Culture

Denzel Washington enlivens ‘Fences’ on the screen

Suffering is a leitmotif in any of August Wilson's plays, but there's also brutal honesty and joy in unexpected moments. Moral decisions, and the consequences of immoral ones, lurk at every turn in the plot.

Movie review: Why Him?

The makers of "Why Him?" (Fox) evidently couldn't decide whether their film should be a raunchy sex comedy or a tamer tale about the clash between established family values and the often bereft behavior of the untethered newly wealthy.

Book on parish leadership may be required reading

While there is no "silver bullet" for successful parish ministry today, businessman William Simon Jr.'s "Great Catholic Parishes" lays out four ways parishes can be great, based on 244 interviews with Catholic pastors across the U.S.

A new reading list for a new year, one day at a time

See our list of 12 books that each offer daily meditations to get you through 2017.

‘Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly’ to sign off after 20 years

The last installment of more than 1,000 episodes of the newscast will make its way to PBS stations the weekend of Feb. 24.

Movie review: Passengers

Science fiction becomes the springboard for a study of selfishness, sin and the possibility of forgiveness in "Passengers" (Sony).

One book offers exhaustive study of rosary, another adds mysteries

At 351 pages -- not including various appendices and reference sections in the back of the book -- "Champions of the Rosary" is easily the most exhaustive study of the devotional prayer known as "the rosary" that this reviewer has ever seen.

Movie review: Jackie

"Jackie" (Fox Searchlight) is more of a passionate meditation on the nature of a first lady's fame than a historical drama about Jacqueline Kennedy in the weeks following the 1963 assassination of her husband.

Choral Arts group presents rare Bach ‘Christmas Oratorio’ New Year’s Eve

What are you doing New Year’s Eve? Choral Arts Philadelphia performs Johann Sebastian Bach’s six-cantata oratorio Saturday, Dec. 31 from 4-8 p.m. with intermission for dinner, at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.

Movie review: Sing

"Sing" (Universal) is a generally amiable but flawed musical cartoon, populated mostly by animals. While the essential values of this show-biz fable are respectable enough, writer-director Garth Jennings incorporates elements into his film that make it unsuitable for youngsters.