Pop Culture Pastor: Recent Episodes
Chris Perrey
Pastor Chris Perrey and guests look at movies, music, comics, and more from the perspective of faith.
What's similar when sharing good news about Jesus and good news about your new favorite band? Guests Roni Z and Anna Jane Perrey join the show to talk about the ups and downs of evangelism and share our testimonies about the gospel of BTS and K-Pop.
Defining good news and evangelism. Worst evangelistic practices (Christian and pop culture). Resistance. Motivations. Trusting the messenger. The Gospel of BTS according to Roni, Chris, and Anna Jane. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call. Credits.
K-Pop Playlist | Spotify | Apple Music
BTS Playlist | Spotify | Apple Music
"The Triumph of BTS" Rolling Stone article
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CCM Correspondent Grey Stepp rejoins the show to discuss Christian music that features Piece of $h!t Theology (or POST).
William Paul Young, Augustine, and Calvin. 90s & 00s music. Caedmon's Call's "Thankful" - the most Calvinist song ever. Skillet's "Gasoline" - burning away the self. Paramore's "We Are Broken" - can we be fixed? Quick thoughts on Sixpence, FIF, dc Talk, Reliant K, Johnny Q. Public, Grammatrain, and Steve Taylor. Secular self-hatred. Positives of the negative. Original goodness. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call. Credits.
POST Christian playlist | Spotify | Apple Music
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The infernally excellent game Hades is about conquering death, a topic that resonates with the story of Christ. In this quick (speedrun?) Pop Culture Homily episode, Chris looks at different ways of making peace with the inevitable.
Intro. Hades II Technical Test reactions. Hades in Scripture. Escaping death (or not). Happy Sisyphus. Christ's Harrowing of Hades. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call. Credits
Diving Deeper "What the Hell?" videos Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
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Swiftie Supreme Kara Wiens helps kick off season 3 by comparing Taylor's eras when it comes to relationships and the up and down phases of faith.
Intro (and apology). Guest intro. Talking TSwift in 2024. Tortured Poets Department first reactions. Our histories with Taylor. Simplistic divisions. Three eras for her and us: Order, Disorder, and Reorder. Loving the journey. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call & credits.
Songs Discussed:
"Love Story"
"Daylight"
"You're On Your Own Kid"
"Never Grow Up"
Chappell Roan, "Good Luck, Babe!" (Kara's Consolation)
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Librarian extraordinaire Dara Tinius (@darareadsok) joins the show as we discuss our favorite books of the year, both what was new and what we rediscovered. No guilt trips or gatekeeping for liking what you like (for example, romance or comic books), but hopefully you find something new!
Chris's 2022 Recommendations
- Say Yes by Scott Erickson
- This Here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley
- Immortal X-Men by Kieron Gillen
- X-Men: Red by Al Ewing
Dara's 2022 Recommendations
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry
- Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
- The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
- When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
- And Yet by Kate Baer
Reread Recommendation
- Shadowhunters series by Cassandra Clare
Chris's Reread Recommendations
- Thor by Jason Aaron
- Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
- Hawkeye by Matt Fraction & David Aja
- Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Want to be on the final Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations episode of the year? Record a voice memo and email to popculturepp@gmail.com
Follow on Instagram and Facebook for my full Top Ten of 2022 and more!
Neighbor-ino Ben Wigdahl joins the show to dissect "Homer the Heretic," a classic religious-themed episode of The Simpsons, and kicking off a potential new rewatch podcast!
Guest intro. Simp-Sons of God pilot project. Our history with The Simpsons. Discussing episode 403. Skipping/cancelling church. Homer's justifications. God, a class act all the way. Maybe Homer's not a decent, hard-working guy. An ecumenical ending. Rev. Chris’s Simp-Sermon. Pop culture consolations & desolations. Altar call & credits.
Subscribe to our Simp-Sons of God podcast now! Next week I'll drop our discussion of the best episodes to get started on The Simpsons. Then we'll start going through the series soon, so be ready!
References & Links
- "Homer the Heretic" (Disney+)
- Spiritual Formation & Pop Culture (episode 11)
- Simp-Sons of God Instagram
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Ser Jefferson of House Ferguson joins the show to talk House of the Dragon, Game of Thrones, and how religion and politics often get messy when mixed together (but only in fantasy worlds, not ours).
Guest introduction. House of the Dragon expectations & reactions (no spoilers). George RR Martin vs. JRR Tolkien (again). What does it mean to be a "good" king? GRRM's worldview. What do the gods do in Westeros (if anything)? The monarchy and messianic hopes in Scripture. Religion and politics today. Jesus's alternative politic. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar call & credits.
Next Time! The Simp-Sons of God rewatch and analyze the classic Simpsons episode "Homer the Heretic" (Season 4, Episode 3). Be prepared and watch on Disney+ before Nov. 17!
References
- Scandalous Witness by Lee Camp
- "LotR: Love of Power & the Power of Love" episode
- “It’s Time to Remember Tolkien” by David French
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Who's worse - the supervillain who disintegrates half of sentient life or the God who drowns all but a few? Janet Ray discusses issues with the flood from a scientific perspective, while I look at the theological side.
Hot take: God vs. Thanos. Background on Thanos in the MCU. God or YHWH in Genesis. Other gods, other floods. Thanos’s motivation. YHWH's motivation. Guest segment: Janet Kellogg Ray. Scientific problems with the flood. Scientific problems with Thanos's plan. A sustainable approach to creation. Thanos’s conclusions. YHWH's conclusions and change of heart. A consistent God of love. Positive takeaways from the flood story. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar call & credits.
References
- Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making It All Fit by Janet Kellogg Ray
- Eternals Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 by Kieron Gillen
- Cross Vision: How the Crucifixion of Jesus Makes Sense of Old Testament Violence by Greg Boyd
- Plains - I Walked With You A Ways Spotify | Apple Music
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Blake Jackson joins the show as we seek the spiritual in the seemingly secular music of The 1975. Guest intro. Defining the secular age through Charles Taylor and James K.A. Smith. The atheist/believer scale. Is art transcendent? Background on UK pop band The 1975. “If I Believe You,” an agnostic gospel song. A crisis of doubt. Staring into the void with “Frail State of Mind.” Harmut Rosa and acceleration. Richard Beck and The Ache. Doomscrolling with “Love It If We Made It.” The current moment of despair and hope . Postmodernity and spirituality. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call & Credits.
References & Links
- The 1975 Pop Culture Pastor playlist Spotify * Apple Music
- Haunted by Transcendence playlist Spotify * Apple Music
- A Secular Age by Charles Taylor
- How (Not) to Be Secular by James K.A. Smith
- Hunting Magic Eels by Richard Beck
- The Wonder Years - The Hum Goes on Forever Spotify * Apple Music
- Gang of Youths - angel in realtime. Spotify * Apple Music
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Senior Tolkien Correspondent Dr. James Prather joins the show to discuss the nature of evil, power, and love in Lord of the Rings and Amazon's Rings of Power series.
Guest intro. Happy Birthday, Bilbo Baggins (Sept. 22)! Our interest in JRR Tolkien. Initial thoughts and concerns about Rings of Power. “It’s Time to Remember Tolkien”: LotR vs. GoT. Theology (not allegory) in Middle Earth. The nature of evil. The corrupting love of power. The hopeful power of love. How Rings of Power uses these themes (or not). Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call & Credits.
*Nerd Note: I was totally wrong about the book implying some divine force pushes Gollum into Mt. Doom. I still like my interpretation though. Take note, Tolkien.
References & Links
- “It’s Time to Remember Tolkien” by David French
- The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy
- The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings by Fleming Rutledge
- Hold the Girl by Rina Sawayama Spotify | Apple Music
- The Lord of the Rings trilogy is streaming on Amazon
- Rings of Power is streaming on Amazon
- The Silmarillion is available at all bookstores, if you want to improve your nerd cred
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Mrs. Pop Culture Pastor, Anna Jane Perrey, and I explore connections between pop songs and the spiciest book of Scripture.
Guest introduction. Background on Song of Songs. About Christ and the church (Pseudo-Dionysius & Hippolytus)? Body and sex positivity: “Drunk in Love” - Beyonce & Jay Z. Goodness of creation & nature imagery: “Watermelon Sugar” - Harry Styles. Not-so-subtle symbolism: “I’ll Make Love to You” - Boyz II Men. Balancing between unhealthy secular and evangelical sexual ethics. Song of Songs Takes Sex Seriously (8:6). "Set Me as a Seal" and divine desire. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call & Credits.
Next Episode: Tolkien, LotR, and Rings of Power!
References & Links
- Song of Songs Playlist: Spotify & Apple Music
- The Great Sex Rescue by Sheila Wray Gregoire
- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
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Special crossover event! From the the How To Christian podcast comes a conversation with Kale Courtright about spiritual formation and pop culture. Introductions and my early pop culture interests. View of Pop Culture #1: Content-Focused. Concern over The Simpsons in the 90s. Good = clean. View of Pop Culture #2: Message-Focused. Good = artistic value. Unsanitized stories. Every Thought Captive (2 Cor 10:5). What about Kids? Moral and Cultural Formation. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar call & credits.
Links & References
- How To Christian podcast with Kale Courtright
- Movies are Prayers by Josh Larsen
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Dr. Mason Lee joins the show to discuss the recent rise of "content creators" and its influence on both pop culture and the church.
Annoying content creator intro. Guest intro. Defining "content creator." Bo Burnham and parasocial relationships. Shifts to a Secular Age (Charles Taylor, Andrew Root, and Myles Werntz). The future of the content-focused model. Alternative approaches to ministry. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call & Credits.
References (aka CONTENT TO CONSUME)
- Charles Taylor, A Secular Age
- Andrew Root, The Pastor in a Secular Age
- Myles Werntz, From Isolation to Community
- Chris's Daily Devotionals (YouTube, like and subcribe pleez)
- Tom King & Bilquis Evely, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
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Why is this episode only a minute long? Listen to hear about some changes to our schedule.
Today's guest: Kristina Booker (Instagram: @likethat_readthis). Beyoncé lyric or Hebrew prophet? Background on Bey. Making Lemonade. The nature of biblical prophecy. Justice: Retributive vs. Restorative. The wrath of God (and Bey). Reconciliation. Pop Culture Consolations & Desolations. Altar Call & Credits.
References & Recommendations:
- Lemonade on Apple Music and Spotify
- Dissect podcast (Season 6 covers Lemonade)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer
- Immortal X-Men and X-Men: Red
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Life happens, so sometimes you can't record a brand new episode. Introduction and apologies for quality of both recording and delivery. A brief theology of pop culture. Choices and consequences. "Never give up control." Deuteronomy 30. Self-reflection and confession. "I'm the bad guy." Psalm 32. Justice and redemption. "I did it for me." Pop culture consolations. Altar call and credits.
References:
Breaking Bad (Netflix)
The 1975 - Part of the Band (YouTube)
SPOILERS from 20:36-38:25
Recapping last week's episode. Introducing Adam Byers. Overall impressions of the film and cast. Spoiler-filled discussion of the ending and meaning of post-credits scenes. How the movie understands godhood. Is Gorr right? Is Thor (either of them) a god of love? Pop culture consolations and desolations. Altar call and credits.
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Happy Thorsday, residents of Midgard (*Earth)! An idolatrous soda can. Questions of godhood. Synergy with Thor: Love and Thunder, which I'm technically not spoiling. Background on Marvel Thor. Norse Thor. Jason Aaron's Thor run. Gorr the God Butcher and the problem of evil. Godlike attributes and actions. Conceptions of God/YHWH in Christianity. God of will or God of love. Christ as the image of God. A more Christlike Thor. Pop Culture Consolations. Altar call and credits.
References & Links:
- How to Get into Comics posts: Intro, Nerd Lingo, How to Read
- Thor: God of Thunder by Jason Aaron & Esad Ribic
- A More Christlike God by Bradley Jersak
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An embarrassing story about contemplative prayer. Defending my love for Ariana. Her relationship history. My previous ministry context. Complicated feelings about leaving. Theme of "thank u, next." Ministry as marriage. Uncertainty in your own church context. Big Church Energy. What now? Pop culture consolations. Altar call and credits.
Listen to "thank u, next" on Spotify and Apple Music
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A Giant-Size Episode! Introducing today's guest: Kaylee Beckstrom. Basics on Encanto, if you somehow haven't seen it. Defining deconstruction. Using the enneagram for character insights. Problems facing Luisa, Isabella, and Mirabel. We do talk about Bruno (as an unwelcome prophet). Is Abuela the villain? A story of reconstruction. Pop culture consolations & desolations. Altar call and credits.
Encanto is streaming on Disney+
Listen to the songs discussed in this episode:
- "Surface Pressure" Spotify | Apple Music
- "What Else Can I Do?" Spotify | Apple Music
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This podcast is pointless. About Bo and Inside. About Qoheleth and Ecclesiastes. Defining hevel - vapor/vanity/meaningless. Qoheleth sees hevel. Bo sees hevel. Bo tries to cope. “That Funny Feeling” as hevel. Chris gets real. The positive(?) takeaway from Ecclesiastes. What now? Pop culture consolations.
Inside is available to stream on Netflix. Listen to "That Funny Feeling" on Spotify or Apple Music. The Inside Outtakes now available on YouTube. Ecclesiastes is available in your Bible.
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We prove we are Star Wars nerds. If you don't like The Last Jedi, you don't get Star Wars. We are not pro-Sith/pro-Empire. Ways the Jedi are terrible. Ways the church is also terrible. Visions of a better Jedi order. A new hope for the church. Pop culture consolations & desolations. Altar call and credits.
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Welcome to the first episode of the show! Introducing podcast godfather Nick Miller (@iam.nickmiller and @wildoakfilms). How do we understand the mystery of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Good and bad analogies. Lining up the DC Trinity and Holy Trinity. The Rule of Three in pop culture. Altar call and credits.
As Mentioned: Images of the Trinity
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Are you ready for your podcast blessing? The Pop Culture Pastor podcast launches June 2! Be an evangelist and spread the word!