Ditching Netflix? In Defence of Pop Culture

By Caleb | November 7, 2019

Back in the summer, Brad East made the case that some Christians over-egg the idea of “engaging with pop culture”, while Matthew Lee Anderson advises anyone who will listen to “ditch Netflix”.

It’s definitely possible to overindulge in the passive consumption of entertainment, so I share their concerns to a degree. But there are also plenty of good reasons for taking pop culture seriously and valuing it not just as a way of chilling out and relaxing, but also as a way of connecting with our fellow human beings. I expanded my previous blog post into an article for CRJ magazine and discussed it on the Postmodern Realities podcast.

Read more: Ditching Netflix? Engaging pop culture in the age of binge watching

Listen to the podcast discussion: In Defence of Pop Culture

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Our journey from pain to parenthood

By Caleb | September 24, 2019

Recently we had a dedication service at our church, New City Church MK, to give thanks for our new arrival, and to dedicate ourselves as parents and as the church community to bringing her up in the ways of the Lord. I shared a testimony about what God has done in our lives:

A couple of months ago, our two-year-old learned the word “two”. She worked out that if you have one thing and another thing, you have “two”. And whenever there was a pair of something, she would point in wonder and go “Two!” At the dinner table, with a couple of spoons, “Two poons!”, or for her favourite toys “Two Peppa!”

And now it’s all that Beverley and I can do to point in wonder at our pair of little daughters and go “Two!”

For most parents, their children are a wonder. But for us, there is a particular poignancy to celebrating our second daughter’s arrival. For many years, our hopes for having a family were uncertain and delayed. 

After Bev and I got married, we struggled with a condition which made physical intimacy very difficult for us. Bev also suffered with a spell of depression, and I was clueless about how to navigate us through this or how to get help.

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Podcast: From Muggle to Potterhead on ‘Changed my Mind’

By Caleb | September 2, 2019

I recently recorded a podcast episode of ‘Changed My Mind‘ with Luke T Harrington, talking about how I went from seeing Harry Potter as nothing but trashy fun, to seeing it as a bona fide children’s classic. I’ve been enjoying listening to Luke’s show, so it was great fun to go on it to talk about some books I love.

Along the way, I unpack why I think the Harry Potter books are better Christian not-quite-allegory than the Narnia books! As one of my friends on Facebook put it, I like my burgers made from sacred cows…

Listen here.

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Comics I’ve been reading: ‘Die’, ‘House of X’ and ‘Powers of X’

By Caleb | August 11, 2019

While on holiday recently, I found a little time for reading some comics! I adore comics as a medium: they can combine the best of both worlds of books and film, with all the capacity for visual impact as cinema, but also lending themselves to individual voices and exploring psychological interiority like novels. Not that all comic avail themselves of these opportunities, of course. But the best of them combine big ideas and emotions with visual imagination and literary ambition.

So what have I been reading and what did I think of it? (Possible spoilers ahead, though I’ve tried to avoid major details).

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I’m the new Inter-Varsity Press UK Publishing Director

By Caleb | July 24, 2019

I’m very excited that the news of my new job is now public! Here’s the announcement:

Inter-Varsity Press, the UK’s leading evangelical Christian publisher, is delighted to announce that Caleb Woodbridge has been appointed to the role of Publishing Director, starting work on Monday 14th October 2019.

Caleb Woodbridge joins from the University of Buckingham, where he was Head of Digital Experience. Prior to that he was a Product Developer at Scripture Union Publishing, which he joined from the digital editorial team at Hodder & Stoughton following a BA and MA in English Literature at Cardiff University, where he was involved with the Christian Union. Caleb attends, and occasionally preaches at, New City Church Milton Keynes, which is part of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.

Caleb Woodbridge said, “With its rich history of evangelical publishing, I’m thrilled to join IVP at this exciting time. My bookshelves are filled with IVP titles that have helped me grow in my faith. Publishing high quality, Biblically faithful books offers a unique opportunity to communicate the truth and beauty of the Gospel to today’s world. I look forward to leading IVP in bold, innovative and mission-focused publishing.”

Read the whole news on the IVP blog. I’ve enjoyed my time at the University of Buckingham, and I hope to write a reflection on what I’ve learned in HE digital in the last couple of years. But this new role combines my faith in Jesus with my passion for books and publishing, and I can’t wait to get started.

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Should we ditch Netflix to avoid entertainment gluttony?

By Caleb | July 21, 2019

Binge, noun, “a period of excessive or uncontrolled indulgence”.

Last night I finished watching season 3 of hit Netflix show Stranger Things. It was lots of fun – scares, humour and plenty of endearingly nerdy characters. There are some pacing issues but it’s a stylish adventure, with heartfelt themes of friendship and empathy overcoming darkness.

But although I finished only 11 days after it was released, I already felt something of a latecomer with all the spoiler-filled analysis and discussions I had to avoid online. The show broke records with 18 million viewers watching the 7 hour plus series within the first four days.

But recently some people whose views I respect have been questioning the value of watching TV, and particularly the kind of entertainment gluttony encouraged by the convenience of services like Netflix.

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The baby, a birthday and our 10th wedding anniversary!

By Caleb | June 19, 2019

10 years – 1 marriage – 2 daughters! It’s been a busy couple of weeks, in which Beverley and I have:

  • welcomed a new baby daughter into the world! She was born by caesarean delivery weighing 9lb 6oz (4.3kg) and she and mum are doing well
  • celebrated the 2nd birthday of our other daughter, who is now a sweet, strong-willed and vivacious toddler!
  • marked our 10th wedding anniversary (which was a rather low-key celebration given we have a newborn!)

Here’s a video of my wedding speech as the groom 10 years ago (transcript here). The recording quality isn’t great (no smartphones with HD recording back then!) but I hope you can still enjoy it…

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Resurrection hope in the face of loss

By Caleb | May 22, 2019

Last week I attended the funeral of my aunt, June Woodbridge, who died on Easter Sunday. It was so sad, especially since her husband Colin died a few years ago, and they are survived by their two daughters. But it was so right to be united as family and friends to mourn her – and to look forward to the hope she had in Christ of eternal life with him. May she rest in peace, and rise in glory. Particular love and prayers to my cousins Louise and Claire who have now lost both parents.

The service was good and touching, and filled with the hope of Heaven. That’s good and true – the Bible reassures us that those who die go to be “with Christ”, and this is a wonderful comfort. But as Christians our hope goes further still. Heaven will be wonderful, but it’s not the end of the story.

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Why I want to blog more again as digital resistance

By Caleb | May 2, 2019

Okay, blogging might not be quite jumping in an X-Wing, but having your own digital presence is one small way of joining the rebel alliance against the domination of Facebook, Google and the like..

It’s strange to think almost 15 years since I started blogging, back when I was beginning my studies as a student at Cardiff University (you can still find those posts in the depths of my archives). For the first couple of years when I was a student, it seemed like everyone and their dog had a blog, but then this thing called “Facebook” came along and changed everything.

In recent years this site has mainly lain dormant, with most of my thoughts and experiences being posted on social media instead. But I want to get back to blogging more frequently – let me explain why…

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Avengers: The Endgame for geek culture?

By Caleb | April 25, 2019

I’m very excited as I wait to head in to the first daytime showing of Avengers Endgame at my local cinema!

It’s easy to be cynical about the Marvel movies, but to build up a 22-movie shared universe and story arc, mostly well-made and entertaining, is an unprecedented achievement.

By now everyone is trying to do cinematic universes, crossovers and mashups. But before Iron Man most superhero films were hermetically sealed off from each other by per-character licensing. It’s hard to remember just how exciting the tease of an Avengers team up was at the time.

Marvel took their time to establish a solid foundation with their core characters, before teaming them up. Now we have Avengers plus Guardians plus dozens of other characters – almost unimaginable 10 years ago that this could be mainstream, not just for a niche comics fandom.

The MCU’s success probably wouldn’t have been possible without online fandom – the industry of online hype and discussion, the Easter egg explainers and speculation. Fan service used to be feared as alienating casual audiences; now it’s integral to the hype cycle.

Avengers Endgame is the pinnacle of geek culture going mainstream. We’re all geeks now. And as someone who has been a geek all along, I couldn’t be happier.

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