This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame; it is difficult to discuss the film's themes in any depth without spoiling at least some elements. For all the secrecy surrounding Avengers: Endgame, many of the film's best moments feel inevitable, the fulfillment of promises made in earlier installments. So I especially enjoyed the genuine surprise of seeing the word "Five" appear on the screen, then a very knowing pause, then "Years Later." The film initially meets expectations by picking up right where Avengers: … [Read more...] about Science Corner: The Time Stone Heals All Wounds?
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Science Corner: Sympathy for the Bedeviled
Last week's post on Avengers: Infinity War generated interest in a follow-up, so we're returning to the Marvel universe. Again, I've avoided spoilers, but I'll understand if you want to play it safe and wait until you've seen the film. It's perhaps a strange thing to say about a 2 hour 40 minute movie so full of stars it threatens to collapse into a black hole, but I feel Avengers: Infinity War was missing something. Both earlier Avengers films made time to consider the plight of folks who don't have alliterative … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Sympathy for the Bedeviled
Science in Review: Thor, Thanos and Theology
The following is a reflection on superhero storytelling inspired by Avengers: Infinity War. I have done my best to avoid spoilers, but if you know nothing about the film's story and want to keep it that way until you see it, you may wish to save this for later. What does it look like to have a theology but not a religion? The answer may now be showing at a theater near you. Avengers: Infinity War, the 19th and latest installment in Marvel's ambitious serial storytelling project, advances the metaphysical aspirations … [Read more...] about Science in Review: Thor, Thanos and Theology
Week in Review: Christo et Ecclesiae Edition
What are you reading, watching, thinking about this week? As usual, here's a few which have been on our mind. Let us know your thoughts on any/all of them. If you have items you'd like us to consider for the top five, add them in the comments or send them to Tom or Mike. 1. Why Harvard Students Should Study More Religion (Lisa Miller, Newsweek): A look at Harvard's (lack of) religion in its undergraduate curriculum, with special attention to Louis Menand's attempt to include a course called "Reason and Faith" in … [Read more...] about Week in Review: Christo et Ecclesiae Edition