Idol Chatter

The connection between spirituality and art was once a given: think Dante or even the dark and edgy paintings of Breugel. In our day, art is understood to be secular, and the more edge, the more secular we expect the artist to be. A perfect example is The New York Times’s Sunday profile of David…

While I am still on a movie-watching spree so I can finish my list of Top Ten Films of 2006, I thought I would share with Idol Chatter readers the books and music that are some of the best of this past year, but which, in my estimation, are also the most overlooked. So it’s…

One of the most interesting–albeit meaningless–awards of the year comes from CNN Headline News’ “Showbiz Tonight,” which names its “Most Controversial Celebrity” of the year. For 2006, Britney Spears won out over the likes of Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Tom Cruise, Anna Nicole Smith, Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna, and Star Jones. I…

If you’ve seen all the other family movies this season–or even if you haven’t–take your teens or even your grown kids to see “Rocky Balboa.” It may end up being the kind of bonding that goes beyond inspiration to transformation. “Rocky Balboa” starts a little slow compared to most action flicks, but the teens I’ve…

Like a lot of people, I love lists, and I love the Beliefnet team of gifted bloggers, writers, and editors, but I have to say it’s a glaring oversight that “The Nativity Story” doesn’t make the list of Top Ten Family Films of 2006, which Sharon Linnea–Beliefnet’s Reel Inspirational columnist–compiled. For years, young people have…

‘Tis the season of year-end best-of lists, and Beliefnet is no exception. Check out our Top Ten Family Films of 2006 gallery here, compiled by Sharon Linnea, our Reel Inspirational columnist. Sharon’s kids also made their own best-movies lists here. You can join the debate by clicking here to let us know what your favorite…

I finally bit the bullet and went to see “Eragon,” the first of three films based on the bestselling “Inheritance” trilogy by Christopher Paolini. Paolini is a shockingly young (i.e., born in 1983) author who took the book world by storm as a teenager with the release of “Eragon,” a novel he began writing at…

Christmas may be behind us, but it’s never too late to enjoy Twisted Sister’s take on Christmas classics. Here’s an animated video of their “Come All Ye Faithful”: For more celebrity Christmas carol fun, click here.

Along with many other critics and fans, I winced when I first heard the news that Sylvester Stallone was going to add one more chapter to the “Rocky” franchise. And the cynic in me became even more nervous when I began reading on the web about how Stallone was recruiting the church audience to rally…

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