I wanted to commend to you a new book I just finished reading over the weekend, Jim Belcher’s Deep Church. The book is a good one… somewhere between good and great… on the great side of good though not necessarily on the awesome side of great… (Blogs are great because you can write ‘stream of consciousness…’)
The phrase “Deep Church” comes from an offhand reference by C. S. Lewis to describe the kind of church that … [Read More]
Deep Church // A Review
Tullian Tchividjian on Contextualization Without Compromise
Thought this was a great paragraph in an article by our friend Tullian Tchividjian on “Contextualization w/o Compromise.” Tullian, who is named for Tertullian, is speaking at our Advance The Church 2010 conference in April. Have you seen the list of speakers for this thing? I can’t think of a better group (present company excluded) to discuss “Contextualizing the Gospel in the New South!” It should be a great mix between the practical and the … [Read More]
Taking God to the Movies (6): Two Questions & A Conclusion
Taking God to the Movies (6): Two Questions & A Conclusion
Bruce Riley Ashford
Before concluding this series, I want to address a few of the questions and issues that often arise in a discussion of cinema and worldview.
To Love or to Hate?
In Hollywood Worldviews, Brian Godawa makes the point that we tend to “love” or “hate” a movie with such ferocity that we are unwilling to give it an honest critique, and likely to discourage others … [Read More]
Taking God to the Movies (5): What Ocean’s 11, The Incredibles, The Notebook, Cast Away, Hannibal, The Gladiator, The Green Mile, and Other Movies Have to Say about God, the Gospel, & Life
Taking God to the Movies (5): What Ocean’s 11, The Incredibles, The Notebook, Cast Away, Hannibal, The Gladiator, The Green Mile, and Other Movies Have to Say about God, the Gospel, & Life
Bruce Riley Ashford
In the last two installments of “Taking God to the Movies,” we covered the nine elements of (nearly) every movie and then applied those nine elements to two particular movies, Braveheart and Tommy Boy. In this post, I will choose six … [Read More]
They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love: Some Thoughts on the GCR
In the summer of 2008, B&H Academic published an excellent book by David Dockery titled Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Proposal. There is much to commend about this book, but one thing I especially appreciate is how Dockery demonstrates that conservative Southern Baptists are not monolithic. This is an idea that Dockery has advanced for years in a variety of forums, and one I’ve emphasized in my own teaching, conference … [Read More]
Taking God to the Movies (4): Deep Thoughts by Braveheart & Tommy Boy
Taking God to the Movies (4): Deep Thoughts By Braveheart & Tommy Boy
Bruce Riley Ashford
Now that we have taken a look at the nine elements in (nearly) every movie, let’s try our hand at picking out those nine elements in a couple of popular movies. I’ve selected Braveheart and Tommy Boy, because in my experience teaching seminars on cinema, those are two movies that nearly everybody has seen, and because they are two very different … [Read More]
Taking God to the Movies (3): Nine Elements of a Hollywood Storyline
Taking God to the Movies (3): Nine Elements of a Hollywood Storyline
Bruce Riley Ashford
This third installment of the “Taking God to the Movies” will include a brief look at the nine elements in nearly every Hollywood movie: theme, hero, hero’s goal, adversary, character flaw, apparent defeat, final confrontation, self-revelation, and resolution. Once the viewer can identify these nine elements, he or she is ready to begin analyzing the movie and responding to its storyline … [Read More]
Our Best Is Yet To Be
As President of the Southern Baptist Convention, I must confess I have never been more excited about our future as a family. The needs that we see arising is a constant reminder that none of us can do alone what we are called to do as a community. I believe as each individual state and local association begin to share their personal needs, it will help all of us to realize that we must once … [Read More]
Taking God to the Movies (2): The Master Storyline
Taking God to the Movies (2): The Master Storyline
Bruce Riley Ashford
In this second installment of “Taking God to the Movies,” I give a concise summary of the Bible’s grand narrative, stretching from Creation and Fall through to Redemption and New Creation. This narrative provides the starting point, trajectory, and framework for analyzing the stories told in Hollywood’s films. Each of the biblical narrative’s plot movements is significant; indeed, if we are to view the world … [Read More]
Taking God to the Movies
Taking God to the Movies (1): Introduction
Bruce Riley Ashford
No offense intended toward seminary professors, publishers, and pastors, but the most influential theologians in the United States of America are screenwriters, producers, lyricists, and musicians. These Hollywood theologians’ convey their messages through movies, televisions shows, and popular music, which become the lingua franca of the various cultures and sub-cultures of the USA: John Mayer, Jay-Z, and Black Eyed Peas have more access to American homes … [Read More]
