Systematic Geekology

Joshua Noel, Will Rose, and TJ Blackwell are joined by Nick Polk of Tolkein Pop and Ryan Does of the Across he Bifrost podcast to discuss Theology Beer Camp 2024 in Denver, Colorado! We discuss our experiences at previous Theology Camps, what we hope to do this year, and what we look forward to in years to come! . What is Theology Beer Camp? How did Tripp Fuller start Theology Camp? What is the "G...

Schoolz Out! As we wrap up the "school year" it's time to unwind with an enjoyable film. Here today from Systematic Theology, Christian Ashley rejoins the show to run it back as we discuss 300: Rise of an Empre. Last fall during the Ancient Greece series, Christian and I talked about 300 as a way to discuss the long lasting impact of the Spartans on pop culture. This time, we're just here to have...

In a giant-sized What's News episode, Will Rose, Christian Ashley, Kevin Schaeffer, and Justin Coleman discuss Star Wars: Bad Batch Season 3, X-Men '97, Invincible season 2, and the beginnings of the new Doctor Who season! . How old is Omega in Bad Batch season 3? Is Omega Boba Fett's sister? Is Omega a pure clone? Is X-Men 97 for kids? Is X-Men 97 a remake? Why can't Charles control Magneto? Is I...

Wrapping up our series of reviews on the Harry Potter franchise, Christian Ashley and Nick Polk are joined by former host of the show, Nick Polk! They will be discussing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! They discuss their favorite characters, scenes, and more; then, they ask about the film and books take on death as the final enemy! . Is Harry Potter 7 for kids? Who betrayed Harry Potter in D...

Continuing our Religions in Fandoms series, Joshua Noel and Matthew Winter discuss how religions have been portrayed throughout the Indiana Jones franchise! We examine what it means for an object or thing to be considered "sacred", we distinguish between "mystic" and "spiritual", and look at the religious undertones and artefacts in each of the five Indiana Jones films! . Is Indiana Jones' dad Cat...

We will be reviewing the new Fallout series on Amazon Prime! Joshua Noel, Christian Ashley, and Kevin Schaeffer will be joined by former cohost, Nick Polk, to discuss their thoughts on the show, the merits of cutting oneself off from the world, and which fights were the coolest in season 1 of Fallout! . Is Fallout available on Amazon Prime? How did Moldaver survive 200 years? Why did they end the...

Kicking off our series, "All Reading Counts", Will Rose and TJ Blackwell discuss the classic novel, "A Wrinkle in Time", by Madeleine L'Engle. They discuss what we mean by "All reading counts", why we're doing this series, why they love this piece of literature, and explore the scientific and spiritual themes in the story! . What is A Wrinkle in Time really about? Is A Wrinkle in Time a controvers...

We finally settle the debate whether Star Wars or Star Trek is better! Just kidding, Will Rose and Matthew Winter instead discuss their preferences, what they love about both, and what makes these properties similar or different! We think deeper on what kind of message each is trying to say, and we hope you enjoy the discussion! . Is Star Trek better than Star Wars? Is Star Wars and Star Trek riva...

Getting ready for May the 4th be with you, our hosts - Joshua Noel, TJ Blackwell, Will Rose, Christian Ashley, and Kevin Schaeffer - discuss their takes on Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi! Our rating range from negative 1 to a 9.5 / 10! We talk about why is there so much contention around this film, why do we all have such different takes, and how do we learn to disagree well from films like...

Continuing our series examining religions in our favorite fandoms, Christian Ashley and TJ Blackwell are joined by Father Jonathan Resmini to discuss the gods and religions in the D&D world! We discuss a few of the more well-known pantheons, the existence of demons in the game, and what good lessons we can gather from these fictional religions. . How many D&D gods are there? Who is the god...

Continuing our Primarily Political series, Joshua Noel is joined by Josh Patterson (of (Re)Thinking Faith) to discuss the East India Trading Company in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise! We will be discussing one of our favorite film franchises, the politics in these films, and the role that the East India Trading Company had in the larger story of the movies! . Is the East India Trading Comp...

For an Arbor Day special, Elizabeth Pangalangan Clyde and Barbara Erdely discuss their top 3 favorite tree-type pokemon! Rather than trying to catch them all, we hope to plant and save 'em all! . What is Arbor Day and why is it celebrated? What the heck is Arbor Day? What is Arbor Day vs Earth Day? Who started Arbor Day? What Pokémon is a tree? What Pokémon holds a tree? What type of tree is Sudow...

Reviewing Taylor Swift's newest album, "The Tortured Poets Department", Joshua Noel is joined by Father Jonathan Resmini (of Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in Charlotte NC), Brandon Knight (of My Seminary Life), and Claire Knight! We discuss our thoughts and feelings around this album, how we connected with it, and how we think this kind of music is useful for everyone! . What Taylor Swift song i...

Continuing our series of reviews of the One Piece anime and manga, Christian Ashley, Elizabeth Pangalangan Clyde, and TJ Blackwell discuss the Skypiea arc! They discuss the vents leading up to and around the arc, the main antagonists, and later ramifications from the events of this arc as well! . Why is the Skypiea arc so important? How many episodes are in Skypiea? Which arc is better Alabasta or...

Celebrating Earth Day, we review the 1986 film, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home"! Joshua Noel, Justin Coleman, and Christian Ashley are joined by Matthew Winter to discuss one of their favorite Star Trek films! We discuss the quality of the film, our own memories with it, and the messages this film tries to teach about caring for our planet and the creatures in it! . What year is Star Trek IV set i...

We continue our series of Primarily Political by looking at the World Government in One Piece! James Demmel, Christian Ashley, Elizabeth Pangalangan Clyde, and TJ Blackwell discuss their own political ideas on what role government should play in our world, what role it does play in the One Piece World, and much more! . Who is the One Piece World Government? Is the World Government good One Piece?...

We are back with another review of the Harry Potter series! Elizabeth Pangalangan Clyde and Christian Ashley review the sixth book and movie in the franchise, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"! We discuss the highlights of the book, the best romance scenes in the movie, and the deeper themes the book brings up as well! . Why was Dumbledore killed off? Why did Snape betray Dumbledore? Who pl...

Back in our series of reviews on My Hero Academia, Christian Ashley and Elizabeth Pangalangan Clyde are discussing the Hideout Raid arc! . Why did the lov kidnap bakugou? Who is in the Hideout raid team? Do they get Bakugo back? Who is Deku's dad? Who saved Bakugo? What makes this part of My Hero Academia so appealing? Is Season 7 of My Hero Academia out? Does Bakugo or Deku become a villain? We d...

We're discussing Scrooge McDuck, finances, immigration, Capitalism, and more! Joshua Noel is joined by Brandon Knight to discuss the history of the Disney character, Scrooge McDuck, and the politics around wealth in America! We dive deep into thinking about this character and how Christians should think about Capitalism! . Why was Scrooge McDuck so rich? Who are the top 5 richest fictional charact...

Joshua Noel and TJ Blackwell will be discussing what's new with their fandoms, talking about everything from Godzilla x Kong to Solo Leveling to Ark: The Animated Series! . Who is the villain in Godzilla x Kong? Why is Godzilla pink now? Who is the strongest kaiju? Who is Godzilla's best friend? How is Mothra alive in Godzilla x Kong? Is Solo Leveling anime available? What is the concept of Solo L...

We are finally reviewing the legendary comicbook miniseries, "JLA vs the Avengers" by Kurt Busiek and George Pérez! Christian Ashley and Will Rose discuss their thoughts and reactions to this comic series, and they discuss how these kind of multiversal match ups impact their fandoms! . Who won JLA vs Avengers? Is the Avengers stronger than the Justice League? Can Thor beat Superman? Could Batman b...

Back with more Primarily Political, Will Rose is joined by Andy Walsh to discuss the politics behind 3 fictional people groups in Marvel Comics: the Inhumans, the X-Men, and the Eternals! We discuss what makes these three groups similar or different from one another, and what political messages are behind their respective comics! . Is Inhumans part of the MCU? What was the point of Inhumans? Why d...

There are some great dystopian stories across all of media, from novels to books to video games! Christian Ashley, Barbara Erdely, John Erdely, and a mysterious 4th person reveal their 3 favorite dystopian stories across all platforms! . What is a dystopia? What is a dystopian storyline? What are the big three dystopian novels? What was the point of The Hunger Games? What's the story behind Maze R...

For an After-Easter Special, we discuss King Mickey in the Kingdom Hearts games and compare his journeys into the realm of darkness to Jesus Christ's Harrowing to Hell! Joshua Noel, James Demmel, Christian Ashley, and Barbara Erdely discuss one of their favorite video games series and compare it to early Christian thought and the doctrine around Jesus' death! We do not try to claim that Kingdom He...

We're discussing the Fallout videogame series as we continue our Primarily Political series with Christian Ashley and TJ Blackwell! We will be discussing the nature of war as portrayed by these games, the different political factions in the game, and even some of the positive attributes of American politics that the game highlights! . What is the story of Fallout? Will Fallout 5 be a thing? What i...