‘There Are No Strings On Me’
E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 23, 2014
Avengers: Age of Ultron’s tyrannical villain boasts of his own freedom.
Five Myths Of Cultural Engagement
R. L. Copple, Oct 21, 2014
Have you encountered any of these myths?
Reading With Purpose
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Oct 20, 2014
Far too many readers, feeling justified by Tolkien’s words, are content with the escape of the deserter and turn reading into a passive occupation, a form of mindless entertainment.
Fiction Friday – A Time To Die By Nadine Brandes
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Oct 16, 2014
There was once a time when only God knew the day you’d die.
Twelve Reasons The ‘Left Behind’ Series Is Actually Awesome, Part 4
E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 16, 2014
Three final reasons I still like the “Left Behind” novels: human journeys, fantastical events, and the return of Jesus.
You Are …
Shannon McDermott, Oct 15, 2014
A book reviewer is not an avenging angel, a warrior in an ideological battle, or a corrections officer.
Reflecting The Spirit Of Columbus
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Oct 13, 2014
Think what it took for Columbus to set sail, depending on little else besides his idea of what the world looked like. He had to have courage, an adventurous spirit, fortitude, confidence. In miniature I think these are the same qualities writers and readers have to have.
Fiction Friday – Rebels By Jill Williamson
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Oct 10, 2014
Levi woke to the sounds of chaos. Footsteps thumping through the house. Giggling children. Screeching children. Women shushing.
Twelve Reasons The ‘Left Behind’ Series Is Actually Awesome, Part 3
E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 9, 2014
Three more reasons the Left Behind novels (not movie) work: cool covers, epic vision and diverse cast.
Stories And Human Nature
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Oct 6, 2014
What I find fascinating about these three movies is the theme that runs through them—unlikeable characters depicting marriage as psychological warfare; evil is real and we can’t get rid of it; and “good” removed leaves evil to fend for—and against—itself.
Twelve Reasons The ‘Left Behind’ Series Is Actually Awesome, Part 2
E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 2, 2014
Three more reasons the Left Behind series is fine pulp-thriller fantasy: action, natural faith content, and a secular fanbase.
Keep The Salt, Shine The Light
Shannon McDermott, Oct 1, 2014
The tension between preserving and going forth is found in the Sermon on the Mount, where Christ commands us both to keep our saltiness and to shine our light.
Fantasy and Christianity
R. L. Copple, Sep 30, 2014
The rejection of fantasy causes one to limit God.
If It’s Fiction . . .
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Sep 29, 2014
Truth in stories is a tricky thing. On the story-telling level, often referred to as realism, readers need to believe in what’s taking place.
Christian Parents, Please Stop Practicing White Magic
E. Stephen Burnett, Sep 26, 2014
Parents who fear mystical objects and symbols should compare this “white magic” with actual Scripture.
Twelve Reasons The ‘Left Behind’ Series Is Actually Awesome, Part 1
E. Stephen Burnett, Sep 25, 2014
Behind questionable end-times views and style, the “Left Behind” series is fine pulp-thriller fantasy.
Is Capitalism Distorting Christianity?
R. L. Copple, Sep 23, 2014
If culture is redeemable, it is because the people that make it up are redeemable.
Christianity, Diversity, And Speculative Fiction
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Sep 22, 2014
Diversity marked Christ’s ministry and has been a hallmark of the Church from early on. Today Christianity encompasses any number of people groups, largely because believers take seriously God’s commission to make disciples of those at home, nearby, and far away.
‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and The Subversion Of Human Nature
E. Stephen Burnett, Sep 18, 2014
Marvel’s thematic twist of its “optimistic” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” series proves humans don’t believe our own good press.
Into The Hands Of Amateurs
Shannon McDermott, Sep 17, 2014
Through Amazon and Goodreads, through blogs and a multitude of outlets, book reviewing has gotten out of the hands of professionals. Now a good deal of reviewing, especially of novels, is done by unpaid amateurs. But why did we take on the job?
Sinful Reviews
R. L. Copple, Sep 16, 2014
When a Christian reader writes a review, should it not be for the glory of God just as much as the Christian novel writer?
Science Fiction And Fantasy?
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Sep 15, 2014
The overall trend seems to be that the general market favors either science fiction or fantasy, but not both—at least not in great numbers.
Kickstarting A Book To Life
Brock D. Eastman, Sep 12, 2014
Crowdfunding makes you the reader and the author a team like never before.
Popular Culture Is An Eternal Gift Of God
E. Stephen Burnett, Sep 11, 2014
Christians who critique fantastical stories are often blind to popular culture’s eternal purposes.
Star Trekking Religion By Firefly
R. L. Copple, Sep 9, 2014
Is portraying religion positively enough?
Great Art And Story
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Sep 8, 2014
We must grapple with the demands of our culture when it comes to realism in Story and the greater demands of Scripture to obey God in all we do and say.
Actually, Fantastic Films Don’t Require Sex and Nudity
Cap Stewart, Sep 5, 2014
Might we end up justifying idolatry or sexual sins by believing “the story made me do it”?
Kathy Tyers: Defeating Gnostic Forces In Fantasy Fiction
E. Stephen Burnett, Sep 4, 2014
While Lucasfilm revised the “Star Wars” world, Star Wars Expanded Universe author Kathy Tyers was rebooting her theology.
A Pot Of Message
Shannon McDermott, Sep 3, 2014
The use of stories in service of messages is an old and diverse tradition, stretching from Jesus Christ and Aesop, through Harriet Beecher Stowe and H.G. Wells, down to Aronofsky’s “Noah” and “How to Train Your Dragon 2”.
