Unreliable Narrators

Hot take: We don't think The Wizard of Oz is a very well-written movie. So what makes the 1939 film such an enduring classic? Does the movie present an atheistic worldview, or is there something deeper to the story? If you follow the red brick road, do you end up in Hell? We may spend a lot of time laughing in this episode, but don't worry! We promise that we get around to C.S. Lewis and T.S. Eliot eventually. Our next episode will be the 2024 film Wicked. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamusehttps://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

Raymond and Sophie return again to one of William Shakespeare's most mysterious and complex plays, The Merchant of Venice. Is this play a tragedy or a comedy? Why is Shylock's famous demand for a "pound of flesh" so interesting? Why do cycles of vengeance always escalate? Why is mercy necessary and true justice impossible? Once again, and most importantly: What could equal the value of a human soul? Join the conversation in this exciting new episode and learn why "when in the course of justice none of us shall see salvation." Stay tuned for our next episode on The Wizard of Oz. Register for camp! https://form.jotform.com/241565531242047 Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

In this episode, Raymond and Sophie try to discuss Neon Gravestones by Twenty One Pilots and somehow end up discussing the entirety of the band's discography. What is the lore behind the 2018 album Trench? Who is Clancy? Is selling out actually a good thing? All this and more in our love letter to Twenty One Pilots. Our next episode will be William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

Alec Benjamin insists that his single "Jesus in L.A." is not a religious song, but the Unreliable Narrators think otherwise. How is the song "Jesus in L.A." like a sequel to T.S. Eliot's "The Cocktail Party"? Are Vienna and L.A. metaphors for Heaven and Hell? do you have to go through the inferno of L.A. to get to the paradise of Vienna? Can anything good come out of Nazareth? All this in more in our first episode of Season 5! Register for camp! https://form.jotform.com/241565531242047 Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In their 2025 Christmas special, Raymond and Sophie discuss the Christmas classic with the least plot and most music: The Nutcracker. Along the way, we talk about the source of the odd story that inspired the ballet, the importance of imaginative play, and the nature of toys and love. Also, we somehow end up interpreting the ending of Jonah. Don't miss it! Our next episode will be the song Jesus in LA by Alec Benjamin. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

"What sort of god might he be who dares not show his face?" In our final episode of apocalypse season, Raymond and Sophie cover the second half of Till We Have Faces. In the second part of the book, Orual undergoes a radical transformation...but what exactly is transformed? And how does this transformation happen? Sophie and Raymond return to some of the deepest stories and practices in the Christian faith: the sacrifice of Abraham and Isaac, the participation of Holy Communion, and the theology of salvation, shedding a unique perspective on these traditions in the light of what many consider to be Lewis's greatest masterpiece. Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

In this episode, Raymond and Sophie jump on the Kpop Demon Hunters bandwagon and discuss the 2025 phenomenon that nobody saw coming. Do people become demons because of what they do or who they are? How does a trio of K-pop singers deal with the problem of sin? How many times has Sophie REALLY seen this movie? All this and more in our latest episode. Our next episode will be Part 2 of C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In this episode, Raymond and Sophie discuss the single most influential work of literature ever written (at least to the two of them): C.S. Lewis's final novel, Till We Have Faces. Listen to find out who the god of the mountain really is, how loving and devouring are secretly the same thing, and why Psyche has always longed for death. Or, you know, you could listen to find out why Raymond and Sophie are the way that they are. We won't judge. Our next episode will be Part 2 of C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

T.S. Eliot's famous post-war poem, "The Waste Land", revolutionized modern poetry and represented huge shifts in modern consciousness. And yet to this day, it is still one of the most difficult to understand. What is all this about "April is the cruelest month"? and "Fear death by water"? and "Who is the third who walks always beside you"? In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the life of T.S. Eliot, modernism, Arthurian legend, images of baptism, and more. If you've been stumped by this poem in the past, never fear: your trusty Unreliable Narrators are here to help you out. Stay tuned for the grand finale to apocalypse season, a two-part series on Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In this episode, Raymond and Sophie end Anime Month with a discussion of the hit anime Mob Psycho 100. We'd like to say that we covered all our bases by discussing the nature of adolescence, Mob's solution to the problem of suffering, and the theological implications of a world where evil spirits run rampant...but we pretty much only talked about Reigen Arataka, the most lovable conman of all time. We regret nothing. Our next episode will be T.S. Eliot's poem The Wasteland. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In this episode, Raymond learns that Sophie really, really likes the death game genre—and both of them try to figure out why. What does it mean to win a game without losing your soul? Are there any Christological figures in a world of murder? And what does any of this have to do with The Brothers Karamazov? The unreliable podcasters are determined to find out! Our next episode will be the 2016-2022 anime Mob Psycho 100. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

Is the human heart connected to the weather? The star-crossed lovers Hodaka in Hina in Mokoto Shinkai's Weathering with You discover this to be true in more ways than one. In this episode of anime month, Raymond and Sophie discuss the difference between archaic and Christian sacrifice, problems of utilitarian ethics, flood legends from Genesis and the Epic of Gilgamesh, and even...the secret of the world itself. Stay tuned for our next episode, Mob Psycho 100. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

Almost twenty years after its glory days, Raymond and Sophie finally get with the times and discuss the cultural phenomenon Death Note. What is the nature of justice in this story? What makes L such a good detective? And what do you do in a world where it's kill or be killed? All this and more in our latest episode! Our next episode will be the 2019 anime Weathering With You. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

Sophie and Raymond kick off Anime Month with a discussion of Studio Ghibli's 2001 film Spirited Away. How is Chihiro's journey a retelling of the Genesis story? What does it mean to remember your own name? Is the spirit No Face a metaphor for the artist? In their search for the answers, rest assured that both of your favorite unreliable podcasters come armed with many, many G.K. Chesterton quotes. Our next episode will be the 2006-2007 anime Death Note. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In this episode, Raymond reveals that we are in APOCALYPSE SEASON! In the art piece "Right?" artist Banu Cennetoğlu asks the question of how human rights can thrive in a world where the beliefs and narratives which once united us are breaking down. We discuss how René Girard and his theory of how human sacrifice evolves into ritual and ritual into the institution of law, and how this is illustrated in the Greek tragedy Oresteia. The art piece "Right?" gives the Unreliable Narrators an opportunity to discuss the entire history of the human race, the development of human rights, the breakdown of the institution of war, and...possibly nuclear apocalypse? Stay tuned for a special ANIME MONTH coming up next July! In our next episode, we'll be discussing Hayao Miyazaki's classic Spirited Away! Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

Elijah Wood (aka Trinity Klomparens) joins Sophie and Raymond to discuss the Cartoon Network TV series Over the Garden Wall. How do the characters (Wert and Greg) wind up in a mysterious wood that seems to resemble Hell? What sins did they commit that got them there? Sophie and Raymond think this show has lots of profound parallels to Pilgrim's Progress and Dante's Inferno. Trinity is convinced there are pumpkin people in her neighborhood. Our next episode will be the art piece "Right?" by Banu Cennetoğlu (apologies, Raymond announced the wrong episode last time--classic Raymond)**** Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

We are FINALLY back again (so sorry) after 4 months of nail-biting, painstaking silence (we know you missed us) to talk about William Golding's harrowing novel, Lord of the Flies. In Lord of the Flies, a group of English schoolboys survive a plane crash on a desert island. As they struggle to establish political order and cooperate, they are forced to discover the dark side of their own nature. What's going on with pigs in Golding's novel? And what are these constant references to "The Beast"? And are Christians actually all anarchists? Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

One Christmas night, in the little town of Bedford Falls, a man named George Bailey contemplates throwing away God's greatest gift...but through the prayers of those who love him dearest, George learns that he truly lived a wonderful life. In the meantime, the angel Clarence earns a pair of wings. This Christmas, Sophie and Raymond discuss one of the most beloved Christmas classics of all time, Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. What makes George Bailey's life wonderful? How do we convince those who are despondent (including ourselves) that life is truly worth living? How is It's a Wonderful Life like the book of Job? Is the idea of angels "earning wings" in Heaven theologically accurate? The answers the Unreliable Narrators come up with may not be what you were expecting, but who said we were reliable? Stay tuned for our next episode, where we talk about William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss Taylor Swift's Anti-Hero LIVE at WhySpeak Speech Camp 2024. As Sophie tries to convince Raymond to become a Swiftie, our two favorite unreliable narrators also discuss Flannery O'Connor's moments of grace, the nature of confession, and...you guessed it...Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. All this and more in our latest episode! Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

Dive into the waters and the wild of fairies, selkies, and spirits in our pilot episode for Season 4, The Song of the Sea. Why have the fairies departed from the human world? Why is preserving these Celtic legends and myths so important? How is director Tom Moore using his art to remind us of the world of the child? Also, why does hair represent the oral tradition? In our next episode, we'll be sharing with a special podcast recorded LIVE AT WHYSPEAK SPEECH CAMP, where we discuss Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero." Stay tuned for some more earth-shaking episodes this season... Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss themes of suffering, loss, and death in Lulu Wang's 2019 film The Farewell. What are the differences between the western and eastern perspectives on death? What does it mean for the collective to carry the burden of suffering for the individual? And how much longer can Sophie keep coming up with excuses to talk about Fyodor Dostoevsky?? All this and more in the SEASON 3 FINALE. Register for camp! https://form.jotform.com/241565531242047 Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2024-2025 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2024-2025.pdf

In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", the mariner shoots an albatross...and must spend the rest of his life paying penance for his sin. What on earth does this albatross represent? Civilization? Tradition? Christendom? Or is it, as Coleridge would probably insist, just an albatross? In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the Romantic poets' role in the history of art, thought, society, and Christian culture, as well as their special influence C.S. Lewis. We haven't totally come to a consensus on this, but we're pretty sure that Coleridge doesn't want us to kill albatrosses. In our next episode, we’ll be discussing the Lulu Wang's 2019 The Farewell, a comedy-drama about and young Chinese-American woman who struggles with the ethical dilemma of whether she should tell her grandmother about her terminal cancer diagnosis. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Sophie and Raymond are rejoined by special guest Anna Mason as they tackle the topic of surrealism through the lens of Salvador Dali's famous painting "The Persistence of Memory." Was Dali actually a surrealist? Why do all the clerks and navvies in the railway trains look so sad and tired? And is not being sick really the most poetical thing in the world? All this and more in this episode! Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2023-2024 Stoa Mars Hill list here:https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Mars-Hill-Topics-2023-2024-1.pdf

In H.G. Wells' classic short story, a father and his son Gip wander into an antique shop run by a curious man who claims to be a magician. But the father feels something is not right. This magician seems he can make anything disappear...even Gip! In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss science, magic, hypnotism, and what it means to have childlike (or childish) faith. Along the way, we compare Wells' short story with Christopher Nolan's film The Prestige, as well as a few notable events in the Bible that could be considered magic as well... In our next episode, we'll be discussing the art piece "The Persistence of Memory" by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Stay tuned.**** Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? Sophie and Raymond do! In this VERY BELATED Christmas episode (listen, nobody ever said we were reliable), your hosts discuss the 1965 short film, A Charlie Brown Christmas. What makes Charlie Brown a hero for the masses? What is the difference between a real tree and a poor tree? Can Sophie ever be trusted to edit an episode on time? All this and more in the first episode of 2024! Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2023-2024 Stoa Mars Hill list here:https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Mars-Hill-Topics-2023-2024-1.pdf

Raymond may be doubtful about the reality of love at first sight, but it's nonetheless a story that has captured the imagination of people for generations. In this episode, Sophie and Raymond dive into a diverse discussion about the roots of rivalry, racism, and romance in Steven Sondheim's retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

According to Catholic tradition, Saint Anthony of Padua was the patron saint of lost or misplaced articles. In this episode, Raymond shares a poem that takes a lighthearted spin on that idea, read recently a certain person's wedding.

The wind is rising!...We must try to live! In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the 2014 Studio Ghibli film The Wind Rises. Are artists and engineers really the same? Does the beauty of art justify the horrors of war? And most importantly, would you rather live in a world with pyramids or a world without them? All this and more in our latest episode! Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

She's everything. He's just Ken. Let's talk about that. In this episode, Sophie and Raymond don pink (metaphorically) to discuss feminism, fantasy, and family in The Barbie Movie. Why does Ken steal the show halfway through? Does Barbie's quest to become a human have surprising theological implications? Can Greta Gerwig's summer blockbuster really be suggestive of a long tradition of classic fairy tales from time immemorial? You may not think so, but for the Unreliable Narrators, anything Ken happen. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

One of the biggest complaints about modern video games is that they are too violent. But Toby Fox stabs this cliché right in the ribs in Undertale, a game where you actually have the choice to kill…or show mercy. Is pacifism really a possible way of life in our violent world? How are we called as Christians to think about pacifism? How does Toby Fox wrestle with morally ambiguous real-life dilemmas in a virtual environment where you only have binary choices? All of this and more in our latest episode. For our next episode, wear pink. ;) Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

The Unreliable Narrators are back! Today, Sophie and Raymond discuss about a recent Pixar short film in which a mother makes a dumpling that unexpectedly come to life. Among other themes, we discuss the character archetype of the "devouring mother," the relation between food, memory, and forgiveness, and...ancient Mesopotamian myths?? Find out how we pull all these ideas together in this first episode of season 3! In our next episode, we'll be discussing the role-playing video game "Undertale" produced by indie game developer Toby Fox. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

"This is my body, which is broken for you." What is the Law of Equivalent Exchange? Can you really buy redemption with suffering? What is the price of a human soul...and why is it Edward Elric's right arm? All this and more on our SEASON FINALE. In our next episode, we'll be discussing the 2018 Pixar animated short Bao. Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Kim Namjoon, lead singer of BTS, pens this heartfelt lyric in the song Always: "If I met God, I would tell him that life is a cup of coffee I never ordered." Is this merely a cheesy line from a melodramatic boyband singer or an epithet of such feeling and profundity to equal Shakespeare and King Solomon? For the Unreliable Narrators, maybe it's a little bit of both. This month, in service of our beloved students at Stoa NITOC, we are releasing TWO episodes in one week! Tune in for our next episode on Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood coming out this Thursday. Good luck, NITOC competitors! Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnreliableNarratorsPodcast Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse

There is a crack in everything...that's how the light gets in. Or is it out? In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the visual art piece "Perfect Imperfection: The Art of Healing," by Billie Bond. Along the way, we run into our old friends Milton, Dostoevsky, Lewis, Homer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and...Stephen Schwartz?? Hopefully they can help us figure out what golden cracks and broken ceramics have to do with the wounds of Christ and the resurrection. In our next episode, we will be talking about the song "Always," by BTS. Visit our BRAND NEW PATREON at patreon.com/unreliablenarratorspodcast and consider donating just a few dollars a month to keep our conversation going! Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

"If I could change the way that you see your self, you wouldn't wonder why they hear 'they don't deserve you.'" Can Raymond and Sophie change the way Billie Eilish sees herself? Maybe, with a little bit of help from G.K. Chesterton. In this episode, we ask the question: for the Christian called to martyrdom, does this entail a desire to die? Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf Our next episode will be on The Perfect Imperfection - The Art of Healing by Billie Bond.

What's going on with this Bruno guy? On the surface, Disney's Encanto seems to be just another typical "save-the-magic" princess story. But Sophie and Raymond think there is more hiding under the rafters of this magic house. In this episode, the Unreliable Narrators discuss scapegoats, innocent victims, cultures of the taboo, and the genius lyrics of Lin Manuel-Miranda, and more. Trigger warning: The subject of Bruno will be broached EXTENSIVELY. In our next episode, we'll be discussing the song "Everything I Wanted" by Billie Eilish. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

WE'RE FINALLY BACK with a high-energy conversation about Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. What does Oscar Wilde really think about art? Is Lord Henry the devil in disguise, or just a bad guy? What in the world is up with the ending? We may not have all the answers, but we do have a good time. In our next episode, we will be talking about Bruno. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

In this CHRISTMAS episode, Raymond and Sophie tackle Simon & Garfunkel's most popular song, Bridge Over Troubled Water. What does it mean to lay yourself down as a bridge over troubled water? Why did Paul Simon write the "sail on, silver girl" verse? What does any of this have to do with Christmas?? All this and more in our latest episode. In our next episode, we will be discussing Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "New Moon" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

We all know social media manipulates us. We know they're tracking out data. We know it's designed to get us addicted. And yet no matter how many times we are warned about what social media is doing to us, we still use it. Can we really have a healthy relationship with social media, or is it inherently detrimental to our mental health? In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss the 2020 Netflix Documentary The Social Dilemma, iHeart's street-art piece Nobody Likes Me, the role of social media in the musical Dear Evan Hansen, and the meaning of community and companionship. In our next episode, we will be discussing the Bridge Over Troubled Water, by Simon and Garfunkel. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

"On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" In this episode, Raymond and Sophie discuss their mutual favorite superhero in Spider-Man: No Way Home. (Mostly because they wanted to discuss Into the Spider-Verse, but they were foiled. So they settled for the next best thing.) What does it mean to be Spider-Man? Should Peter Parker let the villains die? What does a Marvel movie have to do with Racine's Iphigenia? All this and more in our latest episode. In our next episode, we will be discussing the painting Nobody Likes Me, by iHeart, alongside the 2020 documentary, The Social Dilemma. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

In this episode, we are joined by editor-in-chief and co-founder of the Rising Tide Foundation, Cynthia Chung. Cynthia has lectured on the topics of Schiller’s aesthetics, Shakespeare’s tragedies, Roman history, and the Florentine Renaissance among other subjects. She is a writer for Strategic Culture Foundation, and is a contributing author to the book series “The Clash of the Two Americas.” In this episode, we discuss C.S. Lewis's concerns about modern education, the threat of scientific dictatorship, the essence of culture, science and magic, and much more as we explore the epic conclusion of Lewis's space trilogy, That Hideous Strength. Time Stamps: 1:24 Cynthia discusses the Rising Tide Foundation 5:47 Cynthia’s background in molecular biology 7:31 The historical backdrop if That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis’s contemporaries 12:10 Discussing The Abolition of Man important to understanding That Hideous Strength 18:23 Was Lewis’s critique of H.G. Wells legitimate? 21:39 Mark Studdock and Bracton College: the progressive Element and the Traditionalist School 23:12 Mark’s obsession with the Inner Ring 27:10 How the N.I.C.E. uses “remedial treatment” on people who oppose them 29:51 The final Inner Ring: the “Head” 35:05 Turning attention to Jane, Mark’s wife, who is having prophetic dreams 37:21 Merlin represents something Britain has lost 40:55 Why did George Orwell critique Lewis for including Merlin in the story? 48:37 The epic climax: The Curse of Babel on the N.I.C.E. 1:01:48 Closing thoughts on the Inner Ring and Tolkien’s “One Ring” 1:05:43 Are the “good guys” in this story just another Inner Ring? Why are they different? 1:12:14 Lewis’s “Logres” 1:13:48 Cynthia’s upcoming projects Rising Tide Foundation: https://risingtidefoundation.net/ Cynthia's Substack: https://cynthiachung.substack.com/ Cynthia's Lecture Series on the Space Trilogy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4W04cnITUI Part 2 of this episode series can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perelandra/id1594769451?i=1000581106991 Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss Marvel's 2021 film Spider-Man: No Way Home. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Our sound designer is Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

In the second installment of C.S. Lewis' epic science fiction trilogy, Ransom is commissioned by Maleldil on a celestial journey to the planet Venus. There, Ransom meets the Green Lady, who plays the role of a second Eve, and confronts a satanic force that is invading Perelandra through the body of his former colleague Weston. Throughout this episode, Sophie and Raymond debate the successes and failures of Lewis' highly ambitious novel. Is the Green Lady's passive role in the story problematic? Did Lewis succeed in his project to imagine an unfallen world? Is the Space Trilogy science-fiction, fantasy, or a little bit of both? Along the way, we contemplate one of the most pressing theological questions of the book: what plan did God have for the human race if we had not originally rebelled against Him? Part 1 of this episode series can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-the-silent-planet/id1594769451?i=1000565923862 Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss the final installment of C.S. Lewis' trilogy, That Hideous Strength. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse. Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf.

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond tackle Billy Joel's hit song Vienna. Are only fools satisfied? What does Vienna represent, anyway? And when will you realize that Vienna waits for you? Along the way, we discuss miracle pranks, heavenly McDoubles, and Raymond's Billy Joel impression. Don't miss it! In our next episode, we will be discussing Perelandra, the second installment in C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Japanese-American artist Makoto Fujimura says, "We have a language for waywardness, but not a language for coming back home.” What does this mean? Anna Mason, art major at Hillsdale College, joins us to explore Fujimura's art series The Four Gospel Frontispieces, confirming for us once and for all that God approves of abstract art! What is "slow art" and why is it so important in modern times? What does Fujumura mean by "generative reality"? We talk about the history of Christian art going all the way back to medieval illuminated manuscripts from Iona, but wait till the end of the episode where Trinity brings us back home at the last possible second! Check out "The Four Gospel Frontispieces" on Fujimura's website: https://makotofujimura.com/art/the-four-gospels-frontispieces In our next episode, we will be discussing Billy Joel's 1977 hit song "Vienna." Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf)

Sophie and Raymond discuss their most depressing topic since Silence by Shusaku Endo: The Seventh Seal, a film by Ingmar Bergman. What is the meaning of silence in the film? Who do the characters represent? How does medieval symbology help us understand this artistic enigma? The Seventh Seal may be nihilistic and full of dread, but your favorite hosts never are. In our next episode, we will be discussing Makoto Fujimura's art series, the Four Gospel Frontispieces. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

Trinity joins Sophie and Raymond to discuss absurdism in Gen Z humor, the problems of irony, and deconstructing commencement speeches in the YouTube short film THIS IS WATER!, taken from David Foster Wallace's 2005 commencement address at Kenyon college. Wallace earnestly challenges us to rethink what it means to a human being in the world, even when (especially when) it seems replete with tedium, stress, boredom, and frustration. Check out David Foster Wallace's full commencement address here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI In our next episode, we will be discussing Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film The Seventh Seal. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website atunreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music athttps://soundcloud.com/kappamuse Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf Check out David Foster Wallace's full commencement address here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI

In the SEASON 2 PREMIERE (!!), Sophie and Raymond tackle Rian Johnson's 2019 film Knives Out. What does it mean to be a passive observer of the truth? Why does Marta Cabrera inherit the earth? And how do you tell the difference between a stage prop and a real knife? All this and more as we kick off Season 2. New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss This is Water, a video essay based on David Foster Wallace's 2005 commencement address. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse. Access the 2022-2023 Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf.

Sophie and Raymond discuss tragedy, psychopaths, jealousy, betrayal, human nature, and more and William Shakespeare's deeply existential and profound play Othello. This episode marks our last episode of Season 1. Check out the new Mars Hill topics in the link below. Time stamps: 3:47 - Aristotle’s vision of tragedy 10:31 - The difference between a Greek tragedy and a Shakespearean tragedy 12:37 – What is Othello’s race? 17:18 – The psychopathy of Iago 25:44 – Othello’s lack of respect respect for Desdemona 31:43 – A defense of Othello 38:43 – Lack of communication as a central theme of the play 40:33 – Themes of human nature and violence 46:57 – Shakespeare’s culture and his implicit assumptions about the world 48:33 – Does your exterior define your interior? 52:48 – Augustine’s notion of interiority and the image of God 58:24 – Othello’s cardinal sin is his lack of love Tune in for our next episode where we discuss Rian Johnson's 2019 film Knives Out. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at https://unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com/, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse. Access the NEW Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Mars-Hill-Topics-2022-2023-1.pdf

In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk, "The Danger of a Single Story." How do stories define the way we think? What is the role of representation in popular art and literature? What's the problem with stereotypes? All this and more in this week's episode! New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss Othello, one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse. Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.

The heavens declare the glory of God...and in the Space Trilogy, C.S. Lewis decided to take this piece of scripture literally. In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss Out of the Silent Planet, the first installment of the Space Trilogy. What is the role of language in explaining and understanding the gospel? Is C.S. Lewis developing a cosmic mythology? What is man that You are mindful of him? All this and more in our latest episode. New episodes every other Friday. Stay tuned for our next episode when we discuss the TED Talk "The Danger of a Single Story," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Questions? Comments? E-mail us at [email protected], visit our website at unreliablenarratorspodcast.wordpress.com, or say hi on Instagram @unreliablenarratorspodcast. Theme music is "No New Words" by Caleb Klomparens. Check out his music at https://soundcloud.com/kappamuse. Access the Stoa Mars Hill list here: https://stoausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mars-Hill-Topics-2021-2022-1.pdf.