So what do Superman, Captain America, Professor X, and Jesus Christ all have in common? According to the canonical accounts of their lives, each one has been raised from the dead. So why is it that, even in fiction, humans yearn for heroes who die and return to life? That’s one of the questions that apologist and bestselling author Timothy Paul Jones explores in this episode with cohost Garrick Bailey and guest Todd Miles. In the second half, Garrick and Timothy go digging for God’s truth in the music of Larry Norman, the father of Christian rock--and, as it turns out, someone that Garrick had never even heard about until recently. This week's dilemma from the Infinity Gauntlet leads to a deadly duel between Jedi Master Yoda and Gandalf the White.
In this EpisodeTodd Miles, Ph.D. is professor of theology at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of the B&H Academic titles Superheroes Can’t Save You (2018) and A God of Many Understandings? (2010).
Questions to Discuss1. In Infinity War, Rocket Raccoon asks Thor about his brother Loki who has just died. Thor’s reply is, “Well, he’s been dead before” which is a reminder of how frequently death is temporary in comic-book universes. What are some of the best comic-book resurrection stories?
2. Why is there a recurrent theme of sacrifice, death, and resurrection in the comic books?
3. How might the rise of secularity reshape superhero stories now and in the future?
Links to ClickB&H Academic
Superheroes Can’t Save You: book by Todd Miles
A God of Many Understandings?: book by Todd Miles
The Gospel According to Superheroes: book with foreword by Stan Lee (Google Preview)
Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: book by Greg Thornbury
The Great American Novel: song by Larry Norman
Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: song by Larry Norman
Why Don't You Look Into Jesus?: song by Larry Norman
Jesus Sound Explosion: vinyl LP recorded at Explo '72
ThreeChordsApologetics.com
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The Closing CreditsThree Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship.
Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly.
Brief excerpts of music played in the second half of each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Every Christian Is an Apologist Now (Part 2), with Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey
Every Christian Is an Apologist Now (Part 1), with Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey
How Bible Literacy Equips the Church to Defend the Faith, with Jen Wilkin
How to Be an Apologist without Being a Jerk, with Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey
Resurrection-Centered Apologetics, with Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey
How to Know God Exists, with Josh McDowell
Apatheism, Mormonism, and Theological Shoegazing, with Kyle Beshears
Huey Lewis and the News: The Holy Trinity and “The Power of Love”
Abortion, Apologetics, and the End of Roe v. Wade, with Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones
What If Our Bibles Don’t Have the Right Words? with Michael Kruger
Doubt, Deconstruction, and an Apologetic of Kindness, with Keith Plummer
Did the Council of Nicaea Choose the Books of the Bible? with Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones
How the Life of the Church Defends the Truth of the Faith, with Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones
Metallica (Part 2): The Problem of Evil, the Power of Shame, and ”The God That Failed”
Metallica (Part 1): Christian Science, the Problem of Evil, and ”The God That Failed”
Making Sense of the Anti-Women, Anti-Science, Pro-Violence, Pro-Slavery and Other Crazy-Sounding Parts of Scripture, with Dan Kimball
What Could We Know About Jesus If Every Bible in the World Disappeared? with J. Warner Wallace
Who Really Wrote the Gospels? with Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey
Jarvis Williams: Redemptive Kingdom Diversity and Why the New Testament Can Be Trusted
Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones: Good Times with the End Times and Eschatology (Part 2) + “Accelerate” (R.E.M.)
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