Tag: Arts & Culture

Film Review: ‘Back to the Drive-In’: A Hearty Slice of Americana

NR | 1h 51min | Documentary, Film | 14 March 2023 (USA) In March 2020, multiple businesses and entire industries all over the globe were shuttered or put under severe operational restrictions due to COVID. These included but were not limited to airlines, automobile factories, restaurants, retail stores of all sorts, fitness clubs, salons, travel agencies, stage theaters, and brick-and-mortar movie theaters….


How Near-Death Experiences Led Pastor to Start Church for Skeptics

Hundreds of scholarly articles have been written on the subject of near-death experiences (NDEs), including in major peer-reviewed publications like The Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet, describing what God has tried to reveal to mankind about heaven through Jewish prophets and Jesus, says Pastor John Burke. Burke can rattle off a…


Book Review: ‘The Masculinity Manifesto: How a Man Establishes Influence, Credibility, & Authority’

In his refreshingly candid book, “The Masculinity Manifesto: How a Man Establishes Influence, Credibility, & Authority,” Ryan Michler, the host of the Order of Man podcast (downloaded over 45 million times) argues that masculinity should be celebrated and nurtured rather than denigrated and eliminated. Men require purpose, and need to feel useful, productive, and valuable,…


Abdiel and Lucifer on the Question of Freedom

What is freedom? Is freedom the ability to do whatever we want whenever we want? Or is freedom directly connected to our ability to control ourselves? Does freedom occur when we can guarantee equal outcomes for all? Or does freedom have more to do with recognizing the supremacy of God’s righteousness? As we continue our…


The Gifts of a Slave: St. Patrick, Ireland, and Western Civilization

A shamrock worn on the shirt or blouse. A mug of green beer. Traditional Irish music mingling with the laughter and shouts in a pub. Parades and pageants with Irish step dancing, leprechauns, and spectators decked out in green clothing. The celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day is long entwined with the American past. The first…


Online Series Review: ‘A Spy Among Friends’

2023 | TV-MA | 6 episodes | Spy Thriller They were the most privileged upper crust of British society. Sir Anthony Blunt was even the third cousin of the Queen Mum. However, the members of the so-called “Cambridge Five” spy ring were all committed communists, who betrayed their country to the Soviet Union. MI6 Intelligence…


Profiles in History: Mary Miller: The Lady Steamboatman

Mary Millicent Miller (1846–1894) was born at the height of the steamboat era. Her affinity for steamboats was fueled, or perhaps created, by the fact she was born in Louisville, the city that lies right next to the Ohio River which separates Kentucky and Indiana. She grew up on the river and around the newest…


Art With a Higher Purpose: ‘The Ladder of Divine Ascent’

For centuries, Byzantine art acted like a compass, orientating the devout in their faith and, ultimately, guiding them to their salvation. The Byzantine artist painted in a specific style, a visual language if you like, that Orthodox Christians understood. “His role was akin to that of the priesthood and the exercise of his talent a…


Shen Yun’s Jisung Kim Seeks to Tell Timeless Stories Through Universal Art

The speed at which Shen Yun Performing Arts catapulted to world renown since stepping onto the performing arts scene in 2006 has sparked worldwide interest. Perhaps one of the reasons for its steady success is that New York-based Shen Yun is composed of serious artists, the kind who see this not just as a craft,…


Shen Yun Conveys Purity at a Spiritual Level, Says Dancer

SEVILLA, Spain—Professional dancer Alejandra Sabena watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Cartuja Center Cite on March 9. “There are no words—it’s amazing,” said Ms. Sabena. “The show’s stage design is wonderful … the great professionalism of the dancers, musicians, the acting, the costumes—it’s perfection wherever you want to look!” Based in New York, Shen…