JUDAS: A POEM FOR EASTER

A kiss, a crime?

by Colin Liddell

@cbliddell

For many people Christ's Passion is a deeply moving and spiritual event, or at least an inspiring parable denoting God's love for mankind. But, for me, it is also an expression of the theological contradictions and sado-masochist tendencies of Christianity, with Judas as a pivotal figure. Theological musings such as these would be ponderous in any other medium besides poetry, so listen up...

ANTEDILUVIAN FANCIES: DARREN ARONOFSKY'S "NOAH"

"It's gonna rain..." Noah (Russell Crowe) guards the Ark against raiders.

by Andy Nowicki

As audacious, ambitious, heterodoxically-conceived Biblical epics go, Darren Aronofsky’s new movie Noah somewhat recalls The Last Temptation of Christ, Martin Scorsese’s 1988 adaptation of the controversial Nikos Kazantzakis novel.

Both films were subjected to a pre-release drubbing by conservative Christian groups, who in each case complained of disrespect for Scripture and overall theological untenability (though the deluge of condemnation rained down upon Temptation—which featured a doubt-plagued and carnally-tormented Jesus—easily drowns out the contemporary Noah imbroglio, a fact which I daresay ought to demonstrate to right-wing pagan critics that Christianity, far from being a radically “egalitarian” monstrosity, is hardly without its hierarchy of heroes).