May (Web-only) 2009

Lost Pentecost
How to capture a richer meaning of our Sunday for the Holy Spirit.
A Scottish Bummer
Why did the Scottish government express disappointment? What word won the National Spelling Bee? And other questions from this week's news.
Up
Pixar's latest—about an old widower and a young boy who find themselves on an adventure—blends humor and pathos to create another masterpiece.
Drag Me to Hell
Beneath its terrifying exterior, this horror flick offers a morally and theologically fascinating exploration of the Calvinist doctrine of total depravity.
Media Lukewarm on Laodicean's Meaning
Last night's spelling bee champ rattled off the word with ease, but media today haven't yet connected the Greek adjective to the Bible.
Few Red Flags Found in Sotomayor's Religion-Related Cases
President Obama's Supreme Court pick generally sided with religious freedom.
Ward, M.
Hold Time
M. Ward's songs of love, loss, death—and redemption.
Jon and Kate Plus a Lot of Bitterness
The Gosselins need to confess their sins to Christian friends rather than to the TV camera.
What to Do with Smoking Moms
New research makes me reexamine smoking as a women's issue, and question when it's time to speak up.
Introducing Julia Duin
And her untold story of women who choose not to abort their handicapped infants.
Will There Really Be a Morning
God Don't Never Change
Mental Health and Wealth
Also: A religious-rights test case on the lam.
Pete Docter, Pixar's Star Director, Talks about His Christian Faith
Pete Docter, director of the new Pixar film Up, says that as a Christian he's learned that relationships matter more than anything—and his new movie shows it.
When Childbirth Means Risking Your Life
Midwives may be one major factor in offsetting Africa's high maternal mortality rate.
Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian
Ben Stiller returns as a security guard in yet another magical museum, but there’s just not much magic—or human connection—here.
Kris Allen Triumphs on 'American Idol'—in More Ways Than One
Lessons from the outspoken Christian's friendship with the competition, glam rocker Adam Lambert.
Speak the Gospel
Speak the Gospel
Use deeds when necessary.
Terminator Salvation
With a theme about the heart separating humans from machines, this post-apocalyptic sequel forgets the heart as it mechanically tells a story.
Arts Funding Slashed in Economic Crunch
But when children in my home state are going to bed hungry, maybe it's for the best.
Saints, Sinners, and Salvation
The Terminator franchise—including the new Terminator Salvation—is full of religious imagery, much of it ultimately embracing hope for mankind.
To Swear or Not to Swear?
Our recent commentary about Derek Webb's battle with his record company over the use of a bad word sparked quite a reaction from readers.
Jesus and the Terminator
Jesus and the Terminator
Biblical allusions run throughout the series.
How Would a Woman Change the Supreme Court?
The better question is, what's that woman's political ideology?
Open Hand
'I Kind of Wanted to Die'
Lanae Hale's struggles with self-esteem and self-mutilation continue to haunt her, but her faith is helping on the road to recovery.
'I Try to Be a Christian'
Orson Welles had a Catholic upbringing and was involved in several projects based on the Bible, but he mostly identified with Shakespeare's Falstaff—a Christ figure 'decorated with vices.'
Obama: A Friend to Pro-Lifers?
The President's outlined goals for reducing abortions are ones I can support—as long as he sticks to them.
Man of His Time for All Times
W. Robert Godfrey paints popular portrait of Calvin as pilgrim and pastor.
Forgotten Little Pitchers
The difficulty of raising children in an adult-centered world.
Obama's Kinder, Gentler Culture War
At Notre Dame this weekend, President Obama seemed to forget the indelible pain of having an abortion.
Summer Hours
This French film tells a story of death and grieving, but it's anything but depressing—it's a celebration of life and family.
Management
A quirky romance between two unlikely lovers manages to be moving, despite an uneven story.
The Brothers Bloom
Quirky, stylish caper film revels in the blurry line between real life and storytelling.
Christian Children's Fund Drops 'Christian' from Name
The organization hopes the new name will broaden its reach.
Angels & Demons
The sequel to The Da Vinci Code is marginally more entertaining and a bit better in its treatment of religion, but it's still fundamentally silly and inaccurate.
O'Horten
A taciturn railway engineer retires and must find a new life, while encountering many strange experiences along the way.
Operation Squirrel
Lots of birthday candles for Baptists, feuding Pentecostal pastors, and more.
A Weighty Issue
The church's silence on food addiction is ignoring sin—and hurting women.
Q+A: Kaffie McCullough on Craigslist
A top advocate for stopping child prostitution is skeptical about Craigslist's decision to pull its 'erotic services' ads.
Is the Fight to Swear a Noble Battle?
With Derek Webb's announcement of a battle over his newest album, some may applaud his apparent stand for the right to swear. But is it really worth the fight?
'Stuff', the Sleeper Hit
Viral video on consumption may be coming to a church near you.
Is Hollywood Anti-Catholic?
Angels & Demons, Catholicism and the "Last Acceptable Prejudice"
Everyday with You
Donald Trump Says Miss California Can Keep the Crown
But will conservative Christians continue to put her on a pedestal?
When the Stranger Knocks
The influx of immigrants to the U.S. means a new mission field for churches, says World Relief's Jenny Hwang.
Never Been Kissed
The Virgin Lips movement, and shades of 'how far is too far?'
Rudo y Cursi
Ample talents largely squandered in Mexican soccer movie moonlighting as a moral fable
The Matriarchal Blessing
Even without words, our oldest relatives have something important to tell us.
SoulWork: How to Handle the Next Pandemic
How to Handle the Next Pandemic
Christians at their best have an odd answer.
Star Trek
The venerable sci-fi series has never been this flashy or exciting—or as uninterested in big ideas—as it is in this part sequel, part prequel, and part reboot.
Women Benefit from Health-Care Overhaul
The failing industry says it will stop charging women at higher premium rates than it charges men.
Secular or Sacred?
Or neither? We should stop trying to define a dividing line, because when it comes to music, it's all spiritual.
Ego, Super-Ego, & Id
Why we've always found the Trek triumvirate of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy so, ahem, fascinating.
Glow-in-the-Dark Bark
Ruppy, the world's first transgenic dog, raises questions about the ramifications of genetic tinkering.
Q & A: 'Joe the Plumber'
The man who became a metaphor for the average American in the 2008 election tells CT about his Christian faith and the future of the Republican Party.
Mobile No More
How does the biblical storyline relate to America's all-time-low moving rate?
Nutrition for Nascent Human Life
I'm grateful that the government helped feed my child; I'm less okay with asking it to erase inequality among all citizens.
Obsessed
A thriller about romantic fixation is deflated by an unconvincing antagonist but does try to raise worthwhile questions about marital integrity.
Commencement Speaker Mayday
Also: What not to preach when renting and why Americans leave church.
The Limits of Control
Jim Jarmusch offers a confounding but beautiful look at meaning, language, and spirituality set in surrealist Spain, but it might test the limits of audience attention.
The Merry Gentleman
A contract killer and an abused housewife strike up an unlikely friendship in a story of guilt, grace and everything that falls in between.
Battle for Terra
An ambitious animated sci-fi parable, Battle for Terra has visual style to burn, but its politically correct tale of rapacious invaders and noble natives is less interesting than the world in which the story is set.
Miss CA Becomes Ad Spokeswoman for Traditional Marriage
Meanwhile, two pageant directors say they paid for Prejean's breast implants weeks before Miss USA.

Top Story March 19, 2024

Died: Michael Knott, Christian Alternative Musician Who Helped Launch Tooth & Nail
Died: Michael Knott, Christian Alternative Musician Who Helped Launch Tooth & Nail
Knott wrote rock operas, sang with honesty and conviction, called out hypocrites, and bucked the norms of the Christian music industry.

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