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

Wilson's Bookmarks

Review

The Antidote to Alcohol and Drug Addiction

The Science of Shacking Up

News

Growing in the Word

News

Parental Frights: Can Parents Practice Rites that Scare Children?

Books to Note

A Wordless Presence

Excerpt

The King Jesus Gospel

News

Go Figure

A Cross at the Bookends

Loving Muslims One at a Time

Saving the Superheroes: Ministering to the Emergency Dispatch

Believers on the MOVE

Muslim Missions: Then & Now

How Christian Leaders Have Changed Since 9/11

Have Muslim-Christian Relations Improved Since 9/11?

Editorial

Battle for the Bible Translation

Readers Write

News

Apologetics Makes a Comeback Among Youth

News

Should Churches Try to Minimize Disruptions?

News

Passages

DeVon Franklin Keeps the Faith in Hollywood

News

Court Rejects Prostitution Restrictions on AIDS Funding

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

News

Quotation Marks

View issue

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Why Fans Trust Forrest Frank

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How a Missionary Family in Lebanon Produced an American Hero

Bill Eddy’s Arabic acumen served US interests and forged Middle East ties.

Eight Divine Names in One Glorious Passage

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The Bulletin

Venezuelan Boat Attack, Payday Loans, and USAID Fire Sale

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Why an Early American Missionary Family Was Beloved in Lebanon

Over five decades of multigenerational ministry, the Eddys pioneered health and educational outreach.

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