"Christian" is a Bad Adjective - Jeffrey Overstreet

Washington Times on "Christian movies"

Reporter Bekah Grim of The Washington Times wanted to know why I don't get excited about "Christian movies." So I took a long, deep breath, tried to remain calm, tried to avoid R-rated language, and I told her. (Note: The article says I used the word

On Movies & Media

NPR: "The New Christian Film Industry!" Christianity Today: "Make It Stop!"

NPR recently ran a story about the (supposedly) exciting new "Christian movie industry." The story contained this quote: "I think we're going to see significant production houses that will be funding $200 million films done by Christians," he predicts. "We're going

On Books & Writing

L.B. Graham on the Problem with "Christian fiction"

An excellent post by author L.B. Graham! I don't know his stories (yet), but I'm impressed with his perspective on prevalent problems in "Christian fiction." Christianity is not about moralism, and Christian fiction shouldn't be either. Christianity revolves, not around good

On Books & Writing

Many Thanks to the Christy Award Judges. (Updated. What is Christian fiction, anyway?)

Many thanks, again, to those who chose the nominees for this year's Christy Awards. I'm told it is a rare honor to have a book nominated in two categories, and this year, Auralia's Colors was nominated for Best First Novel and "Visionary"

On Movies & Media

Change We Can Believe In... At the Movies

The Passion of the Christ inspired speculation—in Christian and mainstream media—that things might be changing for Christians in Hollywood. Some used stronger language, declaring that the gate of Hollywood were swinging open wide for faith-focused filmmakers. Some Christians began to speak with an Obama-level fever for CHANGE in

On Books & Writing

Mick Silva's Advice for Writers; Narnia's Makeover for High King Peter

Silva ponders Mick Silva on the voice of the Christian writer. * High King Peter of Narnia's "small mind" In C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, High King Peter did not have a "small mind." But it seems that American filmmakers are

On Songs & Albums

NY Times: Ten Great Christian Rock Songs

It's not hard to demonstrate that Christian rock is often... even usually... cheesy, derivative, and shallow. Much of it sounds like commercials for Jesus rather than artistic endeavor. But there are exceptions, although I'd prefer to take the modifier "Christian" off of those songs

On Books & Writing

"Christian Fiction" and the Faith of J.K. Rowling and Sara Zarr

I know that many of my fellow Christians are so convinced that J.K. Rowling is a servant of Satan that they won't be persuaded by anything as insignificant as... oh... the author's own words about her faith. But I'm encouraged that the conversation

On Movies & Media

Terry Mattingly on Two Words: "FOX" and "Faith"

Terry Mattingly looks at what happened to* The Ultimate Gift when it was tagged with the term "Fox Faith." He writes: “I told the Fox people this movie was going to resonate with the Christian audience and that’s fine with me, because I am a Christian,” said

On Movies & Media

So it continues: Are Christians a niche audience?

Readers are responding to my recent article at Christianity Today Movies: Christians as a Niche Market? And, as you might expect, their perspectives vary.

On Movies & Media

The Weinsteins Start Up Their Own "Faith-Based" Film Endeavor

Great. Now the Weinstein Company is developing a faith-based filmmaking line. Since the Contemporary Christian Music has done so much to sidetrack Christian musicians so their music doesn't accidentally end up in arenas where the world might hear it... why not create Contemporary Christian Cinema? That way, faith-related

On Movies & Media

Why My Faith is Not FoxFaith (and Great Art is Not Necessarily "Christian Art")

When I saw a promotional video for the arrival of FoxFaith, a special library of movies that "Christians and families can enjoy," I had a flashback. As I perused the titles of films being included in that label, I felt the walls closing in, trapping me in a

On Movies & Media

Why My Faith is Not "FoxFaith," and Great Art is Not Necessarily "Christian art"

When I saw a promotional video for the arrival of FoxFaith, a special library of movies that "Christians and families can enjoy," I had a flashback. As I perused the titles of films being included in that label, I felt the walls closing in, trapping me in a

On Songs & Albums

Phil Keaggy Speaks the Truth

Here's a revealing interview with Phil Keaggy, where he's saying some of the things about the Christian music industry that I've been saying at Looking Closer for a decade or more. This is just a piece of that article... Keaggy: I don't

On Movies & Media

If Christians want to make significant contributions to filmmaking...

William Romanowski, author of Eyes Wide Open, showed up in the pages of today's USA Today, addressing the potential for Christians to encourage productive dialogue through the medium of film. Only when evangelicals agree to look at Hollywood not just as an evangelistic tool, or a harmless entertainment

On Songs & Albums

Is "Illinois" the best "Christian album" of the year?

Sufjan Stevens' new album Illinois is very, very strange. And very, very good. And, judging by the critical response it's getting, it looks like the most highly praised album recorded by a Christian singer/songwriter in many years. (Am I forgetting any similarly celebrated titles?) Check it

On Songs & Albums

What's wrong with CCM? (installment 1,006...)

Kate Bowman is becoming one of the most interesting new voices in the dialogue about faith and art. And I just discovered an interview on her blog, Evangelical Expatriate that had me nodding and even cheering at the insightful observations about "contemporary Christian music."

"Christian" is a Bad Adjective

Fred Clark rampage on Christian Art

Check out this three-part series on "Christian art"... ...over at Slacktivist. Preach it, brother.

On Songs & Albums

Josh Hurst Calls for Closing the Doors on CCM

Josh Hurst at Reveal (www.revealarts.com) has just posted an editorial that should be read, discussed, and passed around. In it, he asks the blunt question (which I'm paraphrasing): Who needs the contemporary Christian music industry anymore, when there is music about spirituality from a Christian perspective