary minds, as part of their heavenly inheritance. When the local church gathers for prayer, worship, study, and meals, you’re going to want to try to figure out how to be there. It is almost impossible to accomplish this anchoring rhythm on your own without the help of an actual in-real-life group of people who are also trying to bend themselves to the strange pleasures of that other home. Fundamentally, when you walk into a room filled with other Christians, however sad or anxious you are, you gradually want to feel the deep gladness of God’s favor in the peculiar communion of those particular people. Only God has the power to confer that gift. He accomplishes it when you submit yourself to the work and worship of a distinct, local body. If the Scriptures are the bedrock of that body, the cornerstone, the sure foundation, whatever their special days, their feasts and fasts, the Christian’s obedient gladness in that community will lighten the way and make the long journey seem much, much less than a thousand years. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Anne Kennedy about her online-exclusive article, "Go to Church! How Living Through the Church Year Can Help You Get a Grip on Your Life, Your Faith, and Your Family". Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.For more information and to subscribe please click here.Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther recent articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:Hank Unplugged: Gaslighting, BLM, Cancel Culture and More with Anne KennedyPostmodern RealitiesEpisode 316 Take Joy: Santa, St. Nicholas, and JesusTake Joy: Santa, St. Nicholas, and JesusEpisode 313 Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?Spiritual Friendship: Temptation or Belonging?Episode 308 A More Unconditional Love: Modern Iterations of Platonic MarriageEpisode 299: I’m the Head and Not the Tail: A Christian Decides to Skip the Daily AffirmationI’m the Head and Not the Tail: A Christian Decides to Skip the Daily AffirmationEpisode 279: Haven’t We All Sacrificed Enough: A Christian Tries to Observe LentHaven’t We All Sacrificed Enough: A Christian Tries to Observe LentEpisode 273: Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021Identity and Obedience in Revoice 2021Episode 268 I’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s ResolutionI’ll Start My Diet Tomorrow: A Christian Makes a New Year’s Resolution-Special limited previewEpisode 255 For Our Lamps Are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social MediaFor Our Lamps are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social Media

When James Cameron’s Avatar hit theaters in 2009, few could have predicted the new, CGI-laden intellectual property would enjoy such a staggering box office return, becoming the first film in history to gross two billion dollars. The film would be nominated for a whopping nine Academy Awards, and end up winning in three categories, all of them related to the film’s stunning visuals. Given Hollywood’s propensity to capitalize on success, a sequel was inevitable and long discussed by Cameron. That sequel finally arrived in December of 2022 with Avatar: The Way of Water. Boasting one of the largest budgets for any motion picture and a stunning new array of underwater motion capture technology pioneered by Wētā FX (formerly Weta Digital, of The Lord of the Rings fame), Avatar: The Way of Water carries audiences once again to the mid-22nd century moon of Pandora for another adventure. With more films on the way, Cameron’s series is here to stay. But despite the fantastical subject matter, the story that he is crafting throughout the Avatar films is very quickly shaping up to focus on something surprisingly domestic: the nuclear family. For the cultural apologist interested in engaging in the discussion about the traditional family unit, Avatar: The Way of Water is a major cultural artifact that presents the opportunity to do just that.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Cole Burgett about his online-exclusive article, “The Way of Family in Avatar: the Way of Water”.**Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water .**Locked articles are online exclusive content that are only available to subscribers. There are three subscription options to access our online exclusive content.1. Subscribe ($33.50) to the print edition of the Christian Research Journal which includes all online exclusive content.2. Pay a monthly fee ($4.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.3. Pay an annual fee ($24.99) for Christian Research Journal online exclusive content. This does not include online versions of current print edition articles or receiving the print issues.For more information and to subscribe please click here.Note online-exclusives are eventually made available to the public at regular intervals but to gain access to read it when it’s originally posted subscribing at the link above is the best option.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click hereOther articles featuring this topic:Avatar: A Postmodern Pagan MythOther recent articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:Episode 318 An Occasion for Just War: A Review of AndorAn Occasion for Just War: A Review of AndorEpisode 314 Tolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerTolkien Reimagined: A Series Review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerEpisode 309 The Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of EvilThe Devil and Kristen Bouchard: A Series Review of EvilEpisode 303 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned WayStar Trek: Strange New Worlds and the New Old-Fashioned WayEpisode 298: The Essex Serpent: By Tongue of BruteThe Essex Serpent: By Tongue of BruteEpisode 297 Why are we down here still working in the dark? (A Web TV Series Review of Severance)Why are we down here still working in the dark? (A Web TV Series Review of Severance)Episode 295 Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Freedom of Forgiveness (A Series Review of Obi-Wan Kenobi)Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Freedom of Forgiveness (A Series Review of Obi Wan Kenobi)

Why do humans exist? What is our ultimate purpose? A person will arrive at wildly different answers depending on whether they’ve been spending more time under the cross of Christ or under the “Bodhi Tree” (the “tree of awakening” under which the Buddha found enlightenment). On the one hand, there is Christianity’s robust sense of purposefulness, as humans were created by God for a purpose — eternal life in union with God. On the other hand, there is Buddhism’s view that life is fundamentally impermanent and ultimately without purpose. Both religions have defenders who claim their view to be not only true but also inspiring. As one of the world’s “missionary” religions, Buddhism deserves attention because it has been making effective cultural inroads in the Western world. Buddhism’s emerging cultural influence in the West can be seen in university curricula, bestselling spiritual books, health and wellness practices, and interfaith efforts to bridge what are seen as the most influential religions of the Western and Eastern world: Christianity and Buddhism. Buddhism teaches tranquil, even blissful, purposelessness, while Christianity teaches ultimate purpose. Buddhists reason that acceptance of purposelessness is existentially preferable to getting continually disappointed by the popping of inflated desires. Christianity offers ultimate purpose grounded in a trustworthy God. An acceptance of the world’s “thusness” may bring one inward bliss, but Christianity’s recognition of the world’s “oughtness” brings restoration, as Christians trust and follow a God at work making all things new.This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Daniel J. McCoy about his online-exclusive article, “Why Do We Exist? Opposite Answers from Buddhism and Christianity”. https://www.equip.org/articles/why-do-we-exist-opposite-answers-from-buddhism-and-christianity/Note: This article is adapted from Buddhism or Christianity : Which is Better for the World? By Daniel McCoy (Houston, TX: Moral Apologetics Press, 2023). Click here for information on receiving for your partnering gift.When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our ever growing database of over 1,500 articles, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.Another way you can support our online articles is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3, $5, or $10 which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here