The Da Vinci Code: a Catholic conspiracy for the ages By: Bayley Millerov “All depictions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate” Dan Brown Synopsis: The Da Vinci Code is a novel written by Dan Brown in 2003 and has since been adapted into a movie in 2006 starring Tom…
The Nun, Holy vs Evil
Make sure that your stomach is ready and that no large meals have been consumed prior to seeing the 2018 horror film The Nun. The film starts off with the death of a nun we know little to almost nothing about hanging herself from the window of a convent where she was being chased by…
The Irishman: Comfort Inside of Religion?
It is said that religion brings comfort and peace to the people that believe. There are two different types of comfort that religion brings upon a person, physical and mental. Physical, the church proves a safe place that allows people to forget about the outside world. This was evident when looking at John McGreevy’s article,…
The Rite: Exorcism, Demons and Frogs; How it Came into Films
Bites of demonic donkeys and otherworldly strength. The nails that held Christ to the Cross appeared in the mouths of those possessed. Frogs taking over a bedroom en masse. These are what we find ourselves facing when watching The Rite. While this is a horror film, it isn’t what I think of when I think…
The Irishman: How Catholicism ended up saving Frank Sheeran
Introduction: Martin Scorsese’s hit movie, The Irishman, is based on the novel I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. The Irishman details a narrative spanning 50 years into the life of Frank Sheeran who once was an innocent truck driver who hauled sides of beef, turned into a ruthless hitman for the mob. Frank…
Novitiate: A Story of Guilt, Pain, and the Catholic Church
Whats it REALLY about? Catholics have always relished the concept of pain, giving up one’s own bodily comfort to atone for the sins they committed to God is as sensational as it is excruciating. Maggie Bett’s Novitiate (2017) not only brings this dichotomy to life but portrays it in almost pornographic detail. Novitiate is rife…
Nacho Libre: How Christianity Plays a Role in Sports
Sports are watched and played every day by people all over the world. What is a sport? According to the Oxford dictionary, a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. What is Religion? Religion is a set of stories…
Yes, God, Yes: a Look into Improper Sex Education
In the Catholic eyes, sex performed by an unmarried couple or without the purpose of procreation can subject you to eternal damnation. Now go around and ask Catholics you know if they believe that, and if they truly followed it. Okay, not actually asking people, but if you did and they were honest, you may…
Religion in Crisis: Demonology in The Exorcist (1973)
By Katie Kraemer Contextualizing the 1960s and 70s Before we can discuss 1973’s hit film adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel, The Exorcist, it’s important to lay the groundwork to explain why the film thrived in the environment of the late 20th century. The various social developments of the 1960s and 1970s in the…
The Song of Bernadette and Policing of the Catholic Woman’s Worship
Bernadette’s story is one expected of duty, obedience, and previously constructed Catholic gender roles. However, her visions of the Virgin Mary and what came of them could be interpreted as deeply feminist and resistant to the policing of Catholic female worship and faith. The movie, The Song of Bernadette, is based on the novel by…
Catholics in the Americas 