St. John of the Cross coined a phrase many know as the “dark night of the soul.” However, contrary to what many might believe to be the dark night, what St. John of the Cross is actually referring to is a spiritual detachment from all consolation in this world. What this entails is God stepping […]
How Frodo experienced a “dark night of the soul” Read More »
When I was growing up in the early 1990s, American television was going through an animation renaissance. From the art deco-influenced Batman: The Animated Series to Disney’s gothic Gargoyles and Marvel’s dazzling X-Men, the cartoons of the 90s managed to be both wildly entertaining and thematically deep. Unlike the Hanna-Barbera cartoons of yesteryear (delightful though
Venom: The fallen-away Catholic who gets possessed by evil Read More »
In the Catholic Church there are two feasts about “names.” On January 2/3 the Church celebrates the Most Holy Name of Jesus, while September 12 is dedicated to the Holy Name of Mary. Both feasts reminds us all of the importance and power that is in a name. Indeed, it also brings up the importance
Tolkien, holy names and the spiritual power of language Read More »
It is generally accepted that Superman is a Christ figure. Kal-El was sent by his father, from the heavens, to Earth, where he displays superhuman powers. He uses these powers to save people and fight evil. While this salvation is from physical danger, more recent adaptations, particularly the television Smallville and the film Man of
How Superman’s mother can remind us of Our Lady of Sorrows Read More »
In 2012 I started a humble little blog called Into the West, where I delved into the depths of J.R.R. Tolkien’s mystical world of Middle-Earth. It was hosted on the now defunct “Middle-Earth Network” and before it was taken off the World Wide Web, I was able to host a handful of interviews with various
Since 2008, no other superhero has commanded as much attention or authority as Iron Man. Portrayed by Robert Downey Jr, the Armored Avenger has been the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the beginning. What is most fascinating about Tony Stark is his character development. He goes from a selfish and greedy business man
How the ‘Superior Iron Man’ series warns us about immoral use of technology Read More »
In the early 1970s, an up and coming director named George Lucas received a two film deal from United Artists. The first of the two was 1973’s American Graffiti. Arriving in 1977, the second was… Star Wars. Star Wars cost approximately $11 million for production, but brought in over $400 million. Naturally, everyone sought to
The Christian (and demonic) influences on the ‘Alien’ series Read More »
Shootings, road rage and multi-generational feuds. Tifts that play “tit for tat”. These are actions frequently fueled by a flawed trait of our now-fallen human nature. It illustrates our tendency toward revenge. Vengeance taken out on those who annoy or attack us is an instance in which we permit our anger to dominate our reasoning.
Black Panther, the Avengers and the consuming power of vengeance Read More »
Author J.R.R. Tolkien isn’t well-known for his relationship advice, as his two primary works of fiction are nearly devoid of any type of romance. Yet, at the core of his stories was a love story inspired by his wife. In a letter to his son Christopher a year after his wife’s death, Tolkien wrote about
This is the advice J.R.R. Tolkien gave his son about marriage Read More »
Recently I was able to ask Tom Gould, creator and artist of “Tomics Comics” about the inspiration for his work and the role of humor in evangelization. If you haven’t seen his work, check it out through the links at the bottom of this article. How did you get into creating Catholic comic strips? I
‘Tomics’ creator shares his thoughts on humor, comics and the Catholic faith Read More »
