Review of SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World, by Douglas Estes, Zondervan, 2009, 256 pages (paperback), $16.99 In his book SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World, Douglas Estes gets defensive about an accusation that no one seems to be leveling. I, for one, was only peripherally aware of the “virtual world”... Continue Reading

Jane Love, buyer of books in the religion category for Barnes & Noble, calls the mega best seller a “crossover,” meaning the book isn’t being bought by just evangelical Christians. Colton Burpo is having a late lunch at a T.G.I. Friday‘s in Manhattan. He orders a Mountain Dew, then shares some baby back ribs with... Continue Reading

The movie, ‘Soul Surfer’ portrays the comeback spirit and faith of shark attack survivor and champion surfer Bethany Hamilton Rich Peluso, vice president of Affirm Films, a Sony Pictures label that releases Christian films, was getting a cup of coffee when he noticed on the wall of the local coffee shop a poster of Bethany... Continue Reading

Rigorous theology helps people avoid mindless conformity. Without timeless rules, we all have a tendency to be swept up in the temper of the moment. But tough-minded theologies are countercultural. They insist on principles and practices that provide an antidote to mere fashion You can feel a jolt of energy surge through the audience of... Continue Reading

Imagine meeting a person who had never heard of Easter. If you could use only one film produced in your generation to describe the real meaning of the holiday, which would you use and why? While there have been many films on Christ over the last 85 years (“The Greatest Story Ever Told,” “Jesus of... Continue Reading

If the language and scenario sound contemporary, they should. President Obama, who plays at cutting spending and wants to raise taxes, is the embodiment of the philosophy about which Ayn Rand warned Twenty-nine years after her death, novelist Ayn Rand is coming to a theater near you. After many failed attempts, her 1957 novel Atlas... Continue Reading

In the age of gratuitous Hollywood sex and violence it’s not surprising that people are starved for family-friendly entertainment. This is not just a matter of opinion. Movieguide, the world’s premier pro-family movie magazine, has established over and again with its annual Report to the Entertainment Industry that wholesome entertainment sells… big time. The report... Continue Reading

The latest movie with a Christian message, “Soul Surfer” debuted over the weekend with $11.1 million, beating out the star-studded film “Your Highness.” Though fourth at the box office, the inspirational film based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton had a higher per screen average than the weekend’s number one movie, Warner Bros.’ “Arthur.”... Continue Reading

Book Review: Vampire Defanged, The: How the Embodiment of Evil Became a Romantic Hero, Susannah Clements, April 1, 2011, Brazos Press Clements’ analysis requires an active reader who doesn’t mind thinking. This comes out further in that her conclusions are inevitably controversial….But for active, curious readers, Clements may be the most lucid, readable critic to... Continue Reading

If you’re looking for a man to be cast as the lead role in an action-packed Hollywood thriller don’t expect him to be an American, says Amanda Fortini. Because Americans raise weak and wimpy men Hollywood producers have no other choice than to look for Europeans or Australians. In a recent Details Magazine article titled,... Continue Reading