Several Christian voices have recently been questioning the value of engaging with pop culture, and particularly the kind of entertainment gluttony encouraged by the convenience of services like Netflix or Amazon Prime. They posit that excessive consumption of pop culture by Christians is worse for our souls, minds, and hearts. So are those Christians who believe that engaging popular culture is valuable mistaken? Are Christians who engage with pop culture distracting themselves from more spiritually important things, and from forms of rest and recreation that are qualitatively better than streaming a television series or watching a movie? In the age of binge-watching, how shall Christians then stream? Should we even stream?

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Caleb Woodbridge about his forthcoming online-exclusive viewpoint article, “Ditching Netflix? Engaging Pop Culture in the Age of Binge-Watching”.

Viewpoint articles address relevant contemporary issues in discernment and apologetics from a particular perspective that is usually not shared by all Christians, with the intended result that Christians’ thinking on that issue will be stimulated and enhanced (whether or not people end up agreeing with the author’s opinion).

We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journalplease click here. 

When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our free online-exclusive articles, such as this review, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

Another way you can support keeping our resources free is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3 or $5, which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here.

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author:

Episode 037: Choose Your Own Enchantment: Freedom and Conscience in What We Watch

Choose Your Own Enchantment: Freedom and Conscience in What We Watch 

Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts related to this topic:

Episode 075: Film Nostalgia & Heaven 

Looking for Heaven at the Movies: What our Fondness for Nostalgic Films Says about Us.”

The Wisdom of Pixar 

Television as the New Literature: Understanding and Evaluating the Medium 

Prometheus: Finding God in Outer Space

Unpacking Anime’s Thematic and Spiritual Depth

The Artistic Pro-Life Theme in Netflix’s I Am Mother

Postmodern Realities Episode 132: The Artistic Pro-Life Theme in Netflix’s I Am Mother

Episode 87: Westworld & A.I.

“HBO’s Westworld and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.”

The Gospel According to Lost

Breaking Bad’s Addicting Defense of Moral Realism 

Episode 039: The Gospel According to Marvel 

The Gospel According to Marvel

Episode 024: Dr. Strange (film review with spoilers)

Fighting Scientism with the Occult in Doctor Strange

Episode 017: Suicide Squad, Deadpool, and the Rise of the Comic Book Antihero 

Suicide Squad, Deadpool, and the Rise of the Comic Book Antihero

Episode 139 Clear Skies, Hurt Hearts, Can’t Lose: Why Spielberg’s Aliens Help Make us More Human 

Clear Skies, Hurt Hearts, Can’t Lose: Why Spielberg’s Aliens Help Make us More Human

Episode 123 Tolkien’s First Fellowship

Tolkien’s First Fellowship A film review of Tolkien

Episode 100: A. Hitchcock Films

“Caught Looking: Hitchcock’s Films in the Age of Instagram.” 

Episode 001: The Films of Quentin Tarantino

Episode 067: Spielberg’s Nostalgia for Reality in Ready Player One 

Spielberg’s Nostalgia for Reality in Ready Player One.”

Episode 054: The Last Jedi: A Star Wars Movie for the Era of “the Nones”

The Last Jedi: A Star Wars Movie for the Era of “the Nones”

Episode 027: “Evaluating the Star Wars Worldview”

May the Force Bewitch You: Evaluating the Star Wars Worldview 

Episode 041: The Gracious Heroism of Wonder Woman

The Gracious Heroism of Wonder Woman

Episode 012: Jesus Films 

Jesus Films: Who Does Hollywood Say That I Am? 

Episode 079: Theology of Morgan Freeman 

“The Story of Morgan Freeman (Not God).” 

An Apologetic of Horror 

The Matrix: Unloaded Revelations 

A Wrinkle in Time: Drawing Apologetic Value from a De-Christianized Film