Sightings Articles

Demon Slayer: Pop Religion and Japanese Anime
The recent anime film both draws inspiration from Japanese religions and functions as a source of inspiration for religious practices....
May 8, 2024

Secular Music in Seven Lessons
Darkwave artist Cold Cave's recent album, "Fate in Seven Lessons," sheds light on the complexities of popular culture's interaction with religion...
June 24, 2021

A Community Near and Far
What the failure of the European Super League can teach religious communities...
May 20, 2021

The Moral Emptiness of Zack Snyder's Justice League
Understanding what makes a movie villain compelling (or not), with a little help from Thomas Aquinas...
May 3, 2021

Justice and the Devil in America
A controversy around the symbolisms of evil conceals the hardening of America's heart...
April 26, 2021

Religion and Isolation in The Mandalorian
Baby Yoda, helmets, and a mysterious tradition serve as a lens for understanding our current state of estrangement....
December 7, 2020

A Professor of Religion in a Time of Pop Power
An academic reflects on her analysis of a boy band, their fans' reactions to it, and the hazards of professional expertise...
November 9, 2020

When a Vow Turns Out to be... a Vow: ‘Fleabag’
Exploring religion's leading role in the hit television series “Fleabag”...
April 20, 2020

Film Resurrections and the Denial of Death
Exploring the resurrection trope in American cinema and what it reveals about us...
March 2, 2020

Hip Hop and Christian Conversion Narratives
What do Kanye and Hip Hop have to do with Augustine of Hippo?...