Brett McCracken's Blog, page 2

40 Years, 40 Films

I turn 40 this week, and I’m in full-on reflection mode. Earlier this week I shared a playlist of 40 songs (one from each year I've been alive) that represented a “soundtrack to my life” of sorts. Today, I’m doing the same thing with movies. The following is an annotated list of 40 films that collectively sketch out my cinematic history and (somewhat) my tastes.

Note: the picks for each year are NOT my picks of the best film released that year, only a film from that year that has some memory or ...

40 Years, 40 Songs

My 40th birthday is this week on Dec. 3. As part of my reflections on the four decades of life I’ve lived to this point, I do what I often do. I created a playlist. The 40-song playlist includes one song from each of the 40 years I have been alive. I chose songs not just because they were released in that year, but because each has some sort of significance in my life.

Music has an unusual capacity for encapsulating moments in time. We hear a song and it conjures a memory. We listen to an album f...

My 10 Favorite Songs in Poor Bishop Hooper’s EveryPsalm Project

It’s not hyperbole to say Poor Bishop Hooper’s EveryPsalm project is one of the most significant projects ever in contemporary Christian music. For the last three years, the Kansas City-based, husband-wife duo (Jesse and Leah Roberts) has written, recorded, and released a song based on all 150 biblical psalms. One per week for three years. What a feat! That kind of discipline and creative output is not for the faint of heart. But I’m so grateful.

Beyond being something I’ve championed through va...

Processing the Mixed Bag of Pop Culture

Someone asked me recently, “What’s the most complicated aspect of engaging movies and pop culture as a Christian?” I should have responded, “How long do you have?” There’s a lot to say. But the thing that came to mind first as an answer is simply that pop culture itself is complex. It would be easier as Christians if we could look at any given movie, TV show, or song and say, “It’s all good! No concerns whatsoever,” or “It’s 100 percent awful. Stay away.” Occasionally something falls in one of t...

Favorites of 2021

It was another pandemic year—which meant the comfort, escapism, and meaning-making of pop culture was as necessary as it was last year. Maybe more. In a post-truth world where little seems trustworthy or certain, the transportive nature of the arts and literature were welcome. Beauty makes sense when little else does.

In 2021 we cautiously tiptoed back into concert venues and movie theaters, even as our stream-at-home habits continued to be the norm. Book sales were up again, even with supply cha...

RECENT WRITINGS / 2021

A collection of some of my publications (movie reviews, essays, book excerpts, etc.) from 2021.

Whataboutism Is a Mark of Foolishness (January 15, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)

My analysis of a common, lazy rhetorical tactic: whataboutism

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‘Our Friend’ Could Have Been the Year’s Best Faith-Based Film (January 29, 2021, THE GOSPEL COALITION)

Review of the film, Our Friend

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How to Weather the Worsening Trust Crisis (February 2, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)

Reflections on the information ecosystem that ...

TGC Advent Concerts

One of the most enjoyable projects I’ve had the chance to work on for The Gospel Coalition has been our virtual Advent concerts—both in 2020 and 2021. If you enjoy Advent and Christmas music, take some time to watch these presentations.

Watch TGC’s 2020 Advent Concert

Featuring Shane & Shane, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Future of Forestry, Poor Bishop Hooper, Tenielle Neda, Jon Guerra, Quina Aragon, Sandra McCracken, Sovereign Grace Music, Liz Vice, Madison Cunningham, Caroline Cobb, Glen Scrivener, ...

The Only Explanation That Makes Sense of Beauty

Beauty quiets us in a noisy world, but it also helps slow us down. When humans work they reflect the image of a God who works. But we also image God when we rest, because God is a God who rests (Gen. 2:2–3). “The essence of being in God’s image is our ability, like God, to stop,” writes Peter Scazzaro. “We imitate God by stopping our work and resting.” And yet this is countercultural in a digital world where every moment can be optimized for productivity. The biblical notion of Sabbath challenge...

March 11 and Psalm 46

One year ago today—March 11, 2020—was the day things started to change dramatically here in America. I have several memories from that day: hearing that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were Covid-positive; hearing that the NBA put its season on hold and that various NCAA college basketball conference tournaments were canceled. It was surreal. The world was on edge.

But the day stands out in memory most because it was the last indoor, unmasked, semi-normal church service I attended. We were having our m...

Explaining the Order of the Wisdom Pyramid’s Levels

Some of the common questions I get about The Wisdom Pyramid concern the ordering of the levels. Why did I put nature above books? Why books before beauty? And so forth.

The video below explains each level quickly, as does the poster graphic (which I recommend you download, print out and post on your family’s fridge or in your classroom). But beyond checking those out, here are two criteria I had in my mind as I ordered the pyramid the way that I did:

Proximity to God. If God is the giver of wisdo...