Tyler Hummel
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Articles by Tyler Hummel
Russell Kirk’s dire warning: America cannot be taken for granted
The onset of America’s 250th birthday should feel like a greater deal than it is. It should be, in the words of John Adams, “solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” Despite this moment, when Americans are largely feeling down about themselves, the world lately has found itself quite impressed by America. And yet 2026 has felt lethargic.
Bernadette, the Musical : ‘She Saw Something’
Dozens of journalists gathered in December at the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago for one of the first public previews of a musical produced by Frasier star Kelsey Grammer. Bernadette, the Musical has set its sights high for its North American debut. Having completed a successful European tour of more than 300 shows, the musical will have its first American staging in February; its international popularity has earned it a national tour, which is unusual for a first-time musical.
Orthodox saint meets Chicago gang life in gritty crime flick 'Moses the Black' Original
50 Cent is going from sin to sanctity. Hot on the heels of his recent Netflix documentary on the debauched downfall of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, the rapper turned producer is set to release an urban crime drama inspired by the life of fourth-century Ethiopian monk Moses the Black. Even in our compromised state, saints remain scandalous and alluring precisely because they cut against our deepest desires and despair.
King Teddy
You have {{ remainingArticles }} free {{ counterWords }} remaining. You've read all of your free articles. We can’t release more of our sound journalism without a subscription, but we can make it easy for you to come aboard. Get started for as low as $3.99 per month. Current WORLD subscribers can log in to access content. Just go to "SIGN IN" at the top right. LET'S GO I must admit to feeling some reservation as I began David S.
What did C.S. Lewis and Dorothy Sayers see in the Inferno ?
You have {{ remainingArticles }} free {{ counterWords }} remaining. You've read all of your free articles. We can’t release more of our sound journalism without a subscription, but we can make it easy for you to come aboard. Get started for as low as $3.99 per month. Current WORLD subscribers can log in to access content. Just go to "SIGN IN" at the top right. LET'S GO It isn’t much of an exaggeration to call Dante Alighieri the greatest poet in human history.
Scorsese’s Becket Walks a Tightrope
There’s got to be some sort of amazing cosmic irony that Martin Scorsese has an exclusive TV show on Fox Nation. The streaming app, which exiled news host Tucker Carlson once privately dismissed for how much it “,” now also hosts the Fr. James Martin S.J., with regular panel discussions by liberal Catholic scholars about gender non-conformity and social justice. I can’t tell if that’s depressing or hilarious, but if nothing else, it makes The Saints interesting.
Marty Supreme
You have {{ remainingArticles }} free {{ counterWords }} remaining. You've read all of your free articles. We can’t release more of our sound journalism without a subscription, but we can make it easy for you to come aboard. Get started for as low as $3.99 per month. Current WORLD subscribers can log in to access content. Just go to "SIGN IN" at the top right. LET'S GO The beginning of Marty Supreme contains one of the most insane and inappropriate transitions in recent mainstream cinema.
Is 'Die Hard' a Christmas movie? And other questions about the true meaning of Christmas films. Original
"What is a Christmas movie?” This is probably a question you’ve heard before in passing. Most of us instinctively have a good idea of what one is, but more than likely, that understanding is rather inexplicable, abstract, or trapped in the minutiae. Only by leaning into my Christian faith did I begin to see these films and the unique glow that turns a regular film into a Christmas film.
Review – Oh. What. Fun. - Geeks Under Grace
As a writer who has spent an unhealthy amount of time in the past two years thinking about Christmas movies, I can’t help but be interested in each year’s selection of new ones. The last few years have delivered some strong entries, including Klaus, The Holdovers, Red One, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and lesser entries like Nutcrackers, Dear Santa, and That Christmas.
Review – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery - Geeks Under Grace
Writer/director Rian Johnson probably deserves the title of the most mainstream controversialist in Hollywood filmmaking. From Star Wars: The Last Jedi to Netflix’s Glass Onion, he’s taken pride as an artist to tell prickly stories that traffic in partisan controversy and topicality. He revels in controversy and likes it when people disagree about his movies.
Dinesh D’Souza’s new documentary faces anti-Zionism head-on Original
I must admit to having a complicated relationship with Dinesh D’Souza’s documentaries. As much as I have enjoyed several of them, I find that they falter in a few ways: They often lack staying power, offering little incentive to return to them after the moment has passed; they are too self-referential — filtering every issue through D’Souza’s own perspective; and they are preoccupied with energizing sympathetic audiences rather than persuading skeptical ones.
Kelsey Grammer honors faith with upcoming 'Bernadette: The Musical' Original
It may sound like an unlikely match — an evangelical Hollywood veteran producing a musical about a teenage Catholic saint. But for "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer, the story of St. Bernadette Soubirous — a young French girl who reported multiple apparitions of the Virgin Mary between February and July 1858 at a grotto in the village of Lourdes — proved impossible to forget.
Songwriter challenges religious authoritarianism with folk ballad
The long-time music project of a North Carolina songwriter finally came to fruition this past week with the release of his newest acoustic single, “Florence Bonfire.” Kyle Caudle is an ordained Baptist minister who serves as associate pastor for youth, missions and adults at First on Fifth Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. Having studied at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, he also sings and writes songs for his alt-country band Timberline, alongside guitarist Nicholas Bullins...
Review – Jurassic World: Rebirth - Geeks Under Grace
I know this review is six months late, but I couldn’t make myself shell out money in theaters to see what I’ve affectionately deemed as “Jurassic Park 7.” The franchise feels like a lumbering zombie at this point, still capable of succeeding at the box office despite being dead. Despite my love for the original film and the Michael Crichton novel upon which it is based, I find myself frustrated by the franchise’s continuation.
Review – Eternity (2025) - Geeks Under Grace
One of the earliest lines in Eternity is a sardonic comment made by two bickering old folks in a car. When pushed to avoid criticizing a sick friend in the hospital, the husband responds, “We don’t have to make people into saints just because they’re dying.” It’s a blasé quote for a movie that simultaneously manages the feat of being very irreverent about death while speaking quite profoundly about life, setting up a sweet, funny movie about the way people grapple with love in light of eternity.
'The American Revolution' keeps founders at arm's length Original
If America had an official "documentarian laureate," Ken Burns would be a shoo-in for the job. Over the last four decades, the filmmaker has devoted his career to capturing the country's history and culture, in works ranging from "Baseball," "Jazz," and "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" to his groundbreaking 1990 masterpiece "The Civil War." And despite his avowed "yellow-dog Democrat" tendencies, he has done so with remarkable nuance.
Do we love the 'Wicked' movies because we hate innocence? Original
As I watched Jon M. Chu's "Wicked: For Good" last week, I kept thinking about another, very different filmmaker: David Lynch. Specifically, the Lynch that emerges from Alexandre Philippe's excellent 2022 documentary "Lynch/Oz," wherein we discover just how deeply the infamously surreal filmmaker was influenced by one of cinema's sweetest fantasy films: the original "Wizard of Oz." In the era of #WitchTok ... a story like 'Wicked' has built-in appeal.
The health case for church attendance – Baptist News Global
The most common argument for religion in modern times is a utilitarian one: People are social animals who need religion and mediating institutions for a happy and healthy social organization. For better or worse, the moral cause and classical arguments for faith have fallen by the wayside, leaving young folks to discover firsthand the effects of a secular world.
Review – The Running Man (2025) - Geeks Under Grace
FilmCritHulk once wrote that, when it comes to the popular criticism of Edgar Wright’s films, there’s a misunderstanding concerning how his films are interpreted. People often mistake Wright’s hyperkinetic editing style for mere affectation—assuming it’s style over substance—when the substance is actually deeply embedded into the meaning of his stories. Wright’s Cornetto trilogy embodied this best.
Forgiveness, Disillusion in Death by Lightning - The Living Church
Death by Lightning Directed by Matt Ross Netflix Death by Lightning begins with a curious title card, calling America’s 20th president a man “the world forgot.” And to be fair, it’s mostly correct. James Garfield was neither the most consequential nor well-remembered Republican politician of the 19th century. He served as president only six months in 1881, accomplishing very little, and became another in a long string of politicians to define the Reconstruction era after the Civil War.
Nouvelle Vague
Sound journalism, grounded in facts and Biblical truth | Donate You have {{ remainingArticles }} free {{ counterWords }} remaining. You've read all of your free articles. We can’t release more of our sound journalism without a subscription, but we can make it easy for you to come aboard. Get started for as low as $3.99 per month. Current WORLD subscribers can log in to access content. Just go to "SIGN IN" at the top right. Already a member? Sign in.
Documentary spotlights healing for ex-cons through arts – Baptist News Global
As a former public access TV producer, I have a certain affection for low-budget documentaries. Filmmaking often is an expensive medium, and high-profile documentary filmmakers use all the same tricks and tools as blockbuster directors to great ends. They can afford to rent expensive cameras and hire professional video editors to make the kind of dramatic and exciting documentaries you find on Netflix and HBO.
Unpacking the Catholic bishops' statements on immigration – Baptist News Global
Conservative Catholics in the United States have had a rough week. From the openly gay ABC news anchor Gio Benitez being publicly confirmed in New York, to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops condemning the Trump administration’s immigration policies, Traditionalist Catholics once again find themselves chafing against the authority of their progressive leaders, much as they did against the late Pope Francis. Last Wednesday, Nov.
Defusing the debt bomb: 'We're almost out of time,' warns watchdog Original
“The entire world's economy is on the top of a soup bubble. There has never in history been a failure of this kind of magnitude. All of the money in the world is gone. Where did it go? Who knows, but it's gone.” It’s been almost a decade and a half since conservative commentator Bill Whittle — railing against the Obama administration’s orgy of federal spending — offered this dire prognosis on national debt. 'A default is an economic breakdown. It's for real.
Chesterton in His Own Words – Tyler Hummel
It is always difficult to describe a man in full, but even more so when that man isn’t too interested in himself. Such is the case with the great Catholic journalist G. K. Chesterton, whose extensive body of work, comprising 80 books and thousands of articles, made him a giant in the realms of religion and politics in the early twentieth century. Sadly, he was also a man of deep depression. Catholic theology considers despair a sin, as a form of pride and egotism.
Why Frankenstein Prefers Monsters over Men
Frankenstein Directed by Guillermo del Toro Netflix John Milton’s Paradise Lost is one of the most deeply misinterpreted works of poetry in the past 400 years. It was conceived and interpreted in two very different times. Initially, it was born into the Aristotelian world of tragedy that Shakespeare understood all too well, where foible and sin drag humans into a preventable demise. Milton conceived of his Lucifer as a tragic figure who could have turned his back on goodness at every step.
Stories Behind the Stars: On a mission to honor every American who died in WWII Original
September 2, 1945. The mighty battleship USS Missouri and an armada of hundreds of ships waited patiently for the end of the biggest, most destructive conflict the world had ever seen. The American forces had been anchored in Tokyo Bay for a few days. They were surrounded by naval mines, having been carefully escorted into the port of the enemy they'd devastated with two nuclear bombs just weeks before. Many suspected it was a trap.
Review – Tron: Ares - Geeks Under Grace
I’ve joked for years that there are only two movies I want to complete my life as a cinephile: Tron 3 and National Treasure 3. And now that both seem likely eventualities, I’m forced to ask if I knew what I was asking for. I’ve always wanted these two films because Tron: Legacy and National Treasure were always amongst my favorite films as a teenager. After more than a decade, Tron 3 (named Tron: Ares) has now been out in theaters for a month, and I have not felt any urgency to see it.
'Mass slaughter': Trump moves to help Nigerian Christians under attack Original
"Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a 'COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.'" President Trump’s recent post to Trump Media-owned Truth Social focused attention on a crisis not known for being a priority of American foreign policy.
Are women leading or leaving the church? – Baptist News Global
Having spent some time earlier this year meeting potential romantic partners through the popular Christian dating app Upward, I’ve been consistently confused by the state of Christianity among my generation. The Millennial and Zoomer profiles around my age, which I read daily, almost all identify the same way: Non-confessional, evangelical, Pentecostal or “other,” usually meaning undecided or unwilling to attach themselves to a label.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfnvrPZSFb8
With Halloween behind us, Christmas is already on everybody’s minds. Yuletide tunes are on the radio, and Black Friday advertisements are flooding mailboxes. For Americans, Thanksgiving is the next major holiday. While the day is often met by controversy and culture wars, it remains one of the most popular holidays on the secular calendar. According to Pew Research, 91 percent of Americans celebrate it, and 74 percent do so with other people.
In Defense of Halloween
As has become an annual tradition, Halloween is once again being met with a consistent stream of criticism from Christians. For a plethora of reasons, the holiday is regularly attacked by those who argue it’s a pagan celebration of death. They argue it’s a continuation of the Celtic holiday Samhain and that the modern celebration of the holiday fetishizes death, welcomes demons, and puts children in needless danger.
On being ‘just Christian’ – Baptist News Global
A couple years ago, when I first moved to Wisconsin, I joined a local megachurch Bible study that wasn’t attached to my church. Despite attending a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregation, I found Wisconsin was generally bereft of young folks eager to spend time together, with most local Lutheran and Episcopal parishes skewing smaller and older. Swallowing my pride, I joined the Bible study and learned the woman leading was a former Dutch Calvinist.
Pete Hegseth’s leadership falls flat – Baptist News Global
In the three weeks since Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth suddenly called the military’s top brass to Quantico for an anti-woke stump speech, his leadership has fallen flat. His Quantico address has been thoroughly scrutinized in the weeks since he spoke to American military leaders on Sept. 30. However, a new Washington Times report suggests the military isn’t going to play along.
Is there a common source for the Ten Commandments bills? – Baptist News Global
As Republican-dominated states seek to require displays of the Ten Commandments in school classrooms, critics are noting some odd similarities in the language of the bills. It seems possible — even likely — the bills are originating from a common place. Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas have passed legislation requiring public schools to display the decalogue in public school classrooms, and 28 similar bills have been filed in 18 states in the past year.
Don't fall for the fake 'banned books' narrative Original
October 11 marked the end of another , the American Library Association's annual campaign celebrating works it claims have been unjustly kept from the reading public. While the event has skewed liberal since its 1982 founding, this year’s theme seems to make a direct appeal to those worried about the Trump era's incipient fascism. A book does not need to induce the behavior it depicts to have an ideological impact; it just has to imply a world in which such behavior is either normal or inevitable.
'Gimme' shelter: ASPCA, Humane Society live large on your donations, warns watchdog Original
Animal lovers beware: Some of the biggest charities in the biz are more than happy to bite the hand that feeds them. At least, that's the contention of one Washington, D.C.-based watchdog. 'While these groups sit in Manhattan and Washington collecting a combined $550 million a year, they only throw scraps to local shelters.' If you’ve ever worried about where your charitable dollars go, you’re not alone.
Court rules in favor of Amy Grant's family claim on Nashville church – Baptist News Global
In downtown Nashville’s rapidly changing urban landscape, church buildings are among its most inert. The growing city — a veritable mecca of low taxes and bridesmaid parties — is peppered with ancient churches, many of which have seen better days.
Moviemaking through a Christian lens
Christian resentment toward the arts goes back a long way. As far back as Tertullian, Augustine of Hippo, and even Greek philosophers like Plato, our intellectual ancestors have lambasted the arts as purveyors of sin, disorder, and excess. And from the outset of cinema in 1897, movies have endured the scrutiny of both Protestants and Catholics who believe the medium is escapist pablum that spews sex and violence onto impressionable minds.
Maybe Christian filmmaking is on the verge of a mainstream middle – Baptist News Global
This summer brought a curious announcement in the history of Christian filmmaking: 21 years after his hit biblical epic The Passion of the Christ became one of the most important touchstones in religious filmmaking history, Mel Gibson’s long-rumored sequel finally was announced. The Resurrection of the Christ — now split into two parts — and slated for release March 26 and May 6, 2027.
Eddington Sees America as a Land Without Grace - The Living Church
Eddington Written and directed by Ari Aster A24 Films A rambling, incoherent man walks the deserts of New Mexico, speaking to himself and moving toward the small town of Eddington. As he descends into the valley, he unintentionally sets off a tinderbox of violence, false accusations, and conspiracy theories that create nothing but hatred and yelling. In an age when political violence and partisan radicalization are running rampant, a movie like Eddington feels like an open rupture.
Why Trump proudly hates his enemies – Baptist News Global
Sunday’s memorial for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk certainly was an interesting spectacle. The five-hour event in Glendale, Ariz., attended by thousands of supporters spread across two arenas, was hardly a somber funeral so much as a combined tent revival and political rally.
Review – Light of the World - Geeks Under Grace
I can’t imagine the challenge that comes with attempting to adapt the gospel into a contemporary film. Not only are you going to face the predicament of being original in the light of a century of existing cinematic adaptations of the life of Christ, but you’re going to face criticism either for violating the second command and in adapting the gospels, or criticism of heresy from various sects.
King of the Hill reminds us change can be good, too – Baptist News Global
In an age when politics overpowers all aspects of life, it isn’t surprising adult cartoons regularly embrace it for fodder. South Park’s new season drew White House acrimony after depicting Donald Trump as an egomaniacal devil-worshipping tyrant. And this was after years of leaning nominally rightward by lambasting “wokeness” and “political correctness.” Topicality is an all-too-tempting target for hack writers, particularly when it’s easy to do it poorly.
The Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial isn’t done shaping America – Baptist News Global
If the Scopes “Monkey” Trial is discussed nowadays, the tone usually is pejorative. The events of July 1925 — in which a small-town substitute teacher was charged with a misdemeanor for teaching evolution in a public high school — are remembered as the apotheosis of fundamentalist absurdity by secular culture.
The Chosen’s future appears to shine brighter than Angel Studios’ – Baptist News Global
The lucrative eight-year relationship between The Chosen creator Dallas Jenkins and Angel Studios came to an end last month, but the franchise’s future continues to look bright. Just a few weeks after revealing The Chosen’s contract with Angel Studios was “officially terminated,” Jenkins told Deseret News he intends to crowdsource $30 million for the show’s “super-sized” season six finale, which will depict Christ’s crucifixion. As of Aug. 3, $17.5 million had been raised.
Review – Happy Gilmore 2 - Geeks Under Grace
What does Adam Sandler mean in the year 2025? Between 1995 and 1999, he experienced one of the best runs of comedy films for any actor coming out of Saturday Night Live. Afterwards, his filmography seemed to stagnate. His reputation for low-brow physical comedies festered,and many of his films became some of the most resented films of their respective decades. However, he also starred in films like Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems that established his bona fide talent as an actor.
Review – Superman (2025) - Geeks Under Grace
Despite being the progenitor of the entire superhero genre, Superman movies have become notoriously hard to get right. 1978’s Superman: The Movie is a classic of 1970s cinema, but the original four Christopher Reeve movies gradually degenerated over time into the awful fourth film. Superman Returns and Man of Steel were both compromised by strange creative decisions, either underemphasizing or overemphasizing action scenes and spectacle.
The Devil Went Down To Dayton
It was a strange thing that the eyes of the entire English-speaking world had descended upon such a small town in rural Tennessee during the summer of 1925, but a lot was on the line. John T.
The Scopes Monkey Trial at 100: Who really won?
If anyone remembers the Scopes Monkey Trial today, it’s most likely because of its fictionalized retelling in the classic 1960 movie “Inherit the Wind.” Itself an adaptation of a popular play, “Inherit the Wind” stars Spencer Tracy as the Clarence Darrow stand-in, an idealistic lawyer defending a man accused of teaching the theory of evolution to schoolchildren — a crime according to (recently passed) Tennessee state law.
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