The Overthinkers

Should We Fight Culture Wars?

Culture wars seem to dominate life today. Should we participate in them, or abandon them? If we should engage with them, how and why? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss.Links to resources
Definition of culture war: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/culture-war
 
James Davison Hunter on the culture war: 
 
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/08/09/culture-wars-james-davison-hunter-politics
 
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/20/culture-war-politics-2021-democracy-analysis-489900
 
Blesses
 
Trial and Death of Socrates (Book)
The Other Two (TV Show)
Eye in the Sky (Movie)
 
Curses
 
The act of announcing to the world you’re taking a break for social media for lent
Captain America: Civil War (Movie)WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josepholmesstudios.com

How Do Movies and TV Change Us? (With Walter Hickey)

Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson talk with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Walter Hickey about what the research says on how the media we consume really does--and does not--affect us and our lives.
 
Time people spend with TV/Media: https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2023/tops-of-2023-tv/
 
Sesame Street improves education outcomes: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/06/sesame-street-preschool-education/396056/
 
History of the Hayes Code: https://www.britannica.com/art/Hays-CodeBlessesBednobs and Broomsticks (Movie)Spider-Man 2 (Movie)
You Are What You Watch (Book)Through a Screen Darkly (Book)The Truman Show (Movie)FLow (Movie)CursesHeart Eyes (Movie)
La La Land (Movie)The Show Recommended by the Algorithm 
 
WebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comWalter Hickey: https://walthickey.com/

What Makes a Great Hero?

We all love heroes. But not all heroes are created equal. What makes a hero that can stand the test of time and also make us better? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes discuss. Resource Links
 
Hero definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero
 
Different cultural ideas of heroes: https://www.cam.ac.uk/system/files/heroes_teacher_resources_.pdf
 
Why Vince Gilligan thinks we need more heroes: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/breaking-bad-creator-vince-gilligan-good-guys-walter-white-1236309604/
 
 
 
 
Blesses
 
Gotham Knights
Daredevil
The Incredibles
Chronicles of Narnia
Superman for All Seasons
Dune: Part Two
 
Curses
 
Captain America: Brave New World
The BoysWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

Why Do We Need Religious Movies? (With Spencer Folmar)

Why are there so few religious movies when the majority of the world is religious? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson welcome back filmmaker Spencer Folmar to discuss.
85.6% of world’s population is religious. 31.6% of world’s population are Christians (majority religion); unaffiliated 14.4%: https://www.statista.com/statistics/374704/share-of-global-population-by-religion/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20around%2031.6%20percent,of%20global%20populations%20as%20Hindu.
 
America’s religious/secular demographics: https://news.gallup.com/poll/511133/identify-religious-spiritual.aspx
 
Atheists 7% of World Population: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201510/how-many-atheists-are-there
 
History of faith and Hollywood: 
 
https://www.njarts.net/hollywood-rarely-shows-much-faith-in-films-with-prominent-religious-themes/
 
https://faithlifetv.com/reel-redemption
 
Objections to Hollywood’s portrayal of Muslims: 
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/usc-annenberg-inclusion-initiative-muslim-representation-study-1235362804/
Blesses
 
Calvary
First Reformed
House of David
 
Curses
 
Interstellar
Anora
Mother Teresa & Me
 
Bless/Curse
 
Conclave
First Reformed
 
Websites
 
Spencer Folmar: hardfaith.org
Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com
 

What's Wrong with Modern Dating?

Nobody likes modern dating. But why is it so hard? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss.
Pew research on modern dating: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/nearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years/
 
Why Does Modern Dating Suck? https://www.vice.com/en/article/why-dating-sucks-we-asked-experts/
 
Majority want to get married: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/15/among-young-adults-without-children-men-are-more-likely-than-women-to-say-they-want-to-be-parents-someday/#:~:text=Among%20adults%20ages%2018%20to,they%20want%20to%20get%20married.
 
Global marriage rates dropping/women’s higher standards and men’s dropping performance: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/america-marriage-decline/681518/
 
Lack of church attendance driving singleness: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/happiness-recession-causing-sex-depression/586405/
 
Consumer mentality driving bad dating: https://www.freyaindia.co.uk/p/why-is-modern-dating-so-difficult
Why it’s hard to build community today: https://anunexpectedjournal.com/the-real-reason-you-dont-have-friends-and-how-to-fix-it/
 
Lies Hollywood teaches us about relationships: https://religionunplugged.com/news/2023/11/5/how-the-sexual-revolution-killed-the-hollywood-rom-com
 
 Bless
500 Days of Summer
 
Curse
The Idea of You
 
Bless/Curse
How I Met Your Mother
 
Websites
 
The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world
Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me
Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

How Does Trauma Affect Our Relationships? (With Tabitha Panariso)

How does the experience of hardship in our past affect our ability to have healthy relationships now? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss with author and licensed counselor Tabitha Panariso to discuss. Referenced resources
Definition of trauma: https://www.apa.org/topics/trauma#:~:text=Trauma%20is%20an%20emotional%20response,from%20Recovering%20emotionally%20from%20disasterAttachment Theory: https://labs.psychology.illinois.edu/~rcfraley/attachment.htm
 
Millennials “reverse cognitive behavior therapy”: https://www.afterbabel.com/p/mental-health-liberal-girls
 
Gen Z’s “fear of taking part”: https://www.afterbabel.com/p/what-happened-to-fomo
Blesses
 
Scott Pilgrim vs the World (Movie)
The Fighter Severance CursesManchester By the Sea
HollywoodBless/CurseMarriage StoryWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comTabitha Panariso: https://substack.com/@tabithapanariso
 

Will Men and Women Ever Get Along? (With Annie Crawford)

Men and women have been involved in a "battle of the sexes" throughout history. What is the source of this conflict, and how do we solve it? We bring on cultural apologist Annie Crawford to discuss.
Growing Gender Divide: https://www.axios.com/2024/09/28/young-men-women-divided-politics-religion
BlessesThe Essential Difference (Book)Much Ado About Nothing (Play/Kenneth Branagh Movie)A Guide to Sex in the 21st Century (Books)Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Movie)CS Lewis's Ransom Trilogy (Books)Pride and Prejudice (Book)CursesMen (Movie) Playboy MagazineThe Quiet Man (Movie)Battle of the Sex (Movie)Anything that has to do with Andrew TateWebsitesOverthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comAnnie Crawford: anniecrawford.net

Are Romance Movies and Books Bad for You? (With Keelia Clarkson)

The romance genre may be the most popular genre in the world. But is it harmful for us? Does it create unrealistic and harmful expectations? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes bring on author, actress and podcast host Keelia Clarkson to get some answers.Links to sources
Popularity of the romance genre: https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/liberal-arts/misconceptions-about-the-romance-genre
 
Popularity of Hallmark movies/problems with romance movies: https://olemiss.edu/news/2024/07/romantic-movies-perception/index.html
 
Popularity of Bridgerton: https://deadline.com/2024/07/bridgerton-season-3-netflix-most-popular-list-shonda-rhimes-1235999509/
 
People claim they don’t negatively compare their partners unlesss relationship “already rocky”: 
 
https://www.latimes.com/health/la-xpm-2011-jul-07-la-heb-romance-novels-women-health-20110707-story.html
 
https://www.npr.org/2011/07/07/137675779/romance-fiction-and-womens-health-a-dose-of-skepticism
 
People who watch romance movies report greater relationship satisfaction: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/nurturing-resilience/202302/does-watching-romantic-movies-help-your-love-life-flourish
 
Defending romance novels: https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/why-you-should-be-reading-romance-novels.html
 
Why people love romances: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/love-them-or-leave-them/202406/this-is-your-brain-on-bridgerton
 
How the sexual revolution killed the hollywood rom com/how sleeping around to find true love doesn’t work: https://religionunplugged.com/news/2023/11/5/how-the-sexual-revolution-killed-the-hollywood-rom-com
 
Blesses
 
The VowMeet Cute
Five Feet ApartCurses 
 
Anyone But You
All Fours
An Affair to RememberWebsitesThe Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.comKeelia Clarkson: wallflowerjournal.com

Is Anyone Beyond Redemption?

In honor of co-host Nathan Clarkson's new Western movie "Bright Sky", Nathan and Joseph discuss whether anyone is beyond redemption, and what that means.
 
Links to sources cited:
Summary of Thomas Aquinas’s Compilation of Answers to What is Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit (including St. Augustine): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf8pin8x71Y
 
Psychologists emphasize the capacity to grow and change: https://psychcentral.com/blog/can-people-really-change#can-you-change-habits
 
Views of personality and neuroplasticity: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/behavior/can-people-change-or-do-they-just-lie/
 
The “Beyond Redemption” narrative trope: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BeyondRedemption
 
The “Moral Event Horizon” which establishes a character as beyond moral redemption: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoralEventHorizon
 
People who never change: https://medium.com/@justsomewriter/im-starting-to-truly-think-some-people-are-truly-beyond-saving-5379208baa06
 
US Office of Justice Programs - Some people are beyond modern science’s ability to rehabilitate: https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/can-everyone-be-rehabilitated#:~:text=There%20are%20persons%20beyond%20the,and%20deranged%20habits%20of%20gratification.
 
Criticism of abandoning rehabilitation efforts:  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3762476/#:~:text=However%2C%20to%20the%20shock%20of,why%20this%20shift%20took%20place. 
Blesses:
 
Red Dead Redemption 1 + 2 (Video Games)
Redeeming Love (Book)
Unforgiven (Movie)Curses:Yellowstone (TV Show)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Movie)WebsitesThe Overthinkerstheoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson:nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmesjosepholmesstudios.com

How Do We Know Our Calling? (With Dr. William Klein)

How do we know our calling in life? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes talk to Biblical scholar Dr. William Klein on the history of the word "calling" and how we might be all--religious and non-religious alike--using the word wrong.Links to resources mentioned:
Calling Definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calling
 
More definitions of “calling”: https://www.christianitytoday.com/partners/nav-press/what-is-calling/
 
Forbes 20 Ways to Find Your Calling: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2012/06/26/20-ways-to-find-your-calling/
 
Desire for calling: https://www.letu.edu/alumni/identify-your-calling.html
 
Oprah “Are You Listening to Your Life?”: https://www.oprah.com/omagazine/what-are-you-meant-to-be-doing-find-your-calling
 
“It’s Never Too Late to Find Your Calling”: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-at-any-age/202401/its-never-too-late-to-find-your-calling
 
Desiring God - How to Discern God’s Call: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-i-know-gods-calling-for-my-life
Relevant Magazine - “Is This My Calling or Just Something I Enjoy?”: https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/how-to-know-if-your-calling-is-really-from-god/
 
Academic perspectives on calling: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00187267221095759#bibr24-00187267221095759
 
Blesses
 
Hero of a Thousand Faces (Book)
Hero on a Mission (Book)
Sound of Hope (Movie)
Deadpool & Wolverine (Movie)
The Shock of Faith (Article)
Curses
 
Don’t Waste Your Life (Book)
The Hill (Movie)
Wish (Movie)
The Call (Book)WebsitesOverthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.worldNathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.meJoseph Holmes: josepholmesstudios.comWill Klein: https://denverseminary.edu/directory/klein-phd-william/