PODCAST · fiction
For Christ's Sake, Anakin!
by Matthew Neugebauer
Welcome to FCSA! A podcast of fandom and faith in dialogue.
Episodes
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Episode LXXXV - Omega's Baptism
The Bad Batch season one is in the books and I give my reactions (plural) to the two-part finale. Like the season as a whole, I struggled with connecting these new characters to the wider Star Wars story. But with that concern out of the way, I was able on rewatch to focus on and appreciate the...
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Episode LXXXIV - The TVA and Loki's True Self
Jonathan Majors' "Kang who Remains" may be eating the apple, but the institutions we all live under have their limits and try to exceed them. Kang's reasons for creating the TVA got me thinking of the Social Contract Tradition and its supposed "state of nature"-how it relates to and contrasts…
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Summer Shorts #3 - High Republic SDCC reveals
Back in Ontario but still at a lake, I'm joined by some friends for a fully-vaccinated and fully-clothed look at the High Republic and its third wave announced at SDCC@home. Lending their voices and perspectives are Din of F-105, Dominic of the Star Wars Underworld and Patrick of Beskar Guitar…
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Episode LXXXIII - Masters in a Rising Storm (Commentary #2)
My commentary on Cavan Scott's The Rising Storm continues with a trio of character reflections on senior Jedi in the novel. Longtime friends Elzar Mann and Stellan Gios seem to be on converging paths in their relationship to the Order. Loden Greatstorm was teased as a major character in the early...
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Episode LXXXII - Grand Visions, Grand Armies (The Rising Storm Commentary #1)
FCSA is back to its High Republic ways with a look at Cavan Scott's The Rising Storm. I contrast the Valo attack with the Hetzal Disaster, and then go into this book's take on a standing army for the whole galaxy. I begin with some brief, non-spoilery thoughts on this morning's Bad Batch episode....
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Sasky Summer Shorts #2 - The Bad Batch Episode 8, "Reunion"
The rust of Bracca, and Crosshair's breathing apparatus. Unlike Omega, my own view was quite nice. Twitter @neug485 Instagram @mneug1138 Church blog luminous-beings.com
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Sasky Summer Shorts #1 - Loki Episode 2, "The Variant"
I'm taking this outside! Where you can hear the grandeur of wind and birds, alongside my thoughts on Mobius' eschatology and the show's potential reflection on global warming. I mention Thomas Aquinas again. Thanks for listening, and MTFBWY Twitter @neug485 Instagram @mneug1138 Church blog...
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Sasky Summer Shorts #0
Introducing the month of Sasky Summer Shorts with my reaction to that incredible Loki premiere, as well as today's moving Bad Batch episode. Spoilers abound, as does Hauerwas. Thanks for listening, and MTFBWY Twitter @neug485 Instagram @mneug1138 Church blog luminous-beings.com
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Episode LXXXI - There Is No Fear
This week I reflect on the first arc of Cavan Scott's High Republic comic run. Building off its (ironic?) title, I explore the ways that Keeve, Sskeer and the Jedi Order as a whole are confronted with the fears emerging from new Dark Side threats: the threat of the Drengir to be sure, but...
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Episode LXXX - High Republic Era
This week we're back aboard the High Republic Hype Train with a question rooted in real-world history. When does the High Republic Era begin and end? How do we know when any "era" begins and ends? I look at signifiers, signposts of what we now call the "Modern era" of western history, when we…
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Episode LXXIX - The Artist's Journey-with Din of F-105
This week I'm joined by Din of F-105 to talk about his new album, F-105 II Side B, the wonderful song Outer Space/Coming Home, his vocation as an artist and his perspectives on our own universe and the Galaxy Far, Far Away. It's an in-depth conversation the gets to the heart of FCSA's mission of...
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Episode LXXVIII - A Batch of Characters
I love the Bad Batch! I really do, especially since it's taking the time to explore character growth, even as the "plot" or "mission" is moving slowly. It represents the way we're now in an era of "slow burn" television storytelling that aims for a satisfying experience whether you watch it…
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Episode LXXVII - Kanon Miscontinuities
The Bad Batch is here! It's great, and I give a brief review of the first two episodes. The first few minutes of the series make a change to pre-existing canon, and I delve into my thoughts and feels about it. Facts and events don't have to line up every time: I'm no "canon fundamentalist." But...
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Episode LXXVI - Clone Force Gretzky
The Bad Batch is just around the corner! As I do with most upcoming series, I preview the show with a discussion of what I'd like to see and what questions I'm going into the show with. How do these outside-the-box clones respond to Order 66? How do they see themselves in relation to the...
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Episode LXXV - Sam, Bucky, Karli, John
Welcome back True Believers! This week I give my spoilery thoughts on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier--both the series as a whole and where it all landed in today's final episode. How well did Sam's story explore the struggles of Black Americans to find their place in their own country? Did it...
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Episode LXXIV - Into the Dark
Jedi, Nihil and humble outer rim transport pilots. Claudia Gray's Into the Dark has it all, deftly exploring the struggles of three young folks making their way in the galaxy. I give my thoughts on the novel by focusing on Reath, Affie and Nan as believable, sympathetic characters. I also talk...
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Episode LXXIII - Discerning the Light in a Great Disaster (Light of the Jedi Commentary #3)
The FCSA Star Wars Podcast Day episode is here! This week I break down the High Council debate that forms a pivotal interlude in Charles Soule's Light of the Jedi. How do we discern the Will of the Force? How can the past help us decide what to do in the present? Or should we ignore precedent, or...
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Episode LXXII - Altar and Throne (Light of the Jedi Commentary #2)
This week I continue my commentary review of Charles Soule's Light of the Jedi with a look at the story as a whole, as well as some themes that emerge in parts two and three of the novel. After giving my story review, I go into Lina Soh's optimism and what it might mean for us and for the galaxy,...
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Episode LXXI - WandaVision, Sin and Redemption
FCSA goes MCU! The opening act of WandaVision is upon us, providing a good time to look back and reflect on its story and some comics connections as well as the theme of personal and systemic sin that the show starts to suggest. Who is keeping Wanda trapped in her own illusion? Who will help lead...
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Episode LXX - We are all the Republic (Light of the Jedi Commentary #1)
As promised, the first commentary episode on Charles Soule's Light of the Jedi. I reflect on themes of political and church unity as expressed in the first half of the High Republic novel, and in conversation with similar ideas in Soule's and Scott Snyder's Undiscovered Country comic. I also…
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Episode LXIX - Narratives of Great Disaster
This week on FCSA: The Great Hyperspace Disaster of the High Republic is the latest in a number of post-cataclysmic stories that we *just happen* to be getting during this Pandemic. The Expanse, Picard and Season 3 of Discovery also reflect moments of great instability. What do these creative...
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2021 High Republic preview
FCSA is back! We kick things off in 2021 with my thoughts coming out of the High Republic launch event this past Monday, which you can watch right here. My initial concerns about colonialism and 60s optimism and gave way to real hopes that the creatives involved will seriously tackle the…
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Episode LXVIII - Ahsoka's Attachments
With a week to process Ahsoka Tano's triumphant two-sabred leap into live action, I share my thoughts on her appearance as a whole, and reflect on how her understanding of attachments informs her unwillingness to separate Grogu from Din. And I think I come around to calling him Grogu partway...
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Episode LXVII - Is this the way, really?
So Din Djarin was raised in an extremist cult: who knew? Of the many reveals in last week's Mando episode, this was the most intriguing. I pick up my conversation from a few weeks ago on Din's exploration of Mandalorian and Jedi tradition, and how that might help reconfigure our own conceptions…
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Episode LXVI - Canon Miscontinuities
Execute Episode 66! This week I'm diving into moments and storylines in the Galaxy Far Far Away that don't quite line up between printed material and what we see on screen. They range from eminently satisfying story decisions to egregious and downright racist stereotypes. Hats off to Pablo…
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Episode LXV - Mando and the Force
It's the Eve of Mando Season 2! This week I dive into the question, why doesn't Din Djarin know about the Force or the Jedi? I revisit some real-world resonances with the retreat of Faith and Jedi from the Galaxy, and also explore what it might mean for Din and The Child to rediscover this...
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Episode LXIV - Japor Snippet
This week on FCSA I delve into Vader's stroll down memory lane in Greg Pak and Raffaelle Ienco's recent comic run. He's looking for Luke's origins, but what does that reveal about his own family bonds? The main episode covers #1-5, so the Pull List segment mentions #6 as well as Captain America…
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Episode LXIII - Qui-Gon's Literalist Turn (Master & Apprentice Commentary #5)
This week we conclude our series on Qui-Gon Jinn and Prophecy in Claudia Gray's Master & Apprentice by examining his turn to a more literal interpretation of prophecy. I look at it from an in-universe perspective and discuss the Scriptural and Theological basis for this turn in Christian…
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Episode LXII - The Prophecy of Protest (Master & Apprentice Commentary #4)
As promised, we've come to the Halin Azucca episode! And again, let's all agree: she's the real prophet here. And her witness is a timely reminder in light of the competing narratives around protest that have erupted in the last year. Like Azucca and her performance art protest group, 93% of…
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Episode LXI - Qui-Gon's Restraint (Master & Apprentice Commentary #3)
Picking up from last week's episode, this week we look at ways in which Qui-Gon is able to show calm, deft restraint in his prophetic role: his humble self-awareness regarding Obi-wan's development. and his ability to play the political game as a tool in his prophetic toolkit. I also introduce a...
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Episode LX - Qui-Gon's Realism (Master & Apprentice Commentary #2)
This week we continue our look at the themes of prophecy in Claudia Gray's Master & Apprentice, centring on the character of Qui-Gon Jinn. Master Qui-Gon believed that faith in the Force and the mission of the Jedi had to be grounded in a grasp of the real world: how people really live, what they...
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Episode LIX - Qui-Gon's Power (Master & Apprentice Commentary #1)
This week on FCSA I begin my commentary on Claudia Gray's masterful (pun!) Master & Apprentice. The early chapters of the novel introduce us to Qui-Gon's approach to prophecy, as well as set up some situations that test the way he practices what he preaches. Fittingly, this was filmed at the back...
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Episode LVIII - Oh, Chelli...
Chelli is as Chelli does! FCSA is back with a review of the Doctor Aphra Audiobook Original, written by Sarah Kuhn, starring Emily Woo Zeller and Marc "the canon legend" Thompson. I go into what I thought worked well and what I didn't quite connect with. Spoilers abound, so if you haven't...
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Episode LVII - Martez Sisters and the Jedi
This week on FCSA! I'm joined by Dillon from DilDev's Diner on Eleven-ThirtyEight for a great discussion on the Martez Sisters arc from Clone Wars Season 7 and its "ground level" or "underground level" view of the Jedi. Dillon's recent article describes some strong resonances between Jedi...
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Episode LVI - Themes in Picard *spoilers after 9:50*
Now that season 1 of Picard is done, I look back at three themes that stood out in the show: choice, love and death. I found that they were handled with more realism and responsibility than we've seen from Hollywood in a long time, which bodes very well for season 2 and for Discovery season 3. I...
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Episode LV - The High Republic: Jedi Christendom?
During the lead-up to last week's announcement of the High Republic (series? era?), I started to speculate and stew over what kinds of things I want to see explored in that time period. Now that we have some details I thought it...high time to devote a whole episode to this latest bit of news.…
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Episode LIV - Picard at Midseason *spoilers after 7:10*
We've hit the halfway point of Picard Season 1, so it's high time for a review! It's non-spoilery until about the 7:10 mark, and then I dive in. I also make some small comparisons to the Mandalorian and reflect on this "third wave" of small-screen storytelling. Thanks for listening, and LLAP!...
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Episode LIII - Clone Wars Retro/Prospective
Season 7 of Clone Wars is only a few weeks away! I've been doing a binge rewatch and have some thoughts and insights! The show's groundbreaking visual style was very ahead of its time. And even though it seems like an anthology series of semi-connected arcs, there's definitely an intricate...
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Episode LII - Second Coming, Second Look
This week on FCSA I talk about Mark Russell and Richard Pace's indie comic Second Coming, especially my experience of reading a book that doesn't try to get Jesus right, then ends up getting Him profoundly right. Also, Happy Picard Day! Look for future episodes reacting to this new show that will...
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Episode LI - All the Jedi: The Rise of Skywalker and the Prequel Trilogy
At last, it's the FCSA Prequelist review of The Rise of Skywalker! Now that I've had a chance to process this IXth installment in the Star Wars saga, it's time to discuss how it relates to Episodes I, II and III. I first give a general review of the film, and how I've come to enjoy it, and then...
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Episode 50 - The Prophecy, Misread
It's Advent: time for me to tell you what I really think! This week I consider Prophecy: Biblical, Political, the Chosen One, and the ways it can be misread for the sake of idolatrous power games. It's a bit of a departure from my thesis about Vader and the Crucifixion, but it never hurts to...
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Resistance Reborn review *with spoilers*
I'm back! Hopping on to give my review of Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse. An overall excellent book, with compelling characters, but some things I felt were overcooked. The novel is definitely recommended. *Spoilery* content starts at the 4:45 mark. Oh and my blog has been reborn as well!...
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Episode XLIX - Exvangelicals, Ex-Jedi
What does it mean to leave? To leave the Jedi? To leave conservative fundamentalist communities? A lot of younger Christians have left for other pastures, embracing the label "exvangelical." Where have they ended up? Are they more like Count Dooku, or Ahsoka Tano? And what might Qui-gon's…
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Episode XLVIII - Reform, Heresy and Schism
Welcome back to FCSA! This week I finish my recap of Fan Expo 2019, delving into the YA fiction panel I went to on the Sunday and how it helped me understand the (incredible) YA Star Wars novels. I then respond to another Beltway Banthas episode...this time, the one I was on! The original episode...
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Fan Expo Canada 2019 - Saturday check-in
I'm back at Roundhouse Park to cover all the panels I caught on this Con Saturday. Jonathan Frakes, Charles Soule and more.
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Fan Expo Canada 2019 check-in, Friday afternoon
Denise Crosby, Representation of women superheroes, Hasbro Star Wars and more!
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Calm Before the Con Special 2019
I'm back! And just in time for Fan Expo Canada 2019. I return to the exact same spot I recorded last year's Fan Expo preview, and talk about what I'm looking forward to this year. But first I go into the renewed and expanded vision for this podcast. Now that I'm on Anchor, I don't need to worry...
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Episode XLVII- I am a Jedi, like my father before me
Our Lenten series concludes--a little late--with a look at the cardinal virtues in Return of the Jedi. We can see many characters displaying patience, wisdom, courage and justice, but we also see Luke Skywalker truly complete his training by exemplifying all four in one toss of a lightsaber. I…
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Episode XLVI- Do, or Do Not
Our Lenten series continues with an exploration of the Cardinal Virtues in Episode V: the Empire Strikes Back. Spoiler alert: Yoda is wise. Of course, I also give an instant reaction to the EPISODE IX TRAILER that just dropped, as well as the panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019. I then…
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Episode XLV - "Into the Garbage Chute, Flyboy"
Our Lenten mini-series begins with an examination of Cardinal virtues in the film that started it all. I look at which characters show Courage, Prudence, Patience and Justice, and which character brings together all four. I also give some brief thoughts on Queen's Shadow, the end of Resistance...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does For Christ's Sake, Anakin! have?
For Christ's Sake, Anakin! currently has 99 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is For Christ's Sake, Anakin! about?
Welcome to FCSA! A podcast of fandom and faith in dialogue.
How often does For Christ's Sake, Anakin! release new episodes?
For Christ's Sake, Anakin! has 99 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to For Christ's Sake, Anakin!?
You can listen to For Christ's Sake, Anakin! on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts For Christ's Sake, Anakin!?
For Christ's Sake, Anakin! is created and hosted by Matthew Neugebauer.
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