This session will discuss how recent popular television and film featuring religion stories are getting traction—and ask why. In what ways do portrayals of religious life, in both its positive and negative elements, shape viewer conceptions of the good, true, and beautiful? How do leading film critics see religious faith impacting the arts generally? Do journalists’ own views of religion impact commentary about film, TV, and other leading stories, and how does storytelling help counter American polarization, isolation, and (information) rabbit holes?