Pop Culture Coffee Hour

The girls discuss the recent and somewhat controversially themed Met Gala. They discuss what makes for good art-inspired art, the significance of imitating the saints, and the role of beauty in worship. They close with their Top 5 Met Gala Looks of 2018.

The guys take on Marvel’s newest installment, Avengers: Infinity War. They discuss the role of empathy in decision making, the tension of the value of the one against the value of the many, and how death only seeks to destroy. They close with their Top 5 Gut Punches.

The girls take on the film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. They discuss how Christian themes might covertly intersect with art, how God’s grace works in weakness, and the uncompromising nature of Truth. They end with their Top 5 Mrs. Who Quotations.

The guys are back to discuss Black Panther. They discuss how art breeds connection, how grace given is meant to be shared, and how stories shape our understanding of who we are. They close with their Top 5 Family Conflicts.

The girls are back to discuss Kimberley Freeman’s novel, Wildflower Hill. They tackle the book’s portrayal of religious people, how shame ought to lead to repentance, and how judgment can be transformed into love through the lens of suffering. They close with their Top 5 Worst Popular Books.

The guys are huge fans of NBC’s hit comedy, The Good Place. They discuss popular conceptions of the afterlife, how relationships impact character, and the unity of the spirit and the flesh. They close with their Top 5 Supernatural Beings.

The girls have a go at the new motion picture musical The Greatest Showman. They discuss how we deeply desire belonging, the power of repentance, and how easy it is to cover reality with a false image. They close with their Top 5 Motion Picture Musicals.

The guys read John Green’s new novel Turtles All the Way Down. They discuss the pain and reality of mental illness, the nature of personhood, and how love breaks through death. They close with their Top 5 YouTubers.

In the longest PCCH ever, the guys finally take on the entire Star Wars Saga! All of it. They pay special attention to the original trilogy while they explore the transcendence of the Force, the rage of the Dark Side, the passionlessness of the Light, and the need for love to balance them both. They close with their Top 5 Trilogies.

The girls watched Netflix’s Original Series The Crown. They discuss portrayals of marriage, the need for leaders to be held to higher standards, and questions of what it means to be authentically oneself. The end with their Top 5 British-isms.

It’s finally time for the annual Star Wars PCCH, and the guys are stoked. They discuss relating with the past, the balance between light and darkness, and how great it was to see Luke Skywalker return to the silver screen. Spoilers abound, including this one: No Top 5. Just pure, unadulterated Star Wars.

The guys loved Coco, and they both cried (#Pixar). They discuss presentations of the afterlife, the longing for divine justice, and how each of us desperately longs to be remembered by the Lord. They close with their Top 5 Depictions of the Afterlife.

The girls took their moms to see the new film Lady Bird. They discuss how the wisdom of faith opens the door to deeper love, how learning from failures is an ongoing reality, and how everyone’s suffering is unique and incomparable. They close with their Top 5 Nun Characters.

The guys watched Thor: Ragnorok and kind of liked it. They discuss Marvel’s presentation of “gods," the significance of things and places, and the predictable nature of evil. They end with their Top 5 Moments Where Everything Was At Stake.

The girls watched the recent romantic comedy The Big Sick. They discuss modern dating, how faith can become a cultural characteristic, and the difficult need to stand up for what’s right. They close with their Top 5 Movie Moms.

The guys couldn’t wait to watch and talk about Stranger Things 2. Join them as they explore the power of truth, our need for family and friends, and how transcendence plays into our experience of being human. They close with their Top 5 Unlikely Heroes. For more from the For more from the Y2AM team, visit ">Y2AM team.

The girls explore two connected pieces of pop culture: Dostoevsky’s classic novel Crime and Punishment, and Woody Allen’s award-winning film Match Point. They discuss whether morality is grounded in transcendent reality, the purgative power of suffering, and the redemptive call out of death and into life. They close with their Top 5 Nineteenth Century Novels.

The guys take on the 90's classic The Shawshank Redemption. They discuss the theme of Life vs. Death, the saving grace of friendship, and the need for ministry to prepare young people for a truly Christian life. They close with their Top 5 Fictional Friendships.

The girls read Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, and even Christina loved it. They discuss how each of us is broken, how our response to that brokenness shapes us, and how each of us is called to become holy in a unique way. They close with the Top 5 Women With a Cause.

The guys watched the new Orthodox documentary Becoming Truly Human. They discuss the nature of conversion stories, the role of parents in journeys through faith, and how doubt can be central to our spiritual walk.They close with their Top 5 Martyr Stories.