What Do the 2026 Oscars Have to Say About Religion?

What Do the 2026 Oscars Have to Say About Religion?

Author: The Media Project March 10, 2026 Duration: 56:08

2025 was a big year for film. Theaters drew people in for a wide variety of stories. Moviegoers saw thrillers like Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” and Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme.” They saw the returns of beloved characters with James Gunn’s “Superman” and James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire & Ash.” They embraced the strange with “Bugonia,” the romantic with “Materialists” and the tragic with “Frankenstein.”


But, as has been increasingly the case in recent years, droves of moviegoers also showed up to films with heavily religious themes.


Faith based studios and directors produced a variety of faith-forward movies with family-friendly animated movies like “David“ or “Light of The World” and more mature films such as “Guns and Moses” or “The Last Rodeo.


But faith also appeared in many religiously unaffiliated Hollywood films, such as the latest installment of the “Knives Out” franchise which focused on the murder of a controversial catholic priest and Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which explored the clashes of spirituality and conventional religion.


As the Oscars are fast approaching this weekend, Religion Unplugged’s Culture Editor Jillian Cheney and Film Critic Joseph Holmes sat down with public intellectual and theologian Paul Anleitner. Paul is the President and CEO of Goodmakers, and the author of “Based on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, & the Reboot of Meaning,” which comes out this summer and is available for pre-order now. 


Jillian, Joseph and Paul talk through the spiritual and religious themes of some of this years’ most beloved Oscar Nominees including “Sinners,” “Train Dreams,” “One Battle After Another” and “F1.”

#oscars #goodmakers #podcast #paulanleitner #traindreams #sinners #f1 #onebattleafteranother


In a world where faith is often reduced to headlines or soundbites, Religion Unplugged offers a different kind of space. This podcast, from The Media Project, engages with the profound and complex ways belief shapes our lives, politics, and history. You’ll hear candid conversations and stories drawn from original reporting by a global network of journalists. We move beyond simple debates to explore the nuanced realities of spirituality and religious practice as they intersect with culture, conflict, and community. Each episode is an opportunity to listen deeply to narratives that are frequently overlooked, understanding that religion remains a powerful and growing force across the globe. This isn’t about doctrine; it’s about the human experience at the intersection of the sacred and the everyday. Tune in for a grounded, journalistic approach that unplugs the stereotypes and connects you to the authentic stories defining faith in the 21st century.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Religion Unplugged
Podcast Episodes
Fleur de Lis: Interview with Showrunner Ethan Hill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:05
Joseph Holmes interviews programmer, writer, and animator of the new faith-based TV show "Fleur de Lis". The two talk about how to make authentic Christian art, and the ethics of using AI for making art.
Why the Bible Began: Interview with Jacob L. Wright [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:49
Matthew Peterson speaks with Emory Professor Jacob L. Wright about peoplehood, the role of women in the Bible, and more subjects covered in his recent book Why The Bible Began.
Jesus: A Deaf Missions Film - Director Joseph Josselyn Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:05
Joseph Holmes interviews Joseph Josselyn, director of the new Jesus film done entirely through American Sign Language. They discuss the making of the film, what they hope to convey about Jesus, and what the church can do…
Interview with Vanessa Rosa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:53
Joseph Holmes interviews online influencer Vanessa Rosa (known online as "Gothix") on the new documentary about her, and how she went from being canceled to becoming Christian.
The Moral Challenges Posed By AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:19
Machines all around us are becoming more intelligent. Like all technology, this can be used for good or evil. Matthew Peterson interviews Religion Unplugged Executive Editor Clemente Lisi this week about whether artifici…
Great American Pure Flix: Interview with Bill Abbot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:57
CEO of Great American Media explains why his company merged with Pure Flix to launch Great American Pure Flix and how they plan to raise the quality of family-friendly faith-based content.
Taking the Church’s Temperature on the Climate Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:18
Religion Unplugged’s Matthew Peterson talks to several Christians affiliated with organizations that are dealing with climate change to evaluate their nuanced perspectives on the issue.
The Exvangelicals: Interview with Sarah McCammon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:35
Sarah McCammon is a National Political Correspondent for NPR and cohost of The NPR Politics Podcast. Matthew Peterson interviews Sarah on the contents of her recent book, The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving th…
Roma Downey Interview - The Baxters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:30
Actress and producer Roma Downey joins Joseph Holmes at Religion Unplugged to discuss her new Prime Video show The Baxters, and why making faith-based content in mainstream spaces is important to her.

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