Act One Book Report

Our upcoming Act One book is getting a “Starred Review” in Publishers Weekly’s Religion Update on Monday, August 29. It’s nice…

Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film, and Culture
Edited by Spencer Lewerenz and Barbara Nicolosi. Baker Books, $14.99 paper (224p) ISBN 0-8010-6547-X

This thought-provoking collection of essays on Hollywood features contributions by Christian writers for both film and television. After a hard-hitting, impressively self-reflective opening piece on the history of Hollywood’s tortured relationship with Christianity, essayists expound on a number of topics, from how to survive mostly-secular Tinseltown with one’s faith intact to exploring reasons why the industry is so secular in the first place. Refreshingly enough, the book’s tone is almost completely non-defensive; these authors are culture-makers who want to seamlessly integrate their beliefs with their work and art. One standout essay is Thom Parham’s “Why Do Heathens Make the Best Christian Films?” It asks why, when non-Christians have been making faith-filled masterpieces like The Lord of the Rings, Chariots of Fire, and The Shawshank Redemption, believers are wasting their energy on “unwatchable” dreck like The Omega Code. Readers also shouldn’t miss movie marketer Jonathan Bock’s proactive essay “Love the Cinema, Hate the Sin.” (Nov.)

P.S. Surely, with this kind of rave reviews, the book will sell out very quickly. You should rush HERE right away to make sure you pre-order a copy!…That’s what I’d do…Right away…