Results of a poll of 9,000 Christian churches last December were released this Dec. 1. What Christmas carols made the Top 10?
Music
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
The story of ‘Carol of the Bells,’ a Christmas classic born in Ukraine
How is a song used in 100 holiday ads somehow connected to Ukraine? It turns out every carol that we sing at Christmas has a story behind it, some inspiring, some strange.
Posted inFaith, The Good Word
To find God’s revelation, one can turn to music
Can a song save your life? Can a canticle change your life, fundamentally alter its course?
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
Review: Taylor Swift bares her soul in her new album, ‘Midnights’
With age comes wisdom, and that is certainly true for Taylor, whose latest album, “Midnights,” is almost entirely introspective, even a little retrospective.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
What Mariah Carey’s ‘Butterfly’ has to say to children of divorce
Listening to the album anew, I can see how Carey’s songs shed light on the spiritual and psychological struggles of children of divorce (like Mariah Carey and I).
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Lizzo’s theology of the body
When you have thoroughly internalized the idea that you ought to be taking up less space than you do, Lizzo is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
30 years ago, Sinéad O’Connor ripped up a photo of JPII on stage. What should Catholics make of her protest today?
Sinéad O’Connor’s provocative appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’ 30 years ago drew cries of outrage. But was some of her anger justified?
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Review: Cate Blanchett is the pope of the classical music world in ‘Tár’
“Tár” is about power, guilt and the always tantalizing question of whether the art can or should absolve the artist for being who she is.
Posted inArts & Culture, Podcasts
Podcast: The Hillbilly Thomists on Bluegrass, Catholic culture and liturgical music
This week on Jesuitical, Ashley and Zac are joined by Father Thomas Joseph White, O.P., of the all-Dominican bluegrass group, The Hillbilly Thomists.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
Maggie Rogers describes making music as a religious experience. It shows on her new album, ‘Surrender’
Maggie Rogers wrote an album of “feral joy” for “Surrender,” the indie-pop artist’s second LP.