Cultivating the Christian Imagination

Yesterday, my parents came up and visited my wife and me in our mountain cabin. With the fire going inside and the biting winds outside, our place tends to either lull people to sleep or stir people to conversation. We saw both yesterday. >> WE TALK MOVIES After our time at home, the four of us went to a local restaurant in which we started talking about movies. (This wasn't a surprise; while some families played games after dinner, the Bundys watched movies. As a family, we'

In 1955, Dr. Francis Schaeffer and his wife, Edith, decided to open up their home in Switzerland to people who longed for answers to life's most vital questions. This birthed a study center and community called L'Abri, a French word which means "shelter." If you're not familiar with it, I encourage you to look up the organization that's still running today. >> A MODEL IDEA In many ways, I've modeled our Stage & Story gatherings after what Francis and Edith were trying to do.

Several weeks ago, I (Dane) stumbled upon a fascinating television special about the making of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Frank Capra Jr. hosted it and offered a rare glimpse into his father: Frank Capra—the man behind the classic 1947 Christmas film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” >>THE MAN BEHIND THE FILM Capra Jr. shared that “It’s a Wonderful Life” was a deeply personal film to his father. In the film, sitting in a director’s chair, Frank Capra tells us, “It’s the picture I waited

In my last post, I outlined six common approaches I see Christians take to watching movies. I've certainly overgeneralized here, but I think delineating these ways can be helpful for you as you think about how you watch movies. In this second post, I'll walk through each way and offer you something to consider. While you shouldn't make any of these ways your only guide, I've also not offered full refutations of them either. I'm hoping this concluding post will stir your think

I often share that as Christian storytellers we’re fighting fire with fire. This means a couple of things. FIRST, it means that we’ve chosen to respond to Hollywood’s movies and Broadway’s musicals. We recognize how influential these industries are and that they are shaping our hearts and minds. SECOND, the way we’re responding to these industries is by staging our own stories. You might say we’ve chosen to join Hollywood and Broadway in their own game. Now, they have profess

Last Friday (12/14), I had the privilege to give an online presentation on watching films with a Christian perspective. Greg Sukert of Anchored North hosted the webinar, and we had a great turnout and a wonderful time. After my talk, we had a session of Q/A. I'm excited to announce that if you missed the live presentation, you can re-watch it now. Just follow these three simple steps: Go to www.christianstoryguide.com Click "Register Now" Enter your name and email Enjoy! Dane

In preparing for a talk on watching movies with a Christian perspective, it occurred to me that I've noticed Christians approach movies in a variety of ways. (Please understand that in many ways this is an over-simplification.) I'll list six, while I know there are more. Some of the ways listed can be helpful, while others are truly not. Where do you lean? I'll be honest, I've leaned towards most of them at various times during my Christian journey. So, let's take a look at t

Editor's Note: This is the fourth post in a series on John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, "Before There Was George Lucas or J.R.R. Tolkien - There was John Bunyan." Read the third post here. I still remember my college Interpersonal Communication class, or at least I remember learning that when it comes to friendship a person will only have three to five lifelong friends—true friends. As I mentioned in the last episode, our culture talks much about “friends” and “friendship,” b

This Friday, December 14th, at 12 PM PST (3 PM EST) I'll be giving an online presentation on how to watch movies with a Christian perspective. One of our partner ministries, Anchored North, is hosting this live webinar event: Engaging the Trojan Horse--Watching Movies with a Christian Perspective. At the end of the seminar, I'll be giving away a gift: my new booklet. My prayer is that it'll be a great resource and encouragement for you. You can sign up for this free event an

One of the most thought-provoking works on creativity and Christianity that I've come across is Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith & Art. I continually notice it on recommended lists of Christian writers and thinkers. >> A WORK THAT MAKES YOU WONDER I've worked through Walking on Water a couple of times, and much of that time with a professor (who is also a friend), and I still find wonderful insights on creativity from a Christian perspective. Unlike