Happy Hannukah! Jodie and Matthew try to bring in the Hanukkah cheer by discussing Adam Sandler’s 2002 movie, Eight Crazy Nights. Too bad it was an awful movie. Even so, Jodie and Matthew professionally press on and discuss some of the things the movie did wrong and try to find what the movie may have done well, like perhaps showcasing itself as an example of the increase in popularity of Hanukkah in the past century. Perhaps it can help illuminate why that may be. Let us know your thoughts on the movie, too!

Matthew Rating: 1/5

Jodie Rating: 0.5/5

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Jodie and Matthew are back again to ruin Christmas (sorry) by looking at Mary, mother of Jesus, from a historical-critical perspective to figure out if Mary was likely a virgin or not when conceiving Jesus. With Mary's virginity only mentioned in Matthew and Luke, the podcast explores why those authors would have included the virginal conception of Jesus, what other biblical authors included (or didn’t include) regarding the birth of Jesus, and some competing theories about the truth behind Jesus’ father.

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#57 A Charlie Brown Christmas: A TRT Movie Review

Christmastime is here! So Jodie and Matthew are looking at one of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time, and one of the most explicitly Christian scenes in all of Christmas media. But is that enough to make this a religious movie? And does this movie, whose central message is anticonsumerism succeed in its goal? See what we have to say about these things, and we'd also love to hear your thoughts!!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Lind, S. J. (2014). Christmas in the 1960s: a Charlie Brown Christmas, religion, and the conventions of the television genre. Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 26(1), 1.

Matthew Rating: 4/5

Jodie Rating: 4/5

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Jodie and Matthew continue the series going through Mark Juergensmeyer’s book “Terror in the Mind of God” as they discuss Islamic extremism. By looking at case studies of Extremist and Terrorist organizations such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Hamas, and those that support them, Jodie and Matthew try to follow the logic on why these organizations create terror and why the vast majority of Muslims across the world condemn these organizations. Like other extremists mentioned, common themes in Islamic extremism include a sense of marginalization, interpretations of being in a cosmic war, and a political identity tied to the religion.

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God, Fourth Edition: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. 4th ed. University of California Press, 2017.

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Facebook: TRT

Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Who doesn’t love Jim Carey?! This week, Jodie and Matthew look at the 2003 film, Bruce Almighty, and analyze how it presented an American view of religion that parallels Christianity without ever actually using explicitly religious terminology. How does Bruce Almighty depict religion and western depictions of a deity in a way that is appealing to the religious and non-religious alike? Let us know your thoughts on this and how this movie tackles ideas of free will, American religion, and comedy, and whether or not you agree with our hot takes!

Matthew Rating: 3/5

Jodie Rating: 4/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Jodie and Matthew delve into the topic of Jewish Extremism as they discuss Chapter 3 of Mark Jurgensmeyer’s “Terror in the Mind of God” (TITMOG). Much of modern Jewish extremism and violence is related to Zionism in one form or another. Without getting into too many details about Zionism (that’s a topic for another time), Jodie and Matthew discuss Jewish extremists such as Meir Kahane, Yoel Lerner, and Baruch Goldstein to try to understand their forms of Zionism and extremism and follow the logic of these extremists and understand why they may have advocated for these horrible acts.

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God, Fourth Edition: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. 4th ed. University of California Press, 2017.

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

In a fun change of pace, Jodie and Matthew review Jeff Baena’s “The Little Hours” starring Allison Brie, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, and Dave Franco, which is a comedy based on a story from The Decameron about a 14th century convent who lust after a new groundskeeper who is pretending to be deaf and mute. Shenanigans occur as the movie hilariously delves into human flaws and fascinating characters under the backdrop of a 14th century conventFollow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouseInstagram: @TheReligiousTreehouseTikTok: @thereligioustreehouse Facebook: TRTEmail: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

Jodie and Matthew delve into the topic of Christian Extremism as they discuss Chapter 2 of Mark Jurgensmeyer’s “Terror in the Mind of God” (TITMOG). They look at some case studies of religious violence in extremists such as Anders Brievik, Timothy McVeigh, and Michael Bray and then discuss some of their justifications and reasonings behind committing these horrible acts of violence, briefly touching on topics of Just War theory, Dominion theology, and Reconstructionist Theology. Follow along and let us know what you think!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God, Fourth Edition: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. 4th ed. University of California Press, 2017.

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

Instagram: @TheReligiousTreehouse

TikTok: @thereligioustreehouse

Facebook: TRT

Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com