‘Christian Filmmaking’ Captures Hollywood’s Attention as Never Before, but are Christian Filmmakers Up for the Challenge? As Soul Surfer roars past Fireproof‘s $33M payday, (eventually reaching $45M at the box office) Hollywood’s rush to cash in on adapting Christian stories–such…
Cheating God? Students who believe in a forgiving deity more prone to academic dishonesty
The down side of grace? Tell Your Students That if They Cheat, God Will Smite Them by Don Troop in The Chronicle of Higher Education Is God: A) punitive, angry, and vengeful? B) warm, loving, and forgiving? OK, folks, pencils down.…
Podcast: Dave Schmelzer and Gary David Stratton on Faith, Culture, Hollywood and Ivy League
On April 7, author, and playwright-turned-pastor Dave Schmelzer interviewed me for a podcast posted 4/19 on his website: Not The Religious Type, on the Blue Ocean platform. It was a great experience, and I really want you to listen to…
Pastor Makes Time Magazine Cover! Reaction Mixed
Love Wins: The Controversy That Keeps On Giving It’s not every day that a pastor makes the cover story of Time Magazine. Rick Warren did it as recently as 2008, as did T.D. Jakes (2001), and Jerry Falwell (1985). Billy Graham (1954,…
Biola Media Conference CBS Studios April 30: with Wired’s Kevin Kelly, LOTR’s Sean Astin
. Hollywood’s Premier Faith-Based Entertainment Industry Event The Biola Media Conference has a rich history of advancing the integration of faith and the arts. Born in 1995 out of a desire to expose Biola University film students to working media…
Passover Week: Celebrating Hollywood’s Synagogue for the Performing Arts
In honor of Passover Week I thought I would let you in on one of Hollywood’s most moving connections between faith and culture: The Synagogue for the Performing Arts. The Synagogue for the Performing Arts was founded in 1973 by…
Opening Doors for Others: An Interview with Writer-Producer & Mentor Brian Bird
Prolific writer-producer Brian Bird is co-founder of Believe Pictures (with Michael Landon, Jr.) with the mission of developing and producing “high quality, entertaining, and life-and-faith-affirming, films and television depicting positive images and compelling moral stories.” Bird and Landon wrote and…
Chinese Government Crack Down on Beijing Worship Service Could Be Harbinger of New Wave of Persecution
. The explosive growth of the church in China is one of the most remarkable stories of the 20th Century. When Mao Zedong came to power in 1949 there were less than 1 million Christians in all of China. By…
Faith-based Soul Surfer surpasses Hollywood expectations, earns rare A+ CinemaScore
Faith-based Soul Surfer surpassed Hollywood expectations finishing 4th in the weekend box office. The Sony Tri-Star film came within 14% of much-hyped 2nd place Arthur and 3rd place Hanna. Soul Surfer, which cost $18M to make, earned $11.1M in its…
Faith ‘N’ Film Summit with Emmy Nominated Actor Corbin Bernsen (Psych), Writer Brian Bird (Not Easily Broken), and Producer Ken Wales (Amazing Grace)
LAS VEGAS, NV — The Faith ’N’ Film Summit will be held this Sunday (April 10) on the eve of the National Association of Broadcasters Convention (NAB Show)–April 9-14. In partnership with the 168 Film Project (an incubator for filmmakers…