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August 2013

August 12, 2013

Nurturing Faith Through Doubt and Struggles: A Review of Audrey Assad’s “Fortunate Fall”

Singer-songwriter Audrey Assad's first indie album, "Fortunate Fall," releases on Tuesday August 13, and as...

July 2013

July 24, 2013

How Music, St. Ignatius and the “Sons of Santa” Led Ben Walther to Jesus

The Sons of Santa. That's the name 16-year-old Ben Walther and his friends chose for...

July 03, 2013

Lord, I Need You (Matt Maher with Audrey Assad)

Christian singer-songwriters extraordinaire Matt Maher and Audrey Assad posted an acoustic duet of Maher's song...

June 2013

June 27, 2013

Can Music Heal a Broken Family: A Review of the Hallmark Channel’s “Banner 4th of July”

Most Hallmark Channel movies attempt to convey a sense of uplift, poignancy or inspiration strictly...

June 19, 2013

Music’s Healing Power for Premature Babies

"Music can name the unnameable, communicate the unknowable," said Leonard Bernstein. That quote that was...

May 2013

May 17, 2013

“American Idol” winner Candice Glover and Other Women Who Derive Their Self-Worth from God

Candice Glover was crowned the winner of "American Idol" season 12 last night - and...

April 2013

April 26, 2013

Country Legend George Jones Dies: How He Found God Toward the End of His Life

In 1985, country music legend George Jones released a song called "Who's Gonna Fill Their...

April 25, 2013

Hard Times Come Again No More

In light of last week's bombings in Boston, explosion in West, Texas, and all the...

April 01, 2013

Andrea Bocelli’s Surprise Performance at Easter Mass

Famous tenor Andrea Bocelli decided to attend Mass on Easter Sunday at St. Patrick's Catholic...

March 2013

March 19, 2013

True Beauty Can Change the World

Singer/songwriter Audrey Assad, who I've written about in the past, just launched a new independent...

January 2013

January 31, 2013

R.I.P. “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” Singer Patty Andrews

I grew up watching repeats of Abbott and Costello movies on WPIX in New York...

January 03, 2013

Why “Les Miserables” Is Reaching Atheists Too

The movie version of "Les Miserables" has largely been a hit with Christian audiences because...

December 2012

December 18, 2012

Mercy, Love and Seeing the Face of God: A Review of “Les Miserables”

The new film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Les Miserables" is so powerful, the...

December 11, 2012

Two “Idols” Celebrate the Savior: Christmas Music & Conversation with Scotty McCreery and Brooke White

Christopher Closeup Podcast - Guests: 1) Scotty McCreery, 2) Brooke White, Part 1 Christopher Closeup...

December 09, 2012

The Lower Lights: Christmas Music and the Common Ground of Faith

(This article was originally posted in Dec. 2011) Christmas is the time of year we...

December 05, 2012

Saving Your Christmas from Chaos: An Interview with Matthew West

I have a confession to make. I occasionally listen to Christmas music during the summer....

December 03, 2012

Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway & the stars of “Les Miserables” on Love, God and Modern-Day Slavery

Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are known for playing heroes on the silver screen –...

November 2012

November 10, 2012

Airborne Ranger Infantry

Since this is Veteran's Day weekend, I've got a couple of military-themed posts today and...

October 2012

October 24, 2012

Marines in “The Middle” – and Honoring War Veterans in Song

Businesses looking to hire employees who exhibit "selflessness," "resilience," "team orientation," and "reliability" should seriously...

October 18, 2012

Realizing I’m Broken Gives God Room to Work: A Conversation with American Idol’s Colton Dixon

There’s a short list of people who can say that Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and...

September 2012

September 26, 2012

R.I.P. Andy Williams: Watch His Classic Performance of “The Village of St. Bernadette”

Singer Andy Williams has passed away at age 84 after a year-long battle with bladder...

August 2012

August 04, 2012

Leading Hearts to God with Humor

One of my favorite modern-day religion quotes comes from Mark Hart (aka The Bible Geek)...

July 2012

July 29, 2012

Isn’t It Time You Saw the Light?

Are you feeling spiritually pooped? Do you need a God-infused jolt of oomph in your...

July 22, 2012

The Reason for the World and the Quest for Healing After Loss

The evil act and lives lost in Aurora, Colorado, this past Friday leaves the family...

July 10, 2012

What Do Cardinal Newman and Hank Williams Sr. Have in Common?

What does 19th century Catholic cleric Cardinal John Henry Newman have in common with 20th...

June 2012

June 10, 2012

How Great Thou Art/Hallelujah

Being a sucker for harmonious duets, I couldn't help but enjoy this stellar rendition of...

April 2012

April 17, 2012

Mediocrity versus Beauty

Over at her Tumblr blog, singer/songwriter Audrey Assad weighs in on beauty, truth and creating...

March 2012

March 01, 2012

The Harmony of ‘Jack and White’

Harmony in modern music - as in modern life - can sometimes be elusive. Thankfully,...