Woah, woah, woah. Has TRT switched it up and started watching TV instead of movies? Yes!!! (at least for this week’s episode). Jodie and Matthew review Season 1 of “We Are Lady Parts” created by Nida Manzoor, which explores a feminist, Muslim, punk band and their interpersonal dramas as they search for their identity and their place in the world. This show was hilarious and poignant, and brought up questions of the portrayal of muslims in western culture, the portrayal of women in media, and highlighting the many ways people can practice Islam around the world and in Britain. Watch the show and let us know your thoughts!

Matthew Rating: 4.5/5

Jodie Rating: 5/5

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Rahman, M. (2024). Indigestible performances: Women, punk, and the limits of British multiculturalism in Nida Mazoor’s We Are Lady Parts. Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 60(2), 199–214.

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Jodie and Matthew return to Biblical Studies to discuss Psalm 104. Often described as a psalm of praise, creation psalm, or perhaps even an historical psalm or wisdom psalm, Psalm 104 is one of the most well-known and beautifully written psalms in the Bible. Jodie and Matthew discuss everything from redactional criticism to potential connection to Ancient Egyptian poetry such as the Hymn of Aten to fact checking Wikipedia’s claims about Psalm 104. Let us know what you think about Psalm 104!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Baltzer, Klaus, ed. Psalms 3 : A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Trans. by Linda M. Maloney, Erich Zenger, and Frank-Lothar Hossfeld. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2011. Print.

Dahood, M., S.J. (1970). Psalms III 101–150: Introduction, Translation, and Notes with an Appendix the Grammar of the Psalter. New York, New York: The Anchor Yale Bible.

Hoffmeier, James K., Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism (2015; online edn, Oxford Academic, 19 Mar. 2015).

Movie March Part 4 is a 2004 film called “Saved!” featuring Macaulay Culkin, Mandy Moore, and Jena Malone. While both enjoyed it, Jodie and Matthew disagreed on the extent to which they thought they should enjoy it. Was it an amazing movie that accurately critiqued early 2000’s Evangelical Christianity, or did it create a caricature of Christianity from this era? Let us know your thoughts on both the movie and our interpretation of it!

Matthew Rating: 3.5/5

Jodie Rating: 5/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Movie March continues with the cult classic 1922 film Häxan, written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Jodie and Matthew discuss the film’s portrayal of medieval witchcraft and its successes and pitfalls by addressing witchcraft through lenses of feminism, psychoanalysis, and filmmaking of the early 1900s. While the costuming and filmmaking was superb, the content may have fallen short in a few places, and for our modern attention spans, may have been a bit slow, but it shouldn’t be a surprise that this is a hit to many viewers. Please watch Häxan and let us know your thoughts on the film and where you may or may not agree with us!

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Baxstrom, Richard, and Todd Meyers (2016). Realizing the Witch: Science, Cinema, and the Mastery of the Invisible. Fordham University Press.

Luhrmann, T. M. (1989). Persuasions of the Witch's Craft: Ritual Magic in Contemporary England. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Matthew Rating: 3.5/5

Jodie Rating: 3/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Movie March Part 3 treats us to Ryan Coogler’s SInners. Note this was recorded before the Oscars, so let us know if the Academy thinks this was as good as we did. Jodie and Matthew analyze the various themes put forth in this film and discuss the consequences of assimilation, African American spirituality, Christianity, colonization, music, community, and other topics that this film tackles. By using vampires and the Delta Blues, Coogler created a masterpiece that was captivating, innovative, and poignant. Let us know your thoughts on this movie and any important details that we missed!

Matthew Rating: 4.5/5

Jodie Rating: 5/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Movie March part 2 gifts us with the presence of Jack Black in the pop culture phenomenon that is Nacho Libre (2006). Or maybe it curses us. Jodie and Matthew disagree on the quality of this movie but agree that it acted as an interesting portrayal of Catholicism. They consider the ways that Christianity influenced the reception and creation of the film and ask questions regarding the potential connections with the book of Exodus and how it presents the ever popular fetishization of Catholic priests and nuns. Listen along and let us know your thoughts! Do you think Nacho Libre is a religious movie?

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Lindvall, T., Bounds, J. D., & Lindvall, C. (2016). 4 Romantic Comedy. In Divine film comedies: Biblical narratives, film sub-genres, and the comic spirit. Taylor & Francis Group.

Matthew Rating: 2.5/5

Jodie Rating: 1/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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It’s Movie March!!!! The first movie of this marathon discussed by Jodie and Matthew is Netflix’s Christian musical “A Week Away” where a troubled teen is sent to a Christian camp to turn his life around. This was a light and fun movie, albeit poorly written, exploring how Christian camp and evangelical Christian culture creates a space for members to feel included and part of something bigger. Jodie and Matthew discuss the implications of this and other aspects of the movie to consider how this movie may have been received and what message it tries to push. If you’ve seen it, let us know your thoughts!

Matthew Rating: 1.5/5

Jodie Rating: 2/5

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Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com

We’ve all heard of Jonestown. But do we all know what actually happened? Do we know the story behind the massacre? And perhaps more importantly, do we know the story about after the massacre? Jodie and Matthew discuss the history behind Jonestown and the events leading up to its infamous last moments, followed by a conversation on how Jonestown has been framed by the media and others, and pontificate on potential ways it may be useful to look at Jonestown and “cults” in general.

Works Referenced and Recommended Readings:

Moore, R. (2018). Jonestown, Forty Years On. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, 22(2), 3–14. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26537917

TV Show: “Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown” directed by Marian Mohamed, 2024

Movie: “Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre” directed by Nicole Rittenmeyer, 2018

Follow our socials and reach out to us with thoughts or questions!

Bluesky: @TheRELTreehouse

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Email: TheReligiousTreehouse@gmail.com