10 Best Christian Albums Of All Time

August 5, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote “music is the universal language of mankind.” He rightly saw the intrinsic power that music holds across all tribes and time. Throughout history, every known culture has created their own music, used for celebration, grief, and most often in the context of religious custom. Be it the choral voices echoing in cathedral halls or rhythmic drums around a fire, music seems to be both intrinsically human and tied to our religious instincts. Today, almost... Read more

Interview With Artist Makoto Fujimura On Faith and Art

July 8, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

Art and faith have been two of the most powerful forces throughout history. Both have the power to inspire, instruct, teach, transform, and ultimately bring us closer to the transcendent. They offer us cohesive narratives and give definition to the reality we inhabit. This being the case, one might think they would blend seamlessly within culture. There have been times throughout history when the church and the arts have worked in tandem to produce some of the most beautiful works... Read more

10 Books About Art And Faith

June 9, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

Art and faith are two of the most powerful and influential forces in human history. Below is a list of books written by authors, film critics, artists, and theologians exploring the intersection of creativity and what it has to do with the transcendent. Art + Faith By Makoto Fujimura An award-winning painter and artist shares his thoughts on what faith has to do with art. Rembrandt In The Wind By Russ Ramsey A book by a pastor and art lover... Read more

Why Christians Should Make and Watch More R-Rated Movies

May 24, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

Within Christian culture, R-rated movies have long had a strong and effective negative stigma attached to them. Both Christian leaders and laymen alike have long warned of the dangers of engaging with the explicit violence, sexuality, and coarse language found in the R-rated movies coming out of Hollywood and playing at the local theater or (now) streaming on your preferred service. And their fears are not unfounded. There is very real and demonstrable evidence that shows that viewing explicit and... Read more

10 Novels About The Afterlife

May 8, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

What happens after we die is one of the most intrinsic human questions that lives within the mind of every mortal who’s walked this earth. Endless theories about the afterlife and its existence have been posited throughout the ages in an attempt to quell our existential angst. But even with the defined dogmas and traditions within religious cultures and the definite denial in the atheist/materialist camps, we ultimately have almost no idea what happens when we die. It’s not something... Read more

Interview With Creators Of Open World Bible Video Game

April 24, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

Video games are now the highest-grossing form of entertainment in the world, bringing in more money than the film, literary, and music industries… combined. And while some have pushed back and balked at the success of this medium, ultimately it makes sense as to why it’s captured the attention, even devotion, of billions around the world. Video games have all the elements of great art, combining storytelling, acting, music, and visual art in a work that doesn’t just let the... Read more

Is Old Art Better Than New Art?

April 10, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

As both an actor and an author, I have spent many years in both the film and literary communities, discussing and debating what the “greatest” movies and books are. And while I always enjoy these artistically oriented talks, I confess I feel a bit sheepish when it comes time to declare my actual favorite movies or books. And I’m not alone — I’ve had many hushed conversations, away from the cliques, where friends have confided in me their actual... Read more

Interview With A Christian Film Critic

March 27, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

Filmmakers and film critics have always had a precarious relationship — but it’s a necessary one. While no one enjoys having their creative passions and efforts critiqued, especially publicly, film critics are an important part of ensuring that the films being made and stories being told are of high quality and depth. While they don’t always have perfect takes, their philosophy is one that seeks to call artists to create better. And in a sea of mediocre art, this is... Read more

The 20 Best Films About Faith

March 20, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

The 20 Best Films About Faith Faith-based art has a long and rich history, being some of the greatest literature, music, and stories to ever be created. But unfortunately, in the past decade, the words “faith-based film” have become synonymous with low-quality, bad writing, and (perhaps even worse) boring. But great films about faith have a long and beautiful history, stretching back to the very beginning of the film industry’s inception in the beginning of the 20th century. Faith is... Read more

The Pop Culture Problem For Christians

March 12, 2024 By Nathan Clarkson

When engaging with pop culture, Christians seem to respond in three unique ways: to fear, to condescend, or to assimilate. Each of these, while understandable, are ultimately unhelpful with the end goal being the reaching the lost. Christians have always had a complicated and fraught relationship with pop culture. Through the past decades, we’ve witnessed three distinct responses to the prominent entertainment and art of today, originating from the growing secular culture as Christianity’s influence has waned. The first and... Read more