What Makes Batman . . . Batman?

In his essay "On Fairy-Stories," J.R.R. Tolkien introduced the literary world to the concept of "eucatastrophe." Join Mandy, Christina, and Matt as they discuss where eucatastrophe shows up in art, literature, and the real world—and how (and why) it affects us.

Spider-Man has been one of the world's most popular superheroes for more than sixty years—but why has the character endured through so many radically different versions? In this episode, we trace the history of Spider-Man from Stan Lee's original Peter Parker through the Sam Raimi films, the MCU, and all across the Spiderverse. Along the way, we ask what actually makes Spider-Man . . . Spider-Man. Peter Parker? The powers? The costume? Uncle Ben? Or is the character built around something deeper—the idea that great power creates responsibility, sacrifice, failure, and the obligation to keep getting back up?

Why has Batman remained one of the world's most popular superheroes for nearly 90 years? From the dark, pulp-inspired Batman of 1939 to Adam West's colorful 1960s TV series, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and even The LEGO Batman Movie, Batman keeps reinventing himself. In this episode, we trace the history of Batman to discover what makes the character so enduring—and what separates a great Batman adaptation from one that misses the mark. How much can you change Bruce Wayne, Gotham City, the tone, the setting, or even Batman himself before he stops being Batman? And what can Batman teach us about the difference between honoring an artistic tradition and merely copying it?

What could Dolly Parton and Wendell Berry possibly have in common? One embraced rhinestones, celebrity, mass media, and an audience of millions; the other championed farming, limits, local community, and resistance to consumer culture. Yet both offer surprisingly powerful models for Christian artists. In this episode of Believe to See, we compare these two very different artistic lives and explore what they can teach us about living faithfully as a Christian artist.

Words like "rules" and "tradition" tend to make us squirm We're creative! Aren't we supposed to break free of the ordinary? Join the roundtable as the hosts discuss the necessity of learning, understanding, and practicing the "rules" in order to unleash our own creativity.

Some artists find fame while they're living . . . and may wind up forgotten once they're gone. For others, that script is flipped. Join the hosts at the roundtable as they share stories of artists whose works were only truly appreciated after their deaths. Why was their brilliance overlooked when they were alive? What led to their eventual (re)discovery and acclaim? Is it tragic, or inspiring, or a bit of both? ("Obscurity" by Brian Wight used with permission.)

Our modern culture seems to struggle with how to treat food. Sometimes it's a nuisance to choke down that protein bowl so we can get back to the "real" work. Other times, it's a struggle not to overindulge in our food-flooded society. And at others, food is broken down into its scientific components so that it no longer matters what it tastes like or if we enjoy it, as long as we're getting our macro- and micronutrients and calorie counts optimized for the body we want. But is that how we should treat food? Are we missing something? Join us as we discuss the pitfalls and problems with our relationship to food in modern 21st century America.

Our culture has become terribly serious about not taking anything seriously. From satire and postmodernism to the internet's endless layers of irony, we've become afraid to be earnest. Some artists have called for a rebellion against this irony, and renewed emphasis on "New Sincerity." But irony still has its benefits. And too much earnestness has its own set of pitfalls. Matt, Mandy, and Christina explore the benefits and dangers of both earnestness and irony.

It's not easy to feel grounded in our busy, 21st century lifestyles. Our spiritual journeys can feel truncated, stale, or simply seem another "to-do" list item to improve upon. But what if we could renew our spiritual journeys by way of our ordinary lives? How might ancient practices give us a foundation from which to do it? Join us as we talk to author Danielle Mellema about how she has learned to practice the ancient ways in her ordinary days as an author, wife, and mother of four young children.    Danielle's book Ancient and New: Storied Pathways of the Kingdom Coming is available to order from her website: daniellemellema.com.

Join Mandy's conversation with oil painter Nicole Beck and road trip photographer Isaac Hans — both members of the Anselm Society Arts Guild. Nicole and Isaac discuss how storytelling is integral to their work, from inception to public showings. (Warning: You're going to want to attend more gallery shows after this episode, and you'll never see them the same way again.)