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've discussed a lot of movies over the years.) After the waitress brought out the chips, we mentioned the relationship between film critics and film audiences. >> CRITICS VS. AUDIENCES Mom referenced a period piece that h

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. My wife and I have opened up our little cabin in the mountains a number of times to weary image-bearers looking for rest, inspiration, and encouragement with Christ at the center. Like the L'Abri gatherings, great number

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 my whole life to make.” Surprisingly, many of the audiences didn’t take to the film at first, thinking it was too sad for the Christmas season. And not surprisingly, the critics didn’t care for it either. Frank Capra Jr

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 thinking and continue the conversation on how we should approach films as Christians. 1. ONLY FACTS TELL THE TRUTH This thinking often is a consequence of our culture's overemphasis on science. What people sometimes forget is

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 professional actors and directors, we don’t. They have budgets of millions of dollars, and we don’t. And yet, at LifeHouse, I see God changing lives all the time. I hear about them. I watch them. But I don’t want you to think t

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 Bundy is president of Stage & Story and cast chaplain at LifeHouse Theater in Redlands, CA.

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 them. 1. ONLY FACTS TELL THE TRUTH One might argue that only propositions can communicate truth to us, or statements that can be tested. So, it's best to stay away from stories which are fantastical and don't correspond w

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,” but from my standpoint, I see people struggling with how shallow their relationships are. In our digital culture, it’s increasingly rare to see friendships forming that are deep with lasting roots. It’d be wise for us to

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 and find out more details here: If you can't make it, keep us in your prayers. Hope to see you there! Dane is the president of Stage & Story and cast chaplain at LifeHouse Theater in Redlands, CA. #AnchoredNorth

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 many how to books, she writes simply but with depth. After a chapter or a selection, I always leave considering her ideas. I've never thought of it that way. What does she mean by that? _________ should read this. I wond

Here's the story. About 15 minutes ago I did the unthinkable...I called the IRS. I didn't know what to expect, as someone warned it may take hours to get through to an human being. I called because I was lonely. My wife is at work and it's raining outside. No, just kidding. I'm an introvert (...well, to be exact, I'm an INFJ according to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). All this means is that I don't get lonely often, especially when it's raining outside: too many books to read, movies to review, blogs to write. The real reason I called the Internal Revenue Service was to inquire about the status of Stage & Story's 501(c)(3) application. We filed it a long time ago...and we haven't heard anyth

Recently I watched the film Westworld (1973) with Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, and James Brolin. The film is about a theme park of sorts in which people pay $1,000 a night to visit and fully live in one of three parks: Medieval World, Roman World, and Westworld. Much like Las Vegas, visitors to these parks can indulge in any desires and fantasies they have, ranging from participating in a drunken fight in the saloon, a gun-slinging duel, to a night with a lady (who's definitely not your wife). The best thing about the park: you can't get hurt. Wink. Wink. I sat down a couple of weeks ago and watched this film for a number of reasons. FIRST, J.J. Abrams has been producing (executive produce

As human beings, we see the world through our own experiences and beliefs. Together this forms our worldview, or our perspective on the world. Everyone has a perspective, including artists. Yes, artists try to reflect what they see, but it's all funneled through their worldview. I'd like to consider for a moment two celebrated storytellers and their worldviews: Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen Sondheim. >> HITCHCOCK'S BLEAK WORLD In a fascinating 1973 interview, legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock stated, “Any art form is there for the artist to interpret in the manner he wishes, for the purpose he wishes.” When we think of Hitchcock, and his body of work, which include films such as Psycho

In November, Wayne Scott, founder and President of LifeHouse Theater, was invited to speak at First Congregational Church in Redlands. He chose to speak on the topic of The Author of Creativity. I found his speech and delivery warm, thoughtful, and inspiring. If you know Wayne personally, this will not surprise you. If anyone has earned the right to speak on the transformational nature of storytelling it is Wayne, as he's written over 30 original full-length (and produced many, many more than that) musicals for LifeHouse Theater, which is celebrating its 25th season anniversary. My prayer is that you'd be inspired, as I have, to harness the power of storytelling so that the gospel might infl