popular culture

On Good Friday, New York’s Trinity Church reenacted the Passion Play via Twitter, the latest social-networking sensation. Nathan Schneider reports on multitasking his way through the service.

How did Christianity become so commercial? Is religious punk rock an oxymoron? The author of a new book on suburban evangelicalism and Christian heavy metal shows how Christian youth culture has been commodified and sold to secular audiences.

To all the breathless detractors of “flyover country,” think about the history of Iowa before expressing shock.

Drawing on sources as diverse as feminist theology, biblical criticism and Midrash, renowned poet Alicia Suskin Ostriker’s latest book of essays seeks to rescue the Bible from the clutches of narrow conservatism.

In this invitation to inter-cinematic dialogue, S. Brent Plate offers a Lenten season roundup of Jesus films from all across the world, and not a blue-eyed protagonist among them.

Conservative clergy and pundits have worked overtime to create the impression that there’s only one “Christian” position on the issues. A new survey proves otherwise.

Television fails once again to do justice to the complexity of biblical narrative.

Drawn from the Bible, Kings takes a risk that pays off. Plus, we get Ian McShane.

What could possibly be wrong with finding “common ground” on abortion, as a recent Cleveland Plain Dealer op-ed suggested? A closer look at the “commongroundniks” leaves a lot to be desired for those who don’t compromise on respect and support for women.

Obama’s scheduled Notre Dame commencement has a small, largely powerless, group of Orthodox Catholics singing for publicity to an obliging media. Why did Notre Dame take the bait?