James McGrath

Indianapolis

Professor of Religious Studies and Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature, Butler University

Articles

Doctor Who: Introducing Billie Piper

3 weeks ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

After a serious spoiler warning to hopefully send anyone who wants to avoid spoilers running for their lives and averting their gaze, I begin this post with the biggest mystery of the episode but by no means the only one, namely whether the credits saying “Introducing Billie Piper” is significant and if so in what way.
Well Well Well, Doctor Who Returns To Midnight [SPOILERS]

1 month ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

It is hard to say that any Doctor Who episode with a seemingly one-off villain or mystery stands out as worthy of revisiting, yet I suspect that if fans had been polled, the episode “Midnight” would have been chosen by many. Even if that is not the case, it was certainly a memorable episode, and so the episode “The Well” was particularly engaging to fans who have been watching for at least since the David Tennant era.
Opposing Tyranny: Lessons From Star Wars And Romania

1 month ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

It is strange to be commemorating those who lost their lives opposing tyranny as the nation veers increasingly into autocracy. I have been thinking a lot recently about Romania, having lived there for three years and visited many times before and since then. It is the country with a recent history of dictatorship in which I have spent the most time.
Doctor Who: The Story And The Engine

1 month ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

The Story and the Engine is the latest episode of Doctor Who, and I’m once again exploring the episodes of this season out of order. Perhaps a better way to put it, given the focus of this episode, is to say that I’m not sticking to the narrative sequence of the story. As always, when an episode engages with religion, it gets my attention and calls out for commentary.
Indy Film Fest 2025

1 month ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

It has been a privilege to get to know filmmaker Sarey Martin Concepción through Theology Beer Camp. At TBC last year in October, I got to see a trailer for Sarey’s movie “The Winemaker” which I now just recently had the privilege of seeing at the Indy Film Festival this year, held at the Kan Kan theater. The latter is such a cool local venue. I need to get there more often and find out more about what sorts of things I can see there.
Doctor Who: Lux | James McGrath

2 months ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

“God of light” sounds like such a positive character, and yet the opponent the Doctor faces in “Lux” is anything but bright and sunny, at least as far as his personality is concerned. I will get back to the first episode of this season, “The Robot Revolution,” very soon. But having fallen behind on writing, it seems appropriate to jump in on this second episode, titled “Lux,” since it intersects with religion very directly.
Real Life Conclave: Who Will Succeed Pope Francis?

2 months ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

Most of us who watched the movie Conclave not long ago did not expect that the next real life conclave would be happening so soon. I saw the movie twice, watching it once because it was so highly recommended by friends, and then watching it again with my wife after recommending it to her. I didn’t expect the movie to be as engaging as it was given its overall lack of sensationalism. Certainly it offered drama that cannot be said to be typical of any given conclave.
Historians And Easter

2 months ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

Historians and Easter do not relate to one another in the same manner as either apologists and Easter or theologians and Easter. Apologists try to demonstrate that a bodily resurrection happened in a way that leaves no room for doubt. Theologians often assume the resurrection as event while setting aside as non-essential matters the precise details of what actually happened. The historian or other historical scholar, however, cannot bypass questions about what happened.
Christmaker Continues To Inspire

2 months ago | patheos.com | James McGrath

My biography of John the Baptist titled Christmaker continues to inspire. I was genuinely moved by the kind words and thoughtful engagement at the 2025 Midwest Regional Meeting for Biblical Studies, where the final plenary session was about the book.
Donald Trump's Obsession With Greenland And Canada Explained

Mar 28, 2025 | patheos.com | James McGrath

There has been quite a bit of speculation about why Donald Trump keeps talking about acquiring Greenland and Canada becoming the 51st state. Most are just baffled. I think I can offer an explanation. There is a consistency among several of his policies and pursuits that suggests a tactic, a strategy, that I think deserves to be talked about more. At the intersection of my interest in religion and my love of science fiction falls my interest in dystopian fiction.