Books

My Top 5 Books on TV and Movies

Picks from Steven Greydanus, film critic at Decent Films Guide.

The Graham Greene Film Reader: Reviews, Essays, Interviews and Film Stories Graham Greene, ed. David Parkinson (Applause Books)

An influential film critic, screenwriter, and producer, as well as a novelist, Greene’s rich insights into the art and industry of cinema permeate this collection of reviews, essays, and other film writings.

Shows About Nothing: Nihilism in Popular Culture from ‘The Exorcist’ to ‘Seinfeld’ Thomas S. Hibbs (Spence Publishing)

Baylor University professor of philosophy Hibbs’s provocative book contemplates Nietzsche’s legacy and how popular culture expresses and shapes attitudes toward good and evil.

Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue: Second Edition Robert K. Johnston (Baker Academic)

Fuller Theological Seminary professor of theology and culture Johnston’s classic book offers a historical, theological, and critical road map to thinking Christianly about movies.

An Experiment in Criticism C.S. Lewis (Cambridge University Press)

Though focused on literature, Lewis’s proposal to turn criticism on its head, contemplating different ways of reading as a key to evaluating artistic merit, applies equally to all art forms.

Through a Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth and Evil in the Movies Jeffrey Overstreet (Regal Books)

Former CT film critic and columnist Overstreet’s engaging “travelogue of dangerous moviegoing” is part movie journal, part philosophical and critical inquiry. Great recommendations.

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Related Elsewhere:

The Graham Greene Film Reader , Shows About Nothing , Reel Spirituality , An Experiment in Criticism , and Through a Screen Darkly are available from ChristianBook.com, Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers.

Previous Top 5 lists have featured hell, heaven, technology, forgiveness, dating, poetry, C.S. Lewis, the historical Jesus, family ministry, the problem of evil, biographies of theologians, orphans, prayer, doubt, community, sports, parenting, Advent, life ethics, emerging movement, Islam, loss, Calvin, spiritual memoirs, neglected doctrines, spiritual memoirs, and marriage.

Christianity Today also has an entertainment blog, as well as more music, movies, books, and other media reviews on our website.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Public Theology Project

The Gospel at Ground Zero

Russell D. Moore

Wilson's Bookmarks

John Wilson

Review

The Antidote to Alcohol and Drug Addiction

The Science of Shacking Up

Interview by Caryn Rivadeneira

News

Growing in the Word

Matthew D. LaPlante in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

News

Parental Frights: Can Parents Practice Rites that Scare Children?

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra

Books to Note

A Wordless Presence

Excerpt

The King Jesus Gospel

Scot McKnight

News

Go Figure

A Cross at the Bookends

Loving Muslims One at a Time

Saving the Superheroes: Ministering to the Emergency Dispatch

Shelly Ngo

Believers on the MOVE

Mark Moring

Muslim Missions: Then & Now

J. Dudley Woodberry

How Christian Leaders Have Changed Since 9/11

Have Muslim-Christian Relations Improved Since 9/11?

Rick Love, Carl Moeller, and Jason Micheli

Editorial

Battle for the Bible Translation

A Christianity Today Editorial

Readers Write

News

Apologetics Makes a Comeback Among Youth

Chris Norton

News

Should Churches Try to Minimize Disruptions?

Compiled by Ruth Moon

News

Passages

DeVon Franklin Keeps the Faith in Hollywood

Mark Moring

News

Court Rejects Prostitution Restrictions on AIDS Funding

Susan Wunderink

The Lasting Effects of Your School

Criminalizing Circumcision

News

Hundreds Jailed for Sectarian Violence, Turkish Leaders Smooth Way for Christians, & More News

News

Missional Church Mergers

Ken Walker

News

Quotation Marks

View issue

Our Latest

News

Nigerian Christian Schools Fill Gaps for Students with Disabilities

Emiene Erameh

Many public schools can’t offer special education, so churches offer needed resources and community.

Being Human

Adam Young on Trauma and Theology: Why Your Certainty Might Be Just a Fancy Disguise

Can exploring the impact of trauma on our lives lead wounds to wisdom?

 

Studying Pain ‘Causes Me to Pine for Eternity’

Yi Ning Chiu

A clinical psychologist explains her research on the brain, suffering, and culture—and what she’s learned about God’s beautiful design.

The Russell Moore Show

Moore to the Point: Why Christians Ignore What the Bible Says About Immigrants

Believers can disagree on migration policies—but the Word of God should shape how we minister to vulnerable people.

A Memoir of Exvangelical Anger—but Not for the People in the Pews

Journalist Josiah Hesse discusses his new book on poverty, Pentecostalism, and the politics of the Christian right.

Texas Law Aims to Stop Abortion Drugs at the State Line

Adam McGinnis

Neighbors can now sue each other over mail-order drugs. Pro-life advocates are divided on the tactic.

The Bulletin

Venezuelan Oil, LA Fires Aftermath, and Revival In America

Mike Cosper, Clarissa Moll, Russell Moore

The global aftershock of military action in Venezuela, California churches rebuild one year after LA fires, and the possibility of revival in America.

What Christian Parents Should Know About Roblox

Isaac Wood

The gaming platform poses both content concerns and safety risks that put minors in “the Devil’s crosshairs.” The company says tighter restrictions are coming.

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