138: A Theological Analysis of James Gunn's Superman

Welcome to the Theology & Ethics podcast! In this episode, the KC team discusses Superman 2025, a new comic book movie adaptation courtesy of director James Gunn. We’ll discuss the aesthetics of the film, and analyze it from a theological perspective. Anthony’s articles about the movie:https://kirkwood617.substack.com/p/james-gunns-superman-christus-orhttps://www.patheos.com/blogs/theologicalapologetics/2025/07/james-gunns-not-so-super-superman/If you’d like to get in touch with us, give us a call or send us a text at (909) 493-7799, or send us an email at [email protected]. Visit us on our website at kirkwoodcenter.org.Join the theology & ethics conversation & see more from The Kirkwood Center on our socials!Facebook: https://shorturl.at/R3NKgInstagram: https://shorturl.at/UNcebX/Twitter: https://t.ly/Gt8f8YouTube: https://t.ly/LDbWOSubstack: https://t.ly/wBABvWebsite: https://kirkwoodcenter.org/If you enjoyed this episode, please take a second to leave us a review on your podcast app of choice. If this episode made you think of someone you know, shoot them a link!#anthonycostello #superman2025 #clarkkent #jamesgunn #davidcorenswet #DCuniverse #comics #aristotle #kierkegaard #theologyandethicspodcast #kirkwoodcenter #church #christianity #theology #ethics #bibleCHAPTERS & TIMECODES00:00:00-Introduction00:02:35-Anthony’s Articles About Superman00:05:50-The Challenge of Movie Adaptations00:11:12-The Role of Comic Book Media in Culture00:15:15-Aristotle’s Criteria for Good Drama00:21:42-Superman’s Error of Trading Plot for Spectacle00:47:44-The Importance of Objectivity in Defining Beauty00:53:11-Kierkegaard and the Productive Use of Imagination01:09:59-The Theological Implications of Gunn’s Clark Kent01:27:31-Should Superman Stories Reflect the Gospel?01:37:23-Do Bad Movies Still Have Redemptive Value?01:47:13-Conclusion

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This episode was published on July 28, 2025.

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