Dorkness to Light Podcast: Recent Episodes
Professor Alan & Em
Dedicated to wrestling with questions of faith, religion, and theology that arise in comic books and other pop culture media. Occasionally irreverent, rarely sacrilegious.
Updates, Feedback, & "Happy"
Alan and Em talk about what they've been doing the last little while, cover listener feedback, and talk about a couple of events in the music world that interest them.Click on the player below to listen to the episode:
Right-click to download the episode.You may also subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts or the RSS Feed. Link # 1: "Happy," by NF
Link # 2: Monk Rock
Link #3:
The novel "The Lyra & the Cross"
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You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"A Summer Pilgrimage and Popery Potpourri"Alan and Em talk about the Dorkness-related events of their summer vacation, including an actual pilgrimage to an actual shrine of an actual Catholic saint. They also talk about their experiences with Catholicism, The Saint Cast, and the game Balder's Gate.
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Link #1: St Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site
Link #2: St Kateri Conservation Center
Link #3: The novel "A Man At Arms"
Link #4: The novel "The Lyra & the Cross"
Link #5: The podcast The SaintCastLink #6: St Kateri piece by Paper Cut Prayers
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You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Audiofeed 2022 (FINALLY)"Alan and Em talk about the return of their favorite music festival, Audiofeed. They talk about their experiences at this year's fest.
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Link # 1: The band Threnodian
Link # 2: The band Ignescent
Link # 3: The band Raviner
Link # 4: The band Rusty Shipp
Link # 5: Propaganda's book Terraform
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You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Ordinary Time"Alan and Em talk about the church calendar concept of "Ordinary Time," give some personal feedback, cover listener feedback, and discuss Michael F. Flynn's short story "3rd Corinthians," appearing in the June 2003 issue of Analog Magazine.
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Link # 1: Sassy Seminarian's twitter feedLink # 2: Paper Cut Prayers' twitter feedLink # 3: Students of the Word podcastWe would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Audiofeed 2020 2021"Alan and Em lament (a little) the cancellation of their favorite music festival, Audiofeed. But mostly they celebrate the bands that they wish they had seen, and play lots of songs.
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Link # 1: Sara & Marco CastroLink # 2: Glenn KaiserLink # 3: Insomniac FolkloreLink # 4: Must Build JacuzziLink # 5: The Gray HavensLink # 6: Silent PlanetLink # 7: Good Saint NathanaelLink # 8: Coyote KidLink # 9: DeborahLink #10: The Oh HellosLink #11: Harry GoreWe would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"The Big Book of Martyrs"Alan and Em cover 3 stories each (or more like 6 each) from the non-fiction graphic work The Big book of Martyrs. They also talk generally about martyrs, saints, and persecution.
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Here is an example of how one of the stories referenced in the episode looks in the book:
Link #1: "Blood on the Church Floor," by Ravenhill
Link #2: "Over My Dead Body," by Steve Taylor
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"Chit-Chat & Feedback"Alan and Em talk a bit about how they've been passing the time recently -- Dragon Age, Warrior Nun, theology podcasts, and the like. And then they empty out the entire bag of listener feedback.
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Link #1: The music of The Oh Hellos!
Link #2: The music of The Gray Havens
Link #3: The Sacramental Charismatic podcast
Link #4: The Foreword podcast
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Home for the Holidays"
Alan and Em revisit the concept of Blue Christmas, which they covered last year on Episode 35. These are services that allow churches to make space for people who aren't quite ready to celebrate the season. But given the way that 2020 went, we're pretty sure that EVERYONE is dealing with loss, discouragement, and depression this year.
We give our personal updates, talk about our 2020 holiday thoughts, and then share some mostly (but not altogether) happy Christmas memories.
Merry Christmas, seasons greetings, happy holidays, and we wish all out listeners a blessed and joyous
2021.
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Link: Episode 35, last year's Blue Christmas discussion
Link to Opening Song: "In Like a Lion (Always Winter)" by Relient K
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"Harry Whodunit: The Mystery of the Nine Samsons"
Enjoy your Covid lockdown with this Harry Whodunit mystery audio adventure!
Back in Episode 31, we mentioned Harry Whodunit as one of our favorite little-known bits of Evangelical pop culture. And in Episode 32, we played a digitized version of one of the two cassette sets we own. And then in Episode 36, we played a digitized version of the other set we own.
As we discussed last episode, creator Terry Scott Taylor recently put his entire audio archives up for sale, including the entire (4 adventures) Harry Whodunit collection! We were very excited to see that, and bought the collection.
And here is the third adventure we've posted, although it was the first one produced. And so, we proudly present "The Mystery of the Nine Samsons!"
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You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"The Book of Ruth: An Original Graphic Novel"
Alan and Em discuss the original graphic novel The Book of Ruth, by Meredith Finch & Colin Dyer. The book retells the Old Testament story in the context of the Dust Bowl era. The discussion includes a deep dive into atonement theology, but somehow they manage to reference Babylon 5, Leverage ... and more!
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Link: The Book of Ruth Kickstarter
Link: Meredith Finch on Twitter
Link: The Harry Whodunit Collection
Link: Tomato Bird's Tumblr
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"A Quarantine Conversation"
Alan and Em discuss how they are handling their isolation situations ... and they talk about their emotions, their jobs, church, games, books, music ... and more!
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Link: Hoopla Digital app
Link: Libby / Overdrive
Link: Sara Castro's Etsy store
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"Reviews, Recos, and a Rant"
Alan and Em discuss some pop culture items they've consumed recently ... TV shows, movies, books, music and more!
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Link: Purchase "daydreamer," by Formerly Bodies
Link: The Book of Ruth graphic novel
Link: Coyote Kid on YouTube
Link: St. Kateri Conservation Center
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Christmas Eve and Other Stories"
Alan and Em discuss their Christmas 2019 holiday seasons -- church services, family travels, Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts, Muppets movies ... and more!
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Opening Song: "My Dear" by Sara & Marco Castro
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"Harry Whodunit: The Mystery of the Spitball Ghost"
Start the New Year right with this Harry Whodunit mystery audio adventure!
Back in Episode 31, we mentioned Harry Whodunit as one of our favorite little-known bits of Evangelical pop culture. And in Episode 32, we played a digitized version of one of the two cassette sets we own.
And here is the second (and last) one ... with maybe not the best results in digitization from a 20+ year old audio cassette ... we present "The Mystery of the Spitball Ghost."
Photos of the cards that came with the cassette can be found here.
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We would love to hear from you about this topic, or the podcast episode. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Blue Christmas"
Alan and Em are not discussing the Elvis song in this episode. Instead, they are talking about the growing trend of "Blue Christmas" services, in which churches make space for people who aren't quite ready to celebrate the season, but are instead dealing with loss, grief, discouragement, and the general stresses of modern life.
Merry Christmas, seasons greetings, happy holidays, and we wish all out listeners a blessed 2020.
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Link to Opening Song: "Veni Veni Emmanuel" by Heather Dale
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"Religion in Sci-Fi: Babylon 5"
Alan and Em are joined by their podcasting buddy Chris Tyler from The Two True Freaks network to discuss the TV show Babylon 5.They talk about how well creator J Michael Straczynski did handling religious themes and content on the show. Special attention is given to the Season 3 episode "Passing Through Gethsemane," guest starring Brad Dourif.
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Link: The Babylon 5 Lurkers Guide
Link: Chris Tyler's"Vault of Startling Monster Horror Tales of Terror" podcast
Link: JMS' memoir "Becoming Superman"
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or Evangelical pop culture in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
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"It's a Feedback Episode!"
Alan and Em take the huge chance of turning over the responsibility for creating podcast content to their lovely listeners. Fortunately, The Dorks ask great questions and make wonderful points.
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We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or Evangelical pop culture in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Harry Whodunit: The Phantom of the Barn Mystery"
As discussed on last episode, the Harry Whodunit series of audio mysteries was one of Em's favorite things growing up. And here ... with maybe not the best results in digitization from a 20+ year old audio cassette ... is "The Phantom of the Barn Mystery."
Photos of the cards that came with the cassette can be found here.
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We would love to hear from you about this topic, or the podcast episode. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Surprisingly Good Things From Christian Pop Culture"
Alan and Em talk about some of the surprisingly good products that have come out from Evangelical pop culture over the year. They talk about some of the music, books, and other items that they enjoyed long ago and still think (mostly) hold up.
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Link: The book Leaper, by Geoffrey Wood
Link: The Million Dollar Mysteries, by Mindy Starns Clark
Link: Author Gilbert Morris' Daystar Voyages
Link: Author Stephen R. Lawhead
Link: The Book "Selling Satan"
Link: Radio U
Link: The band Iona
Link: Super House / Flying House
Link: Jars of Clay
Link: Switchfoot's The Beautiful Letdown
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or Evangelical pop culture in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Congratulations, Timbre "
Alan and Em talk about the music of the harpist Timbre, who they discovered at the Cornerstone and Audiofeed festivals. We talk about her latest album, Sun & Moon, which was recently awarded a prestigious honor by an arm of the United Nations.
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Link: Timbre's Sun & Moon album on Band Camp
Link: Timbre on Twitter
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
As discussed in podcast episode 29, new blog posts (and all of the old ones, too) have moved to a new location:
Dorkness to Light Blog . Blogspot . Com
This change will not effect the podcast subscriptions - no updates needed to keep the podcasts coming. This change only effects blog posts.
"Current Events, etc ... "
Alan and Em talk about some Dorkness-related current events, give some updates about past episodes and guests, talk about the new Dorkness to Light blog, and then go over lots and lots of terrific feedback from terrific listeners.
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Link: Dorkness to Light Blog (new address)
Link: Musician Jeff Anderson's campaign
Link: Coyote Kid's campaign
Link: The Audiofeed Festival
Link: The Religion Prof Podcast
Link: A Christian Gaming Podcast
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Surrender"
Alan and Em are joined by Garret Godfrey of the Good patron podcast to discuss Christian music in the 1980s. The episode also includes 25 minutes of a 1987 episode of Alan's college radio show, where he played "the best in today's Christian rock."
We we about the new album, and play portions of two songs.
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Link: Good Patron Podcast
Link: Justus on Discogs
Link: "Someone's Waiting" at YouTube
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Hide No Truth"
During our Audiofeed episode, we talked about the "Death by 1000 Cuts" seminar that featured musician Nate Allen, in which he discussed the spiritual abuse he had suffered, and his recovery process.
We were pleased to talk with Nate about his news album, "Hide No Truth," which he recorded under the name Good Saint Nathanael, in which he addresses many of those issues. This conversation covers the topic of spiritual abuse, the goods and bads of being raised in the church, the recovery process, and how to identify people who can help. We also talk about the new album, and play portions of two songs.
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Link: Good Saint Nathanael's new album "Hide no Truth"
Link: Video for the song "Lightning"
Link: Twitter for Destroy Nate Allen
Link: Good Saint Nathanael website
Link: Purchase a Nate Allen prayer candle
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
On Sunday's upcoming episode #27, we talk with musician Nate Allen (performing as Good Saint Nathanael), about his new album, and the difficult circumstances that led him to produce the album.
Here is the first video from the new album:
And some info about it
About Hide No Truth (photos by Larissa Van Der Vyver)
Near the end of Nate Allen’s first Destroy Nate Allen tour he spray painted the words “My Goal Is Resolution” boldly on his acoustic guitar. The vulnerability and complexity of that statement unknowingly charted a course for his life.
With his new project Good Saint Nathanael, Nate Allen is turning to face his demons leading with a rare-disarming vulnerability. On Hide No Truth (available on Feb. 1st), the harder Nate looks at himself in the mirror, the more humanity reveals its bitter, beautiful complexity.
The nine songs on Hide No Truth find Nate stripping back his sonic pallet to reveal stark, memorable, acoustic songs full of detail and intention.
In what is a cathartic move towards self-choice, honest art and emotional health, Nate uses religious language to explore human vulnerability and his own broken Christian religious experience.
Faced with a choice between ignoring his past or leaving his faith and community, Good Saint Nathanael is a project seeking a 3rd path, one that lances the wounds, protests somberly, and grieves deeply while still refusing to give up.
Hide No Truth was recorded and mixed by Jon Terrey (Listener, The Chariot). Then Nate assigned different friends to add whatever their vision of “noise” was to each track, further adding to the haunting soundscape. Lastly, the record was mastered by Jim Demain at Yes Master Studios (John Prine, Frank Black, June Carter Cash).
"Dorkness to Nightmare: The Nightmare is Over"
After the marathon of October mini-series, Em & Alan tackle the piles of feedback that those episodes generated. They also talk about all of the many, many things they forgot to mention during the mini-series.
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Link: Nathaniel Wayne's Council of Geeks YouTube Channel
Link: Vera Wylde's book "Skirting Gender"
Link: Aaron Henley's novel "Fangs of Vengeance"
Link: Joe Golem, Occult Detective
Link: Hebrew Punk
Link: Reading in the Dark anthology
Link: "All The Way To The Bloodbank" video on YouTube
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Dorkness to Nightmare: Angels"
On this final (not so mini) installment of this mini-series, Em & Alan talk about those scariest of all spiritual beings -- Angels. They discuss what these monsters say about humanity, faith, & God.
Topics discussed include, Lovecraftian monstrosities, 5-dimensional beings, Thing Theory, angelic visitations, flaming swords, and what we believe.
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Link: "GLORIA" by Taylor Leong
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Dorkness to Nightmare: Nephilim, Lilith & Old Testament Weirdness"
On this penultimate sixth mini-sode, Em & Alan talk about Lilith, unicorns, Nephilim, and other weird things that may (or may not) be in the Old Testament. They talk about what these stories say about humanity, and what they say about the Bible.
Topics discussed include Bible translation, myths and legends, the value of imagination to faith, and keeping Christianity weird.
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Link: The Nephilim Wars comic book Kickstarter
Link: Paeter Frandsen's "Spirit Blade" audio drama
Link: Dark Ark: the comic book
Link: The book "Lucifer, Leviathan, Lilith, and Other Mysterious Creatures of the Bible"
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or biblical monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
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"Dorkness to Nightmare: Faeries and Sprites and Brownies and Werewolves"
On this fifth of our mini-series of mini-sodes, Em & Alan talk about spirits and cursed beings, like faeries and werewolves.
Topics discussed include Tolkien, Holly Black's novels,being nice to brownies, Werewolf by Night, and why garden gnomes have red hats.
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Link: Author Holly Black's website
Link: Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories" essay
Link: The Tolkien Professor's podcast episode about "On Fairy Stories."
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Dorkness to Nightmare: The Dead"
On this fourth of our mini-series of mini-sodes, Em & Alan talk about spooky dead things, like Zombies and ghosts and spirits. They discuss what these monsters say about humanity, and what may lie beyond the grave.
Topics discussed include ghosts, saints, World War Z, Wynonna Earp, wendigos, and a fair amount of speculative theology.
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Link: The band Street Angel on discogs.com
Link: The song "What's Following the Grave," by Christian metal legends Bloodgood.
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Dorkness to Nightmare: Vampires"
On this third mini-sode in their "Dorkness to Nightmare" miniseries, Em and Alan discuss the most blood-sucking of monsters ... Vampires!
Topics discussed include Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, Twilight, Tom Cruise, and the X-Files.
Both Em and Alan also pitch ideas for vampire novels they'd like to write.
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We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on Twitter @DorknesstoLight and Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Dorkness to Nightmare: Genie & Djinn"
On this second of our mini-series of mini-sodes, Em & Alan talk about genies, djinn, and other ways to spell to that. They talk about what these occasionally monstrous beings have to teach us, other than "don't mess with them."
Topics discussed include linguistic branching, The Monkey's Paw, John Constantine, the X-Files, and (of course) Aladdin.
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Link: The origin of the Genie in the Lamp, at Giant Glacier
Link: The Podcastle version of the short story "The Dybbuk in the Bottle."
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Dorkness to Nightmare: Golems & Frankenstein Monsters"
On this first of our mini-series of mini-sodes, Em & Alan talk about Frankenstein-style monsters, the Jewish legend at their roots, and the questions these monsters ask about humanity.
Topics discussed include The Golem of Prague, Mary Shelley, RUR, Warehouse 13, the X-Files and artificial intelligence.
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Link: The Golem, at the Jewish Virtual Library
Link: The Golem Legend, from San Jose State University
Link: The Golem in comic books
We would love to hear from you about this topic, the podcast episode, or monsters in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
For these Halloween Times, we will be doing a mini-series of mini-sodes we are calling "Dorkness to Nightmare!"
Over the course of the month, we will be releasing podcast episodes about various Monsters, and what they have to say about humanity. Vampires, Zombies, Demons ... and MORE!
Coming soon!
In the recent DC Comics issue of Batman 38, the Caped Crusader stumbles across this note, while investigating a crime.
There are some interesting things to note in this flier. Both the first and last paragraphs are reasonably solid theologically, and could have come from a number of legitimate Christian organizations. But it's the middle paragraph this is the problem.Keen-eyed readers, especially those with a bit of Sunday School in their background, will note that there is no book in the Bible that abbreviates to "NED." And the words that Jesus is quoted as saying in NED 4:1 ... not even close. To give Batman credit, he knows that as well, and quickly recognizes that entire paragraphis an elaborate clue. And ... spoilers ... Batman uses that information to save the day.
A recent issue of the DC Comics title The Hellblazer contained this panel, which contained an interesting take on afterlife theology. Or at least John Constantine's understanding of theology. oThe statement "the great faiths will tell you the dirty flesh is just a vessel ... " is an inaccurate (although common) description of what orthodox historical Christianity teaches. As a matter of fact, this dualistic approach ("spirit is good, flesh is bad") is much more closer to Gnosticism, as heresy that was dealt with in the very early days of church, and dismissed as not having a plae in Christianity. Despite the anti-gnostic statements that fill the book of 1 John, there are places in the modern church where the heresy of gnosticism rears its ugly head.All of that is to say this: Don't look to comic books for your theology. And most of all, don't look to John Constantine for your theology.
Emptying Out The Mailbag
On this eighteenth episode, Em & Alan reply to all the listener feedback they've received since the last time they went over listener feedback, which was at least 3 episodes ago. This gives them a chance to revisit Marah in the Mainsail, The Prince of Egypt, and Audiofeed.
They also talk about the value of community, and reiterate the fact that ALL ARE WELCOME in the Dorkness to Light community.
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Link: Faith and Fandom
Link: The Redeemed Otaku Podcast
Link: The Nomad Podcast
We would love to hear from you about this podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
The Audiofeed Music & Arts Festival
On this seventeenth episode, Em & Alan talk about their recent attendance at the 2018 Audiofeed Music & Arts Festival.
They talk about the bands they saw play, the seminars they attended, and the merch they bought. Included are interviews with a number of bands and vendors.
Audiofeed is the most unique Christian festival around. The music is eclectic, the seminars are interesting, and the ideas discussed are varied and diverse.
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Link: The Prettybads on Bandcamp
Link: Staghorn
Link: Insomniac Folklore
Link: Destroy Nate Allen
Link: Must Build Jacuzzi on Bandcamp
Link: Laura McElroy on Bandcamp
Link: Black Sheep Collective
Link: Chicago Tiny House
We would love to hear from you about this podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow the network on twitter @DorknessToLight or Alan @ProfessorAlan
"Commentary: The Prince of Egypt"
On this sixteenth episode, Emily & Alan observe Passover by talking about one of their favorite animated films, "The Prince of Egypt," one of Dreamworks' earliest movies. Actually, they talk OVER the film. Grab some popcorn and a beverage, and settle in for a commentary episode.
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We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"Thaumatrope"
On this fifteenth episode, Emily & Alan talk about one of their favorite albums, "Thaumatrope," by Marah in the Mainsail. Stealing (ummm, borrowing) the format from the podcast Long Play, they go through the album song by song, discussing the lyrics and music.
And then they cover listener feedback, most of which is pretty awesome. Because Dorkness listeners are pretty awesome.
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NOTE: although the discussion in this episode is "rated PG," the underlying material discussed includes intense images of violence, depression, cannibalism, and suicide.
Link: Marah in the Mainsail's website
Link: Marah in the Mainsail's Band Camp page
Link: Marah in the Mainsail on Spotify
Link: Official YouTube video for "Wendigo"
Link: Video Trailer for the new album "Bone Crown"
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
This op-ed originally appeared in the "Houses of Worship" section of the Wall Street Journal, Friday, December 22, 2017. Kim Phuc Phan Thi is the author of "Fire Road: The Napalm Girl's Journey through the Horrors of War to Faith, Forgiveness, and Peace," from Tyndale Momentum, 2017.
"You may not recognize me now, but you almost certainly know who I am. My name is Kim Phuc, though you likely know me by another name. It is one I never asked for, a name I have spent a lifetime trying to escape: “Napalm Girl.”
You have probably seen my picture a thousand times. Yes, that picture. The image that made the world gasp. Some called it a turning point in the Vietnam War—a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of me in 1972, age 9, running along a puddled roadway in front of an expressionless soldier. I was photographed with arms outstretched, naked and shrieking in pain and fear, with the dark contour of a napalm cloud billowing in the distance.
My own people had dropped bombs on Route 1 in an effort to cut off the trade routes for the Viet Cong rebels. I had not been targeted. I had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Those bombs have caused me immeasurable pain over the course of my life. Forty-five years later I am still receiving treatment for the burns that cover my arms, back and neck. But even worse than the physical pain was the emotional and spiritual pain. For years I bore the crippling weight of anger, bitterness and resentment toward those who caused my suffering. Yet as I look back over a spiritual journey that has spanned more than three decades, I realize the same bombs that caused so much pain and suffering also brought me to a place of great healing. Those bombs led me to Jesus Christ.
My salvation experience occurred on Christmas Eve. It was 1982. I was attending a special worship service at a small church in Vietnam. The pastor, Ho Hieu Ha, delivered a message many Christians would find familiar: Christmas is not about the gifts we carefully wrap and place under a tree. Rather, it is about the gift of Jesus Christ, who was wrapped in human flesh and given to us by God. As the pastor spoke, I knew in my heart that something was shifting inside of me.
A decade removed from the defining tragedy of my life, I still desperately needed peace. I had so much hatred and bitterness in my heart. Yet I was ready for love and joy. I wanted to let go of my pain. I wanted to pursue life instead of holding fast to fantasies of death. When Pastor Ho finished speaking, I stood up, stepped out into the aisle, and made my way to the front of the sanctuary to say “yes” to Jesus Christ.
When I woke up that Christmas morning, I experienced my first-ever heartfelt celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. I know what it is like to experience terror, to feel despondent, to live in fear. I know how wearying and hopeless life can be sometimes. After years in the spiritual wilderness, I felt the kind of healing that can only come from God.
I had spent so much of my life running—first from the bombs and the war, then from communist Vietnam. I had always assumed that to flee was my only choice. Looking back, I understand the path I had been racing along led me straight to God. Today I live at ease. Yes, my circumstances can still be challenging. But my heart is 100% healed.
My faith in Jesus Christ is what has enabled me to forgive those who had wronged me—no matter how severe those wrongs were. Faith also inspired me to pray for my enemies rather than curse them. It enabled me not only to tolerate those who had wronged me but to love them.
No matter what type of pain or sorrow you may be experiencing, as Christmas approaches, I encourage you not to give up. Hold fast to hope. It is hope that will see you through. This peace I have found can be yours as well. I pray that it finds you this Christmas."
A terrific essay about the historical St. Nicholas appears on the St. Nicholas Center website, by James Parker III. He is a professor at he Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Check it out.
Persecuted, Jailed, Passionate
That's my kind of Santa Claus A Baptist Take on Saint Nicholas
In honor of the feast day of that great heretic-puncher and orthodoxy-upholder, here is a classic meme about the man.
And just in case you wondered that it couldn't hurt that much to be punched by a theologian, what if that theologian had clear Klingon ancestry?For more information about the saint behind the legend, check out the St. Nicholas Center.
"Rengeance!"
On this Halloweeny episode, Emily & Professor Alan talk about a nice light tale, from the delightful Scooby-Doo Team-Up title. Ghosts are disappearing all across the Earth, and the Phantom Stranger and Deadman seek out the expert ghost-finders of Mystery, Inc. to find them.
Em & the Prof also cover some great listener feedback.
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We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"Constantine & His Amazing Friends!"
On this lucky thirteenth episode, Emily & Professor Alan talk about the Justice League Dark. They focus on the recent animated movie, but also talk about the New 52 comic of the same name, and the "Constantine" TV show.
And then for the first time in a long time, they cover listener feedback, most of which is pretty awesome.
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Link: The music of Insomniac Folklore
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"Luther 500"
On this super-sized episode, Emily & Professor Alan talk about the religious, spiritual, and cultural aspects of their recent family vacation. After a brief discussion of their time in London, they spend the majority of the episode talking about their week-long experience in Wittenberg, Germany, at the "Luther 500" event.
They discuss the devotional, historical, theological, and church history aspects of what they learned and experienced at this commemoration of the start of the Protestant Reformation.
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Link: The music of Lost and Found
Link: The music of Andy Pokel
Link: The Luther 500 Tour
Link: The Wiedmann Bible
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"Religious Fandom & Spiritual Head Canon"
On this super-sized episode, Emily & Professor Alan talk about some of the similarities between religion and pop culture fandom.
Then they spend most of the episode talking about their own individual faith journeys, doubts, beliefs, questions, and oddball notions.
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Link: The music of The Choir
Link: The music of Iona
Link: The music of Anderson Cale
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"Happy Holidays"
On this Holiday-themed episode, Emily & Alan discuss the brand-new 2016 DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1.
They talk about all of the stories in the special, which feature a wide range of DC Comics characters, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Nightwing, Oracle, John Constantine and Detective Chimp. No, really Detective Chimp. It's not a DC Special until a talking monkey shows up!
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Link: The music of Anderson Cale
Link: The music of Insomniac Folklore
Link: Billy Tucci's A Child is Born graphic novel
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"Into the Unknown"
On this Halloween-y Times episode, Emily & Alan discuss Emily's new favorite creepy, weird production, the 2014 Cartoon Network mini-series "Over the Garden Wall."
In the course of the discussion, we talk about Halloween, American folk religion, liminal spaces, scary forests, and demons. And we reply to some of the lovely things that our lovely listeners have said to us recently.
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Link: The music of Anderson Cale
Link: A doctoral dissertation on liminality and the Bible
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That"
In this grab-bag of an episode, we explore the connections between the 4th century churchman Athanasius and new Broadway star Alexander Hamilton. And we ask the important question: whose severed limb was that anyway? We also point out a couple of Christian comedians who are actually funny. And we reply to the lovely things that our lovely listeners have said to us recently.
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Link: The podcast "The Fear of God"
Link: Episode 351 of the podcast "Catholic Under the Hood"
Link: More Than One Lesson episode about "Christian Satire"
Link: The band Insomniac Folklore
Link: Comedian John Crist
Link: The Babylon Bee
Link: Anderson Cale's music
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's A Podcast Crossover!"
In this episode, we continue a conversation that began on episode 243 of Michael Bailey's Views From the Longbox podcast. Over there, we covered the basic comic-book stuff in Alex Ross and Mark Waid's 1996 graphic novel "Kingdom Come."
In this episode, the three of us talk about the spiritual and religious aspects of the comics. We cover Reverend McKay's pastoral style, whether Superman should be presented as an analog of Jesus or of Moses, and whether an atomic bomb could really create a mushroom cloud in the shape of a cross.
Because we had a guest on this episode, we did not cover feedback from our terrific feedbackers. But please send in feedback on this episode, and we will cover it all on the next one!
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Link: Michael Bailey's View from the Longbox
Link: Anderson Cale's music
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"Exploring a World of Shadows."
In this all-new sixth podcast episode, Emily & Alan talk about the Spirit Blade audio drama series, a gripping, futuristic sci-fi tale. The third part of the trilogy, "A World of Shadows," has just been released.
We talk with Spirit Blade creator and producer Paeter Frandsen about the 10-year journey that he has gone on to complete the trilogy.
The episode closes with some great listener feedback.
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Link: Purchase "Spirit Blade: A World of Shadows"
Link: The Spirit Blade Underground Podcast
Link: Anderson Cale's music
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
"From Jersey City, It's Ms. Marvel!"
In this all-new, all-embiggened fifth episode, Alan and Emily talk about the Kamala Khan version of Ms Marvel, which debuted in 2014. We talk about the significance of her status as a young Muslim heroine. We talk ethnicity, religion, culture, family, and the immigrant experience.
We also cover lots of terrific feedback from our terrific feedbackers, mostly about our recent Star Wars episode.
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Link: Anderson Cale's music
Special thanks to Stella, from Batgirl to Oracle, for providing her voice.
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
The Unforogttens: Mission of Tranquillity #1, Trinity Comic Ministries, 1993. The untitled story is created by Timothy A. Gagnon.
I think it started with the Frank Peretti novel “This Present Darkness,” and its sequel “Piercing the Darkness.” These were published in 1986 and 1989 respectively. Those books both fed on a growing interest in spiritual warfare in the evangelical church, and also contributed to that growing interest. Many evangelical novels and albums of the era reflected this interest, so a comic book featuring similar content makes sense. Three teens are performing a Satanist ritual in the woods, and summon a demon. They are interrupted by a warrior of God (called Faith), who appears to be an angel, but is in fact a human who has been empowered by God to fight Satan and other evils. Two of the three teens repent of their ways, the demon is expelled, and Faith meets up with two similar beings. At the end of the issue, an unsuspecting hitchhiker appears to be kidnapped by demonic forces.There is one scene in particular that surprised me. The lead character is Catholic, and his salvation came as a result of a conversation with a priest, in a confessional. Evangelical publishing is not known for taking ecumenical stances, so this scene stood out in a positive way. It had a simple storyline and overly dramatic dialog, but there were also interesting moments and subtle touches sprinkled throughout. Re-reading more than two decades after first buying it was not the embarrassing experience that I had thought it may have been.Yes, this is a self-published book, produced by an amateur creator. And some parts of it are definitely “amateurish.” The lettering stands out in a negative way, as does the spelling of the word “tranquility,” and the overall 1990s-ish nature of the art. And the book is a half an inch taller than standard comics means that storing this issue has been a challenge. But despite being crunched for more than two decades in bags and boxes and bookshelves, this issue is in remarkably good condition. The paper quality is surprisingly high, and this 20-year-old issue has not suffered a single tear or a rip. This black-and-white book contains 30 pages of story, which is at least 5 pages longer than most mainstream stories of the same period. Most comics of his era were priced in the $1.50 - $2.50 range, so this book’s $1.95 cover price was appropriate. There were three more issues of this title published, and they are on the to-be-reviewed list.
"You've Taken Your First Step Into a Larger World."
In this all-new, super-special fourth podcast episode, Emily & Alan talk about some of the religious and theological topics that arise from Star Wars. We talk about the Force, dualism, and warrior monks.
We also talk about our thoughts on "The Force Awakens," and cover lots of terrific feedback from our terrific feedbackers.
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Link: Anderson Cale's music
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
As we noted in our recent podcast episode, there just aren't enough Hanukkah-themed comic book stories out there. But there was one that we forgot ... and fortunately, our Internet buddy (and friend of the network) Chad Bokelman found it!
'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' #14 features a holiday story in which Batman teams up with Ragman to defend Gotham City from evil Real Estate investors.
On his Ragman-themed blog "The Suit of Souls," Chad plans on doing a pair of posts related to this story. In this first entry,he interviewed the writer of the story, Sholly Fisch. In the interview, Fisch talks about his inspiration in writing the story, and in emphasizing the Jewish heritage of the Ragman.
In his second entry, Chad promises to review the issue. That entry has not been posted as of the posting of THIS entry, but check back on his site regularly to look for it.
UPDATE: Here is a link to Chad's review of the story.
In this all-new, super-special third podcast episode, Emily & Alan talk about a terrific Hanukkah comic book story, one of the few they've ever read. It's from issue 188 of Justice League of America, from all the way back in 1981.
Then they open up a terrific Christmas present -- all of the feedback they've received from listeners.
Season's greetings, Merry Christmas, and have a blessed 2016!
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Link: Anderson Cale's music
Link: The Crossover Nexus: Podcast Initiative
We would love to hear from you about this issue, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
In this all-new, super-special second podcast episode, Emily & Alan talk about the comic book character The Spectre, a superhero who is also the embodiment of God's wrath.
They cover his 75+ years in comics,talking about stories from the Golden Age to the current day. Works from Alan Moore and John Ostrander are also covered. And (of course) the Constantine TV show.
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Link: Anderson Cale's music
Link: Johnny Cash: American IV
Special thanks to Michael Bailey for his vocal contributions.
Next Episode: The 2015 holiday special! (and feedback!)
We would love to hear from you about the Spectre, the podcast episode, or the podcast in general. Send e-mail feedback to dorknesstolight@gmail.com
You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
The Cross and the Switchblade, Barbour Christian Comics, 1972.
Written, drawn & inked by Al Hartley. Cover by Al Hartley.
This is a comic based on Pastor David Wilkerson’s account of his ministry work among the gangs of New York City in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These efforts were chronicled in Wilkerson’s 1963 book (written with John & Elizabeth Sherrill) of the same name.
The young minister feels called to New York City, specifically seeking out the toughest of the gangs. He eventually is able to befriend Nicky Cruz, the leader of the Mau Mau gang, who becomes a Christian and begins his own ministry. Although not part of this comic, Cruz tells the story of his life, including his interactions with Wilkerson, in his own memoir Run Baby Run.
Al Hartley is a longtime comic book professional, so the technical aspect of the book are competently done. I mention this, because professional competence is not always the case with Christian comics. The biggest problem that this comic has is that even with a full 32 pages of story, there are necessary shortcuts taken in the storytelling. But that is always the case in adapting a 200-page book into a single issue of a comic.
Hartley is most famous for drawing Archie comics, and there were moments in reading that I noted how similar some character looked to characters I’ve seen in Archie comics. But that was a minor issue. One of the oddest aspects is that the book’s most famous scene is on the cover of the comics, but does not take place inside the comic. This is when Wilkerson tells Cruz that even if the gang member cut him into a million pieces, each one would continue to love Cruz. This again speaks to Hartley’s struggle fitting all the material from the book into one issue of a comic, that he has to use the cover to portray the book’s most dramatic scene.
As a comic, the fast pace and Archie-style drawings don’t necessarily age well. Writers of non-fiction also face the burden of their storytelling choices being limited by the actual events being told. But as a 40+ year-old adaptation of a 50+ year-old book, it’s actually … not bad.
In this all-new, all-different first podcast episode, Emily & Alan talk about the Netflix Daredevil series, specifically the excellent episode 9, "Speak of the Devil."
Their conversation includes a discussion of the symbolism of the fight scene, Matt Murdock's faith, and the two awesome conversations he has in this episode with with Father Lantom.
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Link: Anderson Cale's music
Link: Dave's Daredevil Podcast
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You can follow Alan on twitter @ProfessorAlan
This project is a spin-off of sorts, a side project. Since the summer of 2013 we (Emily and Alan Middleton) have produced comic-book podcasts via the Relatively Geeky Podcast Network.
While doing those podcasts, we would occasionally run into topics related to faith, spirituality, and theology. And while we are both very interested in these topics, we thought that a comic-book podcast wasn't the best place to dive deep into those topics. But maybe if we created a separate place to discuss these topics ...
And that is where this initiative comes in. The purpose of Dorkness to Light is to give us a place to explore religious and theological topics, especially where those topics intersect with pop culture. We anticipate conversations about comic books, movies, TV, music, church history, current events, and anything else we can think of. Those conversations will take place here, on our Tumblr, and occasionally on podcasts.
At least that's what we think will happen here. As this is just the beginning of this project, it is hard to say where it will go. But we invite you to join us on our journey, wherever it may lead.
Emily Middleton is a Millennial who works at a public library. A recent college graduate, she majored in Sociology, with minors in Ancient Studies and Religion.
Alan Middleton is Emily's father, a business professor and noted connoisseur of inexpensive comic books.
Our background image, which you may not be able to make out very clearly ... is the remnants of a viking funeral.
For most of its almost thirty years, the Cornerstone Festival beckoned our family, and it took us far too long to finally make the pilgrimage. I (Alan) went on my own in 2007, to "check it out" before taking the family in 2010. We had a great time, and were generally planning to go every three years or so as our family vacation. Their motto of "music. art. community. faith." was right up our alley.
We were very disheartened in the early spring of 2012 to hear that that year would be the last year for the festival, especially since we weren't planning on attending. After Emily pointed out the obvious, "We are going to the last Cornerstone," we decided to go to the last Cornerstone.
The last night of the last Cornerstone, a viking funeral was held. There were a few miscues with flaming arrows, but eventually the boat was set aflame in the middle of the lake, and the festival was officially over.
Until the next morning, someone noticed the remnants. The crossbar and the tattered sheet made from some pretty awesome pictures. And some pretty awesome memories.
In the X-Files Episode "3" (season 2, episode 7), vampire cult killers leave behind a message in their victim's blood.
John 52:54
Fox Mulder demonstrates his knowledge of Scripture by quoting the verse in full. "He who eats of my flesh and drinks of my blood shall have eternal life. And I will raise him up on the last day." He then makes a crack about "big-haired preachers" and their feeble literal grasp of the Bible.
One problem. The verse doesn't exist. What he quotes is in fact John 6:54, although the wording did not precisely match any popular English translation that I could find.
I'm not going to hypothesize on why the episode's writers decided to make up a Bible reference instead of using an actual one. But whatever the reason for referring to the words of John 6:54 as John 52:54, it stands out as a choice that is ... just weird.
Yes, this was in the long ago days before Google and Bible Gateway made looking up verses really easy. But still ... aren't there fact-checkers in the organization somewhere? And the cynic of course wonders why nobody in the ENTIRE production crew noticed the mistake.
Again, they get Jesus' words correct, which I appreciate. They didn't make up words and put them in the Bible. But they made up the place in the Bible where those words are found.
It's just weird.
Gotham By Midnight #2, DC Comics, cover-dated February 2015.
"We Will Not Rest," by Ray Fawkes, with art by Ben Templesmith. Cover by Ben Templesmith.
We pick up where issue #1 left off, with poor Internal Affairs Agent Rook learning that “Precinct 13” really does handle the hard cases. During his first supernatural case in Slaughter Swamp, he reveals exactly where his head is at:
“Look, I’m basically an accountant … just shoot that thing!”
Fortunately, Detective Jim Corrigan is on hand to handle the witchy apparition of a creepy nun-like being. He’s freaked out, and realizes that he doesn’t have a lot of time. “The Spectre is almost here.” He is able to subdue the entity and free the children she was holding. But they are speaking the same gibberish language that the Attwood children are speaking.
Back in Gotham Heights, Sister Justine realizes that something terrible has been done to the Attwood children. In a flashback we learn how she met Detective Corrigan and his alter ego, and how she became part of the Midnight Shift.
Sister Justine recognizes five of the gibberish words as names. She’s heard them before. By the end of the issue, Corrigan sums up where we are and where we are going:
“Something big and bad is moving into Gotham. Something that’s either got five names or five bodies. Or both.”
Again, it’s hard to think a better artist that Ben Templesmith to introduce readers to the eerie weirdness of this title. Not only the supernatural apparitions themselves, but the human’s reactions to the apparitions are suitable creepy.
Sister Justine is the featured character in this issue. The idea that the Spectre saved her once both gives insight into her past, as well as asks questions about the Spectre’s relationship with Corrigan. Justine’s word bubbles are smaller than the others’, indicating that she is meek, perhaps still traumatized by her past. But Corrigan realized he needed her on the team, and that in itself is an interesting fact.
I like the fact that the Spectre is staying off the page, at least for now. The idea that what they have faced SO FAR is not worthy of the Spectre’s attention is a bit scary, as it means that something even creepier and more evil is on the way. This is the way that suspense is supposed to work, laying down one puzzle piece after the other.
This issue was slightly slower than the first, as it has to actually develop character, as opposed to just introduce characters. But it was quite a gripping read.